Jerusalem Notes by Andrew Mueller

In the summer of 2000, Jerusalem was a boom town. The relative peace following the 1994 Oslo accords between Israel and the PLO, and the papal visit in March of 2000, ignited the enthusiasm of visitors secular and religious. Internet cafes in the cobbled alleys of the Old City catered for backpackers. Shoals of package pilgrims carted crucifixes in Christ¹s footsteps up the Via Dolorosa. The shops of the Arab Quarter cheerfully sold Jewish and Christian holy tat and faux Israeli military accessories. Ancient Jerusalem had become the most post-modern of cities: a place which existed primarily to sell souvenirs of itself.

The good times ended on September 28th, when Ariel Sharon, probably the most loathed figure in the Arab world, and now Israel's Prime Minister, visited the Old City's Temple Mount sacred to all monotheistic faiths in theory, but a Muslim shrine in practice. The subsequent intifada has killed dozens of Israelis, hundreds of Palestinians, and Israel's tourist industry. As a result, Jerusalem has had to stop trading as a biblical theme park, and relearn the part of a Middle Eastern bazaar. In a region abounding in grim ironies, one of the greatest is that this is not a bad time to visit Jerusalem: hotels are discounting furiously, bored shopkeepers are glad of your conversation and haplessness at backgammon, and the holy sites can be seen without crowds.

Safety is a concern and Jerusalem has suffered. But the riots, when and if they occur, can be avoided easily enough, and if the worst should happen, you can console yourself with the knowledge that your prayers are probably going straight to the main switchboard.