VFI News November 10, 2020

Israel’s government is considering halting the gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions, with some senior officials now weighing new prohibitions, according to a report Sunday night.

The report cited senior Health Ministry officials who warned that a third nationwide lockdown may be imposed during the upcoming Hanukkah festival, which begins in December.

“The idea that we may need to impose a third lockdown during Hanukkah is not unfounded,” the sources were quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has reportedly asked experts to draw up plans for new restrictions, including nightly curfews which could be imposed across Israel.

Under the current exit strategy, Israel was to have entered the third stage of the gradual reduction of lockdown restrictions next week, with shopping malls and markets reopening, along with studies resuming for students in grades 11 and 12. (INN / VFI News)

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:5

Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, Head of Public Health Services, warned during a public address on Sunday against lifting restrictions too quickly that were imposed during the second lockdown.

“We need to get to a daily infection rate of less than 500 before we ease restrictions more,” she said, noting that the effect of opening schools to grades one-four and allowing one-on-one treatments from hairdressers and other professions last has not yet been seen but will show up in a week. She said she did not know when fifth and sixth grades would be allowed to go back to school.

Replying to a question from The Jerusalem Post about when stage three of the exit plan from the lockdown, which has been frozen, would continue, she said, “It isn’t frozen. That would mean we planned it and stopped.”

Alroy-Preis said that only once the morbidity goes down, further restrictions would be lifted. “It’s according to data on morbidity, not on dates... From the beginning, we never gave a date when stage three would take place.” (JPost / VFI News)

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. - Hebrews 12:11

Antibodies from a single llama that were analyzed in a Jerusalem lab could be replicated and help “millions” of coronavirus patients, scientists say.

Dina Schneidman-Duhovny of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has examined the qualities of dozens of antibodies from a llama called Wally and identified which would best fight the coronavirus in humans.

The best candidates have been tested in vitro by her US-based colleagues with live coronavirus and human cells, and appear to significantly reduce the virus’s ability to infect cells.

As the llama antibodies are much smaller than human antibodies — they are often dubbed “nanobodies” — they are simpler and cheaper to replicate artificially. Researchers say they would not need to be taken intravenously, unlike human antibodies, and could be dosed via an inhaler, which is already being developed for clinical testing. (TOI / VFI News)

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11

Seychelles announced Saturday that it has declared Israel a “green” country and will allow travelers from the country without the need for quarantine.

Following the announcement, Israel’s Arkia airline announced it would begin operating flights to the African island nation, a popular resort destination, from November 24.

Travelers will need to present a negative coronavirus test and sign a health declaration prior to flying out to the country.

As Europe faces a new wave of infections, Israel recently added Italy, Germany and Greece to the list of countries with high coronavirus infections from which travelers returning to Israel must quarantine for 14 days.

Other European countries going through renewed outbreaks are Latvia, Lithuania and Serbia, and they were similarly added to the list of so-called red countries, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry has urged travelers to check the requirements by their destination countries, specifically their policies for travelers coming from Israel. (TOI / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you protect those who travel—from all dangers, but especially the spread of the Coronavirus.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday morning congratulated Joe Biden after US news outlets declared him the winner of the election.

"Congratulations Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Joe, we’ve had a long & warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel. I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the U.S. and Israel," he tweeted.

Netanyahu also thanked Trump for his friendship and actions taken during his presidency.

"Thank you Donald Trump for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights." (INN / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you continue to bless Israel, and to look out for her welfare—no matter what the geopolitical landscape.”

The first flight carrying Israeli tourists to the United Arab Emirates landed Sunday in the city-state of Dubai, the latest sign of the normalization deal reached between the two nations.

FlyDubai flight No. FZ8194 landed at Dubai International Airport just after 5:40 P.M., bringing the tourists to the skyscraper-studded city after a roughly three-hour trip. The low-cost carrier had sent one of its Boeing 737s to Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv earlier Sunday morning to pick up the passengers.

The flight flew across Saudi Arabia and then over the waters of the Persian Gulf to reach the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms also home to Abu Dhabi.

The arrival of tourists comes as Dubai in particular tries to revive its vital tourism industry amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The UAE and Israel have agreed to launch regular commercial flights between their countries soon, while other recent flights have carried business and governmental delegations. (INN / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you bless this agreement—and continue working for peace and cooperation within the region.”

Unidentified gunmen killed at least 11 people and wounded 8 others including soldiers in an attack on an Iraqi army post in western Baghdad, police sources and medics said on Monday.

The assailants in four vehicles attacked the post in the city's Al-Radhwaniya district using grenades and automatic weapons, the sources said. The army and police forces have started an operation in search of the attackers, police sources said. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you find those responsible for organizing this attack, and that you bring them to justice.”

The US Treasury on Friday slapped sanctions on Lebanon’s former foreign minister and a leading Christian political ally of the Hezbollah terror group, singling him out for what it said was his role in corruption.

Gebran Bassil, a lawmaker who leads the largest bloc in parliament and a son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, has emerged as a major target of Lebanese protesters who thronged streets in an uprising last year over endemic corruption and state mismanagement.

The Treasury designation did not mention Bassil’s alliance or links to Hezbollah, but the sanctions targeting him appeared to be part of the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran and its allies in the region.

The United States has been sanctioning Hezbollah officials for years, and recently began targeting politicians close to the group. In September, the Treasury imposed sanctions on two former Lebanese cabinet ministers allied with the terror group in a strong message to Hezbollah and its allies who control majority seats in the parliament. (TOI / VFI News)

Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! - Psalm 106:3