Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Cold, damp and very tense

Tensions are very high today especially around our house because a jewish family moved into a house bought over from an arab family. Arab neighbours are protesting and the guy who sold the house was arrested by the Palestinian authorities. The jewish family on the other hand is protected by security guards. And their presence is causing more tensions since the street is very narrow and we have to squeeze pass these security guys to get to Herod's Gate.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-jews-move-into-controversial-muslim-quarter-house-in-jerusalem-s-old-city-1.6999657?fbclid=IwAR15I3ZlLWZ0GMSOGNQxIyCKerCeNnkMJ1GDrPBU6SLBOw8E1qvhdqlOKUA

Pedestrian mall at New Gate

Tomorrow we're expecting violence as these 2 events, plus the Israeli police decision to recluse the Gates of Mercy and rumours that a synagogue will be built there will inflame muslims. Things are expected to enter the Old City tomorrow for Friday prayers ... and demonstrate. And right now, hundreds of jewish rightwing yeshiva students are marching down our street ... the monthly provocative march through the Muslim Quarter to show they are the bosses here. They blare music to disturb us and spray graffiti on our doors and walls. They spit at us if we go out. That's why there's a curfew in our streets overtime these marches take place. All muslims and christians must stay indoors for their own safety. And they stop purposely at our door and stay there for 20 minutes blaring music and shouting to disturb us. What a way to start Lent.

Meantime renovations at New Gate have finally ended. The donors and Municipality chiefs came to inaugurate the event by cutting a ribbon. Now it's mainly a pedestrian mall with automatic barriers that allow only residents' cars to enter. It'll boost christian business and tourism in our Christian Quarter.  https://www.janglo.net/component/option,com_adsmanager/page,display/tid,462815/catid,99/Itemid,361/?fbclid=IwAR0dgHNoV1-rcJ9VhbUo5PVc5d9HcRyTQETC1TiMD_A5OKNgdS95uIoCq_0

We just read that Bolivia is closing down all it's McDonalds restaurants. Here in Israel Kentucky Fried Chicken is reopening it's first restaurants after shutting down for a decade. MacDonald's here is not doing well. It's all about kosher laws.