Jerusalem grinds to halt after heavy snow

Heavy snow blanketed Jerusalem and other parts of Israel overnight, closing schools and shops and grounding public transport.

The sense of excitement among Israelis, used to warm Middle Eastern weather, was palpable.

Children threw snowballs on slushy streets, and weather reports topped local news bulletins, eclipsing an upcoming government report on the 2006 war in Lebanon which could put Prime Minister Ehud Olmert under pressure to resign.

Snow falls in Jerusalem once or twice each winter, but temperatures rarely drop low enough for it to settle.

The city is not designed to deal with snowy weather. Schools shut, most public places close down and many workers stay at home.