Peace?!

The incredible events in Iran is raising hopes that the theocratic govt. would soon fall. But Israel secret service is not confident.

Meanwhile peace in Israel is less unlikely - the PM's refusal to stop settlements is a dead end. Even some Israelis are despairing. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093572.html Another HaAretz poll shows majority of Israeli want peace and a two-state solution which the PM refuses. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093575.html

And now they want to force arabs to study Zionism!!! http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093587.html

Anyway when things go wrong and economy fails, it's nothing like pulling in the Christian cash - the fastest way to make money from the people you hate in this land. And the frightening thing is - Christians are happily giving it away! http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371059737&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Bird news

So here is how clutzy I get - I bashed my left knee last week on a chair and it got all swollen and bruised. Within 4 days I bashed the same knee on another chair. Believe me it hurts and I'm limping. And that's not all, yesterday I clocked up walking over 8 kms and now my feet are swollen too. Have been in bed since last evening till now - and missed the "end of school" barbeque held here in our courtyard where the canaries are kept. The reason was Sunday morning I went out to the New City to buy stuff with Fr Marcello, then came back to the Old City to accompany a group of 25 Missionaries of Charity from Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria to visit the Jewish Quarter. Took the whole day till 5pm when it ended. My feet were sore and blistered and I was burnt right through by the scorching sun. In return for my hardwork, the sisters cooked a nice dinner for me - chicken curry, white rice, fried long beans and egg. Yummy.

And Saturday night my nose was bleeding right through, couldn't sleep as a result. Could have been the heatwave we're experiencing.

News on the canaries - the brown/yellow roller hatched 2 eggs out of 4 but she refused to feed the two babies, like she did with her first brood, so they died of hunger. I'm ready to sell her as I see she's not a capable mother, much as she wants to build nests and lay eggs. Sounds like someone with grandiose ideas about oneself but utterly incapable of making them come true - living in a world of fantasy. I put the remaining two eggs under the Red Factor mum who has one baby and one infertile egg of her own. She promptly hatched one of the roller eggs and a brown baby was born. Strange to see her feeding her own red baby and a brown baby. Reminds me of people who don't waste time with ideas, plans and empty talk but simply get to work silently and finish the job. Put the useless roller mum back into the big cage where she's now sulking and refusing to budge from her branch. The pure yellow dad on the otherhand got real busy with another hen that hatched two babies (obviously not hers as all the hens lay their eggs in one nest but only one will brood the clutch.) He began feeding the babies even though they're not his. I must say the canaries are a positive influence on the community. Everyone is interested, they come out to the courtyard to see and find out more, they show concern and give advice and ask questions, in a word everyone's united and participating. The superior is very happy about this positive effect and wants the birds to remain in good condition.

horror of rumours

The other day I posted a news article about how an arab family killed their 15 yr old son because he was suspected of collaborating with the Israeli soldiers. The horror is spreading throughout the arab peoples at how horrible this culture of suspicion, intolerance and violence has become. A mere boy killed by his father and uncle simply because he waved to an Israeli soldier - a cheeky act that people do to defy the occupation but was interpreted by his own people (gossipers) as a sign of friendship with the enemy. Then rumours fly among his friends that he spoke to an Israeli soldier previously. It's all gossip and rumours - and this culture we have runs purely on gossip and rumours. It is said here that gossip is more important than truth itself. And when the momentum picks up, it ends in the tragic death of innocent people. The poor boy was simply waving. And he was tortured and hanged by his own father, uncle and brother. How dastardly and warped has the human heart become under this unbridled culture of fear and suspicion for the Israelis? What's the use of fighting for a free independent state when in the end no one will be living in it - everyone killing their own family members? http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371100264&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Israel on the other hand is picking up the broken pieces left by the Gaza War with new tactics, especially through the mass media. And like I warned, the Israeli Tourist Ministry's dependence on Evangelical Christian support is falling because the Israelis don't understand the evangelicals - now new leaders come up with new doctrines about israel and huge swings of congregations turn against israel. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371097449&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

R.I.P.

Armin, the Armenian Orthodox sacristan suddenly died in the Holy Sepulchre. Though not a priest, he wore the monk's habit because he was volunteering for the Armenian Apostolic Church at the Holy Sepulchre. he was only 30 odd yrs old, very polite, quiet, hardworking. He even came to us franciscans for spiritual direction. Needless to say, everyone was shocked. He was seen sitting near the Sepulchre at 6pm, then he went upstairs to the Armenian chapel to sing vespers but had a heart attack when he reached the top of the stairs.

Today was his funeral. The community of franciscans at the Holy Sepulchre went to the Armenian Cathedral for his funeral. I went to the Sepulchre to say a prayer for him and then joined the community when they came back from the funeral. We spoke of our memories of Armin. He is survived by a sister in Armenia. Requiescat in pacem.

Backoff

Retreat - that's what the Jerusalem municipality has done to prevent another massive demonstration and riot by the ultra-orthodox Jews in Jerusalem over the opening of a carpark on the Sabbath. Last weekends riots of some 2000 haredim (ultra-orthodox Jews) have scared the government. It didn't think the haredim would be so organised and massive in numbers. So it's backed off for the moment. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371076951&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Mind you, these haredim are anti-Zionist by nature of their religious beliefs and have no quelms in attacking the Zionist government of Israel. Quote: "If they want war, there will be war," Yoel Kraus, the operations officer of the anti-Zionist Eda Haredit organization, which organized last week's massive protest, said earlier Thursday, before Franco's proposal. "We are ready to keep this up for at least half a year."

HaAretz newspaper reports a poll that 56% of Israelis back continuing building settlements and opposing the US. But wait - note very carefully that only 503 people were polled!!!!! Hardly representative of the 6 million citizens!!!! I wonder if it included any haredim, or israeli arabs. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1092436.html This is so farcical! And then a scathing attack on settlers' "natural growth" as viewed against arabs' "natural growth". http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1092430.html

But it's another weekend. I handed in my paper this afternoon. One stage over. Will have to start another on Monday. Serious stuff - this research thing!

Enlightened

Two enlightened approach - but who will listen to them? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8089951.stm How much we need peace here in this land.

The Iranian elections is ruffling feathers here in Israel. If Israel wants support from the US against the nuclear threat of Iran, then it'll have to concede to parts of settlement freezes. But the settlers are resorting to tourism to get more support. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371078373&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The PM is turning to the left for more support since the right is no longer happy with him. What does that mean for us minorities? Nothing much I guess. We'll still get bashed and spat at.

Meantime Palestinian brutality to its own children suspected of collaboration with Israel has led a 15 yr old boy to be killed. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371075506&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull These are the realities of life here.

Marathon sleep

Swine Flu is officially a pandemic - but I still don't know what that means...... like am I to stay home? wear the mask when I go out? get flu shots? what? haloooooo? I'm not getting any clues here!!!!

The weather is so hot I'm sleeping with my windows open at night. Only problem is the muezzin starts singing at 3am. Luckily he didn't disturb me yesterday because I got into a sleep marathon - 17 hours flat; from 2pm yesterday to 6am this morning. I was really tired and I officially declared myself on summer holiday mode, so anything goes. The exams have ended and school officially ends on Monday 15th and most of the students will go on excursion to Turkey that day. Actually I don't get a holiday because I need to continue with my research right through the summer. Yucks.

The 3 baby Red Factor canaries have been transferred to the large cage this morning but the Roller baby is still with his parents in the breeding cage because it is still fed by its dad. Spoilt brat. A nice surprise - 3 babies were born in the large cage to the Roller female and she's actually feeding them. She refused to feed her 4 babies previously and left them to die. Also the Red Factor mum hatched another baby this morning. Not bad ... but still the danger is not yet over until the babies learn to fly.... which will be some 4 weeks from now.