City Lockdown

East Jerusalem is totally locked down

The whole Old Coty was in total lockdown yesterday till today. Some parts of course are more relaxed, like the Jewish Quarter and Christian Quarter. Our Muslim Quarter on the other hand is totally closed except for tourists and some locals who dare to come out to buy necessities. It's a form of collective punishment on the local muslim arabs ... some of whom, no one doubts, had aided the terrorists acquire and hide the weapons. It's terribly inconvenient to live under this curfew ... but I can understand why it was imposed and in a way, I'm glad it's being done. It's the only way to ferret out these secret network. Believe me, no one in our area really wants this to happen ... to close your shops, no bread to buy, practical house imprisonment .... it's always people from outside Jerusalem who come in here and cause trouble ... and we have to suffer the consequences.

New Gate is
closed off

Yesterday I stayed home ... partly because my leg still hurt and partly because the blockades along our street are absolute. Today I had to go to the parish office to retrieve a document and then bring food for someone in need (yes I also cook and provide food for needy people). Getting out of my neighbourhood was easy though the road blocks were still in place. The police allow foreigners to move freely ... but not locals. But once at Damascus Gate things got serious. First police block at the entrance of the Gate ... absolutely no entry to everyone except tourists. Going up the steps, 2nd blockade, same thing. A few meters ahead on Suleiman Street, a very long metal barrier blocked off the entire East Jerusalem from the West. Absolutely no entry to anyone even tourists. Turning left, Prophets' Street along Musrara neighbourhood was also totally blocked off. No entry towards Damascus Gate except tourists. Turning left again towards Palm Plaza, another 500 m long metal barrier cut off west jerusalem from Palm Plaza .... running right though the park. Going up to New Gate, well New Gate was also totally closed off except to tourists and some residents. Not even all our friars are not allowed to enter St. Saviour Monastery immediately on the left of the Gate.

Empty streets in the
Old City

I was first rejected from entering New Gate. Then another soldier came along and asked if I were a tourist. I said yes and he let me in. After finishing my work, I left New Gate without problem. But reaching Palm Plaza I was turned back. No one, not even tourists allowed to go beyond Palm Plaza now. Rules change every hour it seems. There was a russian old man, about 85 yrs old, who was totally lost and couldn't speak a word of anything except russian. He showed me a card "Rivoli Hotel" which is on Salahadin Street deep in East Jerusalem. There was no way he could get there from Palm Plaza. I went back to New Gate (uphill in blazing 35 degrees at noon) with the old man but again the riles changed. We were not allowed to enter. So we had to walk another 500 m to Jaffa Gate where tourists are now allowed to enter. Then 1km walk through the Old City till I reached home. But I had to bring the old man to Herod;s Gate to get to his hotel. Believe me ... I walked a good 3 kms in all.

This total closure is unprecedented. Not even during the 2 Intifadas was the entire Old City closed off. The Al Aqsa Mosque is still closed today and the muezzin is silenced. The Grand Mufti of the Mosque had been held for questioning ... as also the former Mufti. Obviously they need to answer some very important questions ... like were the weapons hidden in the Mosque? Many many people ... those in the streets ... think so.

Terrorist attack

Deserted streets

At 7am we heard rapid gunshots nearby. Trouble. It lasted a couple of minutes. Then police and soldiers came to close the entire Old City. A few minutes later news filtered through that 3 arab terrorists armed with a submachine gun and 2 pistols had fired and killed 2 policemen at Herod's Gate some 200 meters from our house. Other police pursued the terrorists who ran into the Al Aqsa compound but were all killed.

Immediately the City Gates were closed to anyone coming in or going out. A curfew was enforced in our Muslim Quarter. It was super strict this time. No one ... not only our christian workers were forbidden to entire from New Gate 1 km away .... even our friars were kept out or in. It was draconian. All shops and businesses were forced to close. All arab residents had to stay indoors. The Al Aqsa mosque was closed to everyone and prayers were cancelled. The muezzin cannot sing the call to prayer.

Bab Hutta Arch
Youths stuck between
police blockades

I expect riots and demonstrations by the arabs because of this closure ... the police are making them pay for killing 2 of their own. Our libraries had to close as well. Just as well my leg is injured and I cannot walk far. I stayed home till now.

Of the 2 policemen killed, one was a druze from Maghar village in Galilee who just had a 3 week old baby. The Druze community will never take this peacefully and enmity with the muslims will deepen.

In the midst of this draconian lockdown of the City, I saw one of my students stuck in front of our door. he cannot walk down to his house in St Anne's Church where the killings took place because of the lockdown there .... and he cannot go out of the City because Austrian Hospice has blocked, and so is Damascus Gate. Poor chap was standing in the sun. So I brought him into our house to drink lots of water and eat lunch before trying to go home again at 1.15pm. I accompanied him halfway down to Bab Hutta arch. Lots of youths were standing there. They cannot go any further because of a police blockade. But foreigners and arabs over 50 yrs were allowed to pass. The seminarian managed to pass through and go home. Thank goodness.

We don't know how long more this siege will last. The terrorists came from Umm el Fahm ... a village notorious for violence. What really disturbs is who gave them the firearms??? They were seriously armed with sophisticated weapons that could have killed many people.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4989180,00.html
http://www.timesofisrael.com/three-said-hurt-in-shooting-attack-in-jerusalems-old-city/
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/BREAKING-Stabbing-attack-at-Lions-Gate-Jerusalem-499691
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Video-Footage-emerges-of-shooting-attack-at-Temple-Mount-499696

Fall

Herod's Gate market

Yesterday I had  great fall ... not like Humpty Dumpty ... I didn't break anything but my right shin from knee to foot is all swollen and painful. It goes to show that no matter how long you live here and how well you know the land, you still become a victim to structural changes ... this time due to the security enhancement measures. The police had installed new metal obstacles on the side of our tiny road to prevent cars parking. These metal columns are knee-height and if you keep you eyes looking ahead, you'll miss seeing them under you nose. So I was walking down the road and I heard hebrew being spoken behind me. I turned to see 2 soldiers and just then I walked into one of these mini-columns and fell over it, scratching the entire length of my shin on it. The pain was awful and I was hobbling all day. Even at night when I was in bed the pain was sharp and kept me awake.

Today going to work was not easy. Though it was less painful than yesterday, it still made walking very difficult. Luckily coming back home from work, the driver of another monastery drove me to Herod's Gate. The road home from there has less steps than Damascus Gate, the slope being more gradual. And the market at Herod's Gate is also less crowded so chances of people shoving me around is less.

The implosion of Judaism continues after the publication of the list of some 240 rabbis worldwide whose ministry is considered invalid by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. It included some famous founders of jewish institutes. The Ashkenazi Chief rabbis has offered a public apology to one of these rabbis, saying he had no idea of this blacklist and its publication. All this boils down to is internal fighting between the Israeli rabbis for power. With the recent deaths of some leading rabbis, a power vacuum was created and no obvious successors in line. Those who aspire for leadership are incapable or unsuitable. So the fiasco  continues from the Wailing Wall crisis to the Sabbath observance crisis ... each group trying to supplant the others in order to forward their own candidate as leading interpreter of the Law of Moses. The result of course is confusion among the jewish laity and a joke among the non-jews. Judaism's fall is going to be more painful than my swollen leg.    http://www.timesofisrael.com/chief-rabbi-apologizes-to-blacklisted-rabbi-heading-nefesh-bnefesh/

Prayers needed

Inside the Chapel of the Blessed
Sacrament in the Holy Sepulcher

The temp. has soared again .... today it's 38 degrees. We are withering under the sun. Most people hide inside their houses or shops. The streets are less crowded than usual. The Ministry of Tourism has reported that the first half year saw a dramatic rise in tourists to the Holy Land. The numbers dropped after Easter but it will pick up again in July and August. That means big money for the govt.

Just in case, if I didn't mention it, last Saturday I celebrated Mass inside the Empty Tomb and remembered all of you in my prayers. I know that there are many people who wish to come here and cannot ... and I pray for them too. Next month I shall be going to Emmaus to celebrate Mass.

There's a horrible news circulating that ISIS killed 250 christian children by throwing them into a bread-making machine, and men were throwned into the fiery ovens. I hope it's not true. If it is .... the rest of the Christian Church should be condemned for its silence.   http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2017/06/07/horror-as-isis-kills-250-christian-children-by-kneading-them-to-death-in-bread-machine-2.html

Judaism's implosion worsens as the Chief Rabbinate in Jerusalem drew up and published a blacklist of rabbis around the world whose ministry it considers to be invalid. It must be dreadful for these rabbis to be condemned publicly after years of service to their congregations.   http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.800745

Box of bibles for
M. Teresa's sisters

Thanks to anonymous donors, some 90 bibles were purchased and given to the sisters of M. Teresa in the Middle East. The sisters in Yemen, parts of Syria and Iraq have no priest, no Mass, no sacraments. They only thing they have is the Bible to keep them spiritually strong. They care for muslims and christians alike in these wartorn countries ... feeding them, providing basic medical needs, giving shelter and comfort ... asking nothing in return. Yet the muslims slaughter the nuns in Yemen and continue to threaten them in many of these countries. Show your support for them.

More changes

Damascus Gate
carpark under major
security change

The new security measures are getting more drastic. This morning the municipality blocked off half the parking lot of Damascus Gate carpark and a bulldozer began digging. Looks like they're going to lower the carpark down by 3 meters to make a slope for police cars and ambulances to enter Damascus Gate below. The various security measures have taken on a feverish pace ... all within 2 days. Workmen are everywhere in our Muslim Quarter, tractors with building materials entering and exiting our Quarter ... so much movement. It's quite disquieting ... we locals are feeling nervous.

I am feeling the strain of work ... it's been too many months without a break. And also the frustration that everyone else has gone for their holidays and I am still working like a dog for the past 14 years with no holiday. My body is fighting back ... I've had 2 minor asthma attacks so far this weekend. And I realized I'm losing my temper easily these days. I need to do what I want to do and like to do at least during this summer break.

Well one way I'm enjoying a break ... at least mentally ... is learning some of the great Armenian hymns. They are so well composed and require very trained voices to perform them. The doxology "Amen Hayr Surp" and the Kyrie Elesion "Der Voghormia" are simply beautiful and evocative. However as can be seen, the Armenian Liturgy does not encourage laity participation ... only the trained choir sings the hymns and responses to the Liturgy.

This video is the hymn "Hayr Surp" (Holy Father) ... a doxology to the Trinity

Summer camps and free movies

Open air theatre at the
Italian Synagogue

Yes my guess about the big restructuring project at Damascus Gate was correct ... it's part of the new security measurements need out by the govt. Today a huge computer was installed at the tunnel exit in front of our door. I asked why ... the answer - they're installing 40 extra security cameras in our street. It's a daunting future for us living in this area ... we're being watched every second.

The Italian Synagogue is hosting an open air film session during summer. They have a small arena in the piazza and at one corner they set up a screen. Abe several balloon clouds call attention to passersby of this weekly event. Nice public service. Last night they showed a Harry Potter movie.

Summer camp at the public park

Summer camps have started in the arab areas of Israel. It's organised after Ramadan so it won't disrupt the fasting. Most families pay some US$500 for their kids to join their school's summer camp. Not everyone can afford. For those who can afford more, they'd join the camps of other institutes such as the YMCA. but for the vast majority who are poor, there is no summer camp or at most one organised by the muslim schools. This morning I saw a group of kids at one such camp ... being poor they cannot afford going to swimming pools or learn karate or computer classes. All they had was the public park where they played games and ate a picnic lunch from a plastic bag. The difference between them and those who can afford summer camps in hotels could not be more stark.  My dream is to organise a summer camp for those who cannot afford at all ...  for free ... for those kids who have never and will probably never join a camp because they're too poor for such luxuries.

Sunday rest

Palm Plaza being dug up this morning

Today Sunday was a change of pace from the routine Sundays. The Armenian priest had come for a baptism so he celebrated the Armenian Mass and I didn't need to go there though he asked me to concelebrate ... and I didn't have to concelebrate the 7am Mass because I was invited to say another Mass at 11am instead with the filipino community at the Salesian Monastery. It was very very hot to walk uphill for 2 km to get there ... it took me an hour. And coming home at 1pm was even worse. The ground was so hot I wanted to remove my shoes as my feet were burning.

Full moon over
Damascus Gate

On my way to the Salesian place, I had to pass by Palm Plaza and was shocked to find that it was blocked off and bulldozers were digging up the ground. Trees on both sides of Damascus Gate were chopped off and the ground was also dug up. It looks like the govt. is implementing its decision to beef up security by building security towers for soldiers and flattening the surrounding land so police cars can drive through to Damascus Gate. What an awful and ugly sight this will be.

People are talking of more tensions if these security measures are taken ... it seems more provocative than deterrent. But you never know ... this City is famous for surprises. And all I want is a quiet nice summer holiday which I never had for the past 14 years. Is it too much to ask? some peace and tranquility so people can walk about safely without getting stabbed or shot?

The founder of the "Jewish Taliban" where women cover themselves in burqas like Taliban women was found drowned in a Mexico river. Israeli police are reminding people that it's an extremist cult illegal in Israel. But I still see women all covered up walking through the Old City as well as in the ultra-orthodox neighbourhood.     http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/americas/1.800284