Overcast

Actually, it is quite sunny today. But I was referring to the mood in the East Jerusalem office this morning. I'd seen the headlines, but I clearly wasn't aware of how very damaging everything was looking until I walked in: My normally lively office was a funeral parlour- I almost asked if someone had died, I'd never seen so many glum faces. Hamas sweeping the Palestinian elections was definitely not the outcome any of them had been hoping for.

Now my colleagues are all expressing grave concern about the veritable uncertainty which now hangs over Palestinian Society and themselves as individual Citizens, Women, Social Activists, Christians, or non-practising Muslims. Further, crucial foreign aid to thousands of Palestinian welfare projects could be seriously jeopardised: waves of panic are now raging afresh throughout the NGO sector.

And what hopes are there of any Israeli - or even US- negotiations with such a Government? With everybody refusing to talk to everybody else, the future looks far from bright...

"Don't forget your Hijab on Monday!" one of my colleagues shouted at me as she left, with a wry smile.

And so begins the black humour. I think we're going to need a lot more where that came from.