Security tightens

Teddy Kollack Park surrounded by
a fence of tarpaulin. King David
Hotel is the building on the left

The City is shutdown or blocked in various neighbourhoods ... 3 days before Trump comes to visit. The whole hill and park behind Trump's hotel has been surrounded with white tarpaulin ... even down in Teddy Kolleck Park which is 800 m away. Everyone is dreading the road closures on Monday and Tuesday. Several of our monasteries next to the hotel and the PM's house were even told to evacuate the buildings for 2 days. Of course we refused. How ridiculous that residents have to move out just because a State guest decided to live next door. Anyway security helicopters have been flying overhead all day and hundreds of diplomatic - security cars are cruising the roads around the hotel.

I had a difficult time getting to meet a friend who brought me some medicine from America. Her hotel is at Abu Tor, I could have taken a shortcut through the park below King David Hotel to get there but because the entire hill has been closed off, I had to take a long detour down the old Bethlehem Road, down the valley to Sultan's Pool and then up the hill of Ketef Hinnom. It was an exhausting walk ... and the return was no better. I only got home almost at midnight. Being the Sabbath, there were no taxis as well.

Diners and merry-makers enjoy the
weekend despite the closures

Yet despite the lockdown and closures, people try to live life as usual. East Jerusalem of course is not the least bothered by this visit ... and the western side doesn't seem to pay much attention to it either. I noticed one thing: the American flag is occasionally flown along the streets where Trump will travel. This is very strange as flags of the visiting head-of-state usually alternates with the Israeli flag .... even the Vatican flag. It seems that Israel is not very happy with Trump's visit.

There has bee more demonstrations and clashes between palestinians and Israeli soldiers. And just a few minutes ago, Israeli students have been marching and chanting nationalistic slogans ... very provocative as the country will soon celebrate the conquest of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, forcing many arabs got become refugees. Israel calls it the "unification" of Jerusalem but the arabs see it otherwise.

A wonderful news we received ... The diocese of Aleppo was consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. Now Our Lady must protect Aleppo and her christians who have suffered so much.  http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/sign-of-hope-in-syria-aleppo-consecrated-to-our-lady-of-fatima-30148/