Rising tensions

Cloudy skies today

Yesterday was the 2nd Lenten pilgrimage ... this time at Gethsemane. Last week it was at Dominus Flevit chapel halfway up the Mt. of Olives. Next week at the Flagellation chapel and the week after at the Condemnation chapel. It's a tradition to celebrate Mass and sing the entire Passion in 4 voices during these Lenten pilgrimage Masses.

The weather has been good in the afternoon though so all the celebrations took place with great festivity. Don't forget today is the jewish feast of Purim. Jews are going throughout the streets in costumes celebrating their feast and this calls for high security as a sudden rise of violence in the past 36 hours has made everyone edgy. And to top that, the US Secretary of State is now in town. Road blocks all around his hotel at King David just about 250 meters from my office. The the Holy Sepulchre was closed because he wanted to visit it ... which also means all roads leading to the Sepulchre were closed too. The a visit to the Wailing Wall ... so our streets on the eastern side were closed off. What a bother.  

Wild mustard blooming

Well like I said, in the past 36 hours violence has broken out in all sectors of the country. 4 arabs killed in various places as soldiers shot into protesting crowds. A rabbi and a soldier were killed earlier in the week. Revenge attacks from both sides are escalating. In Gaza a rare demonstration by arabs against the ruling Hamas govt that has bankrupt the enclave and left the people poorer, hungrier and sicker.   https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/one-palestinian-killed-another-wounded-by-israeli-live-gunfire-palestinians-say-1.7043293?fbclid=IwAR2WVQb0E2kE6MnBbpQ1ZGJc2TQppTclx1sd3j3pzgVx0L-1CH5m_0m3sU4
and
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5481744,00.html?fbclid=IwAR1uGu9kqQ4WACPtGtzYCQ_0nvffz7DtOas355TpNl7-epIc85XcdqUIGh0

Tomorrow there'll be a general strike by arabs over the deaths of the past few days. I'm not sure I want to stay around to see any violence. It usually takes place in front of our house.