The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is coming to an end, marking a turbulent week for Jerusalem’s Christians who have had to endure being spat on, mainly by ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The Christians include Armenians, who have had a presence in the Holy Land for 2,000 years. The National saw two separate incidents at the entrance to the Convent of St James, the spiritual home and residential area for many of the Armenian Quarter’s residents. The incidents happened within 20 minutes of each other.
They also include foreign pilgrims, who provide a significant part of Israel’s tourism revenue. Footage emerged early this week of Jewish adults and children spitting on Christian pilgrims carrying a cross on Via Dolorosa, drawing widespread condemnation from Jews and Christians, Israelis and non-Israelis alike.
There are reports that Pope Francis is furious. The UK’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “It is difficult to find the words to adequately condemn such disgraceful behaviour, which is the very antithesis of Torah values.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be “zero tolerance” for such attacks, despite being in government with ministers who played down the incidents.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is in charge of policing, said spitting was “not a criminal case” and “we need to act on it through instruction and education – not everything justifies an arrest”.
Knesset member Simcha Rothman said the incidents were being “blown out of proportion”.
Nonetheless, Jerusalem police arrested five suspects and called the incidents “disgraceful acts of hatred”, harsh words that Christians in the city have told The National are long overdue at best, empty at worst.
Not all was bad. Just outside the walls of the Old City, pro-Israel Christians from across the world congregated in West Jerusalem on Wednesday for the annual Jerusalem March, part of a series of events organised by the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem. It was a celebratory event, cheered on by crowds of Israeli Jews.
The contrasting events of the week paint a complex picture of Israel’s interaction with Christianity, particularly during the course of its current government, the most right-wing in the country's history.
Christian Zionists, especially numerous in the evangelical community, have for decades been a pillar of western support for Israel. Israel frequently says it is the only safe place for Christians in the Middle East, a region where religious minorities have been suffering persecution and decline for years.
On the other hand, Palestinian Christians have played a significant role in anti-Israel activism, and even those not involved politics have long complained that life in the Holy Land is becoming intolerable, because of mounting attacks by fundamentalist Jews, illegal settlement activity targeting community buildings and land, and vandalism of church property.
Campaign group Protecting Holy Land Christians says at the current rate of decline, “within a generation there will be no Christian communities left in the Holy Land”. Numbers show the extent of the problem: the group says Christians comprise less than 1 per cent of Jerusalem’s population, down from 11 per cent in the middle of the 20th century.
Sukkot this year drew unprecedented criticism about fringe but mounting fundamentalist Jewish attacks on Christians in the Holy Land. Whether the government and authorities will turn harsh words of condemnation into action depends on which Christian you ask. For those who have lived here the longest, there is resounding pessimism.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Company%20Profile
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Price, base / as tested: Dh76,900 / Dh110,900
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: Torque: 352Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.5L / 100km
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%2C%20flat%20six-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseven-speed%20PDK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E510hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh634%2C200%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
Spec%20sheet
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More on animal trafficking
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGuillermo%20del%20Toro%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tim%20Blake%20Nelson%2C%20Sebastian%20Roche%2C%20Elpidia%20Carrillo%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'O'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zeina%20Hashem%20Beck%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20112%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Penguin%20Books%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
Super Bowl LIII schedule
What Super Bowl LIII
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20specs
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Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Race%20card
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
