middle east current events – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Israel’s Northern Exposure

January 22, 2020January 22, 2020Sharon A

Lebanon formed a new government with Hezbollah approved Prime Minister Hassan Diab.

A quarter of a million residents live within five miles of the northern Israeli border with Lebanon. According to the Confrontation Forum, nearly 70,000 residents have no home security solutions and many more have no easily accessible public shelters. Five billion shekels were allocated for a protection program, but the program has yet to begin.

The killing of Iran Quds Force Commander, Qasem Soleimani, could bring Iran to seek revenge by targeting Israel, through its proxy, Hezbollah, along the northern border. A staggering number of residents within the targeted communities will have no shelters to run to and nowhere to take cover.

Some times you have to get up and get going and see what’s happening in other areas of the country.

On the road north from Jerusalem the train passed going south toward Jerusalem.

Arab villages line the main highway Route #6 as one travels north to the Galilee.

This is a photo summary of a full day of activities, which included meeting Mateh Asher Regional Council (Arab al-Aramshe) Moshe Davidovich, Chairman of the Confrontation Line Forum and Head of the regional council; from Ma’ale Yosef Regional Council (Shtula) Shimon Guetta, Head of the Ma’ale Yosef Regional Council; and Col. (ret) – Luchy Yossef – Former Commander of the north district of the home front command and CEO of Shlomi.

After the heavy rains, pools of water remained in some fields even on a clear day.

A Jerusalem cat found its way to the rest stop on Route 6? It is a long trip to the Upper Galilee.

At the rest stop, we saw a sign for the Habad House on Route #6.

At the border fence between Israel and Lebanon, there were few cars.

However, our driver had to wait for a herd of sheep to get off the road.

At the border, there is both new fencing and a bit of the old.

A close up of the UN Blue Line, this is the DO NOT TRESPASS marker which marks the Lebanon border.

Photographers were lucky to have a perfect weather day on the border for views.

This was the view of Lebanon from the Israeli lookout point over Lebanon.

On a close-up of the view, I wondered how many of those buildings are really residential homes?

Where are the windows? Water tanks? People? Only one satellite dish?

How many missiles and rockets could be fired at us from those open windows?

There was Lebanon, with a Hezbollah watchtower and a black-draped ladder against the fence, a close distance just to the left of that “village.”

Israeli-style, a table appeared out of nowhere with cake and fruit and drinks

along the Blue Line border fence.

These Jewish, Arab Christian, Muslim and Druze villages are so close, residents have no seconds to run for shelter from a Hezbollah missile or rocket.

The Upper Galilee scenes from the bus were magnificent, green and lush from the winter rains.

This backyard view from a private Israeli home was one of dozens of impressive landscapes.

This was what was in the distance, the border with a more serious wall. Israeli forces on the right and Lebanon on the left.

This old IDF sign was by an opening in the wall warning of a restricted military zone.

Repeated attempts to explain the red and black flag failed. The experts were not sure of its exact meaning.

The posters were said to be of psychological warfare significance. Under the flag was a man in uniform shooting – shooting photographs of us photographing him.

But what I only noticed when trying to get hundreds of images down to this one piece, the photographer was not alone. There is another man dressed in black on the left side of this photo.

They saw us approaching on the Israeli side near the border. Within a few minutes, they appeared to watch us, though we could not see their base.

After two stops at border locations, we came to meet Israeli residents. The older members of this community are upset. This community shelter is not accessible. There are too many steps and the distance too great for their security needs. Warfare has changed in the past 14 years of quiet. These old shelters have not been updated.

Another view from the bus of the Upper Galilee.

Driving this far up north you can forget about modern highways. We entered this one-lane road with a cement barrier at the side ready to block it, just in case.

Oops, our bus took a wrong turn and met military vehicles going the other way.

While our driver backed up slowly for quite a distance, to a spot wide enough for the IDF vehicles to pass, I had time to take a photo.

Shlomi – where nature and city coexist-was the last stop of the day.

This map was in the security center of growing area with a population of 7000 residents.

After a long day of hi-tech security projections, I was amused to see a photo of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the wall.

We emerged from a Shlomi bomb shelter in drastic need of modernization to meet today’s needs. In the distance there appeared to be a large body of water.

No, we were not near any sea or a lake. Those were covers over agricultural fields glistening in the late afternoon light.

As the sun was setting, we headed back to Jerusalem. A beautiful day trip to the most northern and a gorgeous part of Israel.

Quiet for fourteen years. But the IDF must constantly stay on guard. Hezbollah is just over the Blue Line. UNIFIL is supposed to be watching. However, under their watch, terror tunnels were dug down and into Israeli territory. The known terror tunnels were recently destroyed.

What will happen next? We will have to wait and see Iran’s next moves.

A few hours drive, so near, yet so different from the Jerusalem streets.

Jerusalem, Israel Diverse and Democratic

January 1, 2020Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel is a busy place in the winter holiday season.

“It is no surprise that both the Jewish and Christian traditions share holidays of light – the light of faith and hope, even in the face of darkness…

As guardians of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, the State of Israel is committed to religious freedom for all,” said President Reuven Rivlin.

“Jerusalem must serve as a model for peace and harmony between religions.”

This past week Hanukkah was celebrated in Jerusalem, Israel.

Also this year Hanukkah coincided with the Christmas holiday season.

Neutral lighting lined some of the major streets.

Hebrew University had no classes on December 25th.

Traffic volume plus street repairs created backups even when the sun was shining.

In the rain? Forget getting anywhere in the usual amount of time!

In the past inside the YMCA was a sure bet for finding a holiday tree and decorations.

This year the outside tree was decorated and additional lights placed at the entrance.

This year at First Station along with those Hanukkah donuts there was a Christmas tree.

The banner sign at First Station next to the Hanukkah menorah had greetings for Hanukkah and Christmas.

The lights at night in the Old City were bright inside of Jaffa Gate.

That Santa Claus was not out at night when I looked for him, but he appeared in his annual spot near Jaffa Gate the next day.

Inside the New Gate decorations greeted the holiday crowds to the Christian Quarter and churches.

Outside of the Old City walls, the lights on the St. Lous French Hospital brightened it up at night.

The holiday week crowds filled the narrow streets in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City.

It’s official. A record number of holiday tourists were on the Jerusalem streets this year.

At Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence, the Presidential cat was watching over the grounds at the annual New Year reception for the heads of the Christian denominations in Israel.

Inside at the reception guests posed and smiled for photos.

Israeli Minister of the Interior Aryeh Deri; the acting Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; the representative of the Armenian Patriarchate; head of the Franciscan Order in Jerusalem, the Custos of the Holy Land; and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church Archeparch of Akka (Akko) were among the participants.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem spoke on behalf of the religious leaders.

In his remarks President Rivlin invited the Pope to the dedication ceremony for the Land of the Monasteries project in 2020, saying:

“We are about to finish clearing all of the mines from the Land of the Monasteries at the very beginning of the coming year. Already the number of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land is increasing each year. Just this year, close to 900,000 pilgrims visited the Land of Monasteries. We are working hard to complete the development of the entire area by the end of 2020.”

As part of this initiative, land mines laid in the 1970s for security reasons, which prevented access to the area, have been cleared.

The process has been an ongoing project in the ancient area, which has been under development to a new tourist center for years.

The area is called Qasr-Al-Yahud where the Jordan River is divided between Jordan and Israel.

Minister of the Interior, Aryeh Deri: “Freedom of worship and religion in Jerusalem, the Holy City, will be preserved for all and we will continue to preserve Jerusalem as the Holy City for all religions. Unfortunately, we live in an era when antisemitism raises its head around the world, most recently in the terrible incident in Monsey, New York. We must all fight antisemitism wherever it occurs, and we must all reject and condemn it in a loud and clear voice against any outbreak of antisemitism and violence.”

In his remarks, the President once again repeated, “We must remember that we are not doomed to live together, we are destined to live together, and we, therefore, must advance initiatives which will benefit all of us.”

“In a few weeks, I will host leaders from around the world at Yad Vashem, to commemorate seventy-five years to the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and to call on all humanity, to preserve the memory of the Holocaust, and fight antisemitism and hate.”

Antisemitism is becoming more blatant around the world.

Meanwhile, the Israeli leadership has become more “relaxed” and welcoming to religious diversity in Jerusalem with more neutral holiday lights and greetings, and enticing more Christian pilgrims to Qsar-Al-Yahud and other locations.

Some will find this very positive.

Others will find it the opposite.

The discussion of Israel, Jewish and democratic and diverse, will not cease with a new government.

But I will end with something new for me, I had to take out the video for this one.

Always something new on the Jerusalem streets.

Jerusalem Biggest and Best of Hanukkah

December 30, 2019Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel, for Hanukkah is a very special place.

This year, more than in past years, there were more tourists and more things to do.

New events were planned, though some got rained out.

As the eighth-day ebbs, here are some favorites of the biggest and best Jerusalem happenings.

Jerusalem paper goods stores were ready long before Hanukkah, with all you needed for your table and parties.

Jerusalem bakeries had sufganiyot, donuts rising by the tens of thousands.

Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence had a large hanukkiah, Hanukkah menorah, ready outside for all to see.

There were dozens of hanukkiot, Hanukkah menorahs. placed on street corners.

Around Jerusalem and the world, Lubavitch-Habad emissaries put a hanukkiah in public squares.

This one near Beit Hanasi was at Schneurshohn Square on the third night of Hanukkah.

These Hanukkah menorahs come in all sorts of styles and shapes now, but this style hanukkiah was preferred by the late Lubavitcher Rebbe.

At Jerusalem’s Mamilla Mall a large one has been lit for the past eight years.

Huge crowds come to Jerusalem for the lighting and live music and free sufganiyot.

Jerusalem’s Mamilla Mall was full of tourists and holiday celebrants most nights.

Musicians, in more than one location, even a woman with a hand puppet making a video were entertaining holiday-goers in Mamilla Mall.

With tens of thousands of people crowding, pushing, standing in line to buy sufganiyot, these Arab women found a quiet table in a Mamilla cafe.

Jerusalem’s Old City is an annual best-of Hanukkah. Near Jaffa Gate, the signs were up for special events.

Light projections of a hanukkiah were screened on the wall of the Tower of David.

In the Old City at night, hanukkiot both large

of more modest size are lit outside of homes. These four were in special boxes mounted on the stone wall.

This large hanukkiah was again placed next to the Kotel, the Western Wall.

I tried to get a clear view, but men and boys were posing continuously for photos.

The crowds on the Kotel Plaza, both by day and by night, were impressive.

But crowded or not, wedding photos were taken. Many weddings were held during the busy holiday time, to be celebrated with international guests.

One way to get a view of the Kotel and area is from the Aish HaTorah building. This Happy Chanukah Bear was at the entrance to the rooftop observation deck.

On a street in the Jewish Quarter, there was even a hanukkiah on a bicycle.

If you looked carefully, there was another one on top of the Old City tourist train.

That train cost money to ride, but the shuttle vans from First Station to Old City are free.

They could be the only thing in Jerusalem that runs on time, on the hour, and every 20 minutes.

But they do not make stops, and they go from First Station straight to the gate nearest the Kotel.

Oh, I felt sorry for the tourists from England who found out too late and were taken far away from where they wanted to be.

At First Station, there is a new attraction. Jump Up opened before the holiday season.

With rainy, rainy days of Hanuka and holiday from school, Jump Up should have been really jumping.

The big excitement this Hanuka! Another miracle. The fast train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was running. It took over 10 years. But the ride was 32 minutes!