Israel has dropped to #32 on the world’s list of most infected. As of today, according to https://ncov2019.live/data, Israel has 336,846 confirmed infections, that’s 36,623 per million, with 2,865 deaths, at 311 per million, with 10,232 active cases. 99 on ventilators.
However, while Israel has slipped down the chart over the past month, when daily infections fell from 15% of those tested, to less than 2%, the numbers seem to be rising once again. The daily infection rate has climbed to over 1,000 over the last several days. Nachum Ash, the new C-19 czar, has warned that the coronavirus is not going away. He was quoted on Ynetnews saying, “We are still in an emergency situation.”
Prof Shuki Shamir, immunologist at Assuta hospital, and a government advisor, told Razi Barkai of Galei Tzahal Army radio that a third lockdown is inevitable. Prof Shamir pointed out that 80% of the infections come from just 20% of the population. At present, the Israeli Arab community is suffering a high rate of infection, mainly due to the disregard for the health ministry’s regulations, holding large weddings where people mingle and dance without masks.
Prof. Shamir expects a rise in infections since Israel has mixed remote learning with opening up the grade schools and high schools, has opened outdoor stores and even opened 15 selected malls around the country. Prof. Shamir said the problem wasn’t really with the schools or malls but the gatherings at weddings, and parties. When asked by Barkai if enclosed malls wouldn’t be a breeding ground for the coronavirus, Prof. Shamir responded that if the malls were well ventilated, pointing out that many malls had recently installed better ventilators, and if the malls management controlled the numbers of people in the mall at any one time, and if the customers wore masks and didn’t crowd together in the stores, then the infection rate shouldn’t rise drastically.
Barkai then pointed out the Israeli well-deserved reputation for impatience, not wanting to wait in line, wanting to be social, and in general being rowdy. He mentioned a recent TV report with video of high school students dancing without masks. Prof. Shamir said that one of those students could infect 20 in that group, and then those twenty could infect their siblings, parents and grandparents and cause a real spike in the rate of infection.
Ido Bruno, CEO of the Israel Museum told Barkai that the museum would open on a limited basis and hoped the visitors to the museum would abide by the Health Ministry’s rules. Both agreed, though, that Israelis do have the unsavory reputation of not wanting to stand in line or abide by regulations.
Israel has also opened up tourists “islands” as they called the Dead Sea resort area and the southern resort town of Eilat. One hotel in the Dead Sea had to close when ten of the employees tested positive for C-19. The hotel was evacuated and throughly disinfected before being reopened. Staff at the hotels must all undergo frequent C-19 tests. Each visitor must provide a document showing they’d been tested and were negative for C-19.
On a positive note, Israel has ordered millions of vaccines from both Moderna and Pfizer. The first batch may arrive by the end of December and be given to medical staff and those over 65. Moderna’s chief medical officer, Tal Zaks, an Israeli, said in an interview in the Jerusalem Post that he hopes by spring the world would be in a much better place.”With enough vaccines,” said Zaks, we should put an end to this pandemic as we now experience it and get back to life as quickly as possible.” Pfizer’s CEO is Albert Bourla a Jewish/Greek business executive who was raised in Thessalonika, Greece and is still active in that Jewish community.
But there are those who still think the C-19 is a big bluff created to allow the politicians to have more power and control. “It is no worse than the flu,” said H, an ironmonger in the Modiin industrial zone. Mid 50’s, medium height, short grey hair with a knit skullcap, H stood in front of his small workshop in a line of workshops, smoking a cigarette. A mask was not to be seen, neither by him, nor by his neighbor, the auto electrician who stood beside a tall stack of car batteries. “It’s all BS,” said H.
On another scientific front, Israeli scientists think they’ve found a possible cure for cancer. According to Nathan Jeffay, writing in the Times of Israel, a team at Tel Aviv university claims they’ve used “microscopic scissors’ to “pinpoint and eliminate cancerous cells.” So far the team has had success with animals and hopes to begin human trials within 2 years. “This is the first study in the world to prove that the CRISPR genome editing system, which works by cutting DNA, can effectively be used to treat cancer in an animal,” said Prof. Dan Peer, a cancer expert from Tel Aviv University, after his peer-reviewed research was published in the Science Advances journal.
“There are no side effects, and we believe that a cancer cell treated in this way will never become active again.” He added: “This technology can extend the life expectancy of cancer patients and we hope, one day, cure the disease.” Dr. Peer thought that this technology could destroy a tumor within three treatments. “This technology can physically cut the DNA in cancerous cells, and those cells will not survive.”
Dr. Peer thought that in the near future there would be personalized treatments “based on genetic messengers” not only for cancer but for various genetic diseases.”
On the security front, Israel has refused to comment on a New York Times article claiming Israel’s responsibility for the assassination of Mohsen Kakhrizadeh, the “father” of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Kakhrizadeh was, according to Channel 12 news, “An irreplaceable source of knowledge. Channel 13 news said that Kakhrizadeh has been a target of Israel’s Mossad for several years. Kakhrizadeh, both a scientist and a brigadier general in the Islamic revolutionary guard, was gunned down as he drove with his wife through the resort town of Absard, outside of Tehran. Kakhrizadeh’s movements and personal life were so secretive even his age was not public knowledge.
According to reports in the Iranian press, a machine gun operated by remote control opened fire on Kakhrizadeh’s vehicle, followed by a car with security personnel assigned to guard him as it drove through an open stretch of road surrounded by agricultural fields. Perhaps as a diversion, a remotely controlled bomb exploded first in a truck as Kakhrizadeh drove past. The high-powered machine gun cut through the bullet-proof car. Kakhrizadeh fled the car following the explosion and was shot three times by the machine gun. Both he and his wife died in the attack. Some Iranian sources claim the machine gun was controlled by a satellite.
Iran said they would retaliate at the right time. Israeli security experts have said that Israeli embassies are now on high alert and warned that Israelis could be targets, especially as they visit the newly opened countries of UAE and Bahrain. The first flight to Bahrain took place on Dec 1 and flew over Saudi airspace.
In another attack, a convoy of Iranian weapons was attacked as it crossed from Iraq into Syria. Media reports that the Iranian commander of the operation was killed but the Iranians have not confirmed that story.
On the political front, PM Netanyahu is still witnessing protests against himself, now focused on his possible involvement in the “submarine” affair, where several of his associates are are already on trial for corruption in the purchase of billions of dollars of submarines and combat cruisers.
Also, the Israeli budget still hasn’t been passed even though the high court has demanded the government pass one. Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party will call for a vote of no-confidence on wednesday. Blue and White’s Benny Ganz has so far not said if he would support the vote. If he does then Netanyahu’s government falls. Some pundits say Netanyahu would like that as he could try to form a government that would vote for a bill granting him immunity from prosecution. Others say he would rather wait. Should the government fall, new elections could be held as early as March 2021. This would be the fourth election in less than two years.
