Sunday, April 9, 2017
I'm back in Jerusalem for the weekend. I came Friday. Usually to come to Jerusalem from Nablus, you first take a bus to Ramallah. (That's what I did when I first went to Nablus). But when I went to the bus station yesterday morning, they said there were no buses to Ramallah and told me to take a "service" (shared taxi) to Qalanda. It turns out Qalanda is just outside Jerusalem. Then, I just got a taxi to my hotel (through the checkpoint, first, of course) I'm staying at the Jerusalem Hotel. I booked there because Saint George's was full, but I actually like it better. It has a restaurant, which Saint George's doesn't and it's right in front of the bus station - and even closer to the Damascus Gate.
It's easy to go from the hotel to the Damascus Gate and then into the Old City. I was surprised at how many Israeli soldiers there are. I don't remember there being that many two years ago. I took the following photo at the Damascus. There are more stations of soldiers all through the Old City. In this photo, the soldiers were patting down a guy while another soldier held her gun pointed at him. I can't imagine why. There are shawarma places and everything else in the Old City, so obviously there are knives. There are no metal detectors when you enter. The soldiers are behind their barriers. They must have called the guy over. They do these things just to scare and humiliate Palestinians. After I took the photo, I stood near the barricade until they let the guy go. Palestinians often tell us that they are safer if we are beside them because the soldiers don't want to be seen mistreating Palestinians in front of internationals.
Today, I went to Saint George's for the Palm Sunday service. Some people bring bouquets with flowers and palm (mostly children). The dean of the cathedral asked everyone to put their bouquets on the wall with the palm crosses and olive branches provided by the church. Then the archbishop blessed all of them.
People who brought bouquets took theirs back after that and the rest of us took an olive branch or palm cross. The dean joked that we would need to bring them back on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday for burning. Then we all processed into the church. The service is very nice because it is in English and Arabic. When they sing a hymn, people just sing in whichever language they prefer. The readings were done in both English and Arabic. We sang some hymns in Arabic only. The archbishop gave the sermon in Arabic and then English. At the end of the service, they asked all the children to come up and process out with the clergy. It was very cute. Then, we were invited for coffee in the guest house garden. I tried to find someone who would want to go up to the Mount of Olives with me and then process down, but most people didn't want to go and other groups were going later in the afternoon. I needed to get back to Nablus. The buses to Ramallah go at all hours, but I wasn't sure how late I would be able to get a bus from Ramallah to Nablus. Also, my ankle has been hurting. I slipped on the stairs on March 6 and my ankle is still swollen and hurts at night, so I think I should try to pamper it a little. I walked through the old city one last time. It was much less crowded and there were fewer soldiers, too. I got a shawarma sandwich. I got one for lunch from the same shop all three days. I like that shop because I order in Arabic and the man answers me in Arabic. It took about three hours to get back to Nablus. Buses leave when they are full, but both buses filled quickly.
From Jerusalem to Ramallah, I had to pass the wall and checkpoint into Palestine.
It turns out that the Israelis are closing the border on Monday because of Passover. Passover celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from the Egyptians. The Israelis don't seem to see the irony of celebrating their freedom while occupying Palestine and continually taking more land for settlements.
It's easy to go from the hotel to the Damascus Gate and then into the Old City. I was surprised at how many Israeli soldiers there are. I don't remember there being that many two years ago. I took the following photo at the Damascus. There are more stations of soldiers all through the Old City. In this photo, the soldiers were patting down a guy while another soldier held her gun pointed at him. I can't imagine why. There are shawarma places and everything else in the Old City, so obviously there are knives. There are no metal detectors when you enter. The soldiers are behind their barriers. They must have called the guy over. They do these things just to scare and humiliate Palestinians. After I took the photo, I stood near the barricade until they let the guy go. Palestinians often tell us that they are safer if we are beside them because the soldiers don't want to be seen mistreating Palestinians in front of internationals.
Today, I went to Saint George's for the Palm Sunday service. Some people bring bouquets with flowers and palm (mostly children). The dean of the cathedral asked everyone to put their bouquets on the wall with the palm crosses and olive branches provided by the church. Then the archbishop blessed all of them.
People who brought bouquets took theirs back after that and the rest of us took an olive branch or palm cross. The dean joked that we would need to bring them back on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday for burning. Then we all processed into the church. The service is very nice because it is in English and Arabic. When they sing a hymn, people just sing in whichever language they prefer. The readings were done in both English and Arabic. We sang some hymns in Arabic only. The archbishop gave the sermon in Arabic and then English. At the end of the service, they asked all the children to come up and process out with the clergy. It was very cute. Then, we were invited for coffee in the guest house garden. I tried to find someone who would want to go up to the Mount of Olives with me and then process down, but most people didn't want to go and other groups were going later in the afternoon. I needed to get back to Nablus. The buses to Ramallah go at all hours, but I wasn't sure how late I would be able to get a bus from Ramallah to Nablus. Also, my ankle has been hurting. I slipped on the stairs on March 6 and my ankle is still swollen and hurts at night, so I think I should try to pamper it a little. I walked through the old city one last time. It was much less crowded and there were fewer soldiers, too. I got a shawarma sandwich. I got one for lunch from the same shop all three days. I like that shop because I order in Arabic and the man answers me in Arabic. It took about three hours to get back to Nablus. Buses leave when they are full, but both buses filled quickly.
From Jerusalem to Ramallah, I had to pass the wall and checkpoint into Palestine.
It turns out that the Israelis are closing the border on Monday because of Passover. Passover celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from the Egyptians. The Israelis don't seem to see the irony of celebrating their freedom while occupying Palestine and continually taking more land for settlements.
No comments:
Post a Comment