Israel News for 1-4-2021
News Update
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The Health Ministry reported 5,135 new coronavirus cases on Sunday. There are currently 38,228 recorded infections, with 731 people hospitalized in serious condition and 201 on ventilators. There have been 3,416 coronavirus related deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The coronavirus cabinet is set to convene on Tuesday to debate tightening the current nationwide lockdown. PM Netanyahu appears to be in favor of a stricter closure for a period of at least 10 days, while Defense Minister Gantz opposes the total shutdown of schools.
Over 1.2 million Israelis have already been vaccinated.
An Israeli woman in her 30s suffered serious injuries on Sunday when the car she was driving came under a stone attack in the central West Bank. Two of her children, who were in the car, were not injured. IDF troops surrounded the nearby village of Dier Nidham and were searching for the perpetrators. The woman was identified as the wife of Jack Teitel, who is currently serving two life sentences for the murder of two Palestinians.
Over 1,000 Israeli Arabs volunteered to join the IDF last year, which is twice as many as previous years. Of the new recruits, 450 enlisted as scouts and fighters in the Bedouin patrol unit, while dozens more joined prominent infantry brigades such as Kfir and Nahal and some the Border Police.
US-based electric car maker Tesla has received a license from the Ministry of Transport for commercial imports of its vehicles, enabling it to begin a full import operation with no limit on volume. This is the first time that Tesla has received a license for direct importing and marketing of vehicles in Israel, rather than through a local dealer or in partnership with a dealer. The company will start to take orders online from Israeli customers within the next few days, and the first Tesla cars can be expected on Israel’s roads within months.
