Christmas lights

Fog covering the Mt. of Olives

It was freezing last night. Almost 4 degrees but it felt a lot colder. The weather forecast said it felt like 1 degree. I think it will be similarly cold tonight. I must get the extra blankets out. The whole day  was damp and cold as well .... temp. hovered around 9 degrees. Skies were dark and there was a thick fog overing the Mt. of Olives. The streets are very slippery because dew had smothered the pathing stones ... and these stones are so well worn, you would even slip without it being wet.

The huge Christmas tree at New Gate

The christmas lights are finally turned on at New Gate in the Christian Quarter. The huge Christmas tree at the La Salle College this year is white instead of green. And the streets are much more well decorated than last year. Remember last year the ultra-orthodox jews demanded the Municipality to remove all Christmas trees in public because they ere idols. This year we have not heard any objections yet. No decorations were placed outside the City Gate though ... only the 4 trees outside had lights wrapped around them. Nothing religious.

Entry through
New Gate

The Municipality, as if to make amends for last year's fracas with the ultra-orthodox jewish demands (we had to remove christmas decorations from the New Gate), has now announced that it will organise free shuttle buses from Jerusalem to Bethlehem during this Christmas week. Nice gesture but too little too late. The ultra-orthodox have taken over the City and they are making life difficult for the rest of us.

Israelis ar organising a huge demonstration in Tel Aviv to show solidarity with the syrians in Aleppo. They have not forgotten how they themselves suffered the Holocaust and they are now demonstrating that others should not suffer the same. A human chain will form from the Russian embassy to the American embassy. http://www.timesofisrael.com/israelis-to-hold-mass-protest-over-aleppo-massacre/