COVID-19 In Israel: Much Ado About Everything: the infection rate reached an all time high this week, as the transmission rate nears 2. PM Bennett, citing senior health officials, announced that the rate may double as Israel reaches the peak of the Omicron variant wave. Yet, as the infection rate surges, green pass restrictions and travel bans to red countries are lifted, and the public is mostly confused. Following the long lines and hours long waits at state sponsored testing sites, the Ministry of Health announced that only people aged sixty years and older, vaccinated or not, will continue to have access to free PCR tests at designated public venues, while those who are vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 will have to purchase self-testing antigen kits.
The Ministry was also quick to announce quick antigen testing in schools, before reaching an agreement with Ministry of Education on how the testing will be conducted. Earlier this week, the government started providing the fourth booster jab for people over sixty and medical staff. Amidst public confusion and criticism of the government’s current approach to the current Omicron wave, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Idan Roll (Yesh Atid) was found positive for COVID-19, after he was spotted at a New Year’s Eve party with no mask on. Right wing politicians and media called on Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid, Chair of Yesh Atid, to fire Deputy Minister Roll, the same way he called for the dismissal of former Minister of Health Litzman, when he contracted COVID-19 after attending a mass indoor prayer meeting against government regulations.
Two Pilots Killed and One Survivor in Military Helicopter Crash: the helicopter crashed in the sea near Haifa, due to engine malfunction, an hour after it took off. Rapid response search and rescue teams reached the crash site and were able to find and rescue naval patrol officer Ron Birman, about 3 miles from the shore. The teams continued to search for the two pilots who were trapped in the helicopter and were found dead. The two were later named as Lt. Col. Erez Sachyani, father of three, and Maj. Chen Fogel.
As the public followed the news closely, two members of Knesset and one media outlet were quick to cite inaccurate and sensitive information, prior to the official statement from the IDF spokesperson, given only after the families of the deceased received the tragic news.
The mother of the surviving naval officer said, in a radio interview, that she and her husband were thankful for the miracle of their son’s survival.
A Crisis With Hamas Was Avoided When Israel Decided to Completely Accede to the Demands of a Palestinian Detainee: The Palestinian started a hunger strike over 140 days ago, while in administrative detention without trial, demanding Israel release him, or he will go all the way with his hunger strike until he dies. Hisham Abu Hawash from the West Bank was arrested in October 2020 for terrorist actions, but he was not put on trial and spent his time under administrative detention, a mechanism often used by Israel against Palestinians. Israel claims it doesn’t want to reveal it’s sources and force them to the witness stand, so they prefer to avoid a trial while detaining the subject.
Abu Hawash started a hunger strike to call on Israel not to renew the administrative detention that is due to end in February this year. After 141 days Israel gave in and promised to release him when he finishes the 180 day detention term. Doctors warned the authorities that his condition is deteriorating and that was the trigger to accede to his demands. Had he died it would have lit a fire all over the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) and Gaza with the accompanying rage against Israel. This was framed as a great victory for Hamas and Islamic Jihad over Israel, and their spokespersons said: “Israel understands only power”.
A Political Drama Occurred in the Knesset During a Legislation Session Led by the Coalition: The new law enables the connection of homes to the electrical power grid even if they are built without a permit. This piece of legislation was part of the political agreement with The United Arab List who joined the coalition. Many houses in the Israeli-Arab communities don’t have construction permits due to a complicated reality on the ground. So they are forced to connect to power without a suitable permit, and steal the power from the central electricity agency. This became widespread in the Arab communities in Israel and caused many accidents due to unfit and unsafe connections. To avoid this, the United Arab List demanded connection to the electricity grid of houses with no building permit.
The vote in the Knesset faced violent pushback from the opposition members who declined to participate in the process, and declared that vociferously. They accused PM Bennett and his government of surrendering to the Arab minority just to stay in power. The members of the opposition also freaked out when Arab members of Knesset started speaking Arabic on the stand.
When the law was passed Bennett came to the opposition section in the hall and started a vocal argument with his rivals who shouted at him: Shame! Shame! Shame!
Eventually he was taken away from the scene by other members of the coalition.
As of Next Week, Parenting via Surrogacy Made Possible for Gay Men and Transgender People and to all LGBT Community: Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) announced that starting next week, same-sex couples, single men and transgender people will be able to parent children through surrogacy in Israel. These new rules are designed to correct the ban in previous directives and rulings, that excluded gay single men, gay male couples, and transgender people from accessing surrogacy in Israel. They come after an eleven year legal battle initiated when a gay couple from Tel Aviv filed a petition in the matter to the High Court of Justice.
The new rules, which will come into effect January 11, were laid down in a directive formed by the Health Ministry director-general in line with a High Court of Justice ruling on the matter. They were presented during a press briefing by the minister. Rights groups were quick to commend the ministry for the new directives, while feminist and social justice activists stressed the need to consider the rights, physical and emotional wellbeing of low-income women who serve as surrogates.
For further reading:
Palestinian Prisoner: Here, here, here