By now, the footage of Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral procession being brutally attacked by Israeli police forces in East Jerusalem today has been broadcast around the world. Many will call it shocking: instead, I would call it chilling. https://twitter.com/RiyaAlsanah/status/1525122100259872768?t=ZkBHDtIS3jQO4vk3VuPxRA&s=08 It was not shocking that the police forces used brutality on a peaceful gathering: this has … Continue reading RIP: A funeral attacked
Around 3am this morning the police returned and forcibly removed the Salhiya family from their house in Sheikh Jarrah and demolished the structure. There are reports that the family, including a young child and elderly relatives were beaten before being arrested and taken away. It's not clear where the family are currently being held and … Continue reading They came for them
Picture the scene: it’s Sheikh Jarrah on a Monday morning. People are driving to work, kids are on their way to school. It’s icy cold but the sun is shining. It would be a nice winter’s morning, if it weren’t for the fact that round the corner from us, the Israeli forces have turned up … Continue reading Demolishing Sheikh Jarrah
As I write this, there are only a few hours left of 2021, and what to say about it? My reflections are a blur of Covid, Covid, Sheikh Jarrah and then more Covid. Perhaps ‘uncertainty’ has been the keyword of the year with many days spent scrolling the newsfeeds and saying, ‘we’ll know more tomorrow’. … Continue reading The 2021 Review
Yesterday, a 14 year old Palestinian girl, left her home in Sheikh Jarrah, stabbed a Jewish woman and then continued on to school. Driving my kids to school around 0730am suddenly there were sirens wailing, road closures and a flood of heavily armed military types patrolling the area to find the attacker. Within minutes a … Continue reading 14
The one thing you can usually depend on in life is the steady march of time, but of course Jerusalem has its own rules for this as well. In Palestine (and therefore East Jerusalem) the 1-hour clock change back for winter happened early on Friday morning while in Israel (and West Jerusalem) it happened early … Continue reading Clock bother
There is a reason why hot places are not normally chocolate places. Since we arrived in Jerusalem, it has been hard to find very good chocolates and very good cakes. The type that you want to recommend to everyone and hope that you’ll receive on your own birthday. That was until we discovered Tamer the … Continue reading Chocolate from Beit Hanina
Politics ‘Are things back to normal in Jerusalem now?’ was a question I was frequently asked over the summer by well wishing friends and family. For them the news headlines had faded away when Israel and Hamas agreed a ceasefire in May, but despite that, I’m not sure anyone has ever accurately used the word … Continue reading Notes on normality
This week looks set to be the week that Benjamin Netanyahu, or Bibi as he is locally known, is finally ousted from his role as the Prime Minister of Israel after 12 years at the helm. Whether you are hearing about this from around the world or live within Jerusalem, it can be difficult to … Continue reading Bye bye Bibi
Sadness, anger, frustration, and perhaps a small flicker of hope. These are the emotions that a lot of people are carrying into the new week across Israel and Palestine. A cease fire came into effect from Friday at 2am which has stopped Israel’s bombing of Gaza and Hamas firing rockets out of Gaza into Israel. … Continue reading Insanity is not breaking the cycle
Many people around the world already know that Israel’s line that it is merely defending itself from Palestinian militants is wearing thin even with their American friends. You would have to go back thousands of years in history to decide who started it, when it started or who is to blame, so let’s park those … Continue reading Playing War Fair
There is a lot of fuel on the fire in Jerusalem at the moment and it is burning. As I write this on Monday morning, Israeli police forces are clashing with Palestinians at the Al Aqsa mosque site and in several other locations around the Old City and it is being reported that hundreds of … Continue reading #savesheikhjarrah
A regular customer enjoying her mutabaq Most families have secret recipes but very few can claim to have been as successful as the Zalatimo families ‘mutabaq’. This week I added this sweet and savoury delight to my shortlist of ‘best food in Palestine’. With several branches across East Jerusalem and beyond, the Zalatimo name is … Continue reading Zalatimo Sweets
Forget the arctic, Scotland has 421 words for snow and yet in Arabic the word ‘talj’ covers snow, ice and everything in-between. Go figure, I guess it’s just not needed that much. Last week it snowed in Jerusalem for the first time in six years much to the delight of young kids and the horror … Continue reading Talj
It was June last year when I first visited the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre (JPBC) situated on the Mount of Olives. The organisation provides rehabilitation services to children with disabilities across East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Founded in 1961, when East Jerusalem and the West Bank were under Jordanian rule, the organisation took … Continue reading Basma – Giving hope to children with disabilities
Like a weak sun breaking through the clouds on a winter’s day, the realisation has finally dawned on many of us that COVID is here to stay. It is not going to be gone by Christmas, unlikely by Spring, and it is anyone’s guess if 2021 will be any better at all. Hang on though, … Continue reading Fear Not Fun
This week’s blog has been submitted by Samaher and gives a fascinating report of life for the Bedouin communities living in East Jerusalem. Samaher is Palestinian and says that you can’t talk about East Jerusalem without referring to the Bedouin. Her knowledge comes from a combination of working on Bedouin issues as well as personal … Continue reading The Bedouin
Yesterday Israel started to exit its second national COVID-19 lockdown which had lasted for 4 weeks. For many people this meant a much needed trip out beyond the prior 1km limit. During the lockdown, schools and non-essential businesses were all closed. Beaches, parks and leisure facilities were closed, and people were meant to stay within … Continue reading Lifting Lockdown 2:0
There is a bee in my bonnet this week and it is the deaf ears around the world that the climate catastrophe is falling on. I have written before about how the piles of rubbish in East Jerusalem were an assault on the senses when I first arrived last year. Sadly, they remain, however, having … Continue reading Climate calling
For some time now, I’ve wanted to write a post about the Haredi ('Orthodox') Jewish population in Jerusalem. They make up a sizable part of the population and it feels like an omission not to mention them. I’ve held back, afraid that I don’t know enough and will get the facts wrong. I also don’t … Continue reading Mea She’arim
We live in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, nestled in amongst the consulates and old Palestinian elite families. It is part of East Jerusalem but not representative of East Jerusalem. What I didn’t know, was that the word ‘jarrah’ in Arabic is derived from ‘healer’ and Sheikh Jarrah was the personal physician of Salah ad-Din. … Continue reading Sheikh Jarrah
Ka’ak has ruled supreme as the Jerusalem bread of choice for thousands of years. It is eaten across the Middle East, but the Al Quds (Jerusalem) variety is known to be especially good. So, what is the secret to this stretched ring-shaped bread? Ka’ak is a popular breakfast but also makes a good brunch, lunch … Continue reading King Ka’ak
July has started and with it the second half of 2020 is underway. Days and weeks blur into one and the news headlines come and go. Elections, annexation, covid, occupation, it can be difficult to see the history being made in front of our eyes. This week, I’m taking stock of 2020 so far, a … Continue reading Half a year down
My favourite sound of Jerusalem, and one that has me excitedly running to the window, is the drilling of the Syrian Woodpecker in the trees beyond our house. If I am quiet and fairly still, I can often spot the woodpecker high up the trunk of the tree, beak poised and ready to drill. It … Continue reading Birds
Nowhere is language and identity more complicated than in Jerusalem. Since I arrived last year, I have been treading carefully to try and use the right language with people so as not to offend or worse, antagonise them. I will often refer to ‘Israel and Palestine’ however, knowing full well that the two things do … Continue reading Being Palestinian
Walking into the American Colony Hotel is like stepping into a green sanctuary in the middle of Jerusalem. The courtyards are immaculately tended and the gardens offer a calm oasis for people to meet and relax. I’ve not had the pleasure of staying here but a cocktail in the garden, or down in the cellar … Continue reading Behind closed doors
Last week the news and social media alike have been awash with shock and disgust over the police brutality that led to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May. There have been protests around the world. People are rallying around the Black Lives Matter campaign. This led to the backlash claim that … Continue reading Palestinian Lives Matter
The American Colony Hotel is both grand and iconic. It sits near the green line between East and West Jerusalem and considers itself part of the ‘no man’s land’ where everyone is welcome. I knew the hotel had enjoyed a string of illustrious guests over the years, but I wasn’t prepared for quite how startlingly … Continue reading The colony behind the hotel
This week I was very pleased to receive a guest blog from someone who recently visited three towns in East Jerusalem on the other side of the separation wall. I am always aware that my blog has been quite narrowly focussed on my experiences around Sheikh Jarrah and the reality for many East Jerusalemites is … Continue reading The Other Side of the Wall
Last week my kids returned to school and nursery after eight weeks of lockdown and we all breathed a big sigh of relief! They were just as delighted as us to have something to get up for in the morning, a place to go, people to see, experiences to live. The bags were packed the … Continue reading The ‘Back to School’ dance
Mohammad Khawashki - the founder Many people living in Sheikh Jarrah will be on very familiar terms with Mr Automatic, or the family of Mr Automatic’s that make up the popular Automatic Grocery shop. It is something of a miracle in how they manage to stock so many products in a modestly sized shop. Fancy … Continue reading Meeting Mr Automatic
On Saturday we went for a walk. It wasn’t just any walk. It was the first walk in nearly 6 weeks where we were allowed to go further than 100 metres, and latterly, 500 metres, from our home for the purpose of exercise. We dared not take the car and set out on foot from … Continue reading The Walk
Last week saw Ramadan kick off across the Islamic world, and for the pre-dominantly Muslim population of East Jerusalem, it is a time of both celebration and sacrifice. Ramadan is one of the five core pillars of Islam which requires healthy Muslim adults to go without all food and water from sunrise to sunset for … Continue reading Ramadan
It can feel like a game of lockdown top-trumps at the moment, where everyone competes for the most difficult situation. Locked down by yourself – unlucky, locked down with young kids – unlucky, locked down with kids and trying to work – extremely unlucky, locked down with your partner – unclear. Have some outdoor space … Continue reading Lockdown Top Trumps
Jerusalem is the heart and home of Easter. It is here that the action happened. The city is steeped in the narrative of Jesus carrying his cross through the Old City streets to the point of his crucifixion and death. You already know how the story ends, three days later the stone outside his tomb … Continue reading The Rolling Stone
And just like that, Wednesday marks a year that we’ve been living in East Jerusalem. I would say it has whizzed by in the blink of an eye, but the past month has put the brakes on life in a way that has given a lot of time for reflection. In many ways this new … Continue reading One year here
I’ve not got a diary to share this week. Who has? Life has gone virtual and despite being cooped up, you’ve probably zoom called your way around the world and never felt so connected. It doesn’t make for riveting reading though, and for now we can only dream of how amazing springtime must look in … Continue reading Milking it
I think for most people around the world, the past week has involved casting off life as we know it and trying to adjust to a new normal. Here in Jerusalem it has been a phased approach. All schools have now been closed for over a week with parents expected to home school their kids … Continue reading Staying In
There is only one story this week and that is Corona Virus. There are currently 213 known cases in Israel, and 38 in the West Bank. None in Gaza so far, thank goodness. This is not yet in the same league as many Asian and European countries, yet the country lurches closer daily towards complete … Continue reading Fever Tactics
Nowhere is the phrase that the pen is mightier than the sword more apt than in describing the two Educational Bookshops on Salah Ad-Din Street at the heart of East Jerusalem. Not only do the shops offer a treasure trove of interesting and thought-provoking literature but to visit is to step inside the warm familiarity … Continue reading Home is where the books are
I’ve been an on and off runner for years with more ‘off’ than ‘on’ and a penchant for excuses. I’m attracted to the efficiency of getting the exercise done in as short a time as possible and then racing home for tea and a biscuit. Of the many words I would associate with running, ‘privilege’ … Continue reading Shoes on & Run
I was very pleased, only 20 minutes after posting last week’s blog, to receive my first diary entry from an East Jerusalem resident. In setting up this blog, I thought I might have to cajole people into contributing (i.e. bribe my friends) which would have risked missing the real story. I wasn’t expecting the first … Continue reading Guest diary entry – A walk through East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem Diaries 