a peaceful day in the holy city of Jerusalem

Sunday was our free day. N and I'd decided to spend it in Jerusalem - me to lig around and she to do likewise having first been to the Al Aqsa Mosque to pray. two of the guys from the programme joined us, Is a British Pakistani, the other Dutch. they all went off to the mosque and agreed to meet two hours later at the Damascus Gate. I spent a peaceful couple of hours wandering around the Armenian Quarter and through the Christian then Muslim Quarters to reach Damascus Gate right on time. Only N was there, quite distressed. they'd got to the entrance to the mosque (security barrier) only to find a crowd of people who told N get away quickly as it was dangerous - Israeli soldiers had stopped people from going in or coming out. a Sunday school was taking place and mothers were outside frantic to have news of their children. N said one little boy was led out distraught, clinging to the person leading him. we don't know what caused it (specifically this time) but the army was there in force, firing rubber bullets and using tear gas. Is had already made his way into the mosque as men and women go through separate security.

there was nothing we could do so N and I decided to go to the Jaffa Gate from where you can walk the ramparts of the old city. first sustenance so found a lovely cool little cafe just behind the Gate which had delicious pizza. started our rampart tour and ended up again at the Damascus Gate. N, worried about the two men and hadn't had time or inclination to shop so we decided to get down from the wall. passed a cafe in an open area where some other members of the olive picking group were and joined them. just then a group of people in red jackets rushed by carrying a Muslim woman. they put her down on the steps of the church opposite us and were administering first aid. she'd been hit in the head and was moaning and vomiting. then about 15 Israeli soldiers (the ones in black not khaki) came by with helmets and clubs. they went down the alley from where this woman had been brought but came back about 5 minutes later and stayed on the opposite side to us and the injured woman. then Is appeared. told us the soldiers had been hitting people - he'd got wacked on the legs and when he showed his passport, had it knocked to the floor. our Dutch friend then appears. he'd stayed outside the mosque taking pictures - they thought he was a photographer and left him alone.

I wanted to finish the ramparts walk, left the three of them together and agreed to meet at 5 at the Jaffa Gate. resumed my hot but peaceful walk and made my way back to our rendezvous in plenty of time. passed the cafe where we'd had lunch and heared classical music coming from it. there was a flat screen on the wall so stood and watched Pinchas Zukermann play Bruch's violin concerto with the Israeli Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta. found this juxtaposition of endless cruelty and violence and sheer beauty really upsetting.

what I'd forgotten to tell you was how this ghastly day had started - going through a checkpoint (Bethlehem). you get to the Wall and there's something that looks like the entrance to an abbatoir - two narrow lanes, concrete on one side, then very high wire mesh forming a narrow lane, then high metal posts forming the second lane. (one's entrance the other exit). there's a third ramp which was open at the side and this was marked 'humanitarian route'! so you walk up these ramps single file till you get to an open area with the barriers you find at airports to wind you up and down till you get to the next bit which is the security scanner. no army personnel in sight. you just put your bags/shoes/belts whatever on the rolling belt and walk through the metal detecting door. the person behind you can only get through his bit if you're clear. boots and belts back on you walk to the next area where you show your passport to an Israeli soldier who doesn't even look at you. if you're a Palestinian you hold your pass up to the window with one hand and put your hand in a fingerprint (?) scanner with the other. It took us 20 minutes to do all this and there was no crowd. it is what it's designed to be - totally humiliating and degrading. the brother of someone running the project who lives in Bethlehem but works in Jerusalem (there's no work in Bethlehem) gets up at 2.30 in the morning to be there well ahead in the queue for when it opens at 6am. he goes to work doing manual labour and repeats the process on the way back. apparently he gets home, eats his meal and goes straight to bed. his wife and child hardly see him.

I'll tell you about the farewell party that evening in a separate blog.