Middle East

Unanswered Questions Abound as Coronavirus Resurges in Israel

-Coronavirus is not finished with us. Or with you.

Lots of us are vaccinated. But there are hundreds of thousands who have avoided the needle. They are most of the sick, but not all.

Currently more than two thousand here are testing as sick each day, with 150 or so seriously ill. We’re still far from the point of over-loaded hospitals, but some are re-opening Coronavirus wards. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education

Israeli cabinet starts first state budget debate in three years

Published by Reuters By Steven Scheer JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli cabinet ministers on Sunday began debate on the 2021-2022 state budget, more than three years after the government last approved a fiscal spending package. Due to two years of political stalemate and four elections, Israel is using a pro-rated version of the 2019 state budget

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Middle East

Good News from Israel (August 1, 2021)

In the August 1, 2021 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include: 
–An Israeli device enables people without hands to operate electronic devices.
–Two Israeli families and one from the UAE exchange kidneys.
–Two Israeli airlines have begun scheduled services to Morocco.
–Israeli high-school students won 3 golds at Math Olympiad.
–At least two more new billion-dollar Israeli startups.
–A rare Sumatran orangutan went AWOL before giving birth at an Israeli safari park.
–Despite the pandemic, hundreds of new immigrants arrive in Israel. [Michael Ordman]

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Business & Finance, International, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, Travel and Food, USA

Azerbaijan Opens Trade Office in Israel

(JNS) Azerbaijan opened its first trade representation office in Tel Aviv, marking the central Asian country’s first official presence in Israel since the two countries established relations almost 30 years ago. Mikayil Jabbarov, Azerbaijan’s minister of economy, and Israeli Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov both cut the opening ribbon at the office on Thursday. Razvozov said

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Business & Finance, International, Middle East

Deborah Lipstadt Named to U.S. Antisemitism Post

Emory University professor and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt has been selected to serve as the next U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. Lipstadt is one of the world’s leading historians on antisemitism and is the author of the seminal book, Antisemitism: Here and Now. She has also served as a fellow at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and successfully faced down a lawsuit against notorious Holocaust denier David Irving. [ADL News Release]

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International, Middle East, USA

Former Israel ‘Hawk’ Tells of His Transformation to a ‘Dove’

It’s a well-worn political observation that “it took a Nixon to go to China,” meaning because President Richard M. Nixon was identified as a staunch conservative, he was trusted to go to mainland China and open a dialogue with that nation’s communist rulers, a dialogue that led to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two adversary countries. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East

Joe Lieberman: Lessons Learned from Menachem Begin’s Life

Winston Churchill once wrote, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to go.” I thought of those words recently after watching Upheaval, a new documentary film produced by the Hidden Light Institute in Denver about the life of Menachem Begin, Israel’s sixth Prime Minister. Begin’s public life ended almost three decades ago, but this film offers insights and lessons in leadership, civility, anti-Semitism and Israel that are surprisingly relevant today. [Joseph Lieberman]

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Jewish History, Middle East, USA

Israel minister to discuss Pegasus scandal in France visit

Published by The Bangkok Post JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz will meet his French counterpart in Paris this week for talks that will include an “update” on the Pegasus spyware scandal, his office said Tuesday. A ministry statement said Gantz will leave Wednesday for talks with French Defence Minister Florence Parly on topics including

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Middle East