Vacation soon?

Beef noodles
from Mian

One thing I'm thankful for these recent months is the opening of the chinese noodle shop down the road from where I work. It is very close ... about a minute's walk from my office ... so I can have some warm food in the evenings whenever I have to work late ... which is everyday. I finish work around 10pm each night ... so usually around 7pm I take a short break to go down to "Mian" for a quick meal. It's reasonably priced ... a bowl of soup noodles is about 57 shekels (=US$15) which is normal by Israeli standards. You can't imagine how expensive life is here ... so a bowl of noodles priced like this is considered normal. The owner Billy is a nice christian guy whom I've known for many years now ... and his wife is very kind to me. Yesterday she boiled medicinal soup for me after she saw me in bandages and hobbling - I had fallen down Damascus Gate stairs 4 days earlier.

In the news - the strange flip-flopping of the Israeli educational system. Christian schools have been cut off from the subsidy scheme because it's not considered a real school (read "jewish school"). "Real schools" teach core subjects (maths, languages, science) which entitle them to receive financial subsidies. However many jewish religious schools do not teach these core subjects ... only Torah education ... and they get funded very very well by the govt. In fact I think the subsidy has been raised. Then yesterday we received news that a break-away group of religious schools have decided to teach secular core subjects because they see these courses as important for the education of their children - besides the Torah of course. They have now petitioned the govt. to allow them to develope schools which teach these options without getting victimized by the ultra-orthodox schools who only teach Torah. And of course they get financial subsidies. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Haredi-parents-initiate-petition-demanding-schools-with-general-education-studies-462670

Another bit of news from the newspapers: Israeli left-wingers are getting persecuted here. As the govt. and country become more rightwing, attacks on leftwing Israelis have become more frequent. They have become the enemies of the State ... in line with the arabs. This is not only sad but very frightening as tolerance for opposing views - a basis for democracy - is getting thin. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.733791

Anyway enough of politics. My twisted ankles and wrists are getting better. Only the left ankle still hurts badly when I walk down the stairs. Maybe its the heat ... but I have been very giddy and nauseous for several days now. Had several near faints in the street while walking to and from work. Had to sit by the road to steady myself. Some people say it could be hunger as I only eat one meal a day ... but I feel its the heat plus exhaustion plus stress. Just maybe ... in August I might get 48 hours of vacation. I'll have to start planning now.

Pokemon Go ... an ISIS agent???

Obama's speech last night at the Dem. Party convention was a masterpiece of rhetoric ... equal to M. Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Calculated to the last syllable, following all the rules and tricks of classical rhetoric, it was very stirring and emotional aimed to make the audience decide. But the thing that stole the show wasn't Obama's speech but Bill Clinton's pin on his jacket - "Hillary" written in hebrew. It was extremely subtle but absolutely calculated to catch the world's press attention. Here in Israel, it's all over media. Powerful non-verbal communication. My students of communication should see the video of Obama's speech with Clinton's pin.  http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/u-s-election-2016/.premium-1.733846

Another hot topic in today's news is the PM's revisionist interpretation of the Holocaust to victimise his enemies. If anyone else had done it, he would be accused of anti-semitism, Holocaust denial and manipulation of the truth. In the article, the PM is accused of using the Holocaust to demonise the arabs ... saying that "Hitler was influenced by a Palestinian to kill the jews". https://www.thenation.com/article/netanyahus-holocaust-revisionism-actually-reflects-widespread-dehumanization-of-palestinians/

Yesterday's double bombing that killed 50 people and injured 170 others in Syria has gone unnoticed. Highlight has been the murder of Fr. Jacques in France. The tragedy in France is a daily occurrence in the Middle East. Priests, bishops and nuns are being slaughtered everyday here ... but it never makes it to the headlines like a western tragedy does. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2016/07/26/a-priest-is-slaughtered-at-mass-in-rural-france-this-is-what-life-is-like-for-christians-in-the-middle-east/

My aquarium ... a little piece of
tranquility in a mad world

France should really learn from Israel in terrorist prevention. Instead it is so buried in being politically correct ... it has become a suicide wish. I couldn't imagine how extreme political correctness was until BBC interviewed a priest from the neighbouring Normandy parish, asking him what he thought of ISIS attacking his neighbour priest in a Catholic Church; his reaction? "It's not an attack on Christianity! It's not an attack on the Catholic Church! It was a random attack". I couldn't believe my ears!!! The old priest was made to kneel and had his head chopped off ... like the 21 Copts killed in Libya and other christians in Syria and Iraq. This type of political correctness - fear of offending Islam - is simply burying the head in the sand, pretending there is no problem ... which works to the killers' advantage because they have tacit permission to continue their massacre. As long as christians in France think that this is not a muslim - christian conflict ... they will continue to be killed one by one until reality slaps them awake. News media and the rest of the world, especially here in the Middle East are more than clear IT IS a muslim-christian conflict. That is the new twist in ISIS strategy. http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Analysis-Islamic-States-first-act-of-war-on-European-Christianity-462442

And tragedy on a different level - the rise of Pokemon Go. Utterly destructive ... yesterday a 17 yr old Israeli fell into the sea (from a cliff) while chasing a pokemon. Was unconscious and nearly drowned if not for his brother who pulled him out of the water. http://virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?Itemid=22953  Who knows? Pokemon Go might be an ISIS invention to kill the Western infidels.

Summer .... good and bad

On-going news right now .... french church occupied by 2 armed assailants ... both apparently shot dead by french police. Priest hostage killed .... throat slit. Waiting for more updates to get a clearer picture.

Thanks to Pres. George Bush and his lies about weapons of mass destruction ... muslim extremists have destroyed the Middle East and now are causing chaos in Europe every week.

Street performers
at Ben Yehuda Mall

On the local side, we had some tense moments when Syrian missiles were shot into the Golan Heights. Israel responded with air fire. Not the first time. Though the govt or at least the newspapers have been hinting of an eventual war in the north (either Lebanon or Syria), this is most unlikely. They have enough internal problems to deal with and can't afford a war with Israel.

Here in the south, there has been no attacks for quite some time. It feels like a calm summer holiday after all. Summer camps on both east and west are taking place .... excursions to museums and national parks are popular. Parents have to find ways to keep their children busy while the parents are at work. Can't leave the kids at home for 3 months doing nothing ... so summer camps are very popular ... it's actually daycare. Unfortunately it's costly and most parents cannot afford. Parishes and school try to subsidize but looking for sponsors is difficult. And sadly its during this summer vacation that most children learn to get into trouble. With no one to care for them during the day, no summer camp, no supervision ... these kids get into contact with bad people, bad habits, drugs, stealing etc.... It's a vicious cycle of social evils.

Injured again

Dawn at Tel Aviv 4.30am

So it was a long weekend .... celebrating 2 masses 100 km apart. I managed to stop by Jaffa to sleep as the Mass in Netanya ended at 9pm and the 1 hr ride to Jaffa became 2 hrs because the driver lost his way. It was too late to get back to Jerusalem so I decided to spend the night at Jaffa. It was a good choice. The sun rises at 4.30am (3.30am solar time) and the golden glow over Tel Aviv across the bay is amazing.

Sprained wrist

I spento the morning sleeping as I needed it very much. Afternoon was doing some chores for the community in Jaffa. Found a car to bring me home at 6pm but the Chinese called to insist that I stop by for dinner .... they made dumplings. Ate 30 of them as I was very hungry .... I didn't eat all day because of the 1.5 hr journey back to Jerusalem. The IBS is one major problem for me traveling.

Anyway after dinner I walked home. When I reached Palm Plaza near Damascus Gate, I met the community of Ecco Homo sisters - all 6 of them - on their way home. Decided to walk home with them through Damascus Gate (I usually ago home from Herod's Gate 500m further east). At 10pm hawkers were still in the street selling fruit and vegetables. Along the grimy steps I slipped on some grapes ... sprained my right hamstring again, my back and right wrist. And left ankle. The sisters practically carried me home.

Today it's all pain and swelling. Bound whatever I could with bandages and guards to keep the swelling down. But still have to go to work .....

Sabbath

It's the Sabbath again. Busy today. Am preparing for the Indian Mass now at St. Savior's Church (not St. Francis Xavier but the latin name for "Holy Redeemer") and then later in the day I will have to travel 100 km to Netanya - a city by the coast - to celebrate the Filipino Mass. In between there're lots of chores to do.

Suspicious package in orange
on the left of the photo

Yesterday while on my way back to work - I had to go buy food for our workers because we planned a thank-you lunch for one of our volunteers who will be leaving today - there was a familiar scene at Jaffa Street. Road cordoned off. At the tram station in front of the Municipality Buildings there was an unattended package. The bomb squad was called in. It looked all too familiar ... like the last 2 Intifadas. It took about half an hour when the bomb squad decided it was harmless and reopened the road. Well you can never be too careful. Better safe than sorry. The recent attacks in Germany have made us here more aware of our surroundings. Sometimes it gets paranoid ... but it saves lives.

The weather has been very pleasant : not too hot and there's a cool breeze blowing all the time. But this has not drawn in the tourists. Visitors and pilgrims have fallen in numbers drastically ... some shops have even closed because it's no longer worthwhile keeping the shop open when no one comes in. Shops closed in summer? Unthinkable! The last time this happened was during the Intifada. And that explains the disappearance of tourists - the fear of war, bombings and violence. Just remember the poor Hong Kong couple who was attacked on the German train last week. Wrong place, wrong time.

We continue to pray for peace in our region. With all the attention focussed on the violence in Europe, the world has forgotten that here in the Middle East christians and minorities are being killed by the hundreds EACH DAY. Yes the world has forgotten us. http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/syriac-catholic-patriarch-warns-western-politicians-and-media-mislead-world/#.v5iqa0lmhqa

See https://www.facebook.com/ajplusenglish/videos/765493613592148/

Help: Solar lamps+smart phone chargers

Needed: solar
lamps

It's been hitting home here in Israel that extremism isn't just limited to Islam but also in Judaism. The increasing instances of ultra-orthodox attacks on other jews and non-jews have been noted by Israeli society and occasional backlash from the latter have taken place.

Such was the case in yesterday's parade. over 25,000 people took to the streets ... not so much to support the LGBT community ... but to express their anger at ultra-orthodox judaism's stranglehold on Israeli society; its intolerant attitude to all other people which had led to the murder of the 16 yr old girl in last year's parade. Yesterday it was revealed that the ultra-orthodox murderer who is in jail actually planned another attack through his brother ... who was himself arrested a day earlier. In fact some 40 people were arrested during the march yesterday ... including 2 who carried knives. Apparently it is perfectly alright for a Torah-abiding jew to kill others (including jews) who do not interpret the Torah in a similar way. Well for the record, there was a precedent in history: the Maccabees. It strikes me as frightening that a religion actually endorses the right to kill others of the same belief only on the grounds of different interpretation. This is a totally different ball game from muslims killing christians and yezidis and mandaeans etc.... that is one religion against another. Over here it's all within one religion ... torn within itself. What did I say about an implosion?

Needed: solar
lamps

Can anyone help me get 10 of these solar lamps/smart phone charger? They're really helpful especially in reducing electric use. The poor students and families here will truly appreciate this. And I'll give 3 to the Chinese sisters as well as it will cut back on their electric bill. Of course if it's possible, it'll be better to get more, like 20 or so .... provided some group is willing to transport them over to us. Would really appreciate this. Am awaiting eagerly for some miracle to happen.

Full moon again

The big joke in today's headlines is: a small bag of marijuana was found in the toilet of the Knesset (Parliament House). Apparently a lot of red faces as police undertake an investigation. Some poor chap will have to be the scapegoat.

Full moon over
Damascus Gate

Today the controversial Gay Pride march will take place in Jerusalem. It's a very heated subject as ultra-orthodox jews and some others are violently opposed to it taking place in the Holy City. It doesn't affect the arabs and muslims because it's organized in the Israeli side of the City. Last year a 16 yr old girl was stabbed to death and 8 others injured when an ultra-orthodox jew went on a rampage during the march. He had attempted the same thing a year earlier and was arrested and put in jail but was released one week before the next parade where he killed the girl in broad daylight and in front of thousands of people. She was there in the crowd to show her support when she was killed. The murderer's family has been prohibited to enter Jerusalem today ... and the brother of the murderer has been arrested for planning an attack today. Others who had no interest in this parade are joining in - mainly as a sign to oppose the violent ultra-orthodox community who cannot tolerate any view of life other than their own. Jerusalem ... and the country ... is badly divided. Like I have been saying all the while ... it's an implosion waiting to happen.

Segregated bus in Jerusalem

As an example of how much influence the ultra-orthodox have on daily life in the City, yesterday I happened to take a photo of a bus running in front of Damascus Gate. The front part of the bus was crammed with ultra-orthodox men ... up to standing room. And the back of the bus, it was practically empty except for a few women seated there. That is a segregated bus ... one of the many in the City. And if they would have it their way ... everything else would be segregated too.

The moon is full again and it shines brightly over the City Walls these few nights. Must be having quite an effect on people ... lunatics that is ... just got a call from a taxi driver asking me to help talk to a spanish-speaking woman passenger. What did she want? To go see the Tomb of Jesus in Talpiot!!!!

Exhausted

Fabrizio and Sissy helping to pack
the books

Unbelievable morning. I went 2 kms up to Clalit Center to get the books that an institution donated because it was moved to a smaller premise. The directors offered us the whole library - specialized in Judaism and christian relations. Very good collection. But on the phone I had the impression it was some 15 boxes. When I reached there, it was some 50 boxes that were not yet packed!!! With only Fabrizio and Sissy to help me pack, we then had to move the 50 boxes down 10 floors and wait by the roadside until the van came to pick us up and back to our library. In one word: exhausted. My back and hamstring are hurting very much now.

Yesterday Germany was the latest victim of an attack ... this time on a train. Europe is falling apart bit by bit. Brexit was Britain's answer to open borders and free entry to terrorists. What next? Fraxit and Gerxit next?? Greece has a million more refugees ... and certainly hidden terrorists among them ... but there has been no attacks in Greece. Greece is just a transit point, you say? I think there's something deeper than that.

Anyway it's Tuesday and tomorrow we'll be in the middle of the week. I'm hoping to get a break ... at least for the day ... to walk around the City but I just got several messages saying I have appointments from morning till evening. So much for summer holidays.

Work work work

It's summer holidays!! Everyone here in school has gone home!! Everyone else in the country is out in the mountains or beaches or partying or chilling out overseas. So why am I working like a donkey?? Today was very busy .... tomorrow I'll have to go 2 kms to the City centre and move some 20 boxes of books from the 10th floor to the side road. Don't know how I'll do it .... praying that I'll find help.

Ice cream at the 3rd Station convent

Sr. Mary Theresa the new chinese sister has started intensive english classes today with Fr. Sebastian. He's a retired Salesian professor and was very happy to be able to teach again ... especially this summer period because he's living alone with another professor in the enormous Salesian campus. Everyone else has gone home for the holidays. This will keep him busy.

Yesterday after Mass at the Armenian Cathedral (which I presided), the PDDM sisters who serve there invited us (me and the chinese sisters) for ice cream and italian biscuits. It was very nice of them ... especially in the heat. The PDDMs have been very supportive of the chinese sisters. So have the sisters of Mother Teresa ... in a very rare move they came as a community to the blessing of the Chinese convent. And they sewed altar clothes and other altar linen and gave them to the Chinese sisters. It was very very kind of them as altar linen is very difficult to obtain here in Israel. Usually they are imported from Rome and very costly.

Close call

Another street
performer at Ben
Yehuda Mall

So the witchhunt in Turkey has began. 6000 military and govt. persons have been arrested. In the streets here, conspiracy theorists are saying the coup was a ploy by Erdogan to find an excuse to rid his political enemies. Well it may all seem laughable but nowadays people say anything on social media.

This morning a palestinian from Hebron was arrested for carrying 3 explosives on board our City tram line. Nothing happened as security was quick to respond. That's the difference between Israel and Europe. The thing was I was exactly at that spot just a few minutes before it happened. I was bringing the chinese sisters to some thrift shop to buy clothes which is exactly in front of this tram station. After we finished and walked away, all this happened. Close call ... luckily no bullets were shot.

I thought today being Sunday I could rest a little and do some cleaning in my room. Instead I found myself out the whole day doing some work or other. Luckily despite the heat, there was a cool breeze that occasionally blew. It made the walk outside more bearable. My sprained hamstring isn't all healed yet so walking was a little painful.

Nahalat Shiva neigh-
bourhood is decked
up umbrellas like
last year

One of the shops I showed the chinese sisters was the filipino grocery. Lots of asian stuff there ... especially veggies that are home grown by filipinos living in the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv suburbs. The sisters bought bitter gourd and cooked them for me for lunch. It was very tasty. Italians are horrified that we eat bitter gourd ... they insist it's poisonous.

Late in the afternoon an old friend came to visit. He was a news reporter half a century ago here in Israel and had worked as my reporter/dubber when I was director of the Media. He's retired and had come back for a holiday. It was good to recall the good old days when we created news programmes and documentaries several years back. Well into his 80s, he's retired in France but still teaches catechism in a school.

Sabbat

Another street
performer at Ben
Yehuda Mall

It's Saturday again. I had so much plans to finish one work or another. But I went to sleep instead. I think I needed that more. The heat for one, isn't conducive to work outside. And more importantly my body is just simply tired. It needs a break. I'm practically brain dead ... I don't want to think anymore. And the fatigue from the sprained hamstring and diarrhoea the past 2 days has exhausted me.

5 years ago after my operation I used to take a milk powder formula for my protein and carbohydrates as I lost a lot of weight (23 kgs) and could not eat normal food. The IBS was setting in. But a year back I began to have a reaction to it. So I had to switch to Shoko ... the local chocolate milk. Now I have a reaction to Shoko as well .... so I've switched to taking yoghurt. It's costly ... so I buy the egyptian import which is cheaper than the local brand Tnuva. You get more for the same price. Now let's see how long I can eat this till I develope a reaction also to yoghurt. What a life.

Yesterday night we heard of the news of the coup in Turkey. It was not good news .... more upheaval, more instability. Turkey was the last bastion of stability in our region ... if it collapsed, then who knows how the regional war will become. But jut as quickly as it started, it ended. Turks took to the streets to protect their democracy. Amazing.

Let's see what next week brings.

Dark street adventure

Street performer at
Ben Yehuda Mall

It's the first Friday after Ramadan. Things are tranquil ... strangely enough. The arabs are recovering from all the feasting. But on the Israeli side .... as seen in yesterday's blog ... things seem to be heating up. But in typical Israeli fashion, it's nicely disguised undera veneer of normality and easy-going summer spirit.

Universities will soon wind up their exams so the summer holidays will start soon for them. That may not sound good as the students will have more time to go out in demonstrations. The exams so far have kept them at bay.

I'm recovering from the sprained hamstring. Am able to walk now though an occasional pain hits the muscle when I sit too long. I was very hungry yesterday as I hadn't eaten in a day. Found some leftover food and ate it at 10am yesterday after my medication. Had the worse bout of diarrhoea. The food was 5 days old but I thought it was still good. Anyway it's over 24 hours now and I still have stomach cramps. Have been resting this afternoon.

Herod's Ascent in
darkness except for
the light at the end
of the street

Yesterday evening I had to go meet the chinese sisters to discuss their work and school. Came home around 9pm but as I now usually enter from Herod's Gate, it has become quite an adventure of sorts. Herod's Gate leads though the toughest neighbourhood in the Old City - Bab Hutta - usually the centre of riots and violence. And the area is often without electricity and water ... like last night. The whole street - called Herod's Ascent - was in darkness. Which gets very tricky when the street is a series of many stairs. And gangs of youths hang around at the corners of various side streets in the dark. The only guiding light is the end of the street where the street light works. Quite an adventure walking home.

Things fall apart ....

Buddy is oblivious to the
problems around the country

Controversy and dissatisfaction has been snowballing for the past week here in Israel. Firstly there is a rising call for the govt. to investigate the case of missing Israeli children in the 1950s. At the birth of the State of Israel, thousands of Middle Eastern jews (from Yemen, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco ) who have migrated to the new country had their children simply disappeared. out. claims they died of disease but events in the following decades seem to show that they are still alive. Conspiracy theory says they were kidnapped and given to Western Jews (European, American). Implosive topic ... I wonder how it will end.

Secondly consternation is the nomination of the Israeli Army's chief rabbi ... apparently from the newspapers he had permitted rape during war, a men only army, and other extremist views. It frightens the majority that the army is swinging to rightwing extremism led by rabbis. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.730557

It seems that Israel is falling apart from within. And it shouldn't. Because it will make itself an easy target for enemies in the north and south to strike.

Chinese convent

The 3 sisters

The Chinese Convent is now canonically established with the arrival of the 3rd sister from China. Canon Law requires a minimum of 3 religious to form a community. Sr. Mary Theresa arrived 2 days ago and has joined the community with Sr. Lucie and Sr. Marie Ann. I went to meet them last night and they prepared a simple dinner to celebrate. We discussed the next steps necessary to take in getting the community going: renting a Post Office Box (there are no mailmen in our part of the world ... fear of letter bombs and kidnappings), setting up a bank account to safe keep money, etc.

Sr. M. Theresa was crying not only because she could be here to work in the Holyland, but also because she did not expect to live in such a beautiful apartment. She said that in China they have old small apartments cramped with 5 sisters ... here it's a luxury apartment with all the modern amenities.

Anyway they want to thank you all very much for your generosity and prayers that helped establish this community. They will offer a Mass once a month for your intentions.

Yesterday morning began the noisy celebration of Tawjihi or matriculation for East Jerusalem students. Those who passed and got their results early (9am) were out in the streets celebrating by driving around the East Jerusalem tooting their horns. Fireworks exploded as early as 9am and lasted all through the day and night. It will last for another few days and hopefully everything will quiet down again.

My sprained hamstring is a lot better as I managed to spend several hours in bed resting yesterday. I can't take Optalgin and other pain killers as they react against my asthma/allergy medication.

Injured

It's summertime ... so either everyone is busy at the beach or on holidays, or it's busy with the latest gossip and controversy. That's almost like a national pastime here ... gossip flow and tempers flare.
 This time its an all-arabic language only commercial aired during the Euro 2016 final. Jews are outraged that it should be aired on Israeli television ... not because of its content (a departmental store) but because of its language: it's arabic. Wow http://www.timesofisrael.com/arabic-only-ad-on-prime-time-tv-causes-stir-in-israel/

Another topic is the breach of security at Ben Gurion Airport by an investigative journalist. He used a fake ID to get a job there and had access to every part of the airport without being questioned or checked. Amazing ... the myth that Ben Gurion Airport is the safest in the world is now cracking. http://www.timesofisrael.com/undercover-journalist-exposes-security-failures-at-tel-aviv-airport/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Even bedouin hawkers
cannot keep off their
cellphones with the
latest gossip in town

And the biggest joke around town is  the discovery of an abandoned pub/club that has been turned into a secret marijuana plantation. Apparently the local mafia was running it. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.729845

I've injured myself yesterday. Was trying to move a heavy box when I pulled a hamstring. There was a loud crack and my right leg buckled. The pain is awful and I was in bed the whole day. There's swelling all over the hamstring and sitting is impossible, let alone walking. I might go to the hospital today if I can find someone to help me walk and get a car to the hospital.

A new week ...

The sheer hypocrisy of it all: hundreds killed in bomb attacks in Istanbul, Baghdad, and Dhaka the last week but not a single tweet or Facebook movement of "Je suis  ..." like we saw for Paris, Brussels and Charlie Abdo. Now yesterday's shooting of 5 white policemen in America has drawn an immediate "We stand with Dallas" tweet/Facebook movement. Yes it's obvious only white lives matter .... the majority of people are racist, prejudiced and fatally ignorant.

Another colourful
shade in a side
street along Ben
Yehuda Mall

Christian arab israelis (arab christians born in Israel and hold Israeli citizenship) have increasing been volunteering to do military service. A good sign. A thousand years of persecution under the muslims have opened the eyes of the arab christians who see better protection and benefits under the Israelis. But this has made the muslim arabs angry with arab christians, accusing the latter of treason. Arab christians on the other hand try to distant themselves from the violent muslim population and have been granted the racial title "aramean" instead of "arab". Muslims have now begun threatening christian families whose sons and daughters have joined the Israeli army. To protect the christians, a bill has been passed that will punish by jail-time anyone who threatens christian arab soldiers or their families. I think this is good. Very good. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.729849

Another series of unhappy news: Israeli soldiers shot dead a Down Syndrome arab youth, and fleeing. No one was arrested nor an investigation made. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.728126

Then Israel admitted that it shut off water supplies to Palestine during this heatwave ... but blamed Palestine for it.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.726132

Quiet weekend

Pansit and chicken adobo dinner

The archeological team from the Uni. of S. Africa has left for the north to Tel Hazor where they will be digging tomorrow. Yesterday was an exhausting day guiding them from the Mt. of Olives down to the Way of the Cross inside the Old City to the Holy Sepulchre and then to the Last Supper Room. It was practically a total of 15 km or so of walking on mountains and hills. It was really bad for me because I was suffering from chronic diarrhoea. And I had not eaten any food for 24 hours which made me weak. Well after the excursion ended at 5pm I had to rush off 100 km away to Netanya to celebrate Mass for the catholic community there. The driver lost his way there and again lost his way back. By the time I got home it was midnight ... and I got to eat my first bite of food in 36 hours. Julie one of the filipino leaders of the community in Netanya celebrated her birthday yesterday and cooked some nice filipino food for me to take home. Pansit (fried bee hoon) and chicken adobo  (marinaded sauce). Yummy.

Colourful shades
in Ben Yehuda Mall

Tensions have died down these 2 days during the weekend. No attacks or stabbings. It's a nice change.

Weatherise it's still very hot but the evenings are very cool and breezy. Schools have begun summer vacation and lots of students are flocking the City centre.  Ben Yehudi Mall has colourful shades on each side street and its very fun and festive for the school kids who flock to the Mall. On the eastern side of Jerusalem, the arabs are still celebrating Eid el Fitri with evenings filled with people swarming the East Jerusalem night markets and shops. Both sides of the City seem to be enjoying the summer so let's hope nothing spoils it.

With the new week starting and the summer timetable for the 2 libraries in force ... I hope to have a little more quiet time and rest. I hope.

Work

U, of S. Africa archeological team
at a briefing

Thursday and Friday have been very exhausting. I decided to guide a group of profs. and students from the Uni. of S. Africa in the Old City. They are here on their annual excavation at Tel Hazor but are making a 3 day visit to the Old City archaeological sites. Walking up and down the City steps for 5 to 8 kms is exhausting under the heat. Well I'm doing my best but I can really feel my health and age playing against me.

Meantime life goes on as usual with the tensions between the arabs and the jews. It's the 2nd day of Eid el Fitri and also the beginning of the Sabbath. El Wad street is thick of soldiers and police. A semblance of normality as no muslim want to spoil the holiday with violence.

However newspaper are bringing up the question of the burning of the Church of 5 Loaves and 2 Fish. It's been a year since the burning. It;s still not repaired. The govt. has not payed a single cent of compensation it promised and the perpetrators have been released despite being charged with arson and attempted murder and hate crimes. If it were an arab, you can be sure its life time jail sentence, destruction of his house etc... And talking about destruction of houses,  the police has this week destroyed several houses of arab terrorists, suspects and accomplices. Now the arab family of the boy burnt alive and killed by 3 jewish youths last year  have petitioned that the houses of these jewish murderers be destroyed as well. The High Court turned it down saying it is not necessary. Double standards?  It;s these things that make living in this land so tiresome .... there is a double standard of justice. And we non-jewish people stand on the losing end.

Eid el Fitri

The cannons sounded 7 times at sunset yesterday .... Ramadan was over. Eid el Fitri today. The Eid (feast) lasts for 3 days here in our country. Many muslims I spoke to unashamedly tell me they are happy Ramadan is over ... they are tired of fasting for some14 hours a day for the past few years, in the heat of summer.As the lunar calendar changes ... soon Ramadan will fall in winter. That means its a lot cooler, and daylight time is much shorter. Fasting would be a lot easier then.

Sunset ... sun behind
the domes of the
Condemnation
Chapel

More terrorist attacks yesterday and this morning. Some of the stabbing attempts are clearly a desperate suicide attempt. Yesterday's arab girl holding a knife and trying to attack 2 soldiers at a bus-stop. Come on!!! She was what?? skinny 17 yr old. Holding the knife in her had in the air .... standing and not moving. Who in the world really believes she is capable of stabbing 2 huge soldiers, armed with semi-automatic machine guns. It was clearly a suicide attempt .... she wanted to be shot. It is becoming a common pattern here ... for young girls to escape a forced / arranged marriage, they go out and get shot by soldiers.

The ISIS quiz is still shaking the arab world: attacks in muslim countries, hundreds killed, even the Prophet's mosque is bombed .... all in Ramadan. Now we hear 20 yr old twins from Saudi Arabia killed their mother and tried to kill the rest of their family for trying to stop them from joining ISIS. http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/1.729144   Islam is collapsing from within. They should have realised ... their greatest enemies are not the infidels but the devout from within. Then an article on a young Yezidi girl who escaped being sold as a sex slave by ISIS. Terrifying and inhuman treatment .... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3675994/Islamic-State-tightens-grip-women-held-sex-slaves.html?ito=social-facebook

Chinese Catholic exchange students
meet for breakfast

Anyway the buzz around the Internet is "How come no solidarity with the hundreds killed in Baghdad and Istanbul? How come no "Je suis Dhaka / Istanbul movement?" https://www.facebook.com/ajplusenglish/videos/755913514550158/?pnref=story

A prominent Coptic nun was shot dead in Cairo yesterday. Earlier a muslim cleric in Cairo was quoted in the newspapers as saying christians (Copts) are aggressive, criminal and oppressive ... thus inciting more attacks against christians in Egypt.

Terror everywhere

My swollen index
finger

The cannon did not fire 7 times last night. That means Ramadan will end tonight. Our streets will be blocked with human waves as yet another 400,000 muslims enter our Quarter to get into the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Yesterday's series of bombings all over our region by ISIS is waking up the arabs. Baghdad with several hundred dead ... Saudi Arabia's Shrine of the Prophet Mohammed's Tomb bombed together with the Holy City Medina, Qatif and Jedda ....  ISIS is hitting home. The arabs can longer imagine that ISIS is a western problem. Time to wake up. When Islam's holiest shrines are bombed by Islamists .... it makes you question what this is all about .... Jesus said "A house that is divided will never stand".

Srs. Munira & Genevieve

Srs. Munira and Genevieve from Damascus came to Jerusalem for a retreat. Sr. Munira was formerly from the Bethany St. Vincent de Paul orphanage before being transferred to Damascus earlier this year. They spoke to me of the war in Syria. They run a hospital in Damascus but they also care for the thousands of refugees from other cities coming into Damascus. Though Damascus is much better off than Aleppo and the countryside, it nevertheless has its share of bombings and shootings. "We get used to it" Sr. Munira said. The refugee problem is severe ... children get lost in the panic, the sisters try to save whoever they can by providing shelter, food and medicine. Most of your donations were given to them and also to Mother Teresa's sisters in Damascus. They need lots of help as the rest of the world has forgotten about the Church in Syria. Sr. Munira will bring back all the donations to be distributed to the various communities.

Pray for the Church in Syria

End of Ramadan today?

Well the end of ramadan might be earlier than expected. Street talk is if the new moon is sighted tonight, then Ramadan ends tonight. We'll have to hear how many cannon shots this evening to find that out. If it ends, then there will be 7 cannon shots.

Geraniums and agapanthus on the
convent balcony

Meantime things are heating up in the north. Israel has been preparing for some time now for a war with Lebanon but so far nothing is in the showing. Instead Israel bombed Syrian targets today because Syria had fired shots into Israel.

Internally Israel is also getting more divided then ever ... religiously. The stranglehold which the ultra-orthodox rabbis hold on Judaism has tightened. They refused egalitarian worship (= women) at the Wailing Wall. Then they extended their refusal to recognise conversions by other rabbis (mainly american and non-ultra-orthodox) ... which indirectly means they don't recognise the validity of these rabbis' ordinations.  Today rabbis and jews of the orthodox, reformed and conservative branches organised a huge demonstration against this tight-fisted control of a minority (ultra-orthodox) over all Judaism, and refusing to accept differences of expression and practice.

Honeysuckle vine

The swollen nerves in my hands and feet have gone done slightly. Less painful today. I managed to go to the Chinese Convent to water the plants as the heat (34 degrees) would kill the young plants I planted there. The 2 honeysuckle vines are doing fine and hopefully by winter they would form a shade over the balcony entrance to block the fiery sun from beating directly into the convent. One corner of the balcony which is shaded, I planted herbs like rosemary, basil, lemon grass and a small lime bush. On the other side there are geraniums, agapanthus, marigolds and 3 oleander bushes which serve to block the view from the main road below. And why am I watering the plants? because the sisters are so busy guiding pilgrimage groups they have no time. Like I said previously, they have gilded over 20 groups in these few months since the convent was established. So thanks to all of you, the sisters are now fulfilling their mission in the Holy Land.

Surviving the weekend

Well we managed to survive Laylat el Qader. The noise ... like every year ... was overwhelming as 400,000 entered the Old City and stayed in and around the Al Aqsa Mosque. That's barely 50 meters from my room. The canons fired 3 times to signal the beginning and end of the feast ... or practically the opening and closing of heaven's doors.

Over-turned dumpsters at the
3rd Station of the Cross

The next morning we got to see the consequence: streets strewn with garbage and trash ... so high tractors had to be called in to haul them out. Power-flush teams with water hoses blasted the trash into corners, cleaning the grime off the streets as well.

There were scuffles with the police at Damascus Gate as well. Well when there are 400,000 muslims in the streets ... and several murder attempts earlier in the day ... you can imagine the tension in the streets. I stayed indoors all night but slept very little that night. I watched the crowds and festivities and scuffles from the terrace of our house - a safe distance.  The recent killings within 24 hours has drawn a vicious response from Israel: collective punishment. Entire villages are closed off and land confiscated to become jewish settlements. Those foolish arab youths don't think ... everytime they commit a crime, it gives Israel the excuse to occupy more Palestinian land. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.728541

400,000 muslims spend the night
at the Al Aqsa Mosque

Yesterday night I woke up with a very sharp pain in my big toe and right index finger. The nerves were inflamed and knotted. Dreadful swelling and pain. Usually the veins burst and occasionally the nerves get into this type of swelling after a heavy dosage of cortisones for my asthma. And I had been under a heavy dosage all week. So it could be a side-effect. But never so serious before. Now walking and holding things are very difficult.

And I have been working extremely hard the past 2 days ... 21 hours each day with only 3 hours sleep. Had a dateline to meet so I had to rush through an urgent translation project. Today is Sunday I'm going to sleep in. Need the rest.

Laylat el Qader

Tonight is Laylat el Qader. Like I said in yesterday's blog, it's sort of a variation of a jewish theme of Yom Kippur. The heavens are opened tonight and God forgives the sins of muslims who call out to him, grants their prayers and requests. Nessun dorma .... no one will sleep; they stay up all night at the Al Aqsa storming heaven for their petitions .... and all of us non-muslims living in the area will not sleep either because of the endless traffic, noise, prayers over the PA system (which can be heard several kilometres away .. and my room is just 50 meters from the blaster). Once a year.

Next Tuesday is Eid el Fitri ... the end of Ramadan. Life hopefully returns to normal after that.

Srs. Maryann, Lucy and Fr. Buscemi

More violence this morning. Another attempted stabbing in Hebron; this time the arab attack was shot dead. In another case, a female muslim worshipper was found to be hiding a knife in the Cave of the Patriarchs (also in Hebron where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives Sarah, Rivka and Leah are buried). Well it;s anybody's guess what the next weeks will bring. The heatwave might drive people indoors and violence is contained by Mother Nature. Or someone might just be so hit by the sun he goes crazy and starts another cycle of killings.

The Oratory today

In the Chinese Convent ... as it's locally called now ... we're expecting the 3rd sister to arrive. Latest next week. Right now the 2 sisters living here are busy guiding groups. Since March this year they have guided over 20 groups. A great job providing a true religious experience for chinese pilgrims instead of crass tourism. The sisters sincerely thank everyone of you for your kindness, your prayers and well-wishes, your contributions to make their stay and work possible here in the Holyland. Everyday they pray for you in their oratory and one day a month they offer a Mass for your intentions. They also thank the Franciscan Custody of the Holyland for taking them under their care and protection; and especially Fr. Buscemi who had been extraordinary in his kindness to them.