Israeli flags – Page 4 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

The Secret of Israel’s Success

April 11, 2018Sharon A

Another Passover has passed over.

In one week we went from burnt bread on the streets,

to pieces of crushed matzah.

Tens of thousands celebrated with outings to Jerusalem parks. Hopefully, each year more and more visitors will clean up after themselves.

The best of Passover included the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. Parking a car was a problem, as it was such a popular site.

Fresh pizza made out of potato flour, instead of wheat, was available in First Station and at many other locations over Passover. Now it is back to regular flour.

Over the holiday week, the furniture, dishes, and equipment were removed. Now even the sign is gone from what was recently Cafe de Paris. This was the site of the Moment Cafe and a tragic suicide bombing in 2002. It also was one of our favorite kosher pizza places as tourists years ago. Now we hear that this corner location across from the Prime Minister’s Residence, where US secret service agents would hang out on breaks from duty guarding presidents, is to become an apartment building.

Have you heard the name Avera Mengistu? Do you know where Avera is?

Next to the Prime Minister’s Residence, where the Shalit family set up their encampment, is a new protest tent.

Avera has been held captive in Gaza for over 3 years, over 1308 days. His family and friends are trying to raise awareness and get Avera, who suffers from mental disorder and was a civilian who somehow wandered over the border, home safely.

In the rain yesterday, there were people still under that shelter and there were protest marches in a number of cities. Today for first time I heard his brother interviewed on the radio.

“WELL DONE, you’re almost at the finish line” was a sign I saw on my way to Gan Sacher on Passover. It was for the full marathon runners as they came near the end of their run. Now that the Passover things are put away and the cleanup is almost over, it feels like I reached the finish line.

However, there is no down time in Jerusalem, Israel,

and the large Israeli flags are up on the Jewish Agency Building.

New flags are flying near Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence.

The upcoming Yom Ha’atzmaut, Independence Day, Israel at 70 celebrations are meant to be bigger than ever.

Rehearsals for the opening ceremony at Har Herzl have begun.

Soldiers with flags practice to march for perfection for the live television broadcast.

The huge staging area is under construction.

These are the young men and women proudly serving in the security services to defend the State of Israel.

The secret of Israel’s success?

According to expert strategist Yaakov Amidror, Israelis have a “bad habit” by living life and not stopping with every tension, until the first ammunition is used on other side. The secret is to continue to act as if nothing is happening around us, to live and work and enjoy regular life, to plan and celebrate Yom Haatzmaut.

But when force is needed, as in past wars, to count on the IDF to be prepared and defend us, and to make wars as short as we can.

Israel at 70, going forward and strong.

Significance of Yom Yerushalayim,This Year in Jerusalem

May 30, 2017Sharon A

Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day,

saw tens of thousands celebrating on King George Street,

as it filled with a sea of blue and white Israeli flags.

Afternoon shadows were not good for photos,

but the shade from hot sun was appreciated.

The Flag Parade, with its singing and dancing,

is mostly known for rowdy young male participants.

Last year I walked the entire route,

and as usual, if RJS is there, nothing bad happened.

This year what was significant was

not the guys, but the girls.

There were so many girls.

The crowd of girls stretched far into town,

farther than the eye or zoom lens could see.

There were two bands for separate dancing,

with their Israeli flags,

these girls were next to the guys’ circles,

but the guys seemed to take no notice of them.

Also significant to note concerning this day,

more than just teenage exuberance,

is the young families, who were walking,

and watching,

hundreds of families, many dressed in blue and white.

While thousands of older people lined the streets to watch.

From around the world they came,

to join in the celebrations

of Jerusalem being liberated and reunited,

on 28th of Iyar, June 1967,

as Israeli paratroopers reentered the Old City by way of the Lions’ Gate.

All the street closings

for flags and dancing and parades,

and the Trump presidential visit caused less

traffic havoc than two accidents and

an overload of cars on Thursday, causing gridlock,

making Jerusalem look like one big parking lot.

Tens of thousands of international visitors are still around.

A group of Christian tourists were dancing at Yaffa Gate,

to the Hebrew song “Moshiach.”

Under a clear blue sky the Old City

was serene and picture perfect.

On Shavuot, 5 Sivan, Tuesday, May 30,

the streets will again be filled, not with cars,

but with throngs of people walking,

to the Kotel, Western Wall for holiday prayers.

During the Six-Day War, all of Israel was united,

fearing destruction.

The defeat of the invading Arab armies has often been

described as miraculous.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone could come together again,

in good times, not just bad.

A timely message on this Jerusalem public bus.

Chag Sameach, Happy Holiday.

Presidential Visit Trumps Jerusalem Day

May 24, 2017Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel,

prepared for Yom Yerushalayim,

Jerusalem Day,

with large Israeli flags draped on old buildings,

and painted across the modern light rail trains.

The footbridge over Derech Hevron, Hebron Road,

was covered by a long Israeli flag on one side

and the Jerusalem city flag on the other.

School trips this time of year are a common sight.

But this year,

US President Donald Trump was visiting.

US and Israeli flags flew over the King David Hotel

where the Presidential entourage secured the entire building.

Big red signs lined King David Street, warning of closings.

By Tuesday,

only a bird could move freely around the area.

Now a beautiful, prosperous and popular neighborhood,

from 1948-1967

Yemin Moshe – Mishkanot Sha’ananim, and the King David Hotel,

were on the border of No Man’s Land

and in the sights of Jordanian snipers.

This bollard was left as an example of the old security measures.

For this presidential visit, metal barriers lined

the route of the motorcade.

It was a good week for the people who rent metal barriers

and these fancier barriers too,

but many local businesses suffered from the street closures.

The first stop in Israel for the US Presidential visit

was at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence.

The red carpet was rolled out and covered to stay clean.

The media came early, and watched Air Force One

land in Ben Gurion Airport and waited.

I lost count of how many times the red carpet was cleaned.

Here is the signing of the official guest book,

the US delegation had not yet arrived.

But for the official speeches

everyone was in their assigned seats.

The Presidents and First Ladies went to the garden,

to see a tree planted in honor of the visit.

The ceremony was over,

and the Presidential motorcade sped off to the Kotel,

the Western Wall, for the next stop on a packed itinerary.

Pedestrians were permitted to start walking.

But not even this official Israeli limo could leave until

the buses blocking the roads were given permission to move.

Most of the US Presidential visit was live-streamed,

so you can find it all on line.

For the grande finale,

after what seemed like dozens of Israeli police helicopters flying over,

a military helicopter flight parade started,

accompanying Marine One

and ending with more helicopters and flares.

I have not seen the official number of helicopters,

but they were noisy and flew in a long convoy over

Jerusalem, Israel, as they escorted the

US Presidential visitors away.

Now, back to flags

and Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, and major celebrations

marking 50 years after the Six-Day War victory

and the liberation of the Old City from Jordanian rule.

What a week to be on the Jerusalem streets!