Mooncakes

So I finally found out why all the clashes the other night ... Israel had returned a dead terrorist's body back to his family for burial on condition that it was private and held at midnight. This is the normal procedure when terrorists' bodies are returned to their families. OK question ... why is Israel holding terrorists' bodies? Sounds weird to say it but it's like a punishment and hostage to ensure others don't commit the same crime, and not to make the terrorist a hero with a public funeral. So in our case, word got out that the body would be returned that night and buried in the cemetery outside Herod's Gate. So crowds of arabs tried to get to the cemetery but there was the danger of riots therefore the soldiers stepped in and closed off the roads. Hence the clashes.

Mooncakes and a piglet

But mooncakes have taken my attention away from these troublesome thoughts. A group came bringing lots of mooncakes and one piglet-in-a-basket.  I shared them with my workers in the library and the various sisters that work in the offices around the library. They look forward to this every year as mooncakes are a novelty. Usually the Mid-Autumn festival falls on the same date as the jewish Festival of Booths/Tabernacles called "Sukkoth" but this year it's not. The jewish lunar calendar has added a month so Sukkoth this year is one month after our Mid-Autumn Festival.

And now ... the railway repair scandal that is still rocking the country: now the Supreme Court has added its voice to it. It declared that work on the Sabbath was valid and the PM had no authority to ban this work on the Sabbath. This is a head-on clash with the ultra-orthodox rabbis ... and we know who's going to loose.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4851236,00.html  and  http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/politics-and-military/politics/supreme-court-railroad-construction-on-weekends-is-legal-23447

And interesting story just emerged from the newspapers.  In 1848 on this day Sept. 6th a chief rabbi and his family were poisoned by ultra-orthodox jews because he was too radical: he called for a ban on ultra-orthodox dress .... read "burqa" today or "burkini". Nothing stops the ultra-orthodox from preserving their interpretation of Judaism ... not even murdering others. Sounds almost like Islamic fundamentalism .... http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/this-day-in-jewish-history/1.740367

On Saturday the muslims will begin to celebrate Eid AL Adha ... the Feast of the Sacrifice (of Ishmael) and the Israeli govt. is going to allow 100,000 muslims from Palestine to enter Israel and into the Al Aqsa Mosque for the feast. I don't even want to think of the trouble in our streets as it's the main thoroughfare for entrance into the Mosque compound.  http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-to-ease-limits-on-palestinian-travel-for-holiday/

 I think I'll just stick to mooncakes and chinese tea and leave the whirlpool of problems outside my door. It's not worth it.