Jerusalem - The African Mirror

Apr

2022

Vatican mulling Jerusalem meeting between pope, Russian patriarch

PHILIP PULLELLA THE Vatican is studying the possibility of extending Pope Francis' trip to Lebanon in June so he can fly to Jerusalem to meet their Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who has backed Russia's war in Ukraine, two sources told Reuters. It would be only their second meeting. Their first, in Cuba in 2016, was the first between a pope and a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church since the Great Schism that split Christianity into Eastern and Western branches in 1054. Kirill, 75, has given his full-throated blessing for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a position that has splintered the…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

Tense Ramadan nights at Jerusalem gate stir escalation worries

WORLD

A week into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a flashpoint Jerusalem site is seeing nightly confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police that have raised concern about a repeat of the violence that erupted last year. The amphitheatre-style plaza outside the Old City's Damascus Gate is a popular spot for Palestinians to meet after breaking their daily holiday fast. Vendors roll carts of snacks and juice into the square. Palestinian youth at times perform acrobatics to cheers from the crowd. But tensions are again high in the city holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims. Israel has deployed extra security forces…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

Israeli policeman charged with manslaughter of autistic Palestinian

WORLD

MAAYAN LUBELL and RAMI AYYUB AN Israeli policeman has been charged with manslaughter in the killing of an autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem a year ago, the Justice Ministry said yesterday in an incident that sparked protests and widespread condemnation. Iyad al-Halaq, 32, was on his way to volunteer at a special needs school on May 30, 2020, when police chased and killed him. The officer, who was not named in the published indictment, faces a jail sentence of up to 12 years if convicted. At the time of his death, Halaq was "holding nothing in his hands and doing…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Malawi to open Israel embassy in Jerusalem

NEWS

MALAWI will open a full embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, becoming the first African nation in decades to do so in the contested city. In a video statement during a visit to Israel, Malawi Foreign Minister Eisenhower Mkaka called the decision a "bold and significant step". He congratulated Israel on its budding relations with Arab and Muslim states under U.S.-brokered deals, including new ties with African country Sudan, that Israel has hailed as marking the start of a "new era" in the region. Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said alongside Mkaka: "I look forward to your embassy opening soon, and…