Beautiful Jerusalem Scenes then Rocket Siren

Last night as the sun was setting,

traffic around the Old City was heavy and slow.

Mamilla Mall was crowded with people.

The usually deserted Artists’ Colony was alive for

   Hutzot Hayotzer, the annual international arts festival.

Security was tight for this mega rip-off, but hugely popular

international fair of merchandise and food.

This man was taking advantage of the crowds,

hoping to raise money for sick people.

 I walked through Teddy Park,

across from the Walls of the Old City, this former No Man’s Land,

 packed with people.

I imagine the designer of the special water fountain

thought of it as  a place where people would come together,

but this corner as a place for afternoon prayer services?

Jaffa Gate was unusually quiet, the Arab vendors were not around,

and one of the major gifts shops was closed.

Israelis were out to enjoy the last of summer evenings,

but tourists have been scared away this summer.

Too bad they are missing the sights,

like the beauty of  Hurva Synagogue as the sun sets,

the Old City views,

and seeing the majesty of the Kotel, the Western Wall, up close.

But my favorite scene was nearby on the Kotel plaza.

A soldier just back from reserve duty, still wearing his gun,

had come to the Kotel with his young family.

He was surrounded by young admirers.

Perfect weather.

All was calm.

But,

Hamas broke a cease-fire for the 11th time,

and for the second day in a row southern Israel

was pounded by rockets and mortars from Gaza.

Then,

last night the warning siren went off

as we were on way home from the Old City.

We had to get out of  the car

and run to stand near a wall with no glass windows.

We then heard a boom in the distance.

It was a quiet street, with nothing special to photograph.

But the family members who were at the Kotel,

had to first go up against the wall,

then were sent into the tunnels to wait out the ten minutes.

Hamas was trying to hit Jerusalem, Israel,

with their rockets…again.

100 rockets launched at southern Israel since midnight

and 30 targets attacked in Strip overnight,

for way too many sleepless nights.

Rocket sirens now in Beer Sheva,

too many places to list.

How did so many thousands of rockets get into Gaza?

How did so little else get accomplished by Hamas?