End of papal tour

From my terrace

So the pope has finally left the Holyland after a 2 day whirlwind tour. He was very obviously exhausted. This morning we got to catch a glimpse of him as he toured the Al Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques which are some 500 metres from my window. From the photo, you can see the armoured black car with lots of Waqf security and the papal entourage. The white dot on the right of the car is the pope entering the Grand Mufti's office. That's as close as I can get to the pope.

Crowds gather at Paris Square in front
of Terra Santa College where the pope
was scheduled to pass by

Major traffic disruptions throughout the City as the pope made his whirlwind visit today. The entire area inside and outside the Christian Quarter of the Old City was closed off. As the papal car moved out of the Old City to the New City to a visit to the President and Yad Vashem, crowds gathered along the road to catch a glimpse of the elusive pope who had been threatened by jewish extremists. 26 of them had been arrested yesterday for plotting to do something at the Last Supper Room when the Pope was scheduled to celebrate Mass. The threat of violence is real and israeli security was taking no chances. The funny thing was it's not the usual muslim extremists who were the culprits but jewish extremists. They had no qualms in assassinating their late PM Isaac Rabin for not fitting into their religious categories and agenda.

Security balloon with camera
floats above the Notre
Dame Centre as the pope
met with the Israeli PM

Later he went to the Notre Dame Centre for a meeting with the PM before lunching with the franciscan friars at St. Saviour's monastery. Despite the emphasis that the visit was a pastoral visit and not political, both Israelis and Palestinians took full advantage to tout their positions and justify their stance in the failed peace talks brokered by the USA. The pope has personally invited the israeli and palestinian leaders to go to the Vatican to restart these talks. Let's hope the challenge is taken up.

Lunch at St. Savior's Monastery with
Franciscan Minister General (L)
and Custos (R)

Patriarchal visit

The City is bustling with action. Preparations for the pope's visit: which I think is a misnomer because it's also the greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch's visit. Both leaders have organised this meeting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI meeting the then Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in the streets of Jerusalem. So it's actually a joint venture.

However the ugly debate over the Last Supper Room and the rise of anti-christian violence this week have put only the Roman Church into the headlines. But today happily there's one article in the newspapers that featured both leaders as making one visit. It's better to call it a Patriarchal visit

Enormous Vatican flag at
the entrance of the
Notre Dame Hotel

Despite jewish protests and violence, vatican flags and buntings are being strewn over the eaves of buildings and across the streets of the Christian Quarter. Security is super tight because the pope refuses to use the bulletproof popemobile. He wants to get closer to the people. But this is having the exact opposite effect: because there is a real physical danger to the pope's life from jewish extremists, crowds are being kept away from the pope. Extreme measures are taken ... with a timetable even of the opening and closing of roads, streets and entire quarters within the Old City for 3 days. The villages on the Mt. of Olives are worse off. The muslim families are unhappy because they'll have to stay indoors for 3 days. That's because both pope and patriarch are living in monasteries up on the Mt. of Olives. The security there is hypertight.

This evening the bells of the Holy Sepulchre were ringing out. The Ecumenical Patriarch had arrived and made a solemn entrance into the Basilica. Tomorrow the Roman pope will arrive from Amman. A historical pilgrimage for both leaders.

Palm trimming day

Correction: was just told that the gunfight the previous night at Musrara was not between arab gangs but a gang of jewish youths against arab youths. The jewish gang was out to attack arabs but got lynched. They opened fire when the arab youths gathered ... which I witnessed. News reports today claim that the gang leader of this jewish group and some perpetrators were arrested for their plan to attack arabs be they christian or muslim.

Trimming the palms

Meantime the City is bustling with activity as the papal visit draws near. Despite aggressive opposition by jewish groups, posters and buntings welcoming the pope were being hung throughout the Christian Quarter. Even the palms are being trimmed in the plaza to look neat and tidy.

To those who think they can catch a glimpse of the pope, they'd be sorely disappointed. Security is so tight no one will be near the pope at all. His Mass at the Last Supper Room will be private and the meeting at the Holy Sepulchre with the Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch will only be attended by a selected few. And in Gethsemani only a selected few religious will get to listen to his address to religious in the Holy Land.

Thanks to Francis Shu, Paulette, Letty, Helena Luk and Irene for their gifts.

Tiring day

My library assistants next to a
replica of Gutenberg's printing
machine at the Holy Land Museum

Yesterday Sunday was a very tiring day. Had to make 2 excursions to 2 museums that had borrowed some of our holdings for their exhibitions. We were officially invited for a private tour. So morning was spent at the Tower of David museum visiting the history of medicine in Jerusalem exhibition while the afternoon was at the Holy Lands Museum to see the Book of Books exhibition. It was all very interesting but I was dead tired. And being Sunday, it meant waking up at 3am (solar time) to teach the next morning.

This morning was full of work at the library especially when one of our volunteers completed his mission and returned to Italy. We're now one man short. And taking on a new part-time worker meant having to teach her from scratch. Exhausting.

Went home afternoon and tried to rest but the phone rang to say workers were coming to install 23 tables in the other library. No rest. Rushed off to supervise their work. They finished at 9.30pm. That's seven and a half hours of work. Was so exhausted but still had to go out and meet a friend at Damascus Gate. But there was big drama there. Gangs of arab youths were fighting each other. 2 gunshots were fired and someone at least was wounded because police and ambulances started rushing in. Never a dull moment here in the City.

Violence-free Nakba Day

Moon setting on a pastel sky

Nakba Day - Thursday - passed without major clashes. In fact it was totally unexpected even when 2 arab youths were killed by Israeli soldiers in Ramallah. Damascus Gate saw some scuffles after noonday prayers but then everything calmed down and life went on as usual. This year I decided to stay out of trouble by staying out of Jerusalem. Last year I was shot by a water-canon. This year I had an appointment with my doctor 70 km away. As usual I had to wake up at 3.30am to finish my chores before I could get transport to leave for Ramat Gan at 5am. Wanted to arrive early because the last time,  someone came earlier and took my slot and I had to wait till 8am to see my doc. Heading West, the full moon was setting in front with an incredible pastel sky as background.

Sunrise on my espresso

Well arrived very early ... so went to the cafe opposite and had an espresso. No sugar though as it would affect the reading of my sugar-level. Then it was to the doc's. Finished at 8.30am and decided to walk the 3km into town. Nice and quiet as shops have not yet opened. I needed this quiet time. Work has been overloading and commitments were getting out-of-hand. And the last thing I needed was tensions from Nakba Day. Went to my other community by the sea and slept from 11am to 4pm. It was the best sleep so far this year.

Got home in the evening and continued to sleep. Friday passed equally without violence. I was busy composing 35 multiple choice questions for the next day's exams. This morning had to rush up to school for the exams - 2km uphill. But the photocopy machine broke down and I needed 51 copies of 7 pages for the exams. Panic. Managed to get it done in another library. Managed to correct all the papers after the exams and officially my holiday begins once the results were handed over to the office. But knowing my luck, there's going to be more work in store somewhere, somehow.

Another day

Tensions are not abating because tomorrow evening begins Nakba Day. That's when the palestinians recall how they lost their land when the State of Israel was founded. Last year was very violent especially at Damascus Gate. I was shot once by a water canon while taking photos of the scuffles. Maybe this year I'll go far away on Nakba Day to avoid trouble or getting hurt.

Caper bushes are blooming all over

This morning I got caught up in a scuffle when police were arresting some arabs for illegal parking. The huge young arabs were going to beat up a tiny blond Israeli police girl for booking them. Other police and soldiers ran up to assist their colleague. In the scuffle to arrest the arabs, a couple managed to escape and one ran up behind me and pushed me out of the way. Nearly fell over on the road as I was carrying a heavy knapsack.

Had a very busy day working from one office to another. Feeling very stressed. Luckily today I could spend some time chatting with my security friends. Shvili the head of the team will soon be leaving his post as he'll be promoted. Hope the rest will stay on. I hardly see the usual gang anymore. Tomorrow Avi and Yogi will be at the post. That'll be nice to chat with them ... if I have the time.

Police protection

Police at the Notre Dame Centre

The tense situation in Jerusalem of Jewish attacks on Christians was very obvious. This morning police in cars and motorbikes surrounded the entrance of the Notre Dame Centre which is Vatican property ... probably to protect it from violent attacks. I should think the police are also at Mt. Zion to protect our Last Supper chapel whereby a massive jewish demonstration will soon take place against the Church. However no surveillance helicopters are hovering ... strange since it's always used when arabs demonstrate.

Weatherwise it's gone all strange again. Very cloudy and cold when the wind blows. Unlike yesterday which was very hot. Some weather stations say it might rain. Let's hope so ... it'll disperse the demontrators better than the police will.