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Arab youths and Israeli soldiers
confront each other |
Yesterday early evening saw some clashes around our house. And I was caught in the middle of it. I had just finished work and was going home through Herod's Gaye. Immediately turning left into the City through the Gate there was a huge crowd of some 30-40 arabs arguing with several Israeli soldiers. It was very tense and the soldiers arrested some youths and brought them our of the City Gate to the police station which is directly outside. The crowds followed along. I continued down the street till halfway (near Bustami Street) and again there was an altercation between soldiers and arab youths. The soldiers closed the road to the arabs - they cannot go up to Herod's Gate. As I was going down the opposite direction, the soldiers allowed me to pass through.
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Ambulance and
soldiers at Via
Dolorosa |
Reaching the end of the street that opens into Via Dolorosa, again another group of soldiers were quarrelling with local arabs. However I did not know why there were all these confrontations. I reached home, went up to my room and from the terrace I noticed there were more soldiers stationed along Via Dolorosa: at Ecce Homo arch and down at the Armenian parking lot. An ambulance had just entered the street going toward Austrian Hospice. Via Dolorosa was otherwise totally empty... no one else walking along the street. Soon after 2 stun grenades were fired somewhere behind our house.
After that, everything was quiet. I guess it ended.
This morning the newspapers were splashing with the headlines that 8 chinese tourists were ripped off by over US$4,000 over a dinner at the village of Abu Ghosh. Shocking! Travel industry people are calling for the restauranteurs be prosecuted and some form of control be used to check tourists service providers. Well my evaluation is this:
1) Never travel alone in Israel as you will inevitably be ripped off.
2) Use a reputable travel agency that is responsible and experienced.
3) Never buy or agree to anything until the price has been decided
4) Always have the phone number of the tourist police at hand
5) Never expect things here to be the same as back home. Cultures are different.
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/1.740414
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