2nd day of Eid al Adha

A very tense moment right now in northern Israel. Yesterday syrian rebel fighters have reached the northern border of the Golan Heights and missiles have been shot into Israel (by mistake?). Israel has responded back by firing missiles and last night even sent planes into Syrian airspace. Now rebel syrians say they shot down an Israeli plane but the Israeli airforce denies it. We'll have to see what draws out in the next few days. All I can say is that the syrians are stupid if they think they can fight the Israeli army.   http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Report-Syrian-army-claims-it-shot-down-Israeli-warplane-drone-467600

Meantime the ultra-orthodox jews and the rest of judaism are still fighting it out. It's not just the railway repair but and even longer-standing problem of the Wailing Wall. The ultra-orthodox do not want other types of jews to pray there in ways not stipulated by the ultra-orthodox. The govt passed a law to create a separate space for the rest of judaism to pray without being harassed by the ultra-orthodox, but till now has done nothing. That is the game the govt is playing ... keeping both sides happy while staying in power: promising one group to this and that, while in the end not doing anything to please the opposing group. This has been going on for decades and Israeli society is torn apart precisely by this. Any implosion is the direct result of the govt's double-standard game. It will have much to answer. The Supreme Court has blasted this case regarding the Wailing Wall.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.741603 

Archbishop Pizzaballa wearing
double pectoral crosses: one latin and
one greek

There is even a video online showing hundreds of ultra-orthodox jews lynching a car driven during the Sabbath. It was horrifying. The police could only do so much to protect the driver. Dreadful that ultra-orthodox judaism is so intolerant and inflexible ... even resorting to violence to protect it's interpretation. It is no different from the muslim fanatics.

It's the 2nd day of Eid al Adha. Last night the noise in the mosque and streets was unbearable. I kept waking up several times because of the all night celebrations.

On a happy note, our new Archbishop truly showed his popularity when during his consecration, the Israeli govt sent the ambassador to attend the Mass, as also the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. In a rare move, against centuries of rivalry and hostility, the Patriarch sent a bishop not only to attend the Mass but give a silver pectoral cross to the new Archbishop.  And uniquely the Archbishop wore both the latin and greek crosses for the rest of the Mass. He has made peace between the Latin patriarchate with the Israeli govt and the Greek Orthodox Church. A very great achievement eve before he starts his mandate.