Netanyahu: All Israelis must wear face masks as virus precaution
All Israelis must wear face masks while in public as a precaution against the coronavirus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
Israel
Israelis protest medical state clamp-down as leaders enter quarantine
Protestors in Jaffa, Israel joined with a young man Wednesday who was accosted by police for defying government orders to not depart more than 328 feet from his home.
Israel’s health minister tests positive for coronavirus
Israel’s most senior Health Minister has tested positive for coronavirus, government officials confirmed Thursday. Yaakov Litzman has entered isolation together with his wife, who also tested positive. Litzman is part of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community which, according to unofficial figures cited by Israeli TV channels Sunday, make up half the country’s hospitalized coronavirus patients.
Hezbollah accused of bringing coronavirus to Lebanon
The Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon has been accused of helping to bring coronavirus to the nation. Opponents of the powerful group point out that Lebanon took three weeks to block flights from Iran, after a woman who had just returned from there tested coronavirus positive on February 20. Hezbollah is accused of causing the delay to ensure its supporters could return home. Denying the claims, Hezbollah is trying to show the Lebanon Shiite community that it is working to protect them from the outbreak.
1.5 Million Israelis Using Voluntary Coronavirus Monitoring App
Around 1.5 million Israelis have downloaded a mobile app in the past week that alerts users who have crossed paths with a coronavirus patient, according to the Health Ministry, helping to improve tracking of the pandemic.
Israel Tests New 3D-Printed Tech That Can Make Medical Masks Stronger Against COVID-19
As Israelis scramble for ways to protect themselves from the deadly coronavirus, some doctors will begin testing a new method of defense against COVID-19.
Some claim Gantz, Netanyahu closer to deal, but stumbling blocks unresolved
Interim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White party chief Benny Gantz were said in some reports to be inching closer to forming a unity coalition, with claims that the government could be sworn in as early as next Monday, but other sources said squabbles within the premier’s bloc were complicating the negotiations.
Messianic expectations of Jews and Muslims become one — Bible points to a false Jesus they and others will accept
The messianic expectations of Muslim and Jewish leaders are dovetailing, with many scholars from each camp agreeing that coronavirus is the harbinger of a divine figure who will arrive as a king in the midst of pandemics and economic crises.
IDF and US hold F-35 drill, delayed by virus, over southern Israel
The Israeli and American militaries conducted a joint exercise with their F-35 stealth fighter jets over southern Israel on Sunday, simulating in-air combat and attacks from the ground, following a delay needed to sort out how to hold such a drill during the coronavirus pandemic.
Haredi in Israel the lone resisters of government takeover
Israel’s ultra-orthodox Haredi community is facing fines and arrests for resisting draconian government regulations that forbid prayer services and prevent a person from walking 328 feet outside their home except in emergencies.
Controversial Mass Surveillance Program Has Identified 500 Coronavirus Patients, Shin Bet Says
More than 500 coronavirus patients have been identified in Israel so far by a controversial digital mass-surveillance program, the Shin Bet internal security service revealed on Thursday.
Israeli company donating to US over 6 million doses of potential coronavirus cure
Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva is donating to US hospitals over 6 million doses of hydroxychloroquine sulfate, a medicine that may cure patients of COVID-19. Already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating malaria, lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, the drug raised hopes after a study in France found it had killed the virus in 26 patients.
IDF shoots down drone from Lebanon, says it was flown by Hezbollah
The Israel Defense Forces said it shot down a drone that was flown by the Hezbollah terror group into Israeli airspace from Lebanon on Thursday morning.
Israeli High Court of Justice intervenes to propel Gantz into unity government with Netanyahu
Israel’s High Court of Justice Thursday ordered a vote on the future of Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein which saw him step down, as Blue and White leader Benny Gantz filled his shoes and signaled the formation of a “national emergency government” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Jewish rabbis see imminent divine entry to temple in Jerusalem in light of Zohar predictions
A Jewish rabbi is expecting the Messiah to be revealed around Passover this year in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, citing a prophecy about a global pandemic from the main text of the mystical Kabbalah.
Gaza Preacher Praises Allah for Infecting Israelis, Americans — Day Before First Cases Reported in Gaza
A preacher told worshipers in Gaza’s largest mosque on Friday that Allah sent the coronavirus to inflict suffering on Israelis, Americans and those who plot against the Al-Aqsa mosque, while protecting Palestinians.
Netanyahu: Full lockdown possible within days if virus spread doesn’t slow
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Wednesday that a full closure of the country could be introduced within days to curb the coronavirus pandemic, hours after further restrictions on Israelis’ movement were put into effect.
Netanyahu and Gantz discuss unity government, plan fresh talks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz discussed the possibility of setting up an emergency government to tackle the coronavirus Wednesday, taking a rare step toward a much-touted unity coalition.
How digital surveillance in virus fight watches you more closely than any GPS
Coronavirus phone tracking doesn’t just tell governments more or less where their citizens are, but can also show the phone owners’ ‘micro-environment’ and provide a treasure trove of information about their physical surroundings, a systems engineer behind key technology being used in the battle against the spread of coronavirus has revealed.
Israel reports 488 new virus cases in past 24 hours, the largest single-day jump
The Health Ministry announced 274 new confirmed coronavirus cases Tuesday evening, bringing the total in Israel to 1,930.