More closures

Sunset over the City

Yesterday the palestinians celebrated Mother's Day ... which is also the arab 1st day of Spring. There wasn't any celebration in the sorriest as it usually does. Shops would be selling roses and other bouquets, chocolates etc .... and restaurants would be full of families. Cars would be circling the city honking. But this year the streets were empty. All shops and restaurant were closed. It was a very sad Mother's Day. I guess they'll make it up in Autumn.

The Al Aqsa Mosque yesterday went one step further and banned all entry into the compound. All the gates to the compound were closed. Previously only the 2 mosques were closed but muslims could pray in the open air courtyards. Now it's not possible even to enter the compound. And majority of jewish rabbis have shown the ultimate flexibility by calling off synagogal prayers and allowed personal prayer in place of communal prayer. The Chief Rabbi even allowed cellphones to be switched on during Sabbath in order to receive news of virus infections. The greatest law in judaism is to save a life ... it over rules every other law. The Wailing Wall isn't closed but it's limited to 10 persons each time, 2 meters apart. It's definitely an important move. But there're still a few ultra-orthodox groups that oppose the govt's closure and yesterday there were clashes between them and the police.

All shops closed

Small grocery shops and businesses are losing as they are ordered closed while mega-supermarkets are allowed to open. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Many fear as and when they're allowed to reopen their businesses, they would not be able to because there's rent and land taxes to backpay. Many will or have already lost their jobs.

Let's hope for the best that this virus will blow away and things get back to normal ... or as much as normal can be.