Eid al Adha

Damascus Gate on the 1st night of
Eid al Adha

Last night Eid al Adha began. In SE Asia you know it was Hari Raya Haji.  It's the muslim feast commemorating Abraham trying to sacrifice Ishmael (Isaac for jews and christians) on the Temple Mount .... on the rock that is under the Golden Dome mosque. Sheep were herded into the Old City through Damascus Gate at sunset and led to the mosque compound where they were slaughtered and cooked. Muslim rule requires that the family only eats one third of the sheep. Another third should be shared with neighbors and the last third be given to the poor.

Israel has given permission for 100,000 palestinians from the Palestinian Territories to enter Israel of the 3 day feast. Let's hope there will be no violence. Last night huge crowds stayed up in the Al Aqsa Mosque (next to the Golden Dome of the Rock mosque which is the center of this feast) to pray till about 8am. Very noisy streets. I couldn't get to sleep.  This will last for another 2 nights.

In this tense atmosphere, someone is trying to sow discord between jews and christians. A synagogue south of Jerusalem was sprayed with crosses. Never before have christians committed  vandalism. This is surely an act by jewish or muslim fanatics trying to get the jews against christians. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.741592

And another disturbing news ... though it does not surprise us ... the case against 10 jews who attacked a Druze youth because he spoke arabic has been thrown out of the Court for "lack of evidence".  That is always the case with jewish perpetrators of hate-crimes. They never get prosecuted. But if you were a non-jew, it's instant justice: jail time, house is demolished, etc...  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4853580,00.html

And sadly there was a major disaster in Tel Aviv last week when an old multistory parking lot collapsed, killing 6 workers. It took 3 days to recover the last 2 bodies. However yesterday a leading rabbi hailed the disaster as God's punishment for trying to work on the Sabbath .... referring to the ongoing railway scandal. That was very insensitive ... but if you're a leading ultra-orthodox rabbi, no one will condemn you.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4853298,00.html