Last week I went to Jaffa Gate hoping to get a great photo of
the mayor of Jerusalem repelling down the walls of the Old City.
The walls were built from 1535-1548 to protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
However, they did not stop the Jordanian Arab Legion from attacking in 1948,
destroying everything and forcing Jewish residents out of their homes.
This ruined synagogue is a reminder of that occupation from 1948-1967.
I did not see the mayor, but found this scene on the plaza by Jaffa Gate.
A group of Israeli soldiers paid no attention and walked by
as this woman who identified herself as a Palestinian journalist,
coached a sad-faced Arab vendor and tourist for the camera.
So much for the narrative of persecution under occupation
and no freedom of the press in Israel.
The Monastery of the Holy Cross was built during the 5th century
and was surrounded by high walls for protection.
Compare its walls to the new security fence as seen from Neve Yaakov.
In Jerusalem,
schools have high fences and guards at the door,
a new protective gate was put up near the Prime Minister’s official residence
and barbed wire surrounds some Jewish neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, this is part of the fence on the Israeli border looking into Syria.
Ten years ago the Karina A was stopped in the Red Sea carrying
50 tons of weapons meant to destroy life in Israel.
In 2011, 627 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza,
with a rise in the number of attempts in December 2011,
even as tons after tons of goods, gas and materials go in regularly.
New IDF information reports Jerusalem will be a target for missiles,
as terrorists no longer care about the number of Arabs or
holy sites that might be hit.
It is a shame that the security walls of the past cannot protect us
from advanced weapons of mass destruction, Saudi hackers
or the lies and libels spread on the Internet.
