One day: two commemorations, two people

On the west side of town, today is Shavuot (it started last night at sundown): the end of the counting of the Omer. The 7 weeks' count starts on the second day of Pesach. Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah and when the Jewish people became devoted to serving God. It is the third pilgrimage holiday festival (Passover and Sukkot being the two others) when Jews are meant to travel to Jerusalem.  Since it's a full holiday, it's Shabbat styles out there: uni is closed for 2 days, restaurants and shops closed yesterday afternoon, and there are no buses. Shavuot is marked according to the Jewish lunisolar calendar.

On the east side of town, today is Nakba. The Nakba is marked according to the Gregorian calendar -- it is always 15 May, the day after the Gregorian date of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel (14 May 1948, but is commemorated always on the 5th day of the Jewish month of Iyar - 16 April this year - as Yom Ha'atzmaut). Nakba is Arabic for catastrophe. Yup, the Jewish people won their state, and some number of Palestinians were displaced, dispossessed and dispersed.  Apparently, the commemoration of the Nakba only really got going in the 1980s. It was promoted by the PLO and various others as a means of keeping the Palestinian issue on the Israeli agenda as both Israeli-Arabs and Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza were encouraged to participate in public rallies.

In search of hummus, tahini, and pita, with a friend, I was in the Old City and on the east side at Damascus gate today. The Old City looks pretty much itself on any touristic day -- packed with folks wandering around exploring the city with 4 of their 5 senses -- sight, sound, smell, taste. But, things outside of Damascus Gate (the main Arab entrance to the Old City) were different. First, it's just more active because it isn't a religious holiday on the east side. Second, there were groups of police on horses and other groups of police that looked ready for any potential neighbourhood riot. While we were there in the early afternoon, things were pretty quiet. Hopefully, it'll all be peaceful.