Archive for month: July, 2020

News Update

To listen to an audio version click here. (for supporters)

The Health Ministry reported 2,062 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the highest single day number. There are currently 33,377 active cases, of which 315 are in serious condition and 96 on ventilators. There have been 490 coronavirus related deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Coronavirus czar Prof. Ronni Gamzu presented a plan to battle the virus, which includes giving the IDF responsibility for contact tracing, giving local authorities more power to regulate their areas, and differentiating the severity of regulations by location based on infection rates.

Over 1,000 people protested on Tuesday near the home of Public Security Minister Amir Ohana in Tel Aviv, over what they claim were Ohana’s “attempts to thwart civil protest” after a recording emerged of the minister trying to coerce police to block demonstrations. According to eyewitness accounts, groups of men in black T-shirts, armed with sticks, bottles and pepper spray, attacked protesters. At least 5 protesters were wounded and taken to the hospital. This was the third reported incident of violence by alleged supporters of the Prime Minister against protesters. Defense Minister Gantz demanded that the attackers be arrested. The PM called on police to investigate the attacks, but added that they should also investigate “the incitement of murder” against him and his family.

Tisha B’av will be observed tonight and Thursday. Tisha B’av, the 9th day in the month of Av, commemorates the date that both the first and second Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed, first by the Babylonians in 586 BC and then by the Romans in 70 AD. The day is observed with fasting and reciting lamentations.

The Talmud attributes the reason for the destruction of the Second Temple to baseless hatred. The political and social situation in Israel at the time of the destruction was rife with infighting and strife. Instead of focusing on fighting the Romans, the various Jewish factions fought and killed each other before finally uniting to face the Romans, when it was already much too late. Had the Jews been united, perhaps the destruction, even the war itself, could have been avoided.

The destruction of the Second Temple marked the start of a close to 2,000 year period of statelessness and exile, filled with persecution and massacres, and culminating in the ultimate horror of the Holocaust.

We have returned to our homeland, reestablished our sovereignty over it and made it thrive. Now we have a second chance to correct the mistakes we made the first time around. If we can unite and exist in harmony, we can remain invincible in our land forever. That is the message, and challenge, of Tisha B’av, and why we continue to commemorate the day of our greatest defeat (seriously, what other nation commemorates defeat?).

Will we learn our lesson and correct the mistake of Tisha B’av? That’s a question that only we can answer.

May this be the last Tisha B’av we commemorate, and may we come together as one family, one people, in unity and harmony, to continue to build our homeland and our destiny in peace.

For more information about Tisha B’av click here (Chabad.org).

News Update

To listen to an audio version click here. (for supporters)

The Health Ministry reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases over the weekend, even though the number of tests administered was much lower than last week. Every twelfth person who was tested turned out to be infected. In the Haredi cities of Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Modi’in Illit and Beitar Illit, every fifth test was positive.

PM Netanyahu is reportedly pushing for new elections in the fall unless a deal can be reached with Blue and White for the passage of a one-year budget. Blue and White is insisting on a two year budget.

An IDF drone crashed in southern Lebanon due to a technical failure. The IDF said that no information was leaked.

A mosque in a village near Ramallah was set on fire early today and Hebrew writing was spray painted on its walls. Palestinians say a group of “settlers” arrived at the Al-Bir Mosque in the village of Al-Maghir and spray-painted the phrases “Curfew for Arabs and not Jews” and “Land of Israel” in Hebrew on one of the site’s outer walls. The outer areas of the mosque were heavily damaged. Local police are investigating the hate crime.

The number of Jews visiting the Temple Mount has increased dramatically over the past few years, partly due to a change in policing policies. To read more about this, click here.

News Update

To listen to an audio version click here. (for supporters)

The Health Ministry reported 1,892 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. There are currently 32,094 active cases, of which 304 are in serious condition and 83 on ventilators. There have been 446 coronavirus related deaths since the start of the pandemic. 59 of those deaths occurred this week.

PM Netanyahu has appointed Prof. Ronni Gamzu to head up the national coronavirus task force. Gamzu is the CEO of the Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv and former director general of the Health Ministry.

The Knesset Coronavirus Committee yesterday approved the reopening of Israel’s gyms beginning on Sunday and permitted access to local tourist attractions on weekends. The head of the committee, Likud MK Yifat Shasha-Biton, said the decision to delay the reopening of gyms until Sunday was intended to give lawmakers time to formulate an outline that would allow the reopening to happen in a manner that wouldn’t be detrimental to public health. Tourist attractions, such as museums and zoos, will remain open on weekends in accordance with health regulations, but all stores and shopping centers will be closed from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning.

On Thursday Israel freed one of the leaders of Hamas in the West Bank from 16 months of administrative detention.

The IDF said that it was reinforcing Israel’s border with Lebanon with additional troops in response to threats from Hezbollah to retaliate for the killing of one of its fighters in an alleged IDF raid in Syria earlier this week.

News Update

The Health Ministry reported 1,977 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, which is the highest number since the start of the pandemic. There are currently 31,313 active cases, of which 259 are in serious condition and 82 on ventilators. There have been 430 coronavirus related deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The Health Ministry issued new regulations reducing the quarantine period for coronavirus patients. Patients will now be considered recovered after three consecutive days without symptoms and at least 10 days since testing positive or the onset of symptoms. Asymptomatic patients will be considered recovered 10 days after their initial diagnosis.

The Knesset coronavirus committee yesterday overturned the government’s decision to close restaurants. MK Yifat Shasha-Biton, the head of the Knesset coronavirus committee, is meeting today with government officials and the Health Ministry to try to agree on an outline for reopening gyms and tourist attractions before the weekend.

Over 2,000 people demonstrated outside of the PM’s residence in Jerusalem yesterday to protest the PM’s handling of the coronavirus crisis and his alleged corruption.

The Knesset will vote today on a controversial bill that would ban so-called “gay conversion therapy” techniques. If passed, therapists who perform conversion therapy could face not only fines and the loss of professional accreditation, but also jail time. MK’s from Likud and the religious parties are expected to vote against the bill.

One of the largest collections of royal Kingdom of Judah seal impressions has been uncovered at a massive First Temple-period public tax collection and storage complex being excavated near the new United States Embassy in Jerusalem. One of the largest collections of royal Kingdom of Judah seal impressions has been uncovered at a massive First Temple-period public tax collection and storage complex being excavated near the new United States Embassy in Jerusalem. To read more, click here.