This past weekend was all family time with my relatives in Rehavia. Sunday night I spent in a place called Bar Kochba. Yes, it's named after the leader of the 3rd century Jewish rebellion in Eretz Israel against Roman rule. And, yes, it's a bar. Right across from the southern walls of the Old City is an complex of bars and restaurants. It sits atop the Ben Hinom valley, which I described in an earlier post as being the source of the Biblical (and hence the modern) concept of Hell. Bar Kochba is open, so you get a nice summer night draft, and with views of the Old City, the surrounding valleys and the Yemin Moshe neighborhood across the valley, it's basically a perfect set up for a bar. I also ordered something to go with my Red Bull and vodka. It was called abidjian, which I assume is some sort of a nod to... Armenians? Anyways, it was crushed avocado and eggplant, wrapped in cooked eggplant, surrounded by hummus and t'hina with various seasonings, and it came with homemade crusty bread. Nothing unusual for me to jump with joy because of a meal, it happens frequently here. The food is simply amazing.

Sunday was also a day when many infantry units were getting sworn in at the Kotel (Western Wall), so the Old City was flooded with soldiers. Sunday night, while I was hanging out in Bar Kochba, we were treated to the goings on in Ben Hinom valley. They set up a concert for soldiers, it was quite a site. Bleachers filled with seveal thousand guys in green jumping up and down and screaming for hours straight. Because of the acoustics of the valleys and hills, the noise carried quite far. It's a nice change from the prayer calls of muezzin! I think if I keep living in this city, I'll be singing the Moslem call to prayer by heart. Not that it isn't stirring, but it's very strange. Half a kilometer in a certain direction and it's a whole different world.

Speaking of Arabs, about a week ago, there were some left-wing activists on Emek Rafaim. They set up a projection screen where they were showing, what else, how the evil state of Israel was abusing the beautiful and peaceful Arab culture in the West Bank. I had a not-so-civil discussion with these people. First of all, they were clever to set this up in German Colony, which, although with a large religious population, has some more liberal elements as well. If they had tried to pull this in Kiryat Moshe or some other area full of national-religious types, it would've ended a lot worse than a bit of shouting. I literally laughed at this one girl - an intellectual-looking Jewish girl with that glassy eyed communist look in her eyes. She was trying to prove to me that the future is the nation of Palestine from the River Jordan to the Sea, with Jewish and Arab citizens living in a secular, cosmopolitan, tolerant mix. How do you argue with someone like that? I tried to present my side reasonably, but she'd have nothing of it. Her gay-looking Arab friends joined in to try and show me how moderate they were and how they wanted peace with the Jews. Which Jews, I asked? Maybe Jews like this little brainwashed rich girl from North Tel-Aviv that has a soft spot for "social causes." She accepts the fact that "Jews have no right whatsoever to this land, some old books (?!?) don't prove Jewish claims." That's in their own words. At this point, I went into my old-school mode. It became clear to my Arab friends and their Jewish useful idiots, that things were about to get taken to the next level. They decided to close up shop for the night, because they felt that, even though I was outnumbered, I was going to go on a serious rampage. Sometimes it's not a matter of the balance forces. They instinctively knew that my spirit was much greater than their socialist-international waffling philosophy.

I have to admit, the rush from knowing that you are totally correct and that a greater power is on your side, is beyond real. This Thursday May 25th is Yom Yerushalaim - Jerusalem Day. Masses of Jews are going to display our ownership of Jerusalem in the old-fashioned way, by walking around our property. The entire Old City, including the Moslem quarter, will see tens of thousands of young Jews going for a walk. I am going to a class in a yeshiva located in the Moslem quarter with a bunch of guys and then we're joining the marching about. Yes, there are Jewish buildings and yeshivas in the Moslem quarter. If we don't display that we own ALL of Jerusalem from time to time, then we'll eventually lose all of it. Who knows, if things get out of hand, you may see me on TV. I'll try not to start any trouble, but considering my behavior at the Israel Day Parade in New York last June, anything is possible.