Storm at last

Storm clouds over Damascus Gate

What an almighty storm we had last night. The wild crocuses I saw in the fields yesterday blooming usually forecast rain in 24 hours ... and they were not wrong. I woke up at 2am to the sound of loud thunder and flashing lightening and heavy rain. And it was cold. The rains continued till about 5am when it stopped. The highest temp today was only 17 degrees. But later in the morning and afternoon the rains returned. Tomorrow's forecast is even heavier rain. I'd look forward to another storm tonight ... I miss these rains since they stopped falling in winter some 15 years ago. Children below the age of 15 have never experienced a thunder storm like we had last night. Storm clouds continue to gather over Jerusalem and the sky is red and threatening. Feels like winter at last.

Cold and wet day

It's been a very tiring day starting at 3am for class and then work in both libraries and class in the afternoon and then meeting a group of pilgrims in the evening. Ended at 8pm ... which made my working day a full 17 hours with no rest or food. Professors from Milan arrived to prepare for an exhibition to be inaugurated tomorrow morning. I have to write an inaugural speech but right now my mind is numb. Will write it tomorrow morning before the inauguration.

As winter has started, the last olives trees must be harvested soon as the olives are ripe and black ... another week and they will start to rot. However like every year jewish settlers vandalise the arab olive groves, chopping down the trees that takes 60 years to grow, raking and destroying the olives.... and these culprits are never caught or arrested or charged.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-tree-terror-settlers-attack-palestinian-farmers-produce-israel-doesn-t-care-1.6618391?fbclid=IwAR2H0_w3edOcY0kypE5xKTujB-qwbid7ACRYdaoAnPp02ZhjoQdiStPfEFk

Meantime arab students are skipping school because the govt will not subsidise their bus fares, claiming the distance is not far enough to warrant a subsidy. Most of these arab families are extremely poor and cannot afford the transport fee so their children will not be able to go to school.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1-500-israeli-arab-students-stay-home-from-school-protesting-bus-cuts-1.6618595?fbclid=IwAR2356St_KV7gd5Of217fHg2L8cyc0Py4Pitw2nYuaNkxMhdnqEf-nwoXbY

But jews are not just attacking arabs ... the implosion of jews attacking other jews have blown out into the open during last weekends election of mayors of all the cities. In the ultra-orthodox controlled city of Bet Shemesh, a woman won the election and the obviously sore ultra-orthodox community was not only angry and vindictive, the rabbi actually cursed all those who voted a woman to be mayor to be damned to hell's toilets. So much for loving your neighbour as yourself. Last night's storm is nothing compared to ultra-orthodox wrath.   https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Leading-Shas-rabbi-Voters-of-non-haredi-destined-for-toilet-in-afterlife-571042?fbclid=IwAR13ALaPwjYPYy1A18W101KqWEkDU-_NKK0WPvps-2r6IG5SV8imKcxtIns