Tragedies

Side streets blocked

The clashes yesterday ended badly with 3 arab youths killed. none however took place in Jerusalem itself but in the surrounding village of Ras al Amud, Abu Dis and Abu Tor all a couple of km south of Jerusalem. It was worse than we expected. But things got only worse later in the evening when news broke of 3 Israelis stabbed to death by an arab near Ramallah (17 km north of Jerusalem) while they were eating their Sabbath dinner. Utterly horrific. No one wins in a war of revenge. When will this all end?

Today streets and alleys in our Musim Quarter continue to be closed. Military presence is not as heavy but no one is taking any chances. Tit-for-tat attacks is the order of the day so we're expecting extremist jews to attack arabs next. Everyone is vigilant ...but local residents are out in the streets to do their necessary shopping of food and medicine. We've learned our lesson in sudden lockdowns and curfews ... that you might be locked at home for days ... so everyone is stocking up.

Last night just as the last muslim call to prayer was about to sung, there was a blackout in our Muslim Quarter. Imams rousing up the crowds who were gathered to pray in the streets were all left in the dark ... and I mean total darkness. It was only after 20 minutes that the main street lights came back. And then another quarter of an hour before some houses were lit ... and eventually the electric returned to all the houses. But it was enough to confuse the angry youths ... and possibly gave time to the military to set up positions before the prayer began. Riots usually follow this last prayer of the day.

Grandma and grandson outing in the
most dangerous street of the
Old City

Despite the tensions and explosive atmosphere, some tourists continue to walk down our street. Not groups as the guides know too well the dangers. It's those lone travellers ... young couples and youths who, despite being on the Internet the whole time on their cellphones, are utterly oblivious to the dangers just 20 meters ahead of them. They don't know of the riots and killings, they don't know who is fighting whom and why ... it's like they come from a different planet. So while muslim youths are screaming and running away from the police who were charging with batons and tear gas, these tourists continue to walk ahead and then get pushed aside ... then they get frighten and complain that no one told them about the dangers. They know the latest clubs and best restaurants in Jerusalem from their apps on their smartphones but they don't bother to check the local situation. Anyway every single one of them ... well, a total of over a dozen couples and a group of 3 guys were all turned back at various times in the night as they neared Lions Gate by the soldiers. What was pleasant yet sad was when I saw a very old grandma (possibly great grandma) and grandson walking along the Way of the Cross. It's rare to see these 2 generations come together. Grandma was teaching the grandson the suffering of Christ ... but ironically on the most dangerous street and most dangerous day of the year so far. I didn't have the heart to shoo them off ... it might be the only chance the grandma is spending with her grandson along the Way of the Cross.

Her's a list of videos and news reports on the clashes yesterday:
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews/videos/10154922345907217/?hc_ref=ARRqHoL_TaAZSvAxZNXeJMVv1c-sO5yLhBZNAUmVimkzE-gNqvjWoKfLFNWSDk5KGXc&pnref=story

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/In-Pictures-Israeli-security-confronts-Palestinians-over-Temple-Mount-500340

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Report-Stabbing-attack-in-Halamish-near-Ramallah-500382

Clashes

El Wad street was totally closed

The clashes came as expected today. Thousands of muslims who came in buses from all around the country tried to surround the Mosque but the police stopped them from entering the Old City. The roads surrounding East Jerusalem were then blocked by these muslims as they sat down and began praying.  Despite reports that talks were underway last night for a compromise regarding the removal of the metal detectors, early this morning it was broadcast that the detectors will remain. Undoubtedly this would cause more tensions. I had some friends from the other cities calling me to stay indoors as it would be dangerous outside. However I had to bring some clothes and donations to M. Teresa's sisters so I went out as early as possible. The streets by then were already blocked and there were hundreds of police and metal barriers every 20 meters from my place to Damascus Gate. They let me go through but when I had to return home, the soldiers at El Wad street said it was not allowed. I had to go north toward the Holy Sepulchre and then turn back south along the 7th Station of the Cross in order to get home. I could see they were really expecting big trouble. The City streets were empty except for some foolish tourists and local residents ... mostly the elderly who needed to buy necessities like medicine and food.

100s of soldiers in
our street 

Anticipating huge clashes, the Israeli Defense Force mobilised 5 battalions to control the situation. Thousands of muslim protesters will be met with thousands of Israeli soldiers. Muslims from outside Jerusalem heard that the Old City would be closed today so many came last night to camp over so they would not be locked out today.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4992026,00.html

Muslims praying in
our street because
they refuse to enter
Al Aqsa Mosque

After noon prayers the clashes began. I could hear stun grenades and tear gas being fired at Herod's Gate as well as down towards the Garden of Gethsemane. Then the shots were heard inside the street of Herod's Gate Ascent which runs behind our house. Inside the Al Aqsa compound lots of tear gas and stun grenades were also fired many times. The village lower down the valley Ras al Amud also saw some very violent clashes. The rioters then moved down to the Kidron Valley towards the village of Wadi Jooz. There were clashes also in Jericho, Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm and Qalandya. I guess tonight the clashes will re-ignite. My students at St. Anne's Church were locked in as they live directly in front of where the clashes take place. I'm luckily further up the road and the violence does not come up because the rioters know they cannot escape due to all the streets being blocked. So thankfully the violence occurs outside the City walls.

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Clashes-in-Jerusalem-following-noon-prayer-500322

Lull before the storm

Lightrail station new look

Yesterday's Day of Rage was less violent than we had expected. The police were ready for any clashes ... and they were numerous. Clashes were restricted to Lions Gate, Ras al Amud and the usual hotspots. Clashes also at the usual checkpoints/frontiers between Israel and Palestine.

I had to go out in the evening for a meeting at the Capuchin Monastery 2 kms away in the Jewish Part of the New City. That's safe enough ... except I have to leave and return to the Eastern / Arab part where I live. I took the risk of not being able to get back home if the police had decided to close the City Gates. When I returned home it was already 10.30pm and the roads were quiet. Lots  and lots of soldiers were walking up Via Dolorosa toward the 3rd Station/Austrian Hospice plaza. Seems the clashes were over and the soldiers were gathering for debriefing.

Blurred photo of
massive police
pfresence at 3rd
Station / Austrian
Hospice plaza

This morning was a lot more calm ... as it usually is. Things are always clam till after noonday prayers in the Mosque. I had to take advantage of the calm and do as much chores outside the City as possible and return before noon. Many mosques throughout have vowed to close tomorrow and send buses to bring their congregation to the Al Aqsa Mosque for prayers and protests. The police are expecting thousands to come and cause trouble so they have decided to close the City to everyone except residents. That means it'll be a lockdown tomorrow. We've decided to close all our libraries tomorrow. Newspapers have noted that if tomorrow's Friday prayers is cancelled afor a 2nd week ... it will be the first time in a thousand since it last happened when the Crusaders stopped Friday prayers. Let's hope it'll not be as violent as the police expect. Today is like the lull before the storm.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.802402

For some feel-good news, how about this: Israel has offered 360 tonnes of food, 77 tonnes of clothes and lots of medical aid to thousands of Syrian refugees. It has done more than many neighbouring countries have done.   http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4991663,00.html

And the Light-rail station at Municipality Square has taken a new look ... all done up like a Wild West American station. Looks pretty fun for the locals .... who are not living in East Jerusalem.

Day of Rage

Cofix in East Jerusalem

For the 3rd night there were riots and clashes in our street. Arabs throw stones and fired fireworks at police who shot stun grenades and charged at them. Clashes also occurred further down in Gethsemane and the southern villages of Silwan and Ras el Amud. Things were worse than the previous 2 nights. There were many injured. And we couldn't sleep because of the chaos. It has been dreadful. And all over nothing ... it's irrational and purely emotional, all manipulated by a small group of extremists.

Today the ruling Palestinian party called for a "Day of Rage" ... meaning lots of demonstrations  and clashes. Many shops are closed in protest and only pharmacies and food shops are open. All mosques in Jerusalem are closed and every muslim is expected to come to surround the Al Aqsa Mosque to protest. Police are everywhere to prevent any violence. There were scuffles at the usual hotspot of Lions Gate ... but the major violence will occur this evening. On Friday the police will allow prayers only at the Al Aqsa and many restrictions will be in place. That will probably lead to more clashes.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4991474,00.html  and  http://www.timesofisrael.com/temple-mount-tensions-spark-fourth-day-of-clashes/   and   http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4991187,00.html

Meantime the Druze are taking revenge on the death of their 2 policemen. In the town of Magyar where one of the policemen lived, a mosque was attacked with gun shots and a stun grenade exploded. This feud will not end. The Druze, historically, have been persecuted by the muslims ... and now the killing of 2 Druze policemen by muslims has only inflamed the enmity between the 2 communities.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4990299,00.html

Local lychees

Just to detract from these worrisome events ... this morning while on my round of chores in East Jerusalem, I noticed a Cofix shop opened on Salahadin Street. It's a jewish franchise of cheap / affordable food for the lower budget people ... which means most of us. Everything in there costs 6 shekels. What is surprising is that it's jewish and it's established in an arab area. And passing some fruit stalls, I noticed that local lychees are back in season. They're quite tasteless ... unless they have improved on the hybrid.

Demonstrations and riots

Arab Fried Chicken 

It was another night of riots. Muslims refused to enter the Al Aqsa Mosque because Israeli police had placed metal detectors at the entrance. They do not want to pass through these detactors, claiming it's a jewish ploy to control the Mosque. That of course is ridiculous ... everyone including jews pass through metal detectors at the Wailing Wall and the airport and many other places. Muslim extremists are simply using the detectors as an excuse to stir up trouble in the most sensitive of spots ...   http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Inside-the-campaign-to-exploit-recent-Jerusalem-terror-and-fan-a-new-round-of-violence-500027

Tomorrow the muslim leaders are calling for a "day of rage" which means shops and services going on strike, and violence in the streets. Don't know how much this will be heeded as we in the Old City are sick of this violence and want some peace and quiet to get on with our lives.   http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4990933,00.html

The violence by the way has spread. Last night it went all the way down to the Kidron Valley and also up the Mt. of Olives. Bethlehem  in the south and Qalandya in the north also had demonstrations.  By Friday we expect the demonstrations to be widespread ... the Al Aqsa Mosque is a unifying force and symbol for the muslims.

Figs are in season

Despite the violence, the police have reduced their presence and opened the Gates. Movement is much more free than it was. A student and I thought we'd take advantage of this and go to eat some Arab Fried Chicken just outside Herod's Gate. It was quite crowded ... well after 3 days being forced to closed and many people had no food at home. We had an enjoyable lunch ... a good break from the tensions. Then we went to buy fruit and biscuits. We have to stock up because the violence tomorrow till Saturday might force us to stay indoors and we'll have no food. Figs are now in season ... but they cannot be kept for 3 days, so I didn't buy them.

Gates reopened and the day after

Damascus Gate still closed last night

It was a bit of fake news yesterday when we were told the City Gates were opened. I went out at 8pm from Herod's Gate and it certainly was locked down. And not wanting to argue my way through it, I walked up to Damascus Gate ... and it was also locked down. Only tourists and some residents are allowed to enter. I first had to stop at the first checkpoint which is at the top of Damascus Gate stairs. A police demanded to see my passport but the commander-in-charge, a girl soldier, said it was obvious I'm a foreigner and so to let me pass through. The soldier insisted that he must check all documents but the commander repeated to let me pass as I am definitely a foreigner. It was quite laughable ... but also scary ... and I was allowed to pass with no difficulty. Coming down to the 2nd checkpoint, the police there looked at me and I quickly smiled and said "tourist" ... he smiled back and said "welcome" and let me through.

Man arrested last night

I then walked down El Wad street inside Damascus Gate ... life was getting back to normal. People were back in the streets, mostly trying to buy bread and veggies which for 2 days were impossible to buy due to the curfew. Children came out to play in the streets. A pharmacy was opened for those who needed medicine urgently. But everything else remained shut. As I turned into Via Dolorosa 3 small boys were kicking a football ... they are my neighbours and they started joking with me until we saw a column of police marching towards us. It looked serious and we quickly moved aside to let them through. In the middle of these 20 + police was an arab man handcuffed and shirt torned. He was arrested probably for causing disturbances.

As I walked through the City last night, I realised the impact of a 2 day lockdown on the poor people. Babies had no milk powder, sick people could not get medicines, families had no bread and food ... it was awful. This morning a Spanish sister came to see me and told me of their fears as their aged and sick nuns needed milk but they were down to 2 bottles ... if the curfew continued, they would not have any left. Remember all food and medicines must be bought into the Old City by tractors or pushcarts ... and all these were forbidden to enter the City. It was an experience we don't ever want to go through again.

Meantime my jewish security friends showed me pictures of the weapons found inside the Al Aqsa Mosque ... pipe bombs and all sorts of weapons. The Jordanian King should just stamp this ridiculous facade of a Mosque out by expelling all those imams and muftis who are corrupt and extremists. It's not only within his power but his obligation to do so ... for these radical preachers are destroying the daily lives of innocent muslims living in this Quarter. Israel has now placed metal detectors outside the largest gate of the Al Aqsa compound ... and rightly so we all agree, if weapons are being smuggled and stashed in the Mosque ... but the muslims are protesting and rioting over this. They want to have their cake and eat it.

City re-opened

People stuck outside New Gate

The City Gates were finally opened today at 3pm. What a relief. It was terribly inconvenient the past 60 hours when everything was locked down. Now people are rushing out to buy veggies and bread and food. Thank goodness. But like what some newspapers noted ... the lockdown faced little resistance from the arabs inside and outside the City. Everyone accepted it as a consequence of the attack 2 days ago .... perpetrated by people who lived far away from Jerusalem.

This morning I had the Armenian Mass and after that I needed to go to the other monastery to fetch some books. I had to go out of Damascus Gate and then I realised everything was still under a lockdown though more tourists are in the streets. I had to go back through Jaffa Gate again like yesterday. It's been so stressful and bothersome these 2 days but that is a fact of life here.

Riot at St. Anne

At 3pm the City Gates were reopened and muslims began to re-enter the Old City. But at 7pm there was a minor riot in front of St. Anne's Church. Not sure what it was about ... but one seminarian from St. Anne's was stuck outside in a dangerous situation. His key was not working and he forgot to bring his phone. SO he came to my house and asked me for help. I contacted some other seminarians to get help ... at least for someone to open the huge gate of St. Anne's while our doorman accompanied the seminarian there, in the middle for the rioting. Luckily he managed to get in safely.

Well let's hope the rest of the week will unfold with a bit of serenity and reason ... instead of the emotions and irrationality that we've seen the past week.