You Decide

 

In Israel, the budget crises is over, temporarily. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz refused to buckle under the pressure put upon him by PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who threatened to call new elections, the fourth within two years, if Gantz did not agree to terms demanded by Netanyahu’s Likud party. (In Israel, the government must approve a budget by a certain date, in this case it was Aug 25, 2020, or the government automatically dissolved and new elections had to be called.)

In the coalition agreement Gantz and Netanyahu signed only a few months ago, the two parties agreed that a two-year budget would be passed. Pundits say that Netanyahu then pushed for only a one-year budget, thus keeping open the negotiations for the 2021 budget so that Netanyahu could later demand concessions before agreeing to that budget or he’d call new elections. Gantz pointed out that the two parties had a signed agreement. Netanyahu ignored him.

Moreover, Netanyahu had other terms he wanted Gantz to agree to before he’d vote in favor of a budget. Netanyahu reportedly wanted his Likud party to control the committees that appointed judges and the top police officials. Critics said this was akin to letting the fox guard the hen house. Netanyahu has been indicted on three felony charges and is currently on trial. By appointing judges and police, pundits say Netanyahu was maneuvering to have the investigation into his felony charges reopened, and perhaps even dismissed.

Again, Gantz refused to agree. Then Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition in Israel’s 120 seat Knesset, proposed a bill to demand that any Prime Minister who had been indicted must step down. In the coalition agreement signed between Gantz and Netanyahu, Gantz had agreed not to vote for such a bill should it be proposed. And indeed he did not. Gantz knew that if he’d voted for the bill the Likud would have cited his breaking the terms of the agreement and called new elections. Gantz said he was a patriot and had ‘fallen on the grenade’ when he’d joined this coalition in order to prevent new elections and to stage a united front in the fight against COVID-19. Observers agreed. Gantz may have been a political neophyte but he was a patriot. And a mench.

Then came the UAE agreement. Analysts say it was no coincidence that the announcement came as the Republican National Convention was about to begin. US President Trump called this a great historic achievement with more to come. Netanyahu boasted the same thing. Again, no coincidence since Netanyahu was playing a game of brinksmanship with his coalition partner Benny Gantz.

Then, the media was buzzing with reports that Netanyahu had not informed Gantz, the Defense Minister and alternate Prime Minister, nor Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel’s Foreign Minister, of the impending agreement with the UAE. Nor had Netanyahu informed his coalition partners of one of the hidden terms of the normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates: the Israeli approval for the US to sell F-35 warplanes, the most advanced fighter-jets in the world, to the UAE.

Defense Minister, and alternate Prime Minister, Gantz objected. “Not a button of the plane will be sold,” he told the media. According to analysts, the USA had brokered the deal with the UAE using the F-35s as an inticement. One commentator complained that Netanyahu had already approved the sale of advanced submarines to Egypt and that by selling the F-35s he was putting Israel’s security at risk.

There was also rumors that Netanyahu might have received a thoroughly disguised kickback for the sale of the submarines. And that he might still be caught in the net of the submarine scandal that caught other Israelis taking bribes for the multi-billion dollar purchase of the subs from Germany.

Following the initial UAE agreement Netanyahu’s numbers nudged up slightly in the polls. But the fallout over the sale of the F-35s and the UAE’s complaining they would cancel any meetings with Israeli officials if the sale were canceled dented Netanyahu’s standing. Polls showed the Likud had dropped down to 30 seats. Not as bad as Blue and White. Since their split with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, Blue and White had dropped down to only 12 seats. Netanyahu’s popularity had also dropped. Over 60 percent of the people polled by Channel 13 news thought he wasn’t doing a good job managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Commentators blasted Netanyahu for putting his own “petty political demands” above the needs of the country. Others were more forthcoming, they claimed all Netanyahu wanted to do was stay out of jail. Appointing judges and a police chief, or calling new elections so he could appoint new ministers to key positions, were all aimed at keeping him in his seat, and not behind bars.

The nightly protests against Netanyahu, calling him the “Crime Minister,” didn’t do him any good either. The crowds frequently passed the 10,000 protester mark. Police violence against the protesters was also on the rise with critics questioning if the police were acting on orders of Netanyahu. Slowly, between the protests, the rise in COVID-19 cases, the tricky manuevers in the UAE deal, the stink seemed to be catching up to Netanyahu.

Zvi Hauser, a right-wing politician of the Israel Resilience party, sought a compromise on the budget to prevent new elections. Hauser proposed a 100 day postponement on the budget vote giving the sides time to reach an agreement. Netanayahu ignored the compromise and kept demanding terms, like approval of judges and chief of police, that Gantz kept refusing to agree to. The clock was ticking. Nightly news reports counted down the days until the budget deadline was reached and new elections were automatically called.

On the evening of Aug 24, 2020, with only hours to go before new elections were automatically called, Gantz called a press conference. The commentators expected him to announce he wasn’t going to vote for the budget extension along with his withdrawal from the government that would force new elections.

Netanyahu, according to analysts, was worried. Netanyahu’s right-wing rivals, Neftali Bennet’s Yamina party now with16 seats, and Lapid’s Yesh Atid with 17 seats, were draining away Netanyahu’s support. Pundits believed Netanyahu was bluffing and wouldn’t call new elections, fearing the results.

Gantz scheduled his TV appearance to coincide with the nightly news. But and hour before Gantz was scheduled to appear Netanyahu made a surprise TV appearance. In a hastily called press conference Netanyahu blinked. He went on TV and said he’d never wanted to appoint judges or the chief of police, calling that an “urban legend.” And that he did not want new elections. And that he’d vote in favor of extending the budget deadline.One commentator said that the public “No longer believed a word” Netanyahu said.

 

TV commentators were excitedly saying that Netanyahu had tried to pull the rug out from under Gantz’s feet. When Gantz did finally make his appearance he gave a moving speech, critics said one of his best, telling the viewers he was a patriot and interested in the country’s welfare not his own, unlike Netanyahu, and would therefore vote for the budget vote postponement. What was clear after the speech was that the two coalition partners were like an unhappy couple ready to meet with the divorce lawyers. 

 

It was also no coincidence that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew into Israel as the RNC (Republican National Convention) began. More headlines favorable to the Trump administration were expected. Pompeo met with Netanyahu and announced he was flying to other countries in the Middle East to try to get them to normalize ties with Israel. Then Pompeo made a speech supporting President Trump. From Jerusalem. This, according to sources, in opposition to orders he’d issued to US Ambassadors not to make political statements during the conventions. Some questioned if he’d broken the law.

 

Israel is now 29^th in the world with the number of COVID-19 cases, more than China. The USA is #1.

 

Israel’s Corona Czar Ronni Gamzo is fighting to keep the numbers down. So far, Israel has nearly 900 deaths, about 90 per million, but the USA has over 800,00 deaths, about 550 per million. Israel has nearly 110,000 cases, @11,600 per million. The USA has nearly 6,000,000 cases with nearly 18,000 per million. Neither country is a shining example of how to fight COVID-19.

With the Jewish High Holidays on the horizon, health officials worry about another outbreak. Synagogues have proven to be a danger zone for the spread of COVID-19. So are Yeshivot, Jewish religious seminaries, where the rule of thumb is two young men sitting side by side with their copies of Talmud open before them, arguing the finer points of the meaning of sentences and interpretation of commentaries.

Moreover, the annual pilgrimage of Breslov Hassidim to Oman, in the Ukraine, to pray at the site, or in the area, where the great sage Reb Nachman of Breslov is buried. The annual pilgrimage sees upwards of 50,000 men go to the town that has more a county fair atmosphere than that of a somber religious gathering. Israel’s Corona Czar Gamzo has implored the Ukrainian government to forbid Israelis into the country for the high holidays fearing the outbreak of COVID-19 upon their return to Israel.

Beyond the political and health drama, there’s the security issue. Hamas has been sending rockets as well as helium balloons dangling explosives into Israel. Nearly 30 fires have been caused so far when the balloons land, burning Israeli farmers’ fields to the ground. Rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza have hit homes in Sderot. Hamas uses these attacks as leverage to get money from Qatar and the Arab countries. A Qatar emissary landed in Gaza yesterday with $30 million in cash to prop up the Hamas government. Pundits expect this “protection money” to quell the Hamas attacks.

To make matters even worse, a COVID-19 outbreak has been reported in Gaza, a small land mass with nearly 2 million tightly packed residents.

What makes a dictator? How many are there today in the world? The most famous, who hide behind a thin veil of democracy, are obvious: Russia’s Putin, Turkey’s Erdogan, N. Korea’s Kim Jong-un, China’s Xi Jinping, Syria’s Bashir Assad. But what of the wannabe dictators? Those who, given the chance, will do what they want, serve their own interests, ignore the needs of the population, all in order to feed their own egos and garner power at any cost, by any means. Which are more dangerous, those who are already dictators, or those who have ambitions to copy those already in power, and use whatever tools they can to get there?

With the RNC about to chose a candidate, and Israel struggling to get a stable government to fight the pandemic and Israel’s enemies, what is needed, say the pundits, are leaders who put the good of the world and their country first. And, as labor organizer Saul Alinsky once said, “The essence of any choice is in its alternatives.” It will be interesting to see if the populations chose a leader with a moral compass. Or just one who has the most patronage votes to pass out. Or one who dangles conspiracy theories to incite the fanatics. Some of the options are good. Others, well… you decide.

Correction: The Emirates Do Have Oil

 Of the emirates, Abu Dhabi has most of the oil with 92 billion barrels (14.6×10⁹ m³) while Dubai has 4 billion barrels (640×10⁶ m³) and Sharjah has 1.5 billion barrels (240×10⁶ m³). Most of the oil is in the Zakum field which is the third largest in the Middle East with an estimated 66 billion barrels (10.5×10⁹ m³).

Historic Deal Fills A Vacuum

 The surprising announcement on Thursday that Israel and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) have begun discussing normalization came as no surprise to a few people. One was billionaire Haim Saban, a former Israeli now US media mogul (Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles, etc.). Reportedly, Saban, who has business interests in the UAE, has been secretly working on the deal for over a year. 

Another was Mossad chief Yossi Cohen. In June, Cohen began secretly commuting to Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, to bring about the normalization talks.

This deal, called historic, allowed Netanyahu to "climb down from the annexation tree," according to veteran military analyst Ron Ben Yishai, writing in Yideot Achranot, Israel's most-read newspaper. 

Ben Yishai credits Blue and White's leaders, Defense Minister and alternate PM Benny Gantz, and Foreign Minister Gaby Ashkenazi, for pushing U.S. President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to stop Netanyahu from going ahead with his plan to annex parts of the West Bank. Kushner was at logger-heads with David Friedman, U.S.Ambassador to Israel, a staunch supporter of the Israeli settlement movement and a force pushing for annexation.  

However, according to Israel Radio's Reshet Bet, neither Gantz nor Ashkenazi were informed of the deal until they heard about it when U.S. President Trump announced it on television. Israel's PM Netanyahu said that the deal was brokered with very tight security. Some pundits viewed this remark as a slap at Gantz who, during the last election, was accused by Netanyahu of being blackmailed by Iran over information gleaned by hacking his personal mobile phone. An accusation Gantz vehemently denied.

Starting in June, Mossad head Cohen began commuting to Abu Dhabi, just when Israel's PM was still pushing hard for annexation. But, according to Saban, the negotiations with the UAE were contingent upon Netanyahu giving up annexation.  While Netanyahu says that the annexation is still on the table Saban says, in a report on Ynetnews, "Netanyahu is dreaming." 

The UAE agreement also allowed Netanyahu to increase his standing with the Israeli public and the world.  The agreement "...substantially improves Israel's international and strategic standing, opens promising economic and scientific possibilities and advances its regional legitimacy among Muslim Arab nation in the heart of the Muslim Middle East," wrote Ben Yishai.

One of the reasons for the breakthrough, Ben Yishai wrote, was a vacuum caused by US troop withdrawals from the Middle East. "As Trump keeps pushing to reduce military presence in the Middle East, the UAE finds Israel to be a powerful ally in their battle against Iran's imperialist aspirations..."  

However, Ben Yishai warns, "...when signed, the agreement will have two distinct opponents attempting to undermine it in any way possible, including terror and cyber attacks." He writes that Iran needs Abu Dhabi's port for secret oil trade and international commerce. That's one enemy. The other is the Palestinians,  who have called the agreement a 'stab in the back.' According to Ben Yishai, the Palestinians "...will be trying to block more Muslim nations from joining the initiative by any means at their disposal."

According to the Times of Israel, PA President Mahmoud Abbas called an emergency meeting in response to the agreement, while the PA recalled its ambassador to the UAE in protest over the deal.“The Palestinian leadership rejects the actions of the Emirati government, considering it to be a betrayal of the Palestinian people and Jerusalem and al-Aqsa,” PA spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement read aloud on Palestine TV. Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad also denounced the agreement, which was mediated by the United States.

Iran has publicly come out against the agreement. "The UAE will be engulfed in Zionist flames," said an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman. Turkey, an Iranian ally, has also condemned the agreement.

However, Raphael Ahren, writing in the Times of Israel, says that this deal shows that peace with Arab states are possible without settling the Palestinian conflict. And a headline in Ynetnews stressed that "the historic deal delivers a key foreign policy victory to Trump as he seeks reelection and reflects changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for Palestinians."

The UAE is a country of 9 million made up of 7 emirates, (Fujairah, Sharaj, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain) with Abu Dhabi as the capital.According to Wikipedia, the UAE is "On the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the East and Saudi Arabia to the South and West, as well as sharing maritime borders with Qatar to the west and Iran to the North. Tourism, trade and port facilities are the UAE's main sources of income, not oil." Also, according to Wikipedia, the UAE is one of the top 10 wealthiest countries in the world, and Abu Dhabi is 28% cheaper to live in than New York City. 

The religion practiced in the UAE is Sunni Muslim. But liberal, according to an Israeli tour operator with offices in Abu Dhabi. He said on Israel radio's Reshet Bet that there are approximately 300 to 500 Jews in Abu Dhabi, and even a Chabad synagogue. Should the deal be signed, Israelis will be able to visit the UAE and residents of the UAE will be able to visit Israel and pray at the Al Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem.

According to Ben Yishai, "Abu Dhabi also has one of the most effective military presence in the region, after Iran and the USA." The Abu Dhabi army is lead by an Australian general. "It is the U.S. weakness and the president's inconsistent policies that have brought Israel and the UAE to agree on establishing relations..." 

Ben Yishai wrote that, "Israel has been invited to fill the military vacuum left by the US withdrawal from the region. Israeli military technology and advanced weapons systems could be supplied to mitigate Iranian military superiority." However, Ben Yishai says that neither foot soldiers nor gunships will be sent to defend the UAE.

To follow up on the breakthrough announcement, an Israeli delegation is to leave for Abu Dhabi next week to organize the official meeting between Israel and the UAE that is scheduled for three weeks from now. Other Arab countries in the region, like Bahrain and Oman, are expected to follow the UAE lead.

But the historic breakthrough is apparently not what's top of Netanyahu's list. According to Ynet news reporter Moran Azulai, not the peace treaty, not corona, not the protests against him worry Netanyahu. Top of Netanyahu's list is his upcoming trial.  Azulai wrote that Netanyahu and his Likud cohorts are doing their best to unseat Minister of Justice Avi Nissenkorn, of the Blue and White party. As of now, Nissenkorn has the responsibility and authority to appoint the panel that selects judges and other police officials. If Nissenkorn can be pushed out, then a Likud supporter could take his place and advance legislation that would reopen the case against Netanyahu and delay his trial, or cancel it entirely. As one Likud activist said, not likely, but stranger things have happened.

Reportedly, Netanyahu is working angles in negotiations with Blue and White's leader Benny Gantz to oust Nissenkorn. What exactly Netanyahu has offered Gantz has not yet been made public. Gantz seems to honestly be a patriot who puts his country first, contrary to Netanyahu who, according to critics, puts himself first. Gantz has repeatedly given in to Netanyahu in order to prevent new elections and focus on the fight against the C-19 sweeping the country.

Israel has now surpassed China with those infected. Israel's number now stands at over 90,000 with nearly 700 deaths. Israel is 30th in the list of countries infected. China is 32nd with 84,786 and 4,634 deaths, according to Ncovid2019.live ( https://ncov2019.live/ ) Israel's Covid-19 Czar Prof. Ronni Gamzo,has said Israel is now the per capita infection leader.

The good news is that an effective vaccines seems to be on the horizon. An Israeli health ministry source says that he expects a vaccine to be available by the fall. In Israel, Hadassah hospital gave three people a new drug made from antibodies from people who had had corona virus; they are all now home after ‘astonishing’ recovery, according to Zev Rosenstein, head of the hospital.

Rosenstein said that he reached out to the ultra-Orthodox community for blood samples since that community was highly infected. Using these blood samples, in cooperation with the biotech firm Kamada, the Hadassah antibody was produced with positive results.

Russia has also claimed to have an effective vaccine but one that has not yet gone through all the tests. Rosenstein said Hadassah is involved in the Russian testing. Iran also claims to have a vaccine nearly ready for use.

Meanwhile, fresh Israel Ministry of Health restrictions went into effect Tuesday morning that continue to cap gatherings at 20 people outdoors and 10 indoors, limit cars to three (non-family) passengers at a time, and limit businesses to one customer on the premises for every seven square meters (75 square feet) of space.

Businesses are prohibited from serving customers who are not wearing masks, must take the temperature of those who ask to enter the premises, and must post signs detailing appropriate behavior. Shared eating spaces in open-air markets and in shopping malls will be closed. Deliveries must be left outside recipients’ doors.

In practice, not everyone wears a mask, keeps social distance, or is limited in bars and restaurants. Last week the leader of Belz Hasidim held a wedding for his grandson attended by nearly a thousand people with no masks and no social distancing. Four people at the event were fined 5,000 shekels. The police reportedly stood by and watched and did not interfere. The Rebbe, Yissachar Dov Rokeach, the fifth Belz Rebbe, is known to eschew the regulations and even attend prayers at the Western Wall with his entourage all without a mask.

As anywhere in the world, some stores check temperatures, others don't Some people wear masks properly, others use them as necklaces. The virus cares little and strikes where it can. As Jeff Goldblum said in Jarrasic Park, "Nature finds a way." New research posits that the virus is essentially a fat molecule covered with spike. Soap dissolves the fat, so does bleach or alcohol. Fighting nature is also a tactic. Ignoring nature seems to be perilous. One pundit said, "Someone should tell the Belzer Rebbe that."

There is still a debate if schools will reopen on Sept 1, 2020. And if they do, in what format. But the Health Ministry announced that Israelis could now travel abroad to certain parts of certain countries without a quarantine. Listed among the countries are Greece, Bulgaria, Moldavia, and Croatia. Greece has limited the Israelis to 600 people a week. One analysts said it would be brave, young, or desperate souls who would get on that plane. Reportedly, each Israeli will be thoroughly examined upon arrival for a hint of Covid-19.

Israeli health workers are threatening to strike because of the enormous load they have to undertake during a day that sometimes stretches into 20 hour shifts. Lab workers are threatening to strike because of long hours and short staffs. The Israel Finance Ministry has so far ignored the lab worker requests for more staff and equipment. Teachers are also threatening to strike since the regulations under discussion call for classes limited to 18, and those in pods of five, rather than the normal 30-40 per Israeli classroom. As part of the fight against Covid-19, the Minister of Defense, Benny Gantz, has called up another 3,000 reserve soldiers to help with following up on those infected. This brings the number to those reservists called up to 6,000.

The new Israel budget has still not been passed and on Aug 25th if the budget has still not been passed, the government automatically falls and new elections are called. A bill to extend the budget deadline by three months passed its first reading this week, but it is unclear if Netanyahu will allow the bill to pass or go right to new elections. According to Moran Azulai of Ynet, Netanyahu might well allow the government to fall in hopes of getting a new Minister of Justice who will postpone or cancel his trial.

A bill submitted this week by Yesh Atid/Telem's Yair Lapid to remove Netanyahu from office because of the three felonies he is facing in court did not pass. Blue and White stayed away from the vote. Benny Gantz had a good excuse. He was in the hospital have back surgery. 

But, does that mean Netanyahu can ride out these protests, use the historic agreement to keep outfoxing his opponents and enemies and stay in power? As the Likud activist said about Nissenkorn's ouster, not likely, but stranger things have happened.

While the historic breakthrough with the UAE continues to resonate through the Israeli media it is barely mentioned in the foreign press, certainly not as a blaring front page headline. The question is, though, with the weekend approaching, if this breakthrough will take the wind out of the nearly daily protests outside of PM Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence on Balfour street? Or if this Saturday night the thousands will still be out there calling for his removal for his poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the nearly one-million unemployed?

 

A Few Things About The Blast in Beirut

A few things about the tragedy in Beirut.

1.) The 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate, a volatile dangerous chemical also used in fertilizer, that was stored in the Beirut port warehouse, had been, according to Israel media reports, owned by a Russian company that went bankrupt in 2014.

2.) Ammonium nitrate is used to prepare bombs. For example, according to Wikipedia, "Timothy James McVeigh was an American domestic terrorist who carried out the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people and injured more than 680 others, and destroyed one third of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building." Some observers speculate that the warehouse was used as a storage facility by Hezbollah, the terrorist organization based in Lebanon.

3.) Several Lebanese port authority workers have been arrested on suspicion of corruption in allowing the dangerous chemical to sit in the warehouse for six years.

4.) Critics are now questioning if Hezbollah was using the warehouse to store the material until they needed it and wonder speculate that the terrorist organization has many other sites within the city storing weapons, missiles and other explosives.

5.) Port inspectors warned authorities months ago that the ammonium nitrate in the warehouse was extremely dangerous and could wipe out Beirut if it exploded. In fact, as of now, nearly 150 people have been reported as deceased, nearly 5,000 wounded, and over 200,000 displaced from their homes. it is estimated that half of Beirut was indeed destroyed.

6.) Was there a correlation between a Lebanese court order placing the chemicals in the port and leaving it there and the Hezbollah terrorist organization? And more, was there a connection between Hezbollah and Russia other than the fact that the former owner of the material was Russian?

These and other questions will be raised and perhaps even answered. Although, given the corruption rampant in Lebanon and the fact Hezbollah is a legitimate member of the Lebanese government, the real culprits responsible for the blast may never be found, just as the perpetrators of the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Harrari was never solved.

7.) According to CNN, " It's still not exactly clear what led to the ignition that wiped out entire streets, but questions swirled Wednesday over whether the authorities had failed to act on warning signs."

8.) Israel has vehemently denied any connection to the explosion. Foreign Minister Ashkenazi said on Israel TV Channel 12 that Israel would never have blown up that warehouse in the midst of an urban population. Other commentators said that when Israel did bomb Beirut during the last war in Lebanon it was in retaliation for thousands of missiles Hezbollah rained upon Israel. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai had the Tel Aviv city hall decorated with lights that formed a Lebanese flag. Israel also offered aid in any form necessary to help with the Lebanese relief effort.

Just so you know. A few facts about pandemics

Just so you know:

While the global pandemic of 1918 lasted for two years, a significant number of deaths were packed into three especially cruel months in the fall of 1918.

Historians now believe that the fatal severity of the Spanish flu's “second wave” was caused by a mutated virus spread by wartime troop movements.

Also, Spanish flu struck the 20-40 age group. And 65 years and older. Some analyses have shown the virus to be particularly deadly because it triggers a cytokine storm, which ravages the stronger immune system of young adults.

It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States. Most in a two-month period starting in September 2018.

There was no vaccine to protect against influenza infection and no antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections that can be associated with influenza infections. People were asked to avoid public transportation and walk to work. Stores closed early.

(25 million died of the Black Plague that lingered on for centuries for the 1300's through the early 1900's.Vladamir Haffkine, a Jewish physician, discovered the vaccine for the black plague in 1905.)

According to Wikipedia, the 2009 swine flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic that lasted for about 19 months, from January 2009 to August 2010, and was the second of two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus (the first being the 1918–1920 Spanish flu pandemic).

This virus appeared to be a new strain of H1N1, which resulted from a previous triple reassortment of bird, swine, and human flu viruses

further combined with a Eurasian pig flu virus,[11] leading to the term "swine flu".[12]

The number of lab-confirmed deaths from the Swine Flu reported to the WHO is 18,449,[8] though this 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic is estimated to have actually caused about 284,000 (range from 150,000 to 575,000) deaths.[14]

A follow-up study done in September 2010 showed that the risk of serious illness resulting from the 2009 H1N1 flu was no higher than that of the yearly seasonal flu.[15

The WHO estimates that 250,000 to 500,000 people die of seasonal flu annually.[10]

So far, according to https://ncov2019.live/, as of Aug 2, 2020,  COVID-19 total confirmed cases 18,025,812; total critical cases 68,752; total deceased 688,961,

total active cases 6,040,669, total recovered 11, 127, 455.