middle-east – Page 7 – The Real Jerusalem Streets

Iron Dome the Winner

November 22, 2012rjstreets

After having spent two days in Southern Israel,

I can state for a fact that the winner in Operation Pillar of Defense

was the Iron Dome.

Those three puffs are not smoke, but each a destroyed rocket.

Hamas rockets from Gaza caused damage and deaths.

rockets were being shot at Southern Israel at a mind-boggling pace.

We only experienced one Red Alert siren while on the open road,

and missed the one in Jerusalem, Israel on Tuesday.

We saw that Israeli tanks

and soldiers ready to respond to Hamas aggression.

Cameras recorded as injured Israeli soldiers arrived

at Soroka Hospital shortly before a cease-fire was announced.

The hospital was eerie, usually so busy, it was quiet.

because of the barrage of rockets in Beer Sheva,

people were forced to stay home and off the streets.

The Hamas rockets from Gaza continued well after time to cease firing.

The press will disappear and the reserve soldiers will go home.

Who won in Operation Pillar of Defense will be argued.

But the Iron Dome proved over and over

to be a life saver to those living in Southern Israel.

Israel Under Fire – Keep Calm & Carry On

November 16, 2012rjstreets

What a week this has been!

I’m not sure where to begin, but let’s start with the

view from the Tayelet, one of the most impressive in the world.

On Wednesday it was the scene of the annual Ethiopian Sigd celebration.

At the end of the day, many of the young people were hanging around,

some texting on cellphones, too many were smoking,

some had been drinking, their style of hair and clothing was something else.

But there was also a Bnei Akiva youth group marching with flags

and this young man with a traditional instrument, a mesinko.

The Sigd Festival showed some of the best

and worst aspects of Israeli society.

From the Tayelet, I hurried back to

The Van Leer Institute, which is located next to Beit Hanasi,

the Israeli President’s official residence. It cannot be seen from the street,

but this beautiful campus is behind a high stone fence.

Many international seminars and conventions are held here;

this week was the EVA/MINERVA conference which focused on digitization.

Frank Thinnes (right) of EUROPEANA came from Luxembourg

to speak on “The Virtual Tourist”, and though I really enjoyed his talk,

it was his “KEEP CALM & CARRY ON” bag

that caught my eye and got him on to this blog.

The 1939 British poster slogan has also been on Facebook this week.

Southern Israel is being pounded with rockets

and there were even sirens in Tel Aviv,

yet life went on normally on the Jerusalem, Israel streets.

4,000,000 Israelis are now living under fire from Gaza rockets,

but Arab women and children went to the mall as usual.

While they feel safe to move around freely, as they should,

my relatives in the South are sleeping on mattresses

on the dining room floor, in bomb shelters and secured rooms.

That is, if they are able to sleep between red alert sirens.

“Keep Calm and Carry On”

and pray for

a Shabbat Shalom.

Sunday Update:

Friday night rockets were aimed at Jerusalem

and there has been a constant barrage from Gaza at Israeli cities.

If Hamas stops aiming at Israeli civilians, there would be a cease fire.

Rain in Israel – Did you Hear?

November 12, 2012rjstreets

Yes, it’s raining in Israel and we pray for rain this time of year.

But hello world,

it is raining rockets in southern Israel!

110 rockets were fired since Sunday from Gaza at 1,000,000 people.

One landed on the beach in Ashkelon, another in a child’s bedroom.

Children could not go to school, as it was “rocket day” again.

It is also raining in Jerusalem, Israel,

but the kind of rain that fills the streets with rushing water

and empties the parks.

In spite of the weather, in Gan Hapa’amon, the Liberty Bell Park,

these two men were fixing a mangal, BBQ, to grill their lunch.

Bikers covered their backpacks

and men covered their hats.

When the wind was not blowing, an umbrella was good protection.

The weather kept flags flying,

but made it hard for people to drive.

Traffic was slow and sidewalks were slippery.

However, no matter what the weather, there is always something to protest

and something unusual to photograph.

These flooded steps were dangerous,

but the flowers near them were gorgeous.

November 11 was also Veteran’s Day in the US,

a special time to remember those who served in past wars.

Please, know and remember,

today there are 1,000,000 civilians in southern Israel

who have to sleep in bomb shelters and run for shelter from missiles.

It is time to #StopTheRockets!

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