Christmas Spirit Shattered in the Holy Land

Jerusalem- News quickly spread to the Old City of Jerusalem just minutes after Israeli F-16 bombers launched a series of air strikes on the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring dozens of people. According to Ramatan News Service operating from Gaza more than 155 people were killed and scores of others were injured when Israeli missiles destroyed security compounds run by Hamas in the center of Gaza City. Hamas quickly vowed to carry out revenge attacks on Israel in response to the air strikes.

Moments before the news of the strike hit Jerusalem, the Old City was bustling with Christian pilgrims who came to the Holy Land to celebrate Christmas. Around 1 PM, shopkeepers in the Old City of Jerusalem began closing their storefronts to protest what many Palestinians call "a massacre in Gaza," leaving many foreign tourists bewildered and confused. Many passersby gathered in front of a gift shop a few feet away from the historic Via Dolorosa (Way of Grief) watching the Al Jazeera Channel, which was broadcasting live images of the aftermath of the Israeli airstrike on Gaza.

In the West Bank, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attacks and called for restraint while crowds gathered in Ramallah denouncing the Israeli strike and demanding unity between Hamas and Fateh. A Hamas representative in Gaza accused Abbas of complacency and collaboration with the "Zionist entity."

Meanwhile, everyone seems to expect a major ground offensive on Gaza unless a miracle prevents it from happening.

Two days earlier the new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem delivered his first Christmas message to a dwindling Palestinian Christian community; "the Jerusalem Churches suffer from the on-going emigration of the Christians, due to the lack of peace and the deterioration of the political situation. All this makes us anxious for the future of the Christian community, in the Homeland of Christ."

"With pain and deep sadness," the patriarch continued, "we observe civilians being blockaded by the erection of walls and barriers. These contribute to the creation of violence and humiliation, generating grudges and hatred." The patriarch also lamented "the unjust siege that has struck Gaza, and the hundreds of thousands of innocent residents there."

Today, a tense atmosphere in anticipation of more bad news and an air of sadness engulfed East Jerusalem in the aftermath of the Gaza attacks. The spirit of Christmas has all but died.

Note: I'll be reporting from Israel and the Palestinian Territories until January 7. I'm hoping to enter into Gaza once the Israeli military permits me to cross through Eretz Crossing.

Jamal Dajani produces the Mosaic Intelligence Report on Link TV.

Follow Jamal Dajani on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jamaldajani

Comments

[TammyKnowsBest]

What we have today is a de facto ONE STATE, one state controls all of the land, and it has done so for over 40 years, affirming one people's right to live, marry, work and settle by negating another people's right to do the same, on land that two peoples (not just one) call home. The situation we're in now is a situation where there's a country that rules over more or less equal populations of Jews and non-Jews, and it privileges Jews over non-Jews, it gives rights to Jews over non-Jews. An Apartheid.

ONE STATE SOLUTION

[CamJam]

Thank you Jamal for keeping us informed and please keep safe.

[rich misty]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/27/israelandthepalestinians-terrorism

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1050426.html

Some background ^^^

The tunnel incident is being used as the reason for air strikes. Posts I have been reading elsewhere are indicating the tunnel was being dug to move supplies past the blockade.

There is a massive propaganda campaign underway to justify the slaughter.

[MagisterLudi]

"the tunnel was being dug to move supplies past the blockade."

I guess the Russian Grad and Katuyasha m--i-ssiles and overwhelming amount of small a-rm-s and am-mo was beamed down,Star Trek style. Of course, no tunnels were used in this. OK, enjoy your illusions.

[chaos4700]

Considering the bombing runs are just the latest example of the inhumane, overwhelming use of forces that Israel typical resorts to, it's kind of hard for most of us to blame the Palestinians for wanting some sort of defense against it. To say nothing of what meager amounts of food and medical supply that can come in the same route as well.

[MagisterLudi]

while Hamas claims to champion the struggle for Palestine. Nothing further from the truth.
it"s vision of a "Ha-mas Palestine" is a religiously oppressive dictatorship where religious fanatics rule at will, while denying equal rights to secular M-us-lims, and to non-Mus-l-ims.
Doubt it? Read their governing Charter. Or read some independent news.

[joz22]

sounds familiar and similar to Israeli settlers who want to deport palestinians and rule according to the Torah

[MagisterLudi]

Perhpasd the difference. is a little complex for some. Anyway, try: Hamas through a coup took over Gaza and is running it. The Israeli settlers are a fringe minority within the Parliament and the society.

[soundfury]

That's why the majority voted for them, right? Who are you to impose your views on them? Live and let live. Oh I forgot, you're for imposing freedom and liberty and the end of a barrel! HA!

[MagisterLudi]

the London-based newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi reported that Cairo is very angry with Hamas for having torpedoed Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation talks between the Islamic movement and the rival Fatah party, which controls the West Bank, last month.
Al-Quds al-Arabi reported that Suleiman ( Egyptian security chief) accused "Meshal's gang" - a reference to the Damascus-based head of Hamas' political bureau, Khaled Meshal - of behaving arrogantly toward Egypt, and added that there was no choice but "to educate the Hamas leadership­."

Translation:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://www.alquds.co.uk/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DAl-Quds%2Bal-Arabi%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3De0P

[chaos4700]

So? Mubarak is a stooge. He's only making good with Israel so that he can get his US foreign aid paycheck. He permits Israel to commit atrocities on Arabs, which is a large part of the reason he's so very unpopular in his own country.

[MagisterLudi]

Israel, Jordan, Egypt. They fought and courageously chose peace.
West Bank Palestinians are now courageously choosing negotiations.
Hamas driven by their fundamentalist ideology and their supporters like yourself prefer war. Fine.

[MagisterLudi]

Egypt has plenty of fundamentalist violence experience. They want NO part of another fanatical Islamicist group, thank you. Common Egyptians know opn their own experience what its like to have a group like Hamas or their spiritual father,M-lim Brotherhood run amok. You don't.

NO country in the Middle East supports Hamas. Except for Iran and Syria. And they just use it as pawns in their political games.

[dianora1981]

Long before east Jerusalem lost their Christmas spirit last night, west Jerusalem lost theirs on Christmas Eve, when more than 60 rockets and kassams were fired into Israeli towns.

An inconvenient truth.

[negogato]

there is a lot of blame to go around my friend. violence prevents justice.

[chaos4700]

And how many Israelis actually died? Well over two hundred Palestinians are now dead. That enough truth for you?

[MagisterLudi]

The first wave of air strikes was launched by 60 planes,hit a total of 50 targets. About 95 percent of the payload reached their intended targets.
Hamas estimated that at least 100 members of its security forces had been killed,

Most of the casualties were Hamas operatives. this includes:

Tawfik Jabber, the commander of Hamas' police force in Gaza. Responsible for throwing Fatah activist from a 3-story building roof.

Ismail al-Ja'abri, commander of the defense and security directorate: accused for summary execution of Fatah representatives.

Abu-Ahmad Ashur, Hamas' Gaza central district governor. Responsible for religious gangs roaming the streets of Gazans and beating up people for violations of religious edicts.

Hamas oppression of Gaza must be checked and power returned to secular and sane Palestinians.

[dianora1981]

So attempted murder is not a crime?

[chaos4700]

Thank you for you reporting on these situations, and please take care while you are on this very dangerous assignment, Mr. Dajani.

[jad114]

The ONLY solution is a one state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. Peace will not prevail with seperation walls, and one ethnic group oppressing the other. The Canadian model will work in Israel/Palestine even though it is not perfect but people are not killing each other!

[xxnounxx]

Thank you mr dajani,but a more moving picture would have woken people up more

[alexa07]

I hope that your plans to go to Gaza (safely!) are not impeded by the Israelis, or their American friends in our govt. or media. Characteristically, the American "news" reports have been slanted most of the day so that the Bush adm "pronouncements" are given as "facts", & the victims are blamed for the violence, once again. Please remain safe as you plan to tell us what you see over there.Than­k you for your post from Jerusalem. We need this information more than ever, but please remain safe.

[stardust835]

Thanks for the report Mr. Dajani. I hope you are able to get into Gaza. Please continue reporting and stay safe.

[brooklyncitizen]

Thank you for being brave enough to attempt entry into Gaza.
Many people have been decrying the apartheid in Gaza for years...an­d all are muzzled and attacked by Jewish PR in this country. We are simply prevented from, arriving at a peaceful settlement in the ME due to the ongoing lopsided US policy that favors Israel.

[vote-obama]

christmas! what christmas is time to accumulate more land baby.

[editorLA]

Christian pilgrims to the "holy land" " bewildered and confused". That's a good one. Maybe the "pilgrims" (aka "brainwashed tourists") should wake up and notice they are visiting the religious equivalent of Graceland, conveniently located in a war zone populated by violent religious cults.

[TJCole]

It's the Holy Land, of course there will be death and destruction there during the Holiday Season..!

Organized Religion is a key source of division, murder, prejudice and hatred within the family of man...that­'s it's legacy throughout history...­!

Love God, hate Religion..­.God does...!