Favorites – Page 127 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Arab girls close to Kotel tourists in Israel

New Arab Girl Photos

January 17, 2018Sharon A

Times are a changin’.

Women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to attend sport events.

In a few months, women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to drive a car.

Photos of the new Saudi auto dealership for women only

show women covered in black from head-to-toe.

In Iran, Wednesdays have become protest days for women,

removing their white head coverings in protest to Islamic rulers.

And in Israel?

In Jerusalem, Israel, head coverings are important.

Without a red hijab,

how could we know this young woman in Aroma was an Arab girl?

World Champion gold-medal winner Anna Muzychuk

became news when she refused to wear an abaya

for the World Championship chess tournament held in Saudi Arabia.

Around the same time,

an interesting tourist group of women arrived

at the Western Wall Plaza.

Escorted by two men,

a group of young women in traditional Muslim dress

mingled with locals and other tourists.

I was on my way home, but I

stayed to watch the reaction to the women at the Kotel,

the Western Wall, on that sunny afternoon.

There was none.

As they went close to the Kotel and stood there

no one seemed to pay attention – but me!

They took the normal tourist photos.

As the women wandered through the crowd,

even their male escorts gave them space.

One woman waited outside the toilets for her friends.

Did anyone take notice?

From my vantage point above,

I noticed her taking the time to offer a prayer.

Her shoulder bag was from Milli Gorus,

which started in Turkey in 1969,

and is the most influential Islamist organization in Germany.

However, I am not sure where they live.

Arab tourism has increased,

and Muslim groups from Turkey and England are not unusual.

Next time I see a group of young Muslim women

I plan to ask them where they live and how their trip is.

Will these women go back home and tell the truth?

In their traditional dress,

no one bothered them as they walked freely.

Israeli Arab girls and women in malls

or older women alone on side streets

know they have nothing to fear.

As a friend noted about 15 Real Photos of Arab Girls,

“Because somehow the “nude” got attached,

it will remain viral.

It will outlive the mythical cockroaches in a nuclear war.”

Last year that post had almost 15,000 views,

my hope is some of those voyeurs

from every country in the world,

will see the truth about what is really happening

on these Jerusalem, Israel streets,

these real photos of Arab girls.

Israeli cameramen and webcam at Knesset

Israeli Knesset Opening Day Photos: Outside and In

October 25, 2017Sharon A

In Jerusalem, Israel,

the 4th session of the 20th Israeli Knesset

opened this week after a long break.

Early on, nearby streets were closed to traffic

but closings did not prevent protests.

In the road near the Israel Museum,

were visually impaired folks with their guide dogs.

Closer to the Knesset there were more groups protesting.

Once getting past the protesters,

and while waiting in the security clearance line,

I saw the flags were being changed.

Israeli flags came down, and Georgian ones went up,

which meant a leader of Georgia

(not the US state) is soon on his way to Knesset.

Once inside,

here is the mandatory photo of the Knesset.

But, who else

takes the Knesset view of where I live?

Arriving early takes off timing pressures,

so there was plenty of time to oblige these young men with a photo.

Being one of the first ones in the plenary hall

meant that I could get the seat behind the webcam.

WomenWagePeace were there early too,

and saved front row seats in the visitors’ gallery.

MK Oren Hazan was one of first

members of the Knesset to arrive,

but there were no infamous selfies like with Trump.

He only wandered over to talk with the opposition.

I wonder what they were saying?

But promptly at 4:00 pm,

the international ambassadors were seated

and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived.

President Reuven Rivlin and Speaker Yuli Edelstein

took their seats at the dais and

the session was called to order.

Many seats were still empty.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat was one late arrival.

There were

selfies galore from spectators,

and MKs could also be found with cameras in hand.

The diversity of guests seated

throughout the galleries was obvious.

As the Speaker and President spoke,

the room was respectfully, boringly quiet.

But as the Prime Minister got into his remarks,

Yair Lapid might have said something,

but this MK would not stop shouting and was removed.

It was quite a show to behold

as Knesset members exited stage left.

When the Prime Minister returned to his seat

after touting Israel’s successes,

and responding to shouts from the opposition

by calling them “sourpusses,”

his ministers rose to shake his hand.

There were handshakes from coalition,

and more selfies.

MK Miri Regev seemed to be having a great time.

Though he was one of last to arrive,

MK Aryeh Deri had MK Avigdor Liberman’s ear.

You know the expression,

“Read my lips?”

Well,

many of those who spoke to the

Prime Minister covered their mouths,

like Mk Ofir Akunis above.

The leader of the opposition MK Yitzhak Herzog

was the final speaker in this part of the program.

The crowds filed out, as more visitors waited to get in.

The Jerusalem streets were quiet

as the sun was setting,

and traffic returned to the littered, post-protest streets.

What an afternoon.

For more of the experience, here is a one minute video,

as stills could not capture it all.

Now I am left wondering

how does anything get done in the Knesset?

Decorative umbrellas on rainy day

18 Favorites of Sukkot in Jerusalem

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017Sharon A

What a busy holiday season!

It was impossible to do everything I wanted,

however, here are some of my favorites

from the week of Sukkot.

I love that there is a sukkah outside the Jerusalem Theater.

Since getting painted a few years ago,

this sukkah has become a local landmark.

This one was at Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli President’s Residence, but

the official Sukkah Open House featured

this one with a population map of the world.

Made of Israeli flowers, fruits and vegetables,

it was so colorful and a perfect set for this TV reporter,

before the public arrived to pass through.

Sukkot in Israel is an agricultural festival.

These varieties of avocados were one of the many

agricultural products that were featured.

These musicians were floating on giant swinging triangles,

and giant bubbles were also part of the entertainment.

But the real crowd pleaser seemed to be

when President Reuven Rivlin did a walkabout.

Cameras and families crowded around

as he made his way through the gardens.

The skies were already grey at the time

and the photos a bit dark,

but I was able to leave

before the rain,

really hard rain, the first of the season.

Who would have imagined?

The streets filled with water.

People disappeared from the streets and sukkot,

as the water poured down.

The atrium sukkah at the Waldorf-Astoria was dry,

since the windows above the schach were closed in time

to keep the large dining area dry and pristine.

This simple sukkah standing alone

and all these on the side of this building,

are a few new ones to add to past favorites.

The Kite Festival at the Israel Museum

has become an annual holiday event.

Again a sukkah for visitors’ use was set in the

Billy Rose Sculpture Garden near

the blue ‘Trees” of Menashe Kadishman.

In Gan Sacher, Sacher Park,

a sukkah was up for use in the park for

the annual Jerusalem March.

The weather was perfect that day,

while umbrellas

and more umbrellas lined Yoel Salomon Street

as a popular display for visitors.

The Women Wage Peace rally to be held

in Independence Park got rained out,

the park was empty from the morning’s heavy rain.

New at First Station for this holiday season,

were the SheSparks displays of quality gifts.

Watch out for more from these talented women.

Song and music and dancing,

filled the Jerusalem streets in too many locations to mention.

One of several Thursday night musical events

featured Shlomo Katz and the Solomon Brothers

at the community center on Emek Refaim Street.

Thousands crowded to sing along,

to dance and watch the dancing.

Just a taste of what was happening in Jerusalem

this past holiday week.

Now back to “normal.”