Tensions rising

Last night on my way to work

What a busy day today. At 8am I had to meet all the 1st year students and introduce them to how to use the library. Then in the afternoon I begin class at the Salesian University. With my face still swollen, a fever and stomach upset by painkillers, it's no easy feat. The exhaustion since I started work on Monday is weighing heavily on me ... and I feel very weak today. But grit your teeth and do it!!!

Last night after having rested a few hours, I decided to go back to my office and work. The sky was beautiful ... but things were ugly at Damascus Gate. A dozen or so arabs were videoing israeli police stop-checking arabs entering the Gate. An ID was thrown or dropped down the police tower and one police had to go down to retrieve it. The arabs were incensed and there was a scuffle with the police for several minutes before more police arrived to drive the tense crowd away.

Scuffle at Damascus Gate last night

Yesterday was the feast of St. Teresa of Avila ... who strangely died on Oct. 5th though the feast day is on the 15th. Why the discrepancy of death day and feast day? Because when the Julian Calendar was switched to the Gregorian calendar, 10 days were inserted on Oct. 5th thus pushing the feast of St. Teresa from the 5th to the 15th. The franciscans had objected fiercely to inserting the 10 days on Oct 4th because it's the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The franciscans won and the carmelites were delayed.

One very sad news in the media is the mortality rate of Gaza children. Because of polluted water - sewage as much as 42 olympic size pools swirling in the beach - children are dying daily. Very tragic.   https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/.premium.MAGAZINE-polluted-water-a-leading-cause-of-gazan-child-mortality-says-rand-corp-study-1.6566812

Meantime there is no let-up in the Gazan protests along the Israeli border. Fires in Israel continue to be ignited by incendiary balloons from Gaza, and Israel continues to tighten the blockade of food, medicine and aid to Gaza. Yesterday the Defense Minister warned of a massive strike against Gaza which will neutralise the Strip for the next 5 years. Terrifying when you consider that this hard military strike will kill countless sick and starving people. Other military heads are cautioning against a war.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5372191,00.html

There were missiles launched from Gaza into Israel again. This time a school in Beersheba was destroyed. Terrible but the only thing it'll end is a devastating Gaza war again ... and nobody wins.