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As usual, Arab greengrocers have set up their stalls behind the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's old town.
Women with headscarves shop to break the fast in the evening, bored teenagers stroll through the alley.
It is Ramadan and Muslims are not allowed to drink or eat until sunset.
It is over 30 degrees that day.
A traffic jam occurs at a narrow intersection.
Young men with kippahs and sidelocks want to turn towards the Temple Mount here.
They sing and smirk.
“Yalla, get away,” shout the Arab youth.
One word gives the other.
Suddenly a roar, a young Arab lifts a box of vegetables, threatens to throw it at the Jewish men.
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Before there can be a scuffle, police force themselves in between.
Finally the Israelis leave and call back a few swear words.
The Arab youths hold up their middle fingers.
It's a scene that shows how tense the mood is in Jerusalem.
And how hard the Israeli security forces are to keep the situation under control.
Violent clashes have occurred since the beginning of the month of fasting.
It was particularly critical on Monday, on Jerusalem Day, which in Israel commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem after the 1967 Six Day War.
At that time, Israel had conquered East Jerusalem from Jordan.
There is the Temple Mount, the most important shrine for the Jews.
The hill with the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock is venerated by Muslims as Al-Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary).
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The Arab population has always perceived Jerusalem Day as a provocation.
On this day, national religious groups from all over the country flock to Jerusalem and march with Israel flags through the Muslim Quarter to the Western Wall at the foot of the Temple Mount.
As a precautionary measure, security forces forbade them to go on the hill themselves this year.
Jewish Israelis are only allowed access at certain times and are not allowed to pray there.
Barricades made of boards and scrap metal
The authorities are initially redirecting the flag procession this year: security forces have erected fences between the Jewish and Arab quarters in the old town, access is strictly controlled.
Youth groups that sing religious songs turn away shortly beforehand - they are now only allowed to go through the Jewish section, not the Muslim section, as originally intended.
Later the flag procession is canceled entirely.
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Important measures to prevent excesses.
Nevertheless, violent clashes occurred again in the morning.
Palestinians had barricaded the entrances to the Temple Mount with boards and scrap metal.
According to police, they threw stones from the complex onto an adjacent street and at Jewish believers praying by the Western Wall.
When the police arrived, they were attacked with stones and fireworks.
The security forces dispersed the crowd with rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades and entered the Al-Aqsa mosque.
At the same time, they stopped around 150 Jewish Israelis who wanted to gain access to the Temple Mount.
Hundreds of Palestinians and dozens of police officers were injured.
The location is confusing and there are occasional clashes in several places in the old town and in the adjacent quarters.
The recording of a security camera published by the police shows a particularly drastic incident.
You can see young Palestinians throwing stones at a car, the driver losing control and crashing into a small wall on the side of the road.
The mob tries to drag the two occupants out of the vehicle.
At the last second, a police officer rushes to help and fires warning shots into the air to deter the attackers.
The international community calls for de-escalation.
Both sides urgently need to make a contribution to ease the situation, the German government announced.
UN Secretary General António Guterres calls on Israel to exercise “maximum restraint”.
But that is an almost impossible endeavor.
Jerusalem is a powder keg even in normal times; even a spark can lead to an explosion.
And these days it burns everywhere.
Literally.
Terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip fire rockets at Israel and send balloons with incendiary devices over the border fence, several fields in the south of the country go up in flames.
Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip incite their supporters to fully escalate the "battle for the Holy City".
And the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank calls for the "uprising in Jerusalem" to be maintained.
Anger at the Palestinian leadership
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The potential for violence is great because several factors come together that have sparked the anger of the Palestinians.
The Jerusalem Day celebrations coincide with the end of Ramadan, which is generally a time of heightened tension in Jerusalem.
Heat, fasting and unemployment are dangerous ingredients.
Tourism has also collapsed because of the corona pandemic.
The souvenir shops, restaurants and hotels in the old town are barricaded, and many Arab residents have lost their livelihoods.
In addition, there is anger against their own leadership: Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has once again postponed the long-awaited elections.
Allegedly because Israel refused to allow six electoral offices in East Jerusalem.
Critics say Abbas wanted to prevent his defeat;
the prognoses were bad for him.
Distraction in Jerusalem comes in handy.
And then there is an important judgment in an eviction suit.
Several Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, are threatened with losing their homes to Jewish owners.
Palestinians have been protesting against it for weeks, sometimes with violence.
What began as a private litigation has become the symbol of the Palestinian cause - and the ancient question of who Jerusalem belongs to.
For a long time there has not been an issue that unites Arab Israelis, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in such a way.
The catchphrase #SaveSheikhJarrah is a top trend in social networks.
The slogan also echoed through the old town on Monday.
In the morning, an elderly Arab resident was upset about a vanguard of the flag procession, which was then diverted by the security forces.
“They have no business here,” he says.
“They come from their settlements and absolutely want to walk through our neighborhood.
Why? ”He shakes his head.
"All of this is not good."
On the other hand, on the other side of the fences, in the Jewish quarter of the old town, the atmosphere is exuberant.
On a square surrounded by cafes, people shout a "happy holiday" to each other.
Youth groups dance and sing songs praising Jerusalem as a holy Jewish city.
A young woman wears a T-shirt with a picture of the Temple Mount - including the Jewish temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70.
Young Israeli women celebrate Jerusalem Day
Source: AFP
“We're celebrating today because Jerusalem is finally ours again,” says the 16-year-old.
She came from northern Israel with her school class.
What does she say about the fact that Palestinians perceive her celebration of Jerusalem Day as a provocation?
"You're always angry with us, this day won't change that either."
Suddenly sirens sound at 6 p.m. In the Jewish quarter of the old town, people run into houses and cafes. The alarm ends after a few minutes. Then the breaking news: Terrorists in the Gaza Strip have fired seven rockets towards Jerusalem. One was apparently intercepted, the rest are said to have hit an open field near the city. Shortly afterwards, people dare to take to the streets again. But everything indicates that another restless night is ahead of Jerusalem.