By David Israel, JEWISH PRESS

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday night tweeted: “I want to share with you the most important thing we’ve learned from the information that flows to us from the field and from all over the world: the deadliest connection is probably between old and young people. By no means – do you get physically close to your grandparents!”

According to Bennett, while thousands of young Israelis may not show any symptoms despite being carriers of the coronavirus, when they come in contact with the elderly, they infect them. Bennett said that 20% of elderly people who contract the coronavirus die. Read more…

Second Major European Country Enters Total Quarantine

By Erin Coates, WESTERN JOURNAL

Spain will declare a nationwide lockdown Saturday as Europe is identified as the new epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic amid declining numbers of new cases in Asia.

Starting Monday morning, people will be required to remain at home unless they are buying food, going to work, taking care of elderly relatives, or traveling for similar reasons, El Mundo reported. Leaving the home for leisure activities will be strictly prohibited.

According to the Spanish Health Ministry, cases of coronavirus have jumped over 35 percent, reaching 5,753 on Saturday while the death toll rose to 136.

Some restrictions on travel in Spain are already been in place, with many airlines canceling flights or turning around mid-flight, Bloomberg reported.
Read more…

Since the explosion of coronavirus cases in Wuhan, the Chinese government drastically cracked down to stop the spread of the potentially fatal virus. But what about just prior to that?

By EMILY SCHRADER, JPOST MARCH 15, 2020 22:17

A WORKER SPRAYS disinfectant in Sea World, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday. (photo credit: AJENG DINAR ULFIANA/REUTERS)

As the coronavirus rapidly spreads, many countries are looking to China as an example of the drastically needed measures to get the virus under control. Meanwhile, China is busy deflecting blame in a desperate PR attempt to save face. China is no role model for any state to emulate, and the country should be held accountable for its role in the spread of the virus.

From the beginning of the outbreak in Wuhan, I’ve been in favor of drastic government measures as a preventive step to slow the spread of the virus. I still believe that shutting down schools and public places and limiting all forms of travel and social activity are the best possible measures. However, I am hesitant to look to China for any guidance given its appalling human rights record and well-documented dishonesty with the international community.

The first problem with looking to China as an example is that we are taking its word that the country has the virus under control. That is a massive assumption given the Chinese government’s history of covering up all manner of abuses and scandals.
Read more…

By David Wurmser, CSP

Last night, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin formally handed the mandate to form a government to Benny Gantz and the Blue-White party.

He had no choice, since the United List (Arab and strongly anti-Zionist) said they would support a minority Gantz government, as did Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party.

Together, those factions all add up to 61-62 seats, and because of that, President Rivlin had no choice but to hand Gantz the mandate to form a government led by the Blue-White party.

But Gantz will fail to form such a narrow government. The 61-seat number is based on the leaders of the parties committing to extend support to the Blue-White party in the Knesset vote to establish a government.  However, that does not mean the rank and file will follow.

Read more…

By Caroline Glick, ISRAEL HAYOM

MK Ofer Shelah from the Blue and White party is the architect of his party’s current efforts to form a government with the support of Joint Arab List. If Shelah succeeds, he will have formed a radical, post-Zionist minority government entirely dependent on 15 Arab lawmakers, who reject Israel’s right to exist, just to stay afloat.

As Shelah blazed forward in his efforts, political philosopher Yoram Hazony recalled an earlier bid by Shelah to force the public to accept post-Zionist positions hostile to the very right of the Jewish people to self-determination.

In February 2001, the Yitzhak Rabin Center convened a meeting of Israel’s elites from across the political spectrum to compose a document that would set out the Jewish goals of the State of Israel. The meetings led to the drafting of the Kinneret Charter, which in later years served as the basis for the 2018 Basic Law: Israel, the Nation-State of the Jewish People.
Read more…

Various steps may be necessary to “flatten the curve,” but they cannot flatten Israel and its social fabric along the way.

By Hagai Levine, ISRAEL HAYOM

When a person or animal is in danger or experiences extreme stress, the sympathetic system kicks into gear and adrenaline is released for immediate action, while increasing panic. Overreacting can lead to stagnation, complete paralysis, and avoiding proper preparation to counter the threat. In a state of prolonged danger, the best way to deal with the threat is to alleviate panic and make plans based on the data.

We must all understand that overreacting and panic may be more dangerous than the public health risk the coronavirus itself poses – and it is already clear that it does not pose an existential threat to humanity or to Israel. Therefore, decision-makers must act to reduce public panic and encourage an appropriate response to the situation.

There is such a thing as a public health doctrine on how to manage a public health crisis and communicate it to the public in such a way that encourages vigilance and proper response while preventing overreaction and panic. For example, dramatic press conferences should be avoided, as should the rollout of media alerts about every case and the posting of alarming videos about the dispersion of saliva droplets.  This only stirs up panic and does nothing to foster a proportionate response in the public. Read more…

Two experts say we should prioritize those at risk from COVID-19 than to try to contain the uncontainable

Testing and tracking down contacts is ultimately futile for this virus, as it devotes enormous resources to finding cases that are largely mild and spontaneously resolving

By Dr. Neil Rau and Dr. Susan Richardson, NATIONAL POST  March 15, 2020

A near empty United States check-in area at Toronto Pearson Airport’s Terminal 1 during concerns the Covid 19 virus, Friday March 13, 2020.

The early days of the COVID-19 were ominously reminiscent of SARS. We had a “mystery illness” originating in China with an animal market link caused by a virus with a genetic similarity to the SARS coronavirus. Not surprisingly, the WHO and the Chinese deployed the strategy that worked with SARS: find the cases with alacrity, isolate them, and monitor their immediate contacts for the development of disease.

Isolate the contacts if they get sick. The strategy worked: SARS was contained and it never returned. SARS, though it killed 10 percent of its victims, was not contagious enough to cause significant sustained community disease.But can COVID-19 really be contained? COVID-19 stopped following the SARS script weeks ago and appears similar to many respiratory viruses. COVID-19 along with the four “common cold” coronaviruses spread easily from person to person with mild disease, and sometimes from people before they develop symptoms. It is practically impossible to contain a virus that readily spreads early in the course of infection and circulates in the community.
Read more…

By John Dietrich, AMERICAN THINKER

The Middle East conflict between Russia and Turkey being played out in Syria has a real possibility of escalating to world-shaking proportions.  Business Insider states, “For most close observers, it has long seemed only a matter of time before the long, bloody proxy war between Turkey and Russia for regional predominance in the Middle East would break out into full-scale direct hostilities.”  Of course “close observers” are experts and experts have had a very poor prognostication record in the Middle East.  But a major conflict cannot be ruled out.

Turkey became a full member of NATO in 1952.  Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all members.  The United States would be obligated to enter a Russian-Turkish conflict according to this treaty.  Of course, NATO will not enter a Third World War to save Turkey.  When Russian-backed Syrian forces attacked a Turkish military outpost killing more than 30 Turkish soldiers, Business Insider described NATO’s response as utterly impotent.  Turkey joined NATO at the beginning of the Cold War when the major threat was the Soviet Union.  Present conflicts frequently involve Islamic groups opposed to the West.  Islamic Turkey sometimes appears to have divided loyalties.
Read more…

13 patients listed as moderate, while majority of those infected have light symptoms; 4 people no longer ill, Health Ministry says; IDF says 5th soldier diagnosed

By TOI

Women wearing protective masks visit the nearly deserted Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City on March 12, 2020, after Israel imposed some of the world’s tightest restrictions to contain the new coronavirus. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP)

The Health Ministry on Monday reported an additional 42 cases of the novel coronavirus in Israel, bringing the total number of confirmed infections up to 255.The majority have light symptoms, while 13 are listed in moderate condition and five are seriously ill, the ministry said, adding that 8,325 tests have been carried out.Another four people no longer display any symptoms and are recuperating, according to the ministry.Tens of thousands more were in quarantine after either traveling to countries with high incidences of the virus or coming into contact with a carrier. The ministry said 50,337 were in self-isolation. Due to the relatively long time it takes for symptoms to develop, health officials believe that more people have contracted the virus, but haven’t yet been diagnosed. Read more…

The Israeli public understands that there is no way to justify linking up with terror supporters  Blue and White will pay a high political price for their move. Remember – the Jewish majority chose Netanyahu, 58 to 46.

By Boaz Haetzni, INN 15/03/20 18:12 | updated: 00:45

“The Shaheed is the highest form of glory. There is nothing loftier than martyrdom in the name of Allah. The Shaheed opens the way and outlines the route, to liberty and freedom with his blood…blessings to the thousands of Shaheeds in the homeland and abroad, blessings to our Shaheeds and yours within the Green Line, those whom  the occupier wanted to term ‘terrorists’,” .

The above ode to murderous terrorists was recited in Ramallah.by none other than Ahmed Tibi, Member of Israel’s Knesset . This is not the speech of a political opponent – it is the inciteful rhetoric of an avowed enemy, and that, by the way, is just fine, because beyond the hypocritical words declaimed by the politically correct, everyone knows exactly who is against whom.

And Tibi is not alone, Joint List head Aymen Odeh. filled with admiration and praise for master “Hassan Nasrallah” because his “resistance” forces won a victory over Israel and forced the IDF to leave Lebanon, places himself in an identical position. These are only two examples of the iniquities of the “moderate” faction of The Joint Arab List, known by that unsuitable adjective only because the Balad faction has included MKs who were arrested and imprisoned for actual terrorist acts.
Read more…

By Ted Belman

“The Center for Disease Control estimates that so far this season there have been at least 22,000 deaths, 36 million flu illnesses, 370,000 hospitalizations.”

“US cases climb: There are over 3,400 coronavirus infections in the US, according to a count by CNN Health, and 65 people have died. The US has declared a national emergency.”

And the vast majority of these deaths are happening to the elderly.

“For 2016 specifically, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data shows 37,461 people were killed in 34,436 motor vehicle crashes, an average of 102 per day.[1]”

Read more…

By Evelyn Gordan

Through 2,000 years of exile, Judaism survived because rabbinic sages reshaped it into a portable religion rather than one anchored to a specific land. But what happens once a Jewish state is reestablished? Judaism is changing once again, Shmuel Rosner and Camil Fuchs argue in #IsraeliJudaism: Portrait of a Cultural Revolution—only this time, from the bottom up.

The book, published in Hebrew in 2018 and English in 2019, is based on a survey of beliefs and practices among 3,005 Israeli Jews. The survey was commissioned by the Jewish People Policy Institute, where Rosner is a senior fellow; Fuchs was the project’s statistician. A book based on a survey could easily become an indigestible mass of statistics, but Rosner and Fuchs have produced a highly readable (and superbly translated) analysis of what this data actually tell us.

What they tell us, the authors say, is that a “new Judaism” is emerging in Israel—one that values Jewish tradition, though not strict adherence to halacha (Jewish law), and that views national identity as a crucial component of Judaism. For instance, 73 percent of Jewish Israelis say being Jewish includes observing Jewish festivals and customs. And 72 percent say being a good Jew includes raising one’s children to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, while 60 percent say it includes raising one’s children to live in Israel.
Read more…

All 15 members of the combined slate of predominantly Arab parties joined lawmakers from Jewish parties in recommending Mr. Gantz to President Reuven Rivlin.

By David M. Halbfinger, HAARETZ

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, in March after failing for the third time in a year to win a new term outright in elections in Israel.Dan Balilty for The New York Times

JERUSALEM — Benny Gantz, the centrist former army chief seeking to depose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, on Sunday received the endorsements of a narrow majority of lawmakers, all but assuring that he would be given the first chance to form a government.

In a first, all 15 members of the combined slate of predominantly Arab parties, the Joint List, joined lawmakers from Jewish parties in recommending Mr. Gantz to President Reuven Rivlin.

Mr. Gantz won the recommendations of 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset. He was also endorsed by Avigdor Liberman’s ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party.
Read more…

We should all pray that this time, unity negotiation will be taken seriously by everyone involved. A national emergency government formed by the two major parties is no longer just an option – it’s the only option.

By Nadav Shragai, ISRAEL HAYMOM

After three election campaigns, it is very clear that there are no winners here, only losers. The rift between the various sections of society is growing wider by the day, and we seem to be consumed by hatred and belligerence. But now, it’s no longer our social fabric and collective spirit that are in danger, it’s our very existence.

It is clear to all that the crisis sparked by the coronavirus will get worse before it gets better and it will exact a heavy price on the economy, the healthcare system, the job market and more – to say nothing of the potential cost in human lives.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz have to look at each other – and reality – in the eye, relinquish any vows, set aside personal animosity, and forget they have egos. The end (chairing the ruling party) can no longer justify the means. Anyone who places petty politics about all else at a time like this clearly doesn’t have Israel’s best interest at heart.
Read more…

By Peter Skurkiss, AMERICAN THINKER

There’s little doubt that today’s Democrat Party is the party of the rich.  Actually, that’s an understatement.  Far more than billionaires are involved.  A better expression of reality would be to say a fundamental core of Democrat coalition is the managerial class, also known as the elite.  These are the people who run the media, Hollywood and the entertainment industry, the big corporations, the universities and schools, the investment banks, and Wall Street.  They populate the upper levels of government bureaucracies.  These are the East and West Coasters.

The alliance of the affluent with the Democrat Party can be seen in the widely disproportionate share of hefty political donations from the well-to-do going to Democrats and a bevy of left-wing causes.  It’s also why forty-one out of the fifty wealthiest congressional districts are represented by Democrats.  Bernie Sanders is an exception.  But he’s an anomaly viewed as dangerous to the party, which is why he’s being crushed by the Democrat establishment.

Why do the wealthy align with the Democrats?  The answer may seem counter-intuitive, but it is really quite simple.  It’s surely not ideals or high-minded principles.  Nor is it ignorance.  Rather, it boils down to raw self-interest.
Read more…

By Howard Richman, AMERICAN THINKER

Israeli scientists at the MIGAL Galilee Research Institute had worked for four years and had successfully developed a Coronavirus vaccine for chickens which passed clinical trials. When they saw the genetic sequencing of the COVID-19 virus, they realized that they could quickly adapt their chicken vaccine to the human virus. Ella Dagan, a spokesman for MIGAL told europorter:

When the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus COVID-19 was published, the researchers realized that the two viruses have the same infection mechanism similarities so they can use it, with small amount of adaptation, to achieve an effective human vaccine in a very short period of time.

Dr. Shahar, one of the scientists at MIGAL saw God’s hand in this. He told nocamels.com:

It’s a little bit like fate that we were working on this coronavirus vaccine at the same time that the world was suddenly hit by this epidemic of coronavirus for humans.

Read more…

Netanyahu repeated his call on leaders of left bloc to join emergency government following spread of the coronavirus.

By Eitan Divinsky, INN  14/03/20 23:08

MK Gantz and PM Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening reiterated his call to Blue and White chairman MK Benny Gantz, Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman and Labor chairman MK Amir Peretz to join an emergency government.

Liberman called for a government consisting solely of the Likud and Blue and White parties. Consultations between President Reuven Rivlin and various Knesset factions are expected to commence on Sunday, and on Tuesday, the President is expected to announce whether Netanyahu or Gantz will be allotted the first opportunity to form a coalition.

Haaeretz reported that Blue and White party officials said they “[were] prepared to join an emergency government provided it is made up equally of MKs from the right-wing and center-left bloc, or consists solely of the Likud and Blue and White parties.” Read more…

There are today powerful forces arrayed against the Jewish people—not simply from the right, but predominately and with greater cultural influence from the political left.

By RABBI ARYEH SPERO 

The Jewish community is experiencing an explosion of anti-Jewish attacks, both physical and ideological. Jews have been gunned-down or stabbed in Pittsburgh, San Diego, Jersey City and Monsey, and are being pushed, beaten and cursed on the streets of New York, in particular Brooklyn. The attacks are happening against the community and individuals, in Jewish institutions and on subways, almost on a daily basis. We have entered a new time.

Jewish students on campuses all across America are singled out for bullying and harassment by Islamic student groups and anti-Israel professors, not only for being supporters of Israel but simply because they are Jewish. The influential New York Times and media outlets such as MSNBC have ramped up their historic anti-Israel rhetoric, as well as their distaste for Orthodox and Zionist Jews. Beyond doubt, the harsh condemnations of all things Israeli and Jewish, the demonization and pejorative labels have trickled down from the ivory towers to the neighborhoods on the ground.
Read more…

Beijing continues to ease up lockdown measures in hardest-hit Hubei province, where number of new cases dwindle

By YANAN WANG, TOI

People wear face masks as they shop at a market in Beijing, Saturday, March 14, 2020. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

BEIJING (AP) — As the rest of the world mobilized to fight the widening coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, China continued to ease up lockdown measures in its hardest-hit region, where the number of new cases has dwindled.

The virus that first emerged in central China late last year has in recent weeks spread exponentially in the Middle East, Europe and North America, leading US President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency for the United States on Friday.

With hopes of quick containment dashed, dozens of countries have imposed increasingly severe measures over the past couple days — shutting borders, closing school for tens of millions of children and ordering tens of thousands of businesses to close their doors — to try to face down the disease.
Read more…