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Jerusalem's Ancient Damascus Gate at the Heart of a Modern Wave of Violence
(Washington Post) William Booth and Ruth Eglash - On Tuesday, a watchful Israeli sniper was perched in one of the Damascus Gate's stone turrets, as Israeli border police milled about the entrance, warily eyeing the passersby. The tourists and pilgrims still come, but for locals, Damascus Gate is now a hot zone to be avoided. In the past five months, Damascus Gate has served as the backdrop for at least 14 Palestinian attacks against Israelis. The gate seen today was built by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1537 on top of an earlier entry into the walled city that the Romans erected in Emperor Hadrian's time.