Within the Muslim world, the period of fasting known as Ramadan has come. We heard the signs of its arrival on Thursday with intermittent fireworks popping in the sky. When we walked down the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City in the daytime, many Islamic shopkeepers stood wobbling on ladders, stringing up (“Christmas”) lights over their stores. Gateways, like the Damascus Gate (Bab el Amud), had a different, festive, look, especially once the sun set.