Leon's No News Bulletin 85 Sun 10th Aug 08

Shalom everyone,

Last Wednesday I guided a young lady from New York around Jerusalem for a few hours. It was another of my daily encounters with people who are filled with an inexplicable love for Jerusalem.

Although true love might be inexplicable it's easily identifiable because one of its features is that it's easily expressed; it's open and constant. The lover joyfully tells about his love to anyone who cares to listen. People who love truly want to talk about their love, to show the beauty of their love to the entire world. They invite visitors to enjoy the pleasures of the city they love. They derive a feeling of happiness and security from knowledge that their love is true to them as they are to it. They study their city and teach others about it. They write poems about it.

This brings me to the Arab vendor in Jerusalem who, shouting at my tourist and I, in the heat of an argument over the price of something, "Why have you come to Jerusalem? Go back to your country" takes himself out of the category of those who love Jerusalem.

His behavior reminds me of a jealous husband who keeps his wife under lock and key because he purports to love her so much that he doesn't allow anyone else to see her. His behavior is like a jailer keeping Jerusalem prisoner, constantly fearful that someone is going to release his prisoner.

He was the complete contrast of my New York tourist; she is the kind of person who would take care of Jerusalem, he is the kind of person who would rather destroy Jerusalem like the Babylonians and the Romans did thousands of years under the false pretext of loving Jerusalem but, than see those who really love her living here, beautifying it and visiting here.

The lover of Jerusalem isn't jealous, but is happy to have the opportunity to visit the city, the object of her love and is happy to see others visiting and enjoying the beauties of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem should never again be allowed to fall into the hands of people who think they have an exclusive right to Jerusalem and in the name of that right destroy her and prevent her true lovers from coming here.

The prophets never said that Jerusalem was the exclusive property of the Jewish People, on the contrary they had a vision of all mankind coming to worship and rejoice in Jerusalem, as the prophet Isaiah says:

66: 10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
       all you who love her;
       rejoice greatly with her,
       all you who mourn over her.

Wishing you a great no news day

Yours truly

Leon Gork