When I visited Israel in May 2018, I stayed at the Jerusalem Hotel on Nablus Road. The road begins near the Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem and heads northward. I often entered the old city through the gate. I have included a few pictures.
In recent days, the Damascus Gate has been the center of
intense conflict between Palestinians, Israelis, and the Israeli police. This comes during Ramadan, which draws large
numbers of Muslims to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif for prayer. According to The
Times of Israel, “dozens of people were injured when violent clashes
erupted at the Damascus Gate…late Thursday as Palestinian protesters confronted
a group of some 300 extreme-right Jewish activists who marched to the scene
chanting ‘Death to Arabs.’” The Israeli
police intervened to keep the two groups apart but clashed with Palestinians
who threw rocks at them.
The Jewish group Lehava is opposed to assimilation in the Holy Land. They reject interfaith marriages, oppose the presence of Christians in Israel, and protest the recent violence toward Orthodox Jews. For example, earlier this month two young Haredi youth were slapped on a train and the event was caught on video.
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