The light rail works once again dominate the beating heart of Jerusalem: after Jaffa Street, now King George \u2013 a street inaugurated in the days of the British Mandate, named after the King of England at the time.<\/p>\n
Since Monday, heavy dust clouds have replaced the aroma of coffee at “Liba”, the Horse Garden has turned into a storage yard for massive equipment, and a street carrying the name of a king has lost all royal dignity.<\/p>\n
On a Jerusalem morning, instead of the smell of coffee from the caf\u00e9 on Shatz Street, thick dust spreads across the area. The noise of machinery replaces the voices of young people and retirees who once spent their mornings in the Horse Garden and near Simon Dweck\u2019s record shop. Passersby now try to figure out which crossing feels less dangerous.<\/p>\n
King George, once a lifeline of the city, is blocked for an extended period to lay new rail tracks. Jerusalemites who survived the nightmare of Jaffa Street understand this is a new chapter in a long story. Another upheaval is here \u2013 and perhaps past experience will help.<\/p>\n
Fourteen weeks of work on Jaffa Street ended only recently. The city barely had time to enjoy the relative calm before adjusting to new hardships caused by the shutdown of King George, the Prophets, Strauss and Kiah. Drivers, pedestrians and shop owners again find themselves in a daily whirlpool of closures, traffic jams and detours. The mood is heavy: frustration, anger, and the recurring question \u2013 what is happening to this city?<\/p>\n
Electronics shops, restaurants and small food stands \u2013 including falafel and soup vendors \u2013 are likely to feel a sharp decline in daily income, with fewer customers and dust penetrating inside.<\/p>\n
The Old Knesset Museum, Beit Avi Chai, Yeshurun Synagogue, Heichal Shlomo and the Jewish Agency \u2013 all are locked within barricades for the sake of the light rail extension. Even the Terra Sancta square will not be able to host demonstrations for the release of hostages, for peace, or for other national struggles. The City Garden and Simiko\u2019s kiosk \u2013 run by a devoted Beitar Jerusalem fan \u2013 are also trapped behind fences. Maalot Street is silenced, and Be\u2019eri Street, echoing the memory of Kibbutz Be\u2019eri near Gaza, also feels under siege.<\/p>\n
Traffic wardens in fluorescent vests try to replace traffic lights and protect bewildered pedestrians. Young volunteers in light-blue vests also make their presence felt, helping citizens navigate alternative bus routes and streets until the transport and urban upheaval ends. One wonders why Freud and his students weren\u2019t drafted as well \u2013 to calm and balance the nerves of Jerusalemites breathing dust, stumbling into potholes, rushing to work or school, or simply losing patience with the endless drilling.<\/p>\n