Tuesday

Damascus Gate lighted up

So Trump finally left. After a day of lockdowns in and out of the Old City, some semblance of normality is back. Believe not many people were happy with all the closures and delays in traffic. In our Muslim Quarter, the guys had to set up the lights for Ramadan which begins on Friday evening. But because of the lockdown, they could only work after sunset. I noticed it's a lot simpler than previous years ... perhaps because of the arab hunger strikers in Israeli jails. This hunger strike will be a flashpoint for violence, as it was back in the 2nd Intifada. It's not a good sign. Israeli should start defusing this powdering because it becomes a catalyst for further violence.    http://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalems-old-city-deserted-on-lockdown-for-trump-visit/

Anyway here is an article on Trump's visit to the Holy Sepulcher ... not a very optimistic view.    http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/In-the-desolate-Old-City-hope-for-Trump-is-tepid-493587

And to stoke more fire, yesterday Jewish settlers attacked Palestinians but soldiers did nothing. It's this kind of stuff that fans violence because the arabs feel themselves defenseless. When you corner a house, it will bite even the largest cat just in order to survive. Learn from nature, Israel.     http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.790883

Not all was as quiet as Jerusalem yesterday. In the Palestinian Territories, there were riots and clashes with Israeli forces. Many were demonstrating against Trump visiting the Western Wall ... which no Head of State of any country has ever done ... because it's an implicit recognition of Israel's occupation of the West Bank. http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/in-israel/local/riots-erupt-in-west-bank-as-trumps-israel-visit-kicks-off-28629

Nice dinner at
Mian

Several evenings ago, Billy from Main Restaurant called to say he bought fresh fish and was steaming some. He asked me to go over for dinner. It was very nice. The steamed fish was not on the menu, and neither was the dumpling dry noodles. It tasted very good. However the prices are rising every week. From a 45 shekel plate of noodles the price is now over 65 shekels. I'm not going there if I can avoid it.

Well Jerusalem Day begins tonight. Israel is celebrating its 50th anniversary of conquering the eastern half of Jerusalem and all the lands on the West Bank by driving away a few million arabs from their homes. Israeli is celebrating it was "unification" of the City but the arabs mourn it as a lost of their land. I fear the clashes tomorrow at Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter will be worse than previous years.