Wet and tense Friday

Police blockade at the
3rd Station of the Cross

Today was proof that the Intifada is really underway. The whole Muslim Quarter has been closed off ... all roads leading to the City Gates in that Quarter were also closed. Only men over 50 yrs were allowed to enter the City. Very very tense. Young men gathered in the streets or blockades and prayed in the muddy streets as it was raining the whole day.

Scuffles took place in several street corners with the police. And there were very many soldiers and police. I guess the muslims knew they couldn't match the stun grenades and tear gas ... and with all the alleys and side-streets all blockaded since yesterday, there was no escape route ... so no rioting took place.

Police in the shade
away from the rain

Despite the tensions, stupid tourist guides continued to bring groups in the streets. Very dangerous. In fact one very very stubborn priest insisted on making the Way of the Cross, with giant cross (5 feet) held up, guitar strumming right through the street that was blocked by muslims kneeling in the mud praying because the police would not allow them to enter the Al Aqsa Mosque. The muslims would have beaten him and the guide up if not for others who came in between. That stupid stubborn priest should go to jail for putting the group's safety at risk. The group did not want to make the devotion, seeing how tense it was in the streets ... but the priest ... with his "priestly" authority and questionable spirituality, imposed it on the group and so the nasty confrontation. All I say is this type of priest should be banned from guiding groups, black-listed by agencies and denied a visa. They give priest-guides a bad name.

Damascus Gate market
inside the City is empty
because of the rain and curfew

Anyway things calmed down in the City and by evening the blockades were lifted. Not sure if the curfew has been lifted though. Last night the streets were eerily quiet and empty of people. It smelled like the intifada 14 yrs ago. Well if it's not here, then at least winter is. Nights drop to 12 degrees. The rain makes it colder than it is. My small radiator is out. Too cold to sleep without it. One good thing though about the cold and rain ... it deters people from going outdoors and rioting. Too much of a hassle in the slippery and muddy streets ... and too clumsy by wearing too much clothes. Perhaps we'll get a quiet night tonight.

Muslim Quarter closed off

Empty street at 5am

Yesterday and today saw dreadful violence. An outspoken rabbi was shot last night just outside the Old City. Serious injuries. The police closed off the Muslim Quarter and surrounding villages. This morning after and all night search, they killed one suspect in Abu or, a village 1km south of the Old City. The Al Aqsa Mosque was totally closed to everyone including muslims ... I think as a punishment. Everyone is fearing of retaliation and revenge by both sides. Police continue to flock around the Old and New Cities in high alert for terrorists. There was a curfew that lasted all night.

Right now a marching band of muslims are demonstrating in front of our house. Scary. There must be more demonstrations around as stun grenades are being fired further north of our place. My fear that the 3rd Intifada has started was confirmed yesterday when municipality leaders voiced the same. Everyone - jew and muslim know it, talk about it but no one wants to all it by its proper name ... an intifada.

This morning at 5am I needed to go to Tel Aviv to see the podiatrist but because of the curfew and blockages, I could not get out of the City till half an hour later. All this is part of the collective punishment meted by Israel on the arab population for the shooting of the rabbi. The Mayor has called for absolutely strict application of the law on all arab communities - illegal structures to be torn down, traffic tickets to be handed out at any minor infringement, confiscation of property and animals .... this collection punishment of innocent and guilty will only make many peaceful arabs turn against the israelis. It'll only worsen the situation. It's a very wrong call .... but the Mayor doesn't want to hear it.

Clashes

Sunday night saw fresh clashes at Lions' Gate at midnight. The arab "suicide terrorist" as Israel calls him who drove his car into the Light Rail killing 2 jews (one a baby) and injuring 6 others had died but his funeral was forced to take place by the police at 11.30pm. Angry arab crowds gathered at the Al Aqsa mosque for the prayers and then to the cemetary outside Lions Gate. Riots too place and Israeli police fired tear gas and stun grenades. The clashes went on for over an hour. Other clashes occurred in nearby towns.

An angel on a motorbike
playing the loveliest music
on an electric harp

Mondays are nightmares. I wake up at 3am and work right through till 10pm ... a total of 19 hours flat with no rest or meals. It started with class, then work in one library, work editing articles, then back to class in another school, then work in another library, then conference with visiting pilgrims. It was so exhausting I had no appetite when I came home even though I felt hungry. Went to sleep immediately. Come to think of it, I've slept very little these past 2 weeks as I'm called out for emergencies mostly at 2am or so ... poor family members getting arrested in late night raids and they want me to intervene as I speak english, and the presence of a foreigner tends to intimidate the police or at least stop them from unjustified beatings.

I didn't have time to go back to my podiatrist to get my insoles ... don't know when I'll be free enough to go. The Morton's neuroma is still hurting very much. And I've developed bronchitis due to the cold damp air in the early mornings. It drops to 12 degrees at night here though daytime is around 26 degrees. I think winter will be cold this year ... more than the usual.

Sabbath at last

Main road to East Jerusalem closed

Yesterday saw a very heavy military presence in and around the Old City and East Jerusalem. In fact East Jerusalem was practically blocked off with road closures and security check points. Really massive. Arab men below 50 yrs were not allowed to enter the City. All these tough actions are a retaliation against the terrorist car incident and the riots against jewish settlers in Silwan (biblical Siloam). As many people were excluded from entry into the City for Friday prayers, anger boiled over and there were riots and scuffles throughout the neighbourhood outside the City. One 14 yr old was killed when israeli soldiers shot him. Things returned to calm later in the afternoon.

French students at our manuscripts
exhibition

Anyway I'm still totally exhausted from the conference and exhibition. Made a short trip to Tel Aviv to see the podiatrist but being Friday, the clinic was closed early. My right foot still hurts even if I don't walk. The Morton's neuroma is certainly a painful condition but I don't want a surgery to relieve it. And a constant wheezing seems to point to asthma again ... but it's probably exposure to the dust from the old manuscripts that I've been handling the past 2 weeks for the exhibition.

What I've been lacking is sleep. Hope I can catch up on it today if no one bothers me.

Friday

Open market at Musrara
on Friday

Finally I get to breathe. Was very busy preparing for an exhibition of some of our ancient manuscripts from the library. There was also a conference after the exhibition at 5pm. Then we had to clean up the library after the exhibition and store the ancient manuscripts back in the deposit room. It was tiring. But it was a great success. Lots of local people but especially academics from universities came to the exhibition. There was even a class of 13 yr old french students accompanied by 3 teachers. It made all the preparation work and sleepless nights worth it. The conference began with few people and we thought no one would come except for the dozen that arrived. But 15 mins unto the talk and the room was full. Lively reactions from the audience with lots of questions. My boss was very very happy.

Meantime the situation in the streets are bad. A terrorist car attack on the light rail caused the death of a 3 month baby. Several others were injured. Rocks continue to be thrown at the light rail. Scuffles in the usual sites of Ras al Amud, Silwan and the surrounding villages south of Jerusalem. Yesterday East Jerusalem was closed to traffice from 2pm and continues to be closed today. The mayor has promised to get tough with rioters.

As for me all I want is to rest after the exhausting 4 days of work. Letr's hope the violence will not disturb my sleep.

Ilie Chiscari R.I.P.

R.I.P. Ilie

The past few days have been absolutely crazy ... with so much work I don't even have time to sleep. Take Sunday night/Monday morning .... only managed to sleep at 3am because people in trouble needed to talk. Slept for one hour and then at 4am was up for classes. Worked the entire morning and afternoon with no rest. Was so tired I slept while teaching in the afternoon. The students were kind enough not to make noise and let me sleep. So embarrassing.

Sunday was also a very very sad day for all of ours. We received news that our former student Ilie Chiscari, who defended his Licentiate in Easter this year, was killed by a car while walking to church. He was a Romanian Orthodox priest and leaves behind a baby and his wife Emanuele who's pregnant with their 2nd child. Everyone here was shocked. Even today students, staff and professors are slowly letting this sad news sink in. Ilie was a quiet guy, very hard-working and very intelligent. He was editing an encyclopedia of Romanian Orthodox Theology. No one can believe such a tragedy. Poor Ema ... she has all our support and prayers.

Peddlers selling umbrellas
at the first shower of winter

The first rains fell this Sunday morning. Heavy showers the whole day. Temperatures fell. It feels like winter. It added to the sadness we all felt at Ilie's passing.

Friday again

Soldiers and police
in front of our school

Yesterday morning at 5.30am we were awaken by explosions of fireworks and stun grenades fired in the Al Aqsa Compound. It's the first time riots took place so early in the morning. By 6am the road from Lions Gate to our place was closed off and hundreds of soldiers were swarming our street. Because of the massive military presence, there was no violence in the streets during the morning. But I think later they closed off Damascus and Herod's Gates as well ... limiting entry into the City to men over 50 yrs. I think there were scuffles outside at the Gates. But inside the City there were no problems even after the noon prayers.

It was only later at 11pm that violence re-occurred. I was already asleep but woke up with a shock when dozens of fireworks were fired in the streets in front and behind our house ... a couple directly from below my window. The police responded by firing stun grenades. Running battle went on for over an hour. How can a poor sick man get some rest and sleep?

Another team of soldiers
at the other end of the
street between the Armenian
basilica and the
Austrian Hospice

The weather is turning cold now. Nights drop between 12 - 15 degrees. I think its time to get my radiator out and keep the fan away. Only problem is the weather is pretty fickle and if by Christmas the heat returns, I don't want to have to take the fan out again.

I decided yesterday to bring a new student to buy winter clothes and heater and other necessities. Walked round East Jerusalem only to find all the shops closed. Of course ... it was Friday; muslims don't work. Walked to West Jerusalem ... and everything closed. Of course the Sabbath was just beginning so all Jews don't work. I simply forgot it was Friday and nothing works in this country on the jewish and arab sides. I must be getting dementia ... can hardly remember anything anymore.

Riots

Protesters this morning
(from Jerusalem Post)

Running battles the whole morning in our street. Stones thrown, fireworks shot at israeli police .... police respond with tear gas and stun grenades. At one stage, some 20 muslim women ran inside our church compound as police shot stun grenades at them. Not good ... as that would provoke police to come into our compound. We had to finally close our gates to stop the chaos from spreading inside. Damascus, Herod's and Lions' Gates were all closed.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/In-pictures-Hundreds-protest-limited-entrance-to-Temple-Mount-378945

The rioting is fraying my nerves ... now that I'm already pretty edgy with my medical problems and the never ending workload. Will have further tests done in the following weeks and we'll see what happens next.

Dreadful Tuesday

The past 2 days has seen running battles and scuffles between arab youths and israeli soldiers. Yesterday and even right now, youths fired fireworks at soldiers who responded with stun grenades ... directly in front of our school ... 5 meters away. I had to quickly close the windows of the library yesterday morning for fear the smell of tear gas and stun grenades entered and would remain for months. I'm afraid things will only get worse tomorrow and the next day when the Feast of Sukkot enters its final day ... which coincides with the feast of Simhat Torah - the giving of the Law. Even as I write, stun grenades and tear gas are still being fired in the Al Aqsa compound.

Moulds made for my insoles

I now know why I was feeling so depressed yesterday and today. I was put on 35 mg of Prednesone when I was in the emergency room on Saturday night. As I broke the weaning period, the withdrawal symptoms hit hard. Anyway the hospital test results are: glucose, BUN, Hb, HCT are all above the upper limit ... some way too high. No more bread, pasta, rice or carbohydrates ... it's killing me. Further tests on the way to find out why these are so sky high.

And I also consulted the podiatrist ... at last. Diagnosis: besides the bunion (hallux vulgus) which only an operation can solve, the excruciating pain and stiff 2nd toe on the right foot has been diagnosed as Morton's neuroma. It's linked with my bunion problem and also the wrong type of shoes I've been wearing. Only an operation can solve the problem as it will degenerate and possibly damage the nerve irreparably. Podiatrist made moulds to create insoles for my shoes, then insisted I wear shoes with a wide toe box, do regular massages on the foot ... and hopefully avoid surgery.

Out of action

Emergency ward ...
diabetes is too high, red blood cell count too high ...
allergy to nuts ...

Emergency Ward again

Man holding the 4 species
at the Wailing Wall

Yesterday was one tiring day with so much work to be done. Towards evening I was a little hungry (no appetite when I'm tired) so I ate some biscuits. Unknown to me there were nuts ground into the biscuits. Immediately I couldn't breathe, eyes swollen ... typical signs of an allergy. It's the 3rd time in a year that I got this attack. Managed to slowly walk to the taxi stand in Damascus Gate with the help of an arab friend who met me along the road. Went to the emergency ward at St Joseph's Hospital in East Jerusalem. I was gasping for air and my face was all swollen. The nurse and doc there saw me and rushed to get 3 types of injections jabbed into my butt. Fell asleep almost instantly. When I woke a hour later I wanted to go home and the doc kept restraining back to bed, saying I was too dizzy to walk. He refused to let me go home, insisting I need to stay 3 days treatment. Anyway I got what I wanted, against his advice. Walked out to the main road to grab a taxi ... stumbling 3 times as I was still very giddy from the strong anti-histamine injection. And stumbled another 500 meters from Damascus Gate to home. Slept through the night.

Waving the 4 species
before the Priestly Blessing

Still feeling very weak today. But I had to leave the hospital because this morning was the annual national Priestly Blessing at the Wailing Wall. I missed it last year because I was sick and this year I was determined to go, sick or not. At 9.30 tens of thousands of Jews had gathered at the Wailing Wall despite massive security. There had been arabs rioting in the adjacent Al Aqsa Mosque the past 2 days so the govt. was taking no chances. The cantor called out "Kohanim" meaning "priests" ... to take their places at the Wall and prepare to bless the people. Then word by word, the cantor sang the blessing of Aaron, the priests repeating after him. It was and is always an impressive and touching event. Jews who were waving the 4 species (citrus, willow, myrtle, palm frond) in the 4 directions during Shaharit (Morning Prayers) all remained in solemn silence as the ancient priestly tribe raised their hands in blessing. It was wonderful. It was worth escaping hospital for.

Fr Hanna released

Mr. Bird eats his breakfast
of lettuce after his
morning shower

It actually rained today ... about 10 minutes but quite heavy. A total surprise to everyone ... arabs rejoiced but traditional jews were totally upset. To rain during the feast of Sukkot is a bad omen, of God's displeasure. It should only rain after the feast which lasts 8 days. That's because Sukkot was once an autumn harvest feast ... the fruit were gathered and kept temporarily in tents (Sukkot = Tents) in the fields before being stored in barns and store-houses for winter. Rain would have destroyed the crops and rotted the fruit. I was only worried for Mr. Bird as his cage was out in the courtyard and I was at class one kilometre away.

Opening of the school
year at St. Saviour's church

We received good news this afternoon though ... Fr Hanna who was kidnapped on Sunday by Islamists in the village of Knaye (Syria) was released today but put under house arrest. The other 20 parishioners however are still missing. Please pray for them. Yesterday an Orthodox priest was also kidnapped. The evil that these Islamists perpetrate will certainly meet with Divine Justice. But the saddest thing about this whole persecution is the silence from the rest of the Catholic world. They seem more interested in debating whether to wear a veil in church; or receiving communion by hand ... while christians in the Middle East are hunted like animals, shot, crucified and left for wild animals to eat. Where is the Catholic conscience? Where is the Catholic heart?

Yesterday morning saw some violent riots in the Al Aqsa esplanade. But things calmed down and today, the first day of Sukkot, there was no trouble. In fact the police presence was markedly reduced. School has started and it was reassuring for the first year students to be able to come to school without security barriers and checks and tear gas and rocks being thrown. Let's see how the rest of this semester goes.

Yom Kippur - Eid el Adha

St. Peter's in Jaffa

I'm finally back. A crazy weekend as jewish Yom Kippur coincided with muslim Eid el Adha. We expected major violence. Being sick with bronchitis and exhaustion, I decided to move to our other community at St. Peter's in Jaffa to get away from any trouble in the streets. The last thing I want is stun grenades exploding at 1am and tear gas wafting into my room. Surprise! There was no violence or scuffles at all. But I enjoyed my stay in Jaffa ... slept for most of the first day ... and the second. Would have come back to Jerusalem on Saturday night but being feastdays, there was no transport whatsoever. So I was forced to stay overnight till Sunday morning. Being a jewish feast of penitence, there were very few jews in the beaches and streets. All shops were closed. The arab muslims on the otherhand were restricted by a curfew from sunset to sunrise, so there were no family gatherings and barbecues in the parks or streets. It was a very sad weekend.

Damascus Gate all night bazaar
as jews and muslims pack into the
Old City at midnight to their
respective holy places.

Then Monday, Tuesday and today was packed full with work. The stained glass people came from Italy to install the stained glass windows of Blessed Allegra in our library, lots of books to catalogue, the new tables needed refixing, classes to teach ... and I was rushing from one end of the City to the other during the day. Then there were groups of pilgrims to visit in the evenings and counselling calls throughout the night from 2am to 5am. I was so tired and I blacked out twice during the day. Not enough sleep and food. I want so much just to sleep.

Well Kippur ended on Sunday and Adha ended today ... but simultaneously this evening begins another jewish feast ... Tabernacles or tents. Explosive. This morning there was a riot in the Al Aqsa Mosque esplanade. We're expecting more trouble tonight and tomorrow. Now I wish I were in Jaffa again ... but there're classes and other work to attend to. Or maybe I'll just close my window and sleep for the next 72 hours.

China rules

Early yesterday morning (2am to be exact ... arab youths don't sleep till about 3 or 4am here) my arab friend called me to chat. Halfway through our conversation, there was a series of explosions from the street where he was ... and that's only about 20 meters from my room ... so I not only saw the flashes from my window but also the explosions that seem to be directed my way. He shouted "trouble! trouble!" and cut the line. Well the streets at that hour are filled with jews going and coming from the Wailing Wall for the all night Selichot prayers (penitential) in preparation for Yom Kippur. Apparently someone shot fireworks at them. The melee was incredible ... jewish crowds running and screaming down the street while soldiers pushed through the crowd to search for the culprit. I'm just lucky the explosives did not enter through my window. It was that close! Now I can imagine what the next few days will be like when the feastdays are actually celebrated. How I wish to get out of the City this weekend. My nerves are frayed from bronchitis, stress and work. I don't need running battles under my window for 48 hours non-stop.

Chinese goods arrive at
Damascus Gate every morning

But despite the occasional flare-ups and wars, one thing that's different from the Hong Kong demonstrations is - our economy doesn't stop. Police may be shooting tear gas and crowds running everywhere but you can be sure the shops and stalls continue to open and people still go about shopping amidst the gas and confusion. Every morning trucks loaded with China made goods arrive at Damascus Gate and men with pushcarts transfer the wares into the Old City's innumerable shops. China is big here. Everyone - jew and arab - acknowledges it. If China were to stop exporting to us ... we'll crumble. And that's a daily fact. No wonder more and more arabs and jews are learning "ni hao ma?" which is heard in the streets.

Ray of hope

And tensions continue to rise as the 2 feastdays round the corner. Yesterday arabs attacked a jewish Day Care Center for toddlers. A very frightening experience. Soldiers have been randomly stopping youths in and around the City to gather personal details so that if any trouble happens, all these will be rounded up as suspects. As it is, already some 400 arab youths have been arrested, some thrown in jail, others on bail and forced to do community service (building jewish houses) ... not because they actually committed anything but only to remove them from the streets during this month of Jewish feasts so that they may not start any trouble.

It was good to see my jewish security friends again after 3 days of Rosh haShana holidays. We've become real good buddies and they consider me one of them. Lots of hugs and wishes for a happy new year. Problem is with this muslim-jewish tension in the air, I'm put in a difficult situation. My muslim friends see me as a traitor for having jews as friends. And my jewish friends think I should dump the muslim friends because they're violent aggressors. It's a delicate balance ... and I try to show each side the good in the other. Trying to be an instrument of peace.

A glorious sight

There was an incredibly beautiful sunrise yesterday. Rays of sunlight bursting through a mass of clouds over the Mt. of Olives. It's a sign of hope ... at least that's how I felt when I photographed it. How much we need hope here. Just read that the postal strike is now spreading to public transport, diplomatic service (visa section of foreign ministry) and tourism. Somewhere, somehow ... a ray of hope must be shining for us while everything around us seem to be crumbling.