After Yom Kippur

Today newspapers are back in print (on Yom Kippur they are not allowed to work) and we've found out why there was a riot down in Bab Hutta the night before. It's been reported now that there were several riots in the surrounding villages of Silwan, Issawiya and Jebel Mukkaber;  an arab was shot dead by israeli soldiers. http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Riots-erupt-in-east-Jerusalem-on-Yom-Kippur-Silwan-man-killed-in-clash-with-police-469944

Buddy learns to count with coins

This will make the feast of Sukkoth on Monday very tense. As usual every year there will be riots and provocations from both sides of racial/religious divide. In fact morning I saw police halting 2 "hilltop youths" from among a group of such youths just inside Damascus Gate. These "hilltop youths" are very fanatically rightwing, silent, known to attack arabs, destroy arab crops and livestock, take arms and shoot, burn muslim/christian places of worship. I think these 2 guys were prohibited to enter the Old City by the Court and they breathed it, thinking they can hide behind a group of such youths protecting them. The soldiers however recognised them and stopped them.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is hosting an exhibition of the history of Jerusalem from 1000 - 14000 AD. Some of our precious manuscripts are there on loan. In fact our illuminated manuscript is used as the poster image for the exhibition. But a jewish journalist has written an article complaining that there were many muslim and christian artifacts but not enough jewish. I ask: why must everything be politicised? Those years in exhibition were the Crusades where muslims and christians formed the majority of the population and main actors of the events. Of course they would have left a larger amount of cultural artifacts. http://www.timesofisrael.com/met-exhibition-on-medieval-jerusalem-has-lots-of-harmony-not-so-much-judaism/

As Yom Kippur ended, thousands of Israelis in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and many other cities gathered to hold demonstrations in support of the poor besieged people of Aleppo. "The rest of the world is silent. We won't" ... that was the motto. Israel has provided medical help to syrian refugees coming into the northern frontier. It's a very courageous gesture ... something which puts the rest of the world to shame. http://www.timesofisrael.com/hundreds-of-israelis-gather-to-pray-for-people-of-war-torn-syria/

Have been trying to rest this morning but phone calls come every 2 mins. I gave up. Went to work instead. Buddy has been playing a lot these few days. Having discovered he can fly, he now flies everywhere but especially on my shoulders. The moment I enter the door, he flies to me. When I want to go out, he flies again to my shoulders ... either he wants to go out with me or he doesn't want me to go out at all. In between when I'm in my room, he plays with his toys or with my things. It's light entertainment ... keeps me sane.