Eve of Palm Sunday

Very strong winds today

The weather has gone absolutely crazy ... from over 25 degrees yesterday to 11 degrees today. There was a very strong hamsin wind blowing from the southern desert bringing in lots of sand ... but at the same time winds from the west brought in black clouds. It started drizzling by 8am and then rain at 9am albeit briefly. Then the temperature began to drop ... and continues even now. Suddenly winter clothes are brought out again and we're back to winter. Then towards noon very gusty winds began to strike. Everything was blown everywhere. Well all I can say is if this continues tomorrow, the Palm procession from Betphage to Jerusalem will be a disaster. In fact that's what everyone is talking about today ... what the weather will be like tomorrow.

Anyway I've been very fatigued ... easily tired from anything. I have been sleeping a little more than usual ... like 4 hours a day now. I have dreadful headaches every morning and stomach pains which feel like ulcers. And my throat is very dry all the time. I think it could be the diabetes. The sisters in the kitchen have been watching my diet to make sure I eat nothing too sweet or oily. I'll skip the Palm procession tomorrow. Even going to meet the procession at Gethsemani which I usually do every year. I'm not up to it. I need to rest. I just saw the catholic youths putting up huge palms at New Gate to celebrate Palm Sunday. For the past 2 years we could only put up palms because the ultra-orthodox jews accused us of idolatry by putting up a banner of the Pope, or the Vatican flag or a picture of Christ riding on a donkey into Jerusalem.

Decorating New Gate with palms

Meantime, the High Court has declared it illegal for gender segregation on public transport ... something that the ultra-orthodox jews have been trying to enforce in Jerusalem. Now that it's illegal, the ultra-orthodox are "persuading" women to "voluntarily" move to the back of all public transport. Let's see how "voluntary" means ... without verbal harassment, spitting and other usual methods of coercion.

And there's a video going viral here ... a public bus in Tel Aviv with chairs and handles all wrapped in foil and cling-wrap so as not to be contaminated by leaven. The Feast of Unleaven Bread forbids the presence of leaven in everything. There are specialists ultra-orthodox jews who actually clean your house or restaurant or office from all leaven .... burning with blow-torches.