Jerusalem awoke at dawn to the sound of sirens. As clear as it is unexpected. Until yesterday, the streets were teeming with Orthodox Jews who had come for the Sukkot holiday, as well as thousands of tourists and pilgrims.
Today it is a dazed city, between disbelief and anticipation of what will happen in the next few hours. And above all, it is a city that empties out as the hours pass. Most of the local population has chosen to stay at home. In the streets inside Jaffa Gate, almost all restaurants have closed and there are no longer even street vendors selling bagels and falafel, the most popular street food in this area.
There are several groups of Italians in Jerusalem, where the streets are empty and a soaring atmosphere prevails, even if the places of worship are not deserted. People pray at the Kotel (the Western Wall), although the number of visitors is limited compared to normal, at the Holy Sepulcher, where the queue for the Edicule is, as always, kilometers long, and at the Temple Mount, which is now open to non-Muslims isn’t it easy?
Moreover, the chaotic and confusing Jerusalem, where most life takes place on the streets, has turned into a city of fear, mistrust and waiting. Israeli shops were closed on Shabbat. But even the Arab-run shops in the Old City have slowly drawn down their shutters.
Father Ibrahim Faltas is Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land. In front of the Church of San Salvatore, in a street that is as empty today as it was during the Corona lockdown, when asked how he sees the situation, he answers: “It’s terrible.” Then he advises: “Be very careful , avoid turning too much,” and explains in detail which areas you should definitely avoid. The Franciscan, a native of Egypt, has been here for 35 years and witnessed the siege of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002. He knows this country like the back of his hand, but today he doesn’t hide any particular concern. What is feared in Jerusalem is not so much the attack from the air, even with the sound of sirens and anti-aircraft fire, because it is everyone’s holy city and no one wants to believe that it could actually be bombed. The danger could come from the streets, where souls on both sides have always coexisted in a difficult balance.
However, for many Italian pilgrims, today is the time to review the routes without thinking about returning home. They are trying to resist, as are some small shops selling rosaries, nativity scenes, incense and other devotional paraphernalia. Some religious places remained closed, such as the Upper Room, and all travel to Bethlehem was suspended, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Jerusalem but in areas where the situation could turn scorching at any moment. Furthermore, says Brother Jakab Varnai, the Hungarian Franciscan in charge of the so-called Cenacolino, “we ask the pilgrims to continue their visits with the greatest attention.”
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