Jerusalem was decked out in white to greet US Secretary of State John Kerry. Not even a year on the job, Kerry arrived in Jerusalem Dec. 12 for the ninth time as secretary of state to see the heaviest snowstorm the Israeli capital has had in decades. More than 10 cm (9 inches) of snow buried the most divided city in the world. Hundreds of drivers and citizens were stranded. The city itself was cut off from the rest of the country and the roads leading to Jerusalem were closed. Police warned against travel to the city, which was under total lockdown.
This is not the first siege Jerusalem has experienced. This sensitive city has known more sieges than most cities in the world. It doesn’t scare easily, although most sieges over the centuries ended very badly. The invader, be he Babylonian or Roman, destroys the city, burns it to the ground and kills the stubborn subjects.