New week ....

Another new protest movement - this time by thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews in Jerusalem against the proposed law to draft their young adults into the army. Many wore sackcloth and smeared ash on their heads - true to biblical tradition. It's a compulsory draft in Israel but the ultra-orthodox managed to evade that for 60 years. Now they can't escape and they're fighting to have the law stopped. Of course they'll win - the rabbis will threaten to excommunicate the ministers and military and send them all to hell if the law goes through ... believe me, eternal damnation is more powerful than any war on earth.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=275104

Jerusalem Light Rail
The only thing that's running smoothly
in the City ... until protesters block it

Meanwhile the social protest movement that ended in violence and lots of arrests in Tel Aviv, made a debut here in Jerusalem. Protesters marched to the PM's house but got arrested because the march was not legally approved. http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?ID=275081&R=R1

I have never been more keenly aware of local Israelis who today, before they introduce themselves, make friends or chat .... ask themselves the question "Is he/she left or right? secular or orthodox?" Everyone seems to be aligning themselves on one side or the other. Battle lines seem to be drawn across the social network of Jews. It's a psychological war, a mind game .... and it can get so very tiring. I just wish all these people would just chill out, go tot the beach and enjoy the sun and sea ... allow nature to teach them what is harmony. But of course in Israel, going to the beach is another point of contention: should men be separated from women? Are bikinis allowed? Is the sunblock kosher?

It may be a new week but lots of old problems are carried forward.

John the Baptist

The weekend saw lots of violence in Tel Aviv between police and social protesters. And this is just the beginning.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-police-may-have-been-ill-prepared-ahead-of-violent-protest-officials-say-1.443540  Rockets continue to be fired from Gaza into Israel. Iran continues to warn Israel of an imminent war. Turkey and Syria are at loggerheads over the shooting of Turkish jet in Syria. And over 70 buddhist monks were attacked by swarms of bees from their apiary. Apocalyptic scenario!  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18568448

Charred remains of shop

This morning the remains of a shop burnt down in the Old City were collected and dumped outside the City gate. Horrific. Don't know the details of this fire but it sure didn't look good.

I wonder if this had to do with the police presence in the Old City yesterday and the propaganda they were spreading to everyone. Makes me think of the fire and brimstone promised by John the Baptist. It's the solemnity of his birth today and solemn masses are being celebrated in Ein Kerem, the place of his birth.

Well this is just a taste of summer ... I hope it'll not be as bad as predicted. I'll be studying and working in the library as usual ... no holidays this year like as in past years. Fingers still swollen with arthritis and asthma every night. It's going to be one long summer.

Arthritic attack

Agapanthus in my garden

Just when we thought the weather was cooling off, it got flaming hot again today. The lovely flowers in bloom like the agapanthus in my garden belie the dreadful tension beneath the fabric of both arab and Israeli societies. The war in Gaza - I think that's the proper name now that there's so much dead - is not getting better and Israeli security is afraid arabs here in Jerusalem might start violence in support of Gaza. Lots of police in the streets fighting a propaganda war ... distributing leaflets and talking to arabs throughout the muslim quarter and East Jerusalem. This is serious stuff.

And the summer protesters in Tel Aviv are also facing very tough action from the police.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-police-deploys-large-forces-in-central-tel-aviv-as-protesters-gather-for-mass-rally-1.443379    and another african migrant is attacked by locals   http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=274796

My poor arthritic fingers

On the personal front, my asthma is not getting better. And for the past 2 days my fingers on the left hand are all swollen from arthritis. They're painful and stiff. Moran (my physiotherapist) said he can do nothing except to massage it to soothe the pain. I had to go to Tel Aviv to see Moran because my neck problem was getting worse - the pain coupled with the asthma have made sleep practically impossible.

And Turkey and Syria appears to be heading for war because Syria shot down a turkish plane.

So much bad news ... maybe St. John the Baptist will come back to call for repentance and penance. It's his solemnity tomorrow.

Another Friday

So if you think that tensions are limited to the Gaza border, think again. Yesterday at the monthly service of the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) at the Wailing Wall, a woman was arrested by religious police for wearing the prayer shawl. There's actually a law stating that women are not allowed to wear the shawl, or the phylacteries or read from a Torah scroll because these are men's prerogatives. With judaism so divided in itself, I wonder how things would go with their dealings with non-jews.   http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=274668

On the otherhand, the muslim authorities in the Al Aqsa mosque asked a jewish student to remove his kippa (skull cap) because he was in a muslim site. He refused and chose to go out. Rabbis are raising a hue and cry against this as anti-semitism .... but hang on .... the jews don't allow christians to wear crosses at the Wailing Wall too; the rabbi even wanted Pope Benedict to remove his cross when visiting the Wall. So how come two standards?  http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishFeatures/Article.aspx?id=274642

And in the course of the week, several mosques were vandalised and torched by Jewish extremists. But attempts to reconcile are underway.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=274789

Anotehr quick update: Isrealis have returned to protesting in Rothschild Boulevard this morning as part of continuing social unrest in the country.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/hundreds-amass-in-tel-aviv-s-rothschild-blvd-in-bid-to-revive-social-protests-1.440457   Now I'm getting news from everywhere that the blackout the night before at the airport was almost national level ... Jerusalem was outted for 2 hours during that time.

Stir-fry by Firas

So it's another typical Friday - marked with contention and tension ... be it on ground zero or in the newspapers. It won't feel the same if there weren't trouble on a Friday. But just for a little cheer, here's a pic of Firas' stir-fry beef and veg  ... looks good, but I haven't tried it. He only sent me the pic. He lives on the other side of the wall separating Jerusalem from Bethlehem where he lives.

Blackout at airport

Blackout at airport

Strange that it should happen to an international airport ... but it did; an electrical outtage just about midnight. The place went black and then only a few lights linked to emergency generators came on. The whole place was eerily silent and dim. Everyone was expecting a terrorist attack or something of that kind. It was scary. Security was dashing about, securing all exits. Some say it's just a test-run. Well after some 20 minutes, the electricity came back on. But the backlog of flights landing and departing, the computer system at the immigration counters .... all resulted in long delays.

Just after the outtage, a group of black clad guys walked in and started singing a capella. Weird. They went on for some 15 minutes before walking off again. Surreal.

Anyway I was there to send off Ilie and Vax, and meet up an inbound group. Lots of delays. I only reached home at 3.30am and overslept this morning. Got up at 7.40am and the poor canaries were chirping their heads off because no one fed them yet.  I've got a bad headache now.

The heatwave is finally ending. Last night there was a constant strong cool wind blowing ... very nice. Cool enough for me to wear a long sleeve t-shirt. But political and military heat is still raging at the Gaza border. Over 100 missiles have been fired across the border this week, and several killed and injured.

Thanks to Letty, the Caveros, Angela Leung and Rose Chiu for their kindness.

Summer vacation begins

And the heatwave continues and we're all withering away in this sweltering oppressive heat. Forecast is gradual cooling from tomorrow ... but the heat'll pick up again by the weekend. Everyone is saying what a dreadful start to this summer - it augurs bad days ahead.

More rockets are fired into Israel from Gaza yesterday. More injured as Israel responded in typical manner.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/four-israel-border-patrol-officers-injured-as-rocket-hits-western-negev-1.437433  And on the home front, a panic as a hospital reused an improperly sterilised endoscope on 150 patients after it was used to test HIV patients.

Says it all .... 

Well it definitely isn't the most pleasant day today. My best friend Vax is going back to England after 3 months of intensive studies here. He needs to finish his thesis and earn his licentiate which he started here 4 years ago. Maria is wife will be glad to see him back again but I'll be left with no one to chat with for the rest of the year. Last night he wanted to have a shwarma for our last dinner together. I suggested a lahfa (larger version made with large srek bread instead of the small pitta) at HaShamen near the chinese restaurant. It wasn't classy - chips and roasted eggplant on the side - eating facing a wall .... but the company made the difference. As the can of Coke Zero says - it's all " ...  a state of the mind". He'll be back in Durham University and he plans to continue his PhD in Oxford; well I certainly hope so. He's a smart guy.

Today is the official last day of school. The council of professors will meet in the morning and this evening there'll be a barbecue in our courtyard to end the academic year. Yesterday was the last licentiate defense - pretty well done by Leonardo. And so summer vacation officially starts .... in a heatwave, in the midst of war, alone .....

Goodbye Sakura

As the heatwave lingers on today, fires around the forests and parks are getting more frequent and intense. Some have been deliberately started   http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinian-teens-suspected-as-12-idf-soldiers-injured-in-brush-fire-1.436996

And the heat is up at the Gaza border too, where cross-firing has been taking place for the last 2 days.  Shootings and missiles involved. Several have been killed on both sides already.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-killed-as-idf-terrorists-exchange-fire-along-egypt-border-1.437066   It's not going to be a nice summer ....

Empty unset tables at Sakura

And more heat is up as students are taking the library's fans to their rooms to cool off in the night!!! Fireworks this morning when the power-that-be (or that's what she thinks) found out that fans were missing .... I've reached the end of my patience, so I just switch off and walk away. People forget that I am the director and they work under me ... but being typical of their occidental attitudes, they try to walk all over me like a doormat. They mistake courtesy for weakness ... well ... just a little more of stretching my patience and then I'll turn the heat on for them and show them who's boss.

Meantime I'm also stressed trying to get end-of-year reports done on time. There's so much paper-work .... and I have no secretary!!! Beryl (just finished her MA in archaeology here) offered to do some of the secretarial job but as she can't read italian, there's not much help. So I'm stuck alone.

Our last sushi at Sakura

And sad news .... my favourite and definitely the best japanese restaurant in town "Sakura" is closing down. All the regular waiters are gone ... only one part-time to cover the last few days. The LCD menu screens were removed from the walls. Tables were not set. Gyoza were restricted to vegetarian ones. Limited amounts of sushi could be ordered as they no longer buy ingredients. It's terribly sad because it was such a great place with great food. Had lots of fun there, made lots of friends, shared lots of laughter ... now all will be memories.