Jerusalm, the Arab capital of culture...

The Arab Capital of Culture is an initiative undertaken by UNESCO, under the Cultural Capitals Program to promote and celebrate Arab culture and encourage cooperation in the Arab region. Each year a different city is chosen as the 'Arab capital of culture'. This year Jerusalem was chosen. What a wonderful opertunity to advance the dialogue between Arabs and Jews, boost the tourism and invite artists from around the world to Jerusalem. Instead... Israeli authorities broke up a series of Palestinian cultural events in Jerusalem on Saturday, disrupting a children's march and bursting balloons at a schoolyard celebration. Israel said the events violated a ban on Palestinian political activity in Jerusalem. Although I am not comfortable with everything that is written in the official site, I think it is a big mistake to ban such activities. Are we so afraid that we send the military to burst childrens balloons? Even if they are in the forbidden colour combination of red white green and black? This is completely redicolous, and only serves to emphasize the problematic fact that Israel is first and formost a Jewish state while democracy is at best at second place.