No end in sight

 

Reporters preparing the news

The past 2 days saw even fiercer clashes between jews and arabs. Last night the israeli soldiers again entered the Al Aqsa mosque and fired stun grenades inside. 300 arabs were injured. Outside at Damascus Gate, the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and cities north in Haifa and Nazareth saw clashes as well. Gaza fired hundreds of missiles into Israel. At 6pm sirens were blaring throughout Jerusalem and after a minute 6 loud explosions rocked the City. I stayed in my room as we do not have a bunker to hide in. Arabs were cheering all around our Quarter while Isrealis tried to stay in a safe place. 

Hawker veggies
abandoned

The massive Jerusalem Day flag-march of extremist rightwing israelis were allowed to go ahead despite security chiefs warning a bloodbath would result if the march entered East Jerusalem. As the march started, the police decided to divert the marchers through Jaffa Gate instead of Damascus Gate which is the entrance to East Jerusalem. It was a last minute diversion. But suddenly rocket sirens blared and all the marchers were told to lay low on the streets as the missiles exploded outside of the residential areas. The march was then called off and dispersed as there was danger of more missiles, and the marchers were unhappy their planned route to East Jerusalem was diverted. We who live in the planned route were spared alot fo violence and destruction of property. But I have a hunch the Israelis will be organizing another march unofficially next week ... and some destruction will be expected.

I had to go out for a major meeting that morning but most of us chose to go home by noon even if the meeting was not ended, because the police warned us that the Old City and many major roads would be closed. My quick walk home saw many hawker stalls abandoned and shops closed to avoid destruction from the planned march.

Every night the stench of skunk water and gas blow into our house from the Al Aqsa Mosque. Because it's very hot at night, we leave the windows open but then we start suffocating from the chemicals. My asthma, and sore lungs and throat can hardly take it any more.

More clashes

Police at our
door

Last night was again wrecked with violence. However the clash in the Al Aqsa Mosque was minimal. The major clash was at Damascus Gate 200 m away from my house. 100 were injured. However at 5am this morning, stun grenades exploded 20m from my window. A clash between muslim worshippers and police was brief but violent. Our whole street ... my room, stinks of skunk bombs. And my asthma was triggered. I had to go out and throw the garbage this morning. It was not pleasant with hoards of police and chemicals reeking ... and lots of muslims in front of our door.

By 7.30am everything calmed down. However 12 hours have passed and the Israeli celebration of Jerusalem Day has started. Everyone foresees violent clashes between extremist zionist jews who'll march with flags through our streets, vandalising our walls and doors and cars, beating up arabs. I dread it every year ... and I'm not the only one. I saw groups of radical jewish youths gathering on Mt Scopus near the University, next to the village of Atur. I guess they're planning to march to the Old City in these hours ... late at night. Tomorrow will be the test.

Gaza has fired missiles into Israel again, and Israel responded by bombing Gaza's military targets. Foreign govts have called for calm from both sides and the stop of jewish settlement takeover of arab houses. The govt remains defiant as it always has regarding territorial integrity and will ignore pressure from overseas ... though the govt itself is collapsing and a new govt will be sworn in on Tuesday. 

Clash

Crowds cramming the streets

Last night saw some vicious violence just at the northern outskirts of the Old City, in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah. It's been a flashpoint of clashes for the past 10 years, but these few nights had become even worse. Several arab families are threatened with forceful eviction because jewish settlers have claimed ownership of their houses. Already 4 such houses were occupied last week. Ousted arab families stage daily protests in the street but police disperse them, even arresting them. Last night the jewish and arab groups clashed, a car was burned and several injured and arrested. What is worrying the authorities is that this is no longer a neighbourhood problem, but arabs in other cities and villages are joining in the protest in their own way. It could well explode into a national rebellion, as arabs here consider the eastern part of Jerusalem where these houses are situated, to e their future capital.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/renewed-clashes-in-east-jerusalems-sheikh-jarrah-neighborhood-as-tensions-flare/

Confrontation at Bab Hutta

Early this morning as I went out to throw the garbage, there was a loud altercation between a group of jews and some arab youths at Bab Hutta. Every Friday and Saturday morning this group with their rabbi will try to enter the mosque and pray, passing by our house and spitting at us. The police will keep them out, at the street, as they also did this morning. But with the tensions of the neighbourhood has spilled into the Old City and the arabs were jeering and calling the group to leave the area, which they initally refused. But a little later, they moved out of the Old City.

Today is also the last Friday of Ramadan, which will see tens of thousands of muslims from all over the country gathering in the Al Aqsa Mosque for prayer. I could hardly make my way out of my house to work as I was walking against the flow. And every ten or so meters are police in riot gear. I don't know if the police are restricting muslims without vaccination to enter the Old City today ... they've been doing that for the past 4 Fridays ... which is a sensible thing to do as there is no social-distancing at all. The Brasilian, Chilean and Indian coronavirus variants have been found in Israel and this is a worrying factor.

Another day

More hawker stalls at the
Damascus Gate cavea

Tensions are not abating. News flash says the village where the terrorists are said to be sheltering has been raided, with sounds of explosions and gunshots heard. No arrests so far. It's very concerning that unrest is spreading. And the political instability isn't helping much ... the Palestinians postponed their elections and the Israelis cannot form a government. Everything seems murky and indefinite ... not something people take easily to. And the discovery of Covid variants from Brasil and Chile, besides the Indian version, have caused some nervousness among the people. There're still many people wearing the mask ... like me. Just met the son of our former cook - a policeman - who informed me that his colleagues were vaccinated twice and still caught the virus.

Even more hawker stalls have been added to the Damascus Gate steps. A sure step to prevent demonstrators from gathering. I'd like to see how much money they're actually earning now that their shops are situated there. It's not easy for people to buy and sell along stairs. You could slip and fall, and break an arm or a leg.

Stalls on the right of the Cavea

Meantime final exams will soon be conducted in June. Many schools have just reopened and it'll be difficult for students to readjust and prepare for exams. There's general nervousness among the education world. Can't blame them. We're into a strange new world of Covid restrictions. And goodness knows what this summer will bring.

To all our benefactors around the world who've generously helped our Franciscan Custody in Palestine, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and the numerous refugees in Cyprus and Rhodes, I shall celebrate a Mass in the Empty Tomb for your intentions next Tuesday, May 11th.

By the way, yesterday's 646 views of my blog has dropped to a realistic 40. Something smells fishy.

Heatwave

Roadblock in Old City

So yesterday there were 646 viewers to my blog ... another weird, shady happening, like I'm being under scrutiny. The usual viewership is between 20 - 40. So this spike usually means I'm getting hacked in the next couple of days. Watch this space!

Violence is spiking also as tit-for-tat attacks continue. The search for terrorists who fatally shot 3 israelis waiting for a bus led to a night raid in an arab village. There were retaliations to the raid, and counter-retaliation. I doubt it'll end soon ... it's a summer of great discontent. There's also a rise of police patrols in public areas. Last Sunday I saw an attack dog (Belgian shepherd) and a bomb-sniffer (labrador) with 3 policemen at Ben Yehuda Mall. For some, it's a reassuring sign. For others it's scary ... could there be a terrorist attack here?

Police dogs on
patrol

The cavea at Damascus Gate today has even more stalls then yesterday ... a sure guarantee that there'll be no space for demonstrators to gather and cause trouble. I walked past the stalls this evening ... the hawkers were all gethered in a corner breaking their fast and having a good meal after a day's fast. I wanted to buy fruit but no one was selling anything as it was the iftar (break-fast) meal. I guess I'll have to buy it tomorrow.

The roadblocks inside the Old City streets have been removed. The police set up numerous roadblocks in the streets around the Holy Sepulchre because of the Orthodox Easter. It was very inconvenient. Crowds arguing with police that they must pass through because of business or that they live in there. I don't bother arguing. If I can;t get to where I want to, I go back home. The heatwave is bad enough, I don't need to get emotionally heated up as well in an argument.

Yes the heatwave is hitting us again. I'm getting headaches either because of the heat or lack of water.

Eastern Easter is over

Concert at Damascus Gate

Another night of relative calm ... in the Old City. But outside the City, there were several stabbing and shooting attacks by arabs on jews. In response, jewish settlers attacked an arab village ... but police arrested the arab victims instead of the jewish perpetrators. I think this chain of violence will not end this summer. We'll just have to be careful not to get caught in the crossfire.

At Damascus Gate, the police have come up with a new strategy to stop the arabs from rioting. They've set the central part of the cavea into a stage, and music and concerts were blared out on 2 huge speakers. That drowned out the chanting youths. It also drew women and children into the cavea ... so the youths can't riot unless they endanger the lives of the children and women. So the youths moved away. End of a potential riot. The police should have done this 2 weeks back.

Inside Damascus Gate

May has started, April has gone. There's a heatwave again this week ... above 30 degrees during the day and the evenings are about 16 degrees. Looks like this summer it'll be very hot. It's a jewish Sabbath year, meaning observant jewish farmers will not till the land. Wildlife should flourish as it did during the lockdown last year ... but if it'll get so hot, the land will be scorched and most animals and plants will die. 

The Eastern Orthodox celebrated Easter Sunday yesterday. The Holy Fire descended on Saturday at 2pm. The streets around the Holy Sepulchre were blocked off by the police and even the City Gates were closed. But once the fire descended, everything went back to normal. Easter Sunday is not a big deal for the Orthodox. They have a solemn Mass but few people actually attend it. It's all about the fire.

Ramadan is in it's 2nd last week. The moon is now half full and slowly waning. I'll still have to fulfill my Ramadan to-do wishes ... eat Kattayef, drink Date syrup ... and some other things I've forgotten. These food and things occur only at Ramadan, so I'd like to fulfill them these 2 weeks. Then it's normal time again ... and summer holidays will roll in. Hopefully with no more lockdowns. The Indian variant is scary and most people here are not taking it seriously.

Labour Day

Crowds seated at
Damascus Gate

It's been 5 days since I updated the blog! My goodness! I wasn't really very busy as I had a break from some classes ... it's the Orthodox Holy Week so there's no school here. However I had several retreats to preach ... meaning I had to be in several places outside of the Old City. It was a good break from the routine of library work but then again, we're having a heatwave ... daytime temp rises to 30 degrees or more ... so walking 3kms to various places in this heat, with a mask on, is no fun.

We had 2 nights of relative peace because the police finally removed the metal barriers stopping the arabs from sitting on the steps of Damascus Gate. But yesterday I saw the barriers back up again. In the evening, crowds removed the barriers and sat there. The police tolerated it. Then the youths began beating the drums and chanting slogans including one about israelis. That didn't go well, and the police rushed in to arrest a few youths while dispersing the rest. No stun grenades were fired ... so the police were restraining themselves. 

Police clear the crowds

Yesterday midnight saw the tragedy up in the north where thousands of ultra-orthodox jews went to the tomb of a 2nd century rabbi to celebrate. They were mostly not vaccinated, there was no space for distancing ... and there was the stampede that killed 45 people. It's terrible. 

Today is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. I guess it's a reminder for all of us hat work gives dignity and respect ... not a curse. After a year's lockdown, with many unemployed, we appreciate work even more now.