Saturday events

Budding oak tress at 4am

So as the Sabbath began yesterday, a wholes series of demonstrations rocked the country. In the Palestinian Territories, one died and several injured as arabs clashed with Israeli soldiers over the planned embassy moves by USA and Guatemala; in the northern beach city of Caesarea, israelis protested and blocked the main road over plans to big a oil pipe line across the city and its pristine beaches ... one youth even threw a flare in to the PM's private house and got arrested; in Tel Aviv thousands of israelis marched to support african asylum seekers from being forcefully repatriated.

Bedouin hawkers at 4am

Today the City was much quieter, being the Sabbath. The police were expecting trouble I guess because there were lots of them in and around the Old City. I had the usual 2nd Saturday Mass in the Empty Tomb for our parishioners from Jaffa. 5 of my students also came to join in. I was quite dizzy and almost blacked out during the Mass. After that I had to preach a lenten retreat till 12pm. Then I took 2 hours of rest in my office while working. I had woken up at 1.30am last night and could not sleep due to the medication. My stomach was burning and I still feel quite sick all day. Sleeping only 2 hours a day for the past week is killing me. I took a long 4km walk to shake off the side effects of the medicine. At Damascus Gate at 4am bedouin women had already arrived to lay out their veggies for sale.

Women's Day took a step back yesterday when women soldiers had to relocate their barracks because orthodox jewish male soldiers came to do their reservist service and they demand gender segregation. So much for democracy and equality as Israel touts itself ... the final word comes from the rabbis ... they run the govt. Then a video ad for women pilots as taken down because the rabbi's frown on women in public. It's a scary thought that the all powerful army of Israel is now under the thumbs of the rabbis.   https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-after-religious-pressure-israeli-army-takes-down-women-s-day-video-1.5889071

And radiating the negativity outwards, an Israeli Justice Ministry official called for jews to invade and settle in arab East Jerusalem ... "take over" is the word. Such calls are now public and brazen thanks to Trump who declared all Jerusalem as the jewish capital. Arabs are now publicly targeted to be removed from their properties so that israelis can move in and calm their "right". I guess this also spread into the taxation of church lands and properties ... now that there is no limit to the Trump-israeli claim.    https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-the-ministry-s-man-who-settles-jews-in-arab-east-j-lem-1.5888643

YNet News on the other hand offered an assessment of the sheer lunacy of an almost war between Israel and the Christian world by unilateral confiscation and taxation of church properties that led to the closure of the Holy Sepulchre last week. The narrow rightwing agenda will implode.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5150808,00.html

And we're receiving news of daily attacks by jewish settlers on arab farmers and shepherds. The incidents are rising on a daily basis and soldiers present have done nothing to stop these aggressors. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/soldiers-do-nothing-to-stop-settlers-throwing-rocks-at-palestinians-1.5888651

By the looks of these, this summer is going to be eventful ... to put it mildly.