Tense morning

Another fight at Damascus Gate

Last night on my way from from work, I had to stop at Damascus Gate as usual because of the massive crowds coming out of the City. It's almost the last 10 days of Ramadan ... and the muslims commemorate the giving of the Koran to Mohammed. Even more muslims come to the Mosque during this period and especially on Laylat el Khader ... a feast which has no fixed day ... most celebrate it 3 nights before Eid el Fitri but it could be any of the 10 previous nights ... a feast when heavens open and God grants everyone's wishes and offers mercy and forgiveness of sins. Any such thought certainly did not exist last night while I waited outside Damascus Gate. 2 groups of muslims fought each other ... something we've seen every other night here. Once again the police did not get involved and after 40 mins the fight fizzled out.

We woke up to news of military tensions at the northern border. Apparently Syria shot at an israeli drone or aircraft, and Israel responded by bombing Syria. It couldn't get as dramatic as that. We waited with bated breath to see if things would escalate to a military showdown. But now in the late afternoon, nothing. And least nothing's on the news.  https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Israeli-drone-brought-down-over-the-Golan-by-Syrian-anti-aircraft-missile-590824?fbclid=IwAR1NGwtUHJnNhcVwV_xC8tFhCiUZIgP-mnP_Oveu-uwk5v7Fev8qs-xk4qM

Then at the other northern border ... with Lebanon ...  clashes occurred between Lebanese rioters and Israeli soldiers.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/lebanese-rioters-clash-with-idf-along-border-fence/?fbclid=IwAR0NxXOCFl-_WKevsDy_N-2600w_5uaoksIxj4AM75c52I_Wm8HeAIy7cCM

Christ the King bookshop

Anyway despite the tension, I had to go to Bethlehem to bring rations and medicine to the MC sisters.    After delivering the donations, I paid a quick visit to the only Catholic bookshop in the West Bank ... Christ the King bookshop. It is very clean and tidy and they just opened a new section offering religious ritual vestments. Very beautiful and artistic.

The heatwave continues to oppress us. I decided not to go to work because walking 1km uphill in this heat is horrible ... and coming home, crushed by the crowds, is not what I can handle right now. So I worked at home ... which is already quite enough.