BDS in Jerusalem

Sorry I do not know any BDS, Boycott, Divest and Sanction folks,

so I can not ask them how boycotting Soda Stream

and putting hundreds of Palestinian workers out of a job

is good for anyone.

I can only assume that they are simply anti-Israel or ignorant,

 as they would hurt those that BDSers are supposedly are out to help.

What I do see in Jerusalem, Israel, is that

palestiniam girl. BDS image, J Street photo, Jerusalem photos

Arab girls shop.

That is not new or news

and certainly everyone here knows that 

Muslim woman image, Arab woman in jerusalem, photo Arab woman

Arab women shop.

But the biggest change in the last two years

 that I have seen

is that now

Arab family photo, Arab girls photo.image Palestinian, Jerusalem photo

Arab males shop.

Palestinians in Israel, photo Palesiinian family.

Not just for cell phones,

Muslim man, Palestinian woman, photo Arabs in Jerusalem, image muslim

or candy,

Food shopping photo, Arab food shopping, supermarket image

or food

shopping supermarket, BDS image, photo Arab, picture Muslim

in the supermarkets,

image Machane Yehuda market, shopping in Jerusalem

or in the shuk, Machane Yehuda Market, 

Arab men image, BDS, Jerusalem apartheid, J Street

or in a bakery.

Palestinian, BDS, image Arab in jerusalem, Jerusalem photos

They walk the Jerusalem streets while shopping with women

Arab girls, image Arab boys and girls, photo Jerusalem

and girls,

shopping in Jerusalem, BDS image, Apartheid, Israeli oppression picture,

and they carry those bags home too.

Mamilla mall, Arab boys, BDS fail, image shopping mall

Especially in Mamilla Mall, 

shopping Mamilla Mall, photo Jerusalem, image apartheid

groups of young Arab men

Mall shoppers, Jerusalem photo, image Palestinian youths,

can be found every day

Castro sign, Mamilla store, Jerusalem photo, Palestinian family, BDS

and at night.

I have been asked what this means,

 I am really not sure.

However, I do see that BDS in Jerusalem, Israel

is not boycott, divest and sanction,

but more like Boys Do Shop!

Time to add another pin on the BDS Fail Map 

this time from the heart of Israel.

Muslim Rage and Yom Kippur in Jerusalem

Tens of thousands of Muslims have been killed in Syria, 

and thousands more rioted around the world “about a movie.”

I wasted 13 minutes of my life watching this awful thing,

please save your time, I am being very generous to call it a movie.

A judge in Jerusalem, Israel ruled that Google does not have to take it down.

Too bad that over 11,000,000 people have viewed this poorly acted,

badly dubbed, lowest-budget piece of vulgar junk.

It is sad to think about how many better ways to use all that time.

If so many people did not die and so much damage wasn’t caused,

it might be considered funny.

In Jerusalem, Israel it is a time of feasting, fasting and food shopping,

so what about Muslim rage?

Supermarkets are usually crowded, crazy places at this time of year.

I hate going shopping, but big meals have to be prepared for the holidays.

While I was trying to decide on what kind of canned olives to buy,

niqab

two Muslim women dressed in hijab and one with niqab

covering her face were in the same aisle.

Arab women regularly shop in stores in many areas of the city,

 no surprise about that.

niqab

However, the young woman in niqab was also wearing long black gloves.

Often Muslim women cover their arms and wrists, but fingers too?

This was the first time I had seen such a thing, not only did it get 

  my attention, but also that of an Arab man working in the store.

Stores have lots of security checks for bags and people,

but what was happening on the streets?

Arab women

In Mamilla Mall, Muslim couples were strolling about as usual.

Arab girls

These Arab girls had a big crisis: deciding where to eat lunch,

arab girls

but these Muslim women picked a different restaurant.

Going to the Old City, near the entrance for The Kotel, the Western Wall,

Arab women

this was the scene, an Arab woman and boys walking freely.

Meanwhile, in Syria near Damascus, 400 Palestinians

 have been murdered in the Yarmouk refugee camp by Syrians,

  with another 18 killed yesterday, including 4 women & 3 children.

Arab women

And in Mamilla Mall, more Arab visitors arrived and went on their way.

The most shocking thing that I saw was in the Jewish Quarter,

old city jerusalem

 it seems barbed wire is being put up in some Jewish areas of The Old City.

On the way home I passed by Gan Ha’atzmaut, Independence Park,

Muslim prayer

where two Muslim men were bowing on their prayer rug.

I did spot an Israeli soldier standing with an Arab man at a traffic light.

Israel soldier and Palestinian

  Holding his lunch, not a rock or Molotov cocktail,

 my taking a photo seemed to be the only thing annoying him.

Yom Kippur, the Jewish holy fast day will be in a few days.

39 years ago on Yom Kippur most Israelis were fasting and praying, 

when the surrounding Arab countries attacked.

This year there is a new threat of a nuclear Iran

and growing Islamic extremism.

 Muslim calls have been to prayer and not rage in Jerusalem until now.

 We hope and pray that rational minds will prevail, in 5773 and in the future.

bus sign Yom Kippur

Bus signs have changed from a happy new year greeting to Yom Kippur one. 

May we all be sealed for a good year.

Holiday Celebrations

Tens of thousands of people came from around the world to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem

  and to pray at the Kotel, the Western Wall.

It was hard to find a bagel as many eateries were closed tight for the holiday,

however, the fresh bread in the Christian Quarter of the Old City smelled especially good.

 Easter week coincided with Passover this year,

and thousands of Christian pilgrims came to the Old City by way of the Jaffa Gate

and the New Gate,

all heading towards

 the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Built in the fifth century by Queen St. Helena,

 the Monastery of the Holy Cross

was also a popular Christian tourist spot.

It is located in the Valley of the Cross below the Israel Museum.

 Passover with its potato rolls ended on Monday night… and Mimouna celebrations began.

This celebration by North African Jews the day after Passover is now an official holiday.

It begins at night with the baking of fresh mufletas and continues into the next day.

Large crowds kept coming all day to Gan Sacher, Sacher Park.

 There were plenty of mangals with grilled meat and many serious photographers.

The afternoon scene included a group of Arab women and children

and Mahmoud and his friends playing soccer.

 Arab families enjoying Jerusalem parks as usual, even though,

  BenYosef Livnat was shot and killed at Joseph’s Tomb by Palestinian police just hours before.

Holiday celebrations in Jerusalem were large and festive this year, but since there was no violence,

it is not news for the mainstream media…

Now it’s back to school and back to washing  and cleaning up from the holiday celebrations.