Policing the police?

They're at it again. Every single saturday Jaffa's Yefet street fills up with policemen and municipal supervisors. Saturday is the busiest day on Yefet. All shops and restaurants are open, doing brisk business with people coming in from Bat Yam, Tel Aviv and beyond, where stores are closed due to the shabat. It is the most important business day of the week for many of the small store owners, who wouldn't survive without it.
There are not many public parking lots along the street and in most areas parking is not allowed, which makes it difficult for customers.
Throughout the week there are no policemen along the street (except for the border police jeeps, that is), however, on shabat they come out in full. Anyone who stops, even to let out a passenger who has difficulties walking, is immediately told to move it. The life of the small store owners is made impossible. What stends out is that this only happens on Shabat, during the rest of the week they are not to be seen.
Yet on shabat, EVERY shabat they are there, hampering businesslife. Making a nuisance of themselves.

Funny enough, they are not there when needed, then they run off.

Thus, 5 men accused of murdering a fish monger's friend are about to be released this coming week. Why? Because the life of a police informer might be endangered if his details will be disclosed in the course of the judicial dealings in court. Obviously a person's life is not something to be dealt with lightly.

However, the story on the street is, that this informer is responsible for the murder of Adham, the young man killed during the Eid ElAdha parade. The story is that the police are protecting him. I obviously do not know if that is true. But that's what people believe in Jaffa.

Last night someone poured oil in Mendes France street. He was seen by a police car passing by. The car didn't stop and the pouring of the oil continued. It makes the street dangerous, so people won't enter. The police could have stopped it, but didn't. Why? Who gains form making the street inaccessible? Why does the police cooperate?

That is why the police is suspect.

Who is served by policing Yefet in order to hand out parking tickets and make business life impossible?
Why is the murderer of Adham still walking around free?

See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing

After the Eid elAdha parade murder, the police arrested the murderer. However, he was released that very same evening, due to lack of evidence.

The murderer was seen and recognized by bystanders, but people are too scared to talk, so for all practical reasons, there are no witnesses.

At least, that's the story going around on the streets.

It may well be right.

Eid ElAdha Scouts Parade in Jaffa

The Muslim Scouts organized a huge parade through Yefet and all of Ajami neighborhood today in honor of Eid elAdha, the 4 day long Muslim holiday.
Kids dressed up in various types of colorful scout uniforms marched through the 'hood, playing a (rather small, believe me i know, i live close by the scouts' practicing grounds, so i've been an almost daily captive witness to their practicing) variety of songs on their drums, clarinets, flutes, bagpipes and trumpets, to the cheering of their proud parents and more or less all of Ajami's residents.
Store owners threw sweets, which were quickly gathered by many of the bystanding kids (and some of the little drummers, who now and then missed a beat or two, in order to catch a colorfully wrapped gum or toffee). The kids marched from the scouting home (Yefet Street) through Salsela street, along the Arab Jewish Community Center, close by the French Embassy (the ElRahim house of pre-1948 lore) , the old folks home and back to Yefet street. Although it was really really really cold, it was dry until the very end of the parade.
And now it's time to go and meet with friends, to eat yet more and talk about what's happening in Jaffa, as not all is well.
Or perhaps we should try not to. not to relate to the violence and in stead think about those soon coming back from Mecca. that's the good thing about Jaffa, we share in each other's festivals. Tomorrow it will be New Year and in another week the Orthodox Christmas. (With another parade).

Eid Mubarak to you all, Happy 2007!

Another murder attempt in Jaffa, during the Eid elAdha Parade

Fireworks? Not really. The Muslim scouts of Jaffa organized a huge parade today, with music and fireworks all over Ajami. The atmosphere was wonderful, happy. People in their best new festival clothes watching the parade and cheering. Fireworks all along. Some shot by the parade organizers, many others by young boys, who always love a loud bang.
As a result no one reacted immediately to the loud boom and only after the victim fell down on the tarmac, bystanders understood that it was not firework, what they had heard seconds ago.
A 20-year old man, riding his vespa down crowded Mendes France street, close to the Abu Hilwe butchery was shot in his helmeted head. Falling from his vespa he hit a parked car.
Bystanders took him to nearby Wolfson Hospital in a private car, not wishing to wait for an ambulance which would have taken long to arrive, due to the parade and Jaffa's many traffic jams.
The police were actually present while it happened, due to the parade.
Another victim of violence in Jaffa. I hope this will not be the onset of another series of murders. We've seen too many of those in Jaffa.

For Hebrew info: http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3346302,00.html

Eid ElAdha Donation Drive for the 8 "ghost" children from Jaffa: Update

It's three more days to Eid ElAdha:
Holiday Gifts donated so far for the 8 "ghost children from Jaffa", so they can have a true Eid ElAdha include:

• 2 brandnew baby suits for the 4 month old girl baby
  
• 1 baby toy for the 1 year + a few months boy
  
• 1 brand new barbie doll for the five year old girl
  
• 1 can of "materna" baby formula for the baby
  
• 2 money donations on their way

Hey guys, may i be rude? This ain't enough. My 3-4 readers have turned out to be some 200 (since i installed a stat counter, now i know) people, so some of you..... There are always many reasons not to, don't let them influence you.

To recap it: 8 children from Jaffa, in the ages of 4 months to 15 years don't exist on paper. They are not registered as a result of complex burocratic reasons and as a result they go hungry.
It's THAT simple.
Eid ElAdha starts this saturday, today is thursday, so especially those of you who live nearby:
Whatever your political views may be, they are children who live in poverty most of you have never experienced and i hope none of us ever will experience.
I realize more solid help is needed for this family, but that's somewthing i cannot really bring about.
However, i am convinced that together we can do something small and give these kids a true Eid ElAdha Festival.
So help me, please. For donations in kind, drop me a mail with your phone and i'll get back to you, or send your financial donation to "The Women's Court" (a registered NGO with Israeli tax clause 46 so yes, your donation is tax exempt), 220 Yefet Street, 68061 Jaffa, Israel.
Make sure to earmark it "for the eight children".

Ah yes, Eid ElAdha is the major Muslim festival. It starts this saturday and takes 4 days.
It reminds the believers of Abraham's (Ibrahim) willingness to offer his son to God. It's also the beginning of the New Year and it just feels good to be nice to a child so....


yuyume@gmail.com

Help Needed

It's almost Eid ElAdha and the family of 8 "non-existant" children, living in poverty in Jaffa, won't have much of a festival.

I got it into my head i might be able to do something small about this with your help, my dear readers.
Normally children receive new clothes, new shoes and presents for the festival. This family has NO income. They live on what some people donate, now and then. There are days when they go hungry. Mostly, they eat food that's nor very healthy, left overs, things that can no longer be sold. The children wear give aways. Brand new clothes is not something they have experienced a lot.

Eid ElAdha is a 4 day long festival, during which families eat well, while paying visits to family members, where they also eat well. Eid ElAdha will start this coming saturday.

So what can you help with?

Clothes for (sorry, i really do not know children's sizes):

• Tall big girl, 15 years old, wears religious Muslim dress (known in Jaffa as "Pakistani suit", a pair of wide trousers and a knee length tunic, made out of winter fabric) and head cover.
• Girl, thirteen years old, wears jeans and sweatshirts or colorful warm tracksuits
• Tall, very thin, 13 year old boy, likes hoodies & jeans
  
• 11 year old boy who's somewhat overweight: tracksuits or jeans and a sweater
  
• Six year old boy
• Small five year old girl who loves pastel colored tracksuits with barbie , flowers or butterflies, she always feels cold and wears many layers on top of each other.
  
• Boy aged 1 year & a six months, about the size of a 2 year old
• 4 Month old girl baby, relatively big for her age

It would be nice if the clothes are new or VERY good condition (like new) & clean 2nd hand, they're a holiday present after all.
They need shoes as well and "na'aley bayit" (what 're these called in English?)

What else?
Toys, children's books in Arabic (especially the three oldest children love reading).

And food or a money donation with which to buy food & baby formula for the baby. A gift can of "materna" or "similac" is also ok.

Financial gifts can be made through a registered NGO, the Women's Court, who have full tax exemption status (Israeli tax clause 46) and all necessary paperwork. Send your cheques to The Women's Court, 220 Yefet Street, Jaffa, Israel, earmarked for "the 8 children". Please leave your address, so they can send you a receipt.
For gifts in kind, please send a mail to yuyume@gmail.com with your phone number, so we can coordinate.

Thanks.