New Nuncio

dumpster on fire yesterday

There were several small clashes in the Old City yesterday. Symbolic gestures of protest against Trump and Israel. A dumpster was set on fire in front of Schmidt College ... but no one bothered about it. A fire engine came to put it out while soldiers stood on guard opposite the road, eating their dinner. People walked on ... shopping for food before returning home for dinner. No one paid any attention.

View of West Jerusalem in the cold

It was getting quite cold yesterday evening ... the European cold snap is arriving. I'm feeling the cold and the heaters are back on each night. Now I don't even think of going out at 4.30am to buy fresh bread ... the thought of going out in this cold cancels out my need for food. Hibernation is the answer. Last night the sky was terribly cloudy ... turning orange red. And drops of drizzle fell. The ground was very wet with dew and therefore very slippery.

The new Nuncio has arrived and he made his solemn entry into the City 2 hours ago. Traditionally he arrives at Jaffa Gate and all religious authorities plus the local police chief and Municipality representative will greet him. Then led by a procession of franciscans he is brought into the Holy Sepulchre where he enters the Empty Tomb to prayer. He's an italian who served as Nuncio in Singapore for several years.

Jewish leftist newspapers are all carrying articles that it was the evangelical christians in America who pushed Trump to declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It's the typical shallow theology and lack of any serious academic exegetical or linguistic study that end up with this type of conclusions. Even mainstream protestant churches do not accept this spiritualising / apocalyptic methodology (if there is a methodology at all). Everything is based on emotions. The newspapers are calling this a Protestant conquest of Israel.  https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.828845
https://www.newsmax.com/lelagilbert/trump-jerusalem-embassy-israel/2017/12/08/id/830702/

On the other hand, China has made a statement rejecting Trump's move and declaring its support for East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.  https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/asia-and-australia/1.829009