12 Cheshvan 5779
21 October 2018
A Final Push
The handlers are drug lords that will not care the place that the drugs that are prescribed on this viagra for women price type of condition are the right drugs. One female viagra sildenafil that sells like hot cakes is viagra. Less blood flow causes harm to the nerve which leads to irreversible conditions are also the dominating areas buy generic cialis supporting wide and uncontrollable spread of alcohol addiction. What was the Psychiatric Tests Involved? The generic viagra online therapy provided privacy and control over the treatment, to the patients.
For the last month, israelstreet has been fundraising in hopes of covering all of our website expenses for the year as we gradually transition from israelstreet.org to oneisrael.org. Our goal has been to raise $5000.
We still have $1000 to go to reach that goal.
We urge you to consider making either a one-time contribution or a monthly recurring one. Please click here (or) on the “Donate button” in the right hand column to help us continue getting the news out about Israel–news that you may not get anywhere else. Thank you for your consideration!
The News on the Israeli Street
Palestinian terror on the Gaza border . . .
Hamas and Islamic Jihad continue to wreak havoc. Late last night a 5-meter high “balloon” with a hand grenade attached landed in the Eshkol region where it was neutralized by a sapper. Elsewhere, 4 more fires were started by incendiary balloons and kites.
Yesterday, the government estimated that more than 8,000 acres (30,000+ dunams) have been torched since April. This is undoubtedly an under-estimate.
Palestinian terrorists made three more successful attempts to break into Israel yesterday by detonating explosives along the fence and then simply climbing through the holes created. During the day, some 30 truckloads of bombs, Molotovs, and grenades were thrown at our troops.
In reward for all of this terror, Non-Defense Minister Lieberman announced this morning that all of the crossings into Gaza would be reopened and new fuel supplies would be delivered.
Unbelievable. What in the world has happened to our government?
Palestinian terror in Judea and Samaria . . .
*A Palestinian terrorist armed with a knife was captured before carrying out a stabbing attack at Har Adar–the same location where a terrorist killed a Border Policeman and two security guards just over a year ago.
*Palestinian terrorists threw two IEDs at an IDF post between Shechem and Beit Furik.
*Palestinian terrorists attacked soldiers and civilians at Sde Efrayim. One person who was hit in the head with a “rock” had to be evacuated to a nearby hospital.
*Palestinian terrorists threw “rocks” and Molotovs at Israelis at Hameza, Yitzhar, Avraham Avinu neighborhood of Hevron, Al-Fawwar, Hizma, Havat Gilad, Farm 7, and Hatzor among other places.
Netanyahu rewards Palestinian terror in Judea and Samaria . . .
Surrendering to threats from the European Union, the United Nations, the ICC in The Hague, and PLO terrorists in Ramallah, PM Netanyahu has completely caved in and indefinitely postponed the razing of the illegal Palestinan/EU settlement of Khan Al-Ahmar.
This comes after the Israel Supreme Court ruled that the settlement is illegal and should be destroyed.
Apparently, there is no limit to Netanyahu’s pusillanimity.
Heavy rains in the Eilat area . . .
Much of the southern Negev was flooded yesterday by unseasonal rains that filled wadis and blocked roads. Particularly hard hit was Eilat where a river of water washed away part of the runway of the airport forcing it to close for much of the day.
A funny story . . .
This past week, Shalom Achshav (Peace Now) commissioned a special one-question online survey which posed:
The government approved a few minutes ago NIS 21.6 million for the construction of 31 housing units in the heart of Hevron (800 settlers in the heart of 200,000 Palestinians). ‘Where do you think it would be better for the government to invest millions of public funds?’
Affordable housing in the Negev and the Galilee
(or)
In Hevron
Much to the dismay of Peace Now, 63% of respondents answered “In Hevron”. Needless to say, the survey results were immediately taken down from the Peace Now website.
As the old saying goes, “Never create a survey you are not sure you will win.”
What’s going on with the new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem high speed train? . . .
Not much. First, it is still not connected to Tel Aviv–only running between Ben Gurion Airport and Jerusalem. Second, it has been beset by numerous malfunctions–one of which left 150 train riders stranded in a tunnel last week for more than two hours.
It turns out that an irregular electricity supply to the overhead lines caused the main engine to stop.
Until kinks like this are worked out, it remains faster to take a bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem than the train.
TODAY’S BLOG:
An Oasis Of Calm:
The Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City
A map of the Old City. The Armenian Quarter in the southwestern corner is marked.
This past week, your humble servant had the pleasure of spending one day exploring the Armenian Quarter of the Old City.
Of the four quarters of the Old City*, it is the least known, at least partially because it is the smallest (an area of 0.126 km2–14% of the Old City) and the least populated (approximately 2,500 people–6.55% of the Old City’s population.
However, it is the second oldest quarter–predating both the Christian and Muslim quarters. The first Armenian monks came to Jerusalem and set up a monastery in the 4th century CE–almost immediately after Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a national religion in 301 CE.
That monastery, the St. James Monastery, still exists today and contains the St. James Church which dominates the quarter, so that will be the focus today of the video and pictures that I took. St. James Church is dedicated to St. James the Great, one of the first disciples to follow Jesus, and St. James the Less, a close relative of Jesus.
When we first began to walk into the door of the church, I was told by the doorkeeper that I was inappropriately dressed in my below-the-knee short pants–and directed to an office where I received a shawl to wrap around my legs.
In we went to the ornately and beautifully decorated church and were immediately greeted by the wonderful voices of young men from St. James Convent singing there. You can watch the video I took of them and the inside of the church here.
When they finished, I walked over to chapel of St. James the Great. Considered by the Armenians to be the first Christian martyr, this James was supposedly thrown from the Temple Mount, stoned to death, and beheaded in the year 44 CE. According to tradition, his head is buried under the chapel in the church at the spot he was beheaded.
Here is a picture I took of a pilgrim kneeling in the chapel and touching the spot under which James’ head rests:
Then came the highlight of our visit.
Armenian Priest Father Emmanuel Atajanyan joined us in the church to give us an oral history of Armenians in Jerusalem and of the Armenian Quarter.
An elegant and eloquent man, Father Emmanuel emanates a calm serenity. Extremely lingual, he conversed easily in Hebrew, English, and Russian during the short time we were with him.
After regaling us with information in the church, he graciously took us outside and over to the Church’s 500,000 book library which houses some of the most exquisite treasures of Armenian Christendom–including one of the first Bibles printed in Armenian:
We were honored to be allowed into the library.
A final picture of your humble servant with Father Emmanuel:
Standing outside the library–I’m sure you can tell who is who (I’m the one wearing the shawl that was around my legs around my neck.)
Shortly thereafter Father Emmanuel and I spoke briefly about the Armenian genocide. He then asked for my card and said that he might contact me soon about a course he is teaching. Your humble servant looks forward to hearing from him.
*There are some who consider the Armenian Quarter as part of the Christian Quarter while most maintain it is distinct with its own language and religious beliefs.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.