VFI News March 23, 2021

All Israelis returning from abroad can be required to wear an electronic bracelet to ensure that they isolate at home, or be quarantined in a hotel, according to a bill approved by the Knesset on Wednesday.

The legislation gave the government authorization to force those who enter the country from abroad or from specific countries to choose between the two options, except for children under 14 and other special humanitarian cases.

All those currently entering the country are required to isolate unless they present a vaccination or a recovery certificate issued by the Israeli Health Ministry. Those who were inoculated or who recovered abroad can be released from the quarantine if they undergo a serological test to prove their level of antibodies. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you continue to bless the people of Israel with healing and increased freedoms as they return to normalcy.”

The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle-East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.

The High Court of Justice declared as unconstitutional on Wednesday the government’s limit of 3,000 people per day to enter Ben-Gurion Airport, which was imposed to minimize coronavirus transmission.

The High Court ruled that the restriction must end on Saturday, three days before the elections on Tuesday.

Thousands of Israelis have been unable to return to the country since the restrictions were imposed in late January. The restrictions also impacted Israelis wanting to return home to vote.

Israel’s coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash criticized the High Court’s ruling lifting the restrictions to allow Israelis to return to vote, saying it will increase COVID-19 morbidity rates and heighten the risk from dangerous variants of the virus. (JPost / VFI News)

There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own country. - Jeremiah 31:17

Iran will “cold test” its revamped Arak nuclear reactor as a prelude to its full inauguration later in the year, the country’s Atomic Energy Organization said on Friday, according to a report.

Cold testing of reactors usually includes the initial startup of fluid systems and support systems. The nuclear agency spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi said it will take place sometime early in the Iranian new year, which begins Sunday, the report said.

While Iran had agreed to shut down the reactor at the Arak facility under the 2015 deal, Tehran says it has been working on redesigning it for medical and agricultural use. (TOI / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you protect your people from the threat of nuclear war.”

The Iranian Khorgo underground ballistic missile site is almost operational after new launching positions were constructed, satellite images show.

Images taken by Maxar Technologies reveal four holes dug into the side of a mountain. Three of the shafts are hardened vertical launch positions in their final construction phase, according to a separate analysis done by the civilian intelligence group Intel Lab.

"Considering the geographic location as well as the existing topography, once this complex reaches full operational capability, it will not be an easy task to neutralize it by conventional means," said Chief Intel Lab Analyst Itay Bar-Lev. (Fox / VFI News)

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10

For the people of Bethlehem, Coronavirus has hit hard. Between travel restrictions, closures, and mounting bills—people have been hurting. But thanks to your heroic support, we were able to provide vital assistance to people in need this last Christmas—regardless of their background or religious affiliation.

Iceland has finally recognized Judaism as a religion. The process took over a year and, despite being home to a small Jewish community, Iceland has never before acknowledged the religion. Recognition was finally awarded on March 8.

The country has only one rabbi, Avi Feldman, who initiated the Chabad Lubavitch of Iceland in 2018. Feldman and the community members have worked hard to gain Iceland's formal approval of their presence.

“For Iceland to formally recognize the world’s oldest religion is in itself very significant,” Feldman explained.

The decision is so significant because it allows Jews to pay taxes towards their own religious institutions. Jewish marriages, baby-naming, and funerals will also be accepted by civil law. (JPost / VFI News)

Therefore, if anyone is in Yeshua, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Palestinian Authority television allegedly repeatedly broadcasted an educational series in early March highlighting the outdated 1964 Palestine Liberation Organization Charter that explicitly calls for the destruction of Israel, as reported by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) on Wednesday.

The broadcast did not make any mention of important amendments made in 1993 and 1995 that recognized Jewish connections to the land, in addition to forming the basis of acceptance of a two-state solution.

Rather, the television broadcast included a slide referring to Clause 16 of the charter, which calls for “the liberation of Palestine, from an international perspective, [as] a defensive operation necessitated by self-defense, as determined by the UN Charter.” (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you sow peace and understanding—rather than war and division—in the hearts of those who would oppose your work.”

On a day that saw the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) unveil the first Bible scroll fragments found in decades and numerous other dazzling artifacts from the “Cave of Horror” above the Dead Sea — including a huge 10,500-year-old complete woven basket, the oldest in the world — perhaps the most extraordinary news is that there are another 20 promising caves, holding untold potential treasures, that have yet to be excavated.

That means the dozens of fragments shown to the public on Tuesday could mark the beginning of an exciting new era of discovery, 60 years after the last major scroll finds.

Since 2017, the IAA has spearheaded an ambitious survey of some 500 caves in the Judean Desert in an unprecedentedly wide-ranging and physically daring operation involving rappelling down rockfaces and setting up work camps on sheer cliffs. (TOI / VFI News)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. - 2 Timothy 3:16

A perfectly preserved large woven basket dating back some 10,500 years was unearthed in the Judean Desert, the Antiquities Authority announced Tuesday.

Experts believe the artifact is probably the oldest of its kind ever uncovered. It was excavated in a Judean Desert cave by the IAA in cooperation with the Civil Administration’s Archaeology Department.

“This is the most exciting discovery that I have encountered in my life,” Dr. Haim Cohen said during a press briefing at the IAA lab in Jerusalem.

Materials from four different parts of the basket were analyzed to date it. The researchers concluded that the object was manufactured around 10,500 years ago during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period. (JPost / VFI News)