Violence erupted yesterday on the eastern side of Jerusalem.
Riots took place in the Palestinian village of Silwan and on and around the Temple Mount..
The picture above (taken on a quieter day) is from inside Silwan, looking toward the Temple Mount which is just behind the Old City wall.
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Some 40,000 Palestinians live in Silwan, on both sides of the valley.This photo is taken from the City of David excavations.
Since the 1990s several hundred Jewish settlers have moved in, renovating or building new houses like the ones seen in the pictures above and below.
Over the last four years I have tried to educate myself by taking three tours in Silwan, guided by guides from opposing ends of the political spectrum, from Elad/Ir David to Emek Shaveh to Ir Amim.
The only tour where you actually talk to and listen to the Arab residents of Silwan, in this protest tent, is the one led by the Alternative-Archaeology archaelogists of Emek Shaveh. .
Unfortunately for this blog, but luckily for me, I was not in the fires and the blood of the riots yesterday.
I can only direct you to media reports with slideshows that you can click through:
Man sure has come a long way in 3,000 years.
ReplyDeleteIt must be so frustrating and heartbreaking. Yes there are two sides to the story and we all pray that there will be resolution and peace in your country Dina.
ReplyDeleteDina, I know this is so complicated and know that you, of course, would take the time to try and understand the complexities. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Suzanne
ReplyDeleteThat is sooo sad!!!
ReplyDeleteI also pray for the peace of Jerusalem. God bless and keep you Dina.
ReplyDeletePatsy
Situations like this often have me looking at the faces in the crowds in the photos and wondering if I would still recognize those I once shared a meal with in their Silwan home and if their children and grandchildren might be among the rioters. It is impossible to know after 36 years. Oh for peace and reconciliation! That is my prayer for Jerusalem.
ReplyDeleteI've been there just in the 90s and still have some picture around.
ReplyDeleteThey got a lot of foreign academics on their petition and this make me quite wary...
If only both sides realized that they were all the children of Abraham and shared the same inheritance of land and principles...
ReplyDeleteBut then, being an outsider, I may only think in too simplistic a manner to understand the complexity of the situation.
But still I hope and pray that sanity, justice, and peace will eventually reign.
Glad to read you are fine. Yes, it is always a bit sad to find trouble around the world, as humankind should indeed know better. Wishing that this will be a memory until Christmas and that things will become just fine.
ReplyDeletePlease have a good Friday, thanking you as well very much for your kind visits.
daily athens
You stay safe.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are safe, Dina
ReplyDeleteThis is very sad, Dina. I know the political situation is very complex: I pray for the peace in your country.
ReplyDelete---
About the church of San Saturnino, when I come back from the mountains I always like to stop for a moment in that nice place immersed in the green, so peaceful and fascinating.
Will there ever be peace? It's devastating to see people attacking each other and destroying everything. We can only pray that there will come better times for Israelis and Palestinians. Take care dear Dina!
ReplyDeleteShabbat Shalom.
I don't know what to say.
ReplyDeleteHuge sigh....
Will this ever end, Dina?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to talk about, and it seems no one knows enough facts to speak clearly about it. I surely don't.
ReplyDeleteMy new neighbor is an Israeli Arab, a lovely guy. He won't talk about it, either.
So we dance around the subject and hope the leaders can make some headway.
Oh Dina... it's so frustrating. If only there were more like you, seeking to understand and find a way to peace.
ReplyDeleteHere I see amazing landscapes of the beautiful city you live in.
ReplyDeleteWongCW
http://cwwongphotography.blogspot.com/