The Surfside Florida disaster continues to bring bad news. Tropical storm Elena is bearing down on Florida causing a suspension of all rescue activity. So far 24 bodies have been recovered with 124 still missing. Local authorities have decided that the remaining building still attached to the collapsed south tower must be demolished. Israel had sent a seasoned rescue team to the site to help find survivors. The leader of the Israeli team still hopes to find survivors. Many of the residents of the building were Jewish.
The cause of the collapse of the south tower is still unclear, although a weakened foundation on the 40-year-old building was exacerbated by work on the building’s roof that required significant force and banging, ostensibly weakening the structure. The underground parking lot was reportedly frequently flooded and the rebar embedded in the concrete supporting pillars was visible in many places. The building had been scheduled for multi-million dollar repairs but the final decision to implement the repairs had not been taken, according to media reports. Miami-Dade county also evacuated another aging building that showed signs of a possible collapse.
In Israel, the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 Delta variant continues to worry Israeli health authorities. As of now the daily numbers of those infected range from nearly 200 to over 300 people a day, and the numbers are still climbing. The number of infections, according to the Health Ministry reports, has risen 10 fold since June 18. Experts predict that unless the government takes immediate action, the daily caseload could rise to 1,000 within two weeks.
Hebrew University’s researchers have found that the Pfizer vaccine is 60-80% effective against the Delta variant, and is quite effective preventing serious illness. According to Health Ministry statistics many of the newly infected have received both doses of the vaccine but only 35 serious cases have been reported with 16 people on ventilators. Israel has seen 842,749 cases since the original outbreak over a year ago, with 6429 deaths. Currently, there are 2,455 active cases. Over five million Israelis have received two doses of the vaccine. Israel has also begun vaccinating teenagers aged 12-15.
The media reported that one end-of-the-school year party resulted in the infection of 55 students. Reportedly, the cause of the infection was an adult who had returned from London and infected one of his children who infected those at the party. Israel’s new prime minister Naftali Bennet has called on all eligible teenagers to get vaccinated in order to curb the rise in infections.
Outgoing Health Ministry director-general, Prof. Hezi Levi told Ynetnews, “There are many children who have not been administered vaccines and they can also infect others,…We also have around 200,000 adults who are unvaccinated.”
Levi also said that the country is not experiencing anything close to the numbers at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Most of the new patients…are exhibiting mild symptoms.” But Levi said there is a slow rise in serious cases. “We see three or four people suffering from serious symptoms every day.” Levi said that the Health Ministry is considering administering a booster shot in October for those at ‘high risk,’ like the elderly and infirm. Levi said that a third ‘booster’ shot may be administered to everyone early next year.
Israel now has a surplus of nearly 1 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, worth approximately $200 million, that are due to expire at the end of July. Israel is trying to sell those vaccines in exchange for fresh vaccines at a later date. So far, no country has agreed to buy Israel’s vaccines, including the Palestinian Authority, that has been using a small supply of the Russian ‘Sputnik’ vaccine.
Because of the rise in Covid-19 Delta variant cases, the Israel government has also imposed new health regulations, like wearing masks indoors, and is leaning towards even more restrictions, such as reimposing the requirement that the “green pass” proving a person has been fully inoculated be presented before entering public areas such as malls, sporting events, restaurants and theaters. More severe measures, like a lockdown and curfew, are not yet being considered due to the negative impact on the economy.
Travel to “red” countries is also forbidden with a 5,000 shekel ($1,500) fine imposed for anyone caught arriving from one of those countries. The government has also assigned a special team to Ben Gurion airport to insure that PCR (nasal swab) C-19 tests are carried out, and make certain that those who need to be quarantined follow the restrictions imposed upon them. Travelers who arrive in Israel may take a serology test that should it prove negative, allows them to forgo quarantine. The serology test results take approximately 24-hours.
Israel has again been attacked with incendiary balloons, causing fires in farmland along the Gaza border, and responded with Israel Air force attacks on missile launching sites and weapons factories. PM Bennett has said that the new rules are in place and he would respond forcefully to any attacks on Israel.
According to a report in the Palestinian Al-Quds daily newspaper, the UN will oversee the transfer of Qatari money to the cash-strapped Gaza strip The government of Qatar has transferred hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Gaza in recent years, but the money was all funneled through banks controlled by the Hamas terror organization, a move approved by the Netanyahu government. Previously, the transfer of money was distributed as $100 monthly payments to some 100,000 families in Gaza chosen by Hamas, the rest to pay government salaries.
PM Bennett has approved the new UN plan where the money is to be transferred to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Monetary Authority and not local banks in Gaza. Some of the money is reportedly to buy fuel. As of now Gaza has not had enough fuel to run generators and provide electricity to the 2 1/2 million residents for more than a few hours a day. Israel has accused Hamas of syphoning renovation funds to finance building attack tunnels under Gaza and pay for missiles used to attack Israel. No money has been transferred to Gaza by Qatar since May 21, 2021 when a cease-fire ended 11 days of Gaza fighting.
Israel and Hamas are currently negotiating the conditions to allow the shipment of material to rebuild the structures damaged in the recent fighting in exchange for the release of the bodies of Israeli soldiers who died either while prisoners of Hamas in Gaza or in battle. The negotiations are taking place in Cairo. Gaza is isolated, with the passage of goods from both Egypt and Israel closed due to the hostilities.
This week, Shlomit Barnea Farago, the Prime Minister’s office’s advisor on Legal Affairs, began an investigation into reports that renovations on former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private luxurious residence in Caesarea, costing approximately $15,000, were paid for out of state funds. It is unclear if the work was on a jacuzzi or a swimming pool. The Netanyahu’s lawyer sent a letter to Farago threatening to sue even though the Netanyahu’s themselves were not suspected of wrongdoing. Other media sources pointed out that Sarah Netanyahu had been indicted for fraud for using state funds to pay for private expenses and that Netanyahu is on trial for three felonies including accepting gifts in exchange for granting political favors.
Israel HaYom, usually a pro-Netanyahu newspaper, reported on three unnamed Likud MKs who were critical of Netanyahu. Netanyahu is currently the leader of the Likud and the opposition in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. However, according to the Israel HaYom report, former Finance Minister Yisrael Katz has said had Netanyahu stepped aside as leader of the Likud in the last election, he, Katz, could have put together a coalition to keep the Likud in power. Other critics of Netanyahu also say Netanyahu kept the Likud from winning the election. Nir Barakat, former may of Jerusalem and a Likud MK, said that he’d run for leadership of the Likud should Netanyahu step aside. And that he got some of his “considerations” wrong.
Still another unnamed Likud MK’s and former minister said Netanyahu’s problem “is he is not to be trusted. Another said, “He did not cultivate relationships, was not interested in personal lives..always acted with suspicion and a watchful eye on the actions and statements of his senior officials.” Yet another said, “all of a sudden he is trying to be nice…now he is trying to get back to the basic human relationships, whose absence brought him to the troubles he has today.” Another said, that with Netanyahu it was always “give and take.” But he only gave when he wanted something in return.
Former Prime Minister Netanyahu is due to leave the official Prime Minister’s residence, where he has lived for the last 12-years, on July 10th. Contrary to a previous agreement, Netanyahu continues to use the Prime Minister’s residence to greet foreign dignitaries. According to Channel 12 TV news, Prime Minister Bennett said that he plans to sleep four nights a week in the Prime Minister’s residence, and spend weekends with his wife and four children at their home in Ra’anana. That is, said one pundit, if Netanyahu ever vacates the Prime Minister’s residence
