Following weeks of drama and hype, doomsday scenarios
and talk of possible riots on the day Abu Mazen spoke at the United Nations,
we had to go and see what was really happening.
Friday afternoon, September 23, 2011 in Jerusalem was no apocalypse.
Clashes may make the headlines, but on the real streets…
little children walked home from school,
couples were out on dates and many streets were quieter than usual.
The United States Consulate told its employees to stay away from the Old City
and many overseas year programs told their students to stay away as well.
However, dozen of buses of tourists from around the world arrived all afternoon,
a Kim Clement tour group brought 11 bus loads of Christian visitors
to the Kotel, the Western Wall, and the Old City.
Meanwhile, a young woman sat with her little children in the Jewish Quarter
and little girls went by themselves for ice cream.
In the Arab shuk hundreds of people passed freely all afternoon.
There was no question that security precautions were higher than usual.
Did this tour group notice the ramp to the Temple Mount full of Israeli security
ready for trouble as the mid-day Muslim prayers ended?
But the number of Muslim worshipers passing thru the Jewish Quarter
was much less than on a regular Friday afternoon.
The season’s first rain clouds were gathering,
resulting in cooler temperatures and a few drops of rain!
Who could imagine that there would be more rain drops than protesters?
The police left, certainly relieved that there was nothing for them to do.
Silwan seemed quiet and still,
as security people went home and Shabbat guests arrived.
A Muslim woman walked by a small group that gathered
as Israeli Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch was ready to leave.
Israeli Police Chief Yochanan Danino was all smiles as he got in his car
and seemed not to mind saying a little prayer before he left.
Clashes with Israeli soldiers make headlines,
but on Friday afternoon in Jerusalem
the stores closed early for the Sabbath… not for riots.
Thank you for this…my tears are of appreciation and joy…may 5771 bring peace to and understanding of Israel throughout the world…Hannah Brown, Salt Spring Island, BC
Thank you Hannah!
Great stuff – always to the point and timely
Thank you…shana tova
As usual, your photos and comments are brilliant, and I agree with Hannah that Jerusalem evokes tears of emotion – love for the City and for Israel. Although, I do believe that we should maybe “thank’ the Palestinian police force, for managing to control W. Bankers. The people showed restraint and joy in hearing their President spout forth incitement and lies. Watching Ach MAD injad, Er DOG an and Abbas’ speeches (plus others) at UN, one wonders really how the world actually allows such incitement and hate to be flaunted, by leaders parading before all their vile egos.
Excerpt from an article I found called: Whorehouse along the East River. It makes for interesting reading.
(1) General Assembly resolutions have political (perhaps even moral, to some) authority… but they are all non-binding. Most of those aimed at Israel are also patently ridiculous. For example:
• General Assembly Resolution 250 “calls on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem.”
• General Assembly Resolution 251 “deeply deplores Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250.”
• General Assembly Resolution 252 “declares invalid Israel’s acts to unify Jerusalem as her capital”
• General Assembly Resolution 271 “condemns’ Israel’s failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem”
• General Assembly Resolution 476 “reiterates’ that Israel’s claims to Jerusalem are null and void”
• General Assembly Resolution 673 “deplores Israel’s refusal to cooperate with the United Nations”
When one considers that the majority of U.N. member states are Arab nations (22) or Islamic nations (52) or dictatorial, anti-democratic nations or nations in desperate need of Arab oil or nations desperate for business investment opportunities within Arab countries or countries fearful of discontent among their growing Arab/Muslim populations (namely ALL of Europe!), it’s no wonder why so many anti-Israel General Assembly resolutions get introduced AND passed! In fact, of over 700 General Assembly resolutions passed since the UN’s 1945 establishment, nearly 450 condemn Israel. None have been passed against any Arab country nor any Arab terrorist organizations! In other words, out of 190 nations in the United Nations, over sixty percent of all General Assembly resolutions condemned just ONE member, Israel! If the General Assembly proposed a resolution deploring Israel for breathing too much Middle Eastern air, no doubt it too would pass! So when the large bloc of anti-Israel fascist, anti-democratic, anti-Western, Arab and Islamic Neo-Nazi nations tell Israel to comply with these transparently biased AND non-binding resolutions, Israel simply tells them to “shove it.”
There’s an old song called, “The Old Gray Mare… [She Ain’t What She Used To Be].” Well, the U.N. ain’t what it used to be either! In its beginnings back in the ’40s and 50s, there was a great deal of high hope for this organization and there were surely a number of distinguished people associated with its birth. But, since the 1970s, that nasty contaminant called “Palestinian Nationalism” came on the scene and literally infected each and every one of the UN’s agencies. It’s been all downhill ever since. An organization so nobly conceived has turned into a veritable cesspool, a den of anti-Semitism cloaked in anti-Zionism… in short, an international whorehouse!
Chug Samach to all Am Israel.
Thanks,
Do not forget the UN Security council,…with Lebanon as the head!
Surely that alone would be enough, but there is Canada not being on committees of human rights and we won’t mention all that are!
Brillant, thank you.
Shana Tova Chatima Tova,
Shalom in Israel
Thank you.!…. shana tova!
MAY 5771 BE FULL OF PEACE AND RECONCILATION – am sure a lot of people said that last year – another year pasted and i think perhaps something positive will happen – time will tell!!!