jerusalem israel

‘Twas the Week Before and More

rjstreets

As in the past the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jewish National Fund distributed free trees to those residents celebrating Christmas. The advertised times were 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Jaffa Gate Square, but by 10:30 am this was the scene.

There seemed to be more photographers than trees or customers…certainly more beigelach.

Santa  got his tree and  media attention, but no snow for him or anyone else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the nearby Liberty Bell Park families were out in the sunshine all day.

 

 

The YMCA, located across the street from the King David Hotel,

had a very  modestly  decorated tree and carol service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thousands of visitors, some going to  Bethlehem, a few minutes drive away, were in Jerusalem for the holiday season.

Thousands of people came to celebrate Bar Mitzvahs at the Kotel,  boys from all over Israel and as far away as Australia and the United States.

 Most of Monday the celebrations kept coming…

But to get to these celebrations everyone had to endure progress.

Work has begun on the infrastructure and development project at Jaffa Gate Plaza. It is to include streamlining of pedestrian traffic alongside vehicular traffic, installation of street furniture,  and refurbishing of street lighting.

For the next year and a half, 24 hours a day…

drivers beware.

Everyone beware!

A quiet November afternoon                                                                                   and now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This week also marks one year since Operation Cast Lead,

242 missiles landed in the Sderot area in 2009

down from more than 3,200 rockets and mortars in 2008.

Negotiations, negotiations

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After ten years of negotiations,

 environmentalists and common sense have triumphed over a developer’s plans.

The Valley of the Gazelles is to remain a green area,

just a little too late for the wildlife that once lived there.

How many more years of negotiations will it take to develop the park?

All of  Jeruasalem wins that this central,

last undeveloped spot near the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens

will remain as a public, natural space.

 Negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit,

the captured Israeli soldier, are still the “buzz” in the news.

Everyone wants Gilad Shalit home;

no one envies his parents in their quest for his safe return.

The question in these protracted negotiations is-at what cost?

 How many terrorists are to be released for one captured Israeli soldier?

 Those in Jerusalem passing the tent set up by Shalit supporters

near the Prime Minister’s residence cannot help but count the days.

  Volunteers, preparing yellow ribbons,

wish him home for a very happy Hanukah.

With the Muslim feast Id al-Adha this past week,

talks have again slowed down,

so the press can only guess the outcome of negotiations.

  But from the other side of the street,

relatives of those murdered do not want

to see their children’s convicted  murderers

free to kill again.

 Many Jerusalemites were surprised this week to discover

that the Gilo neighborhood with 8,200 households

would be called  a settlement.

The settlement freeze announced by Prime Minister Netanyahu

should be a step towards renewed negotiations with PA.

   Meanwhile, on the streets…

   On Saturday night, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat

   stated that Jerusalem should not be  up for negotiation.

   In the Middle East negotiations usually mean ‘win or lose.’

   His vision is  a united city open to all,

  ” divided cities fail,”  he said.

   Not up for negotiations,

Government limousines waited over an hour

while the President of Costa Rica Oscar Sanchez visited

  the Kotel, the Western Wall on Friday and …we still need more rain.

Updated: March 19, 2015,

as the Valley of Gazelles is ready to open,

Gilad Shalit is long home,

and Bibi is re-elected.

And those negotiations with PA?