Artzeinu ○ www.artzeinu.org ○ Vol. 20 No. 655 ○ December 12, 2020 Israel and Morocco to Following the arrival of a preliminary poverty and food insecurity NGO Latet, batch of Pfizer’s vaccines, Prime Minister unprecedented poverty in Israel with the p normalize relations Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday, percentage of households living in Israel and Morocco have agreed to “On the eve of Hanukkah, we’ve brought economic distress rising from 24.1% to normalize ties, The Jerusalem Post a great light to Israel.” 38.6% over the past year. The number of families living below the poverty line rose reports. Netanyahu said. “I’m asking that every from 20.1% last year (582,000) to 29.3% Morocco will become the fourth Arab Israeli citizen be vaccinated, and to do so, this year (850,000). country to normalize relations with Israel have requested to set an example and be in just four months, following the UAE, the first person being vaccinated in The report also found that the middle Bahrain and Sudan. US President Donald Israel.” class in Israel shrank by 15.5% in Israel due to the Covid-19 crisis and only 25% Trump announced the deal on Thursday. At a rate of 60,000 shots a day, it would of Israeli households are doing fine As part of the agreement, President take some five months to vaccinate all of economically now. Trump agreed to recognize Morocco's Israel’s 9 million citizens, provided there sovereignty over the Western Sahara, was a steady supply of shots — which is Latet said that more people have fallen where there has been a decades-old not a given. The Health Ministry is into poverty than have gotten sick from territorial dispute with Morocco pitted expected to unveil a plan next week Covid-19. against the Algeria-backed Polisario outlining who will first receive the SpaceIL reveals plan to Front, a breakaway movement that seeks vaccine first. At-risk groups, healthcare again try moon landing to establish an independent state in the workers and the elderly are expected to be territory. at the front of the line. After the crash-landing of Beresheet two "[The normalization] comes on the heels The virus has infected 349,916 Israelis, years ago, the Israeli space startup of four years of very, very hard work and killing 2,934 people. As of Wednesday, SpaceIL announced on Wednesday the very intense diplomacy," said senior there were 15,121 active cases in the newest private venture of Israel’s next adviser Jared Kushner in a press briefing. country, with 316 patients in serious moon mission, CTech reports. "As part of this deal, Morocco will condition, including 106 on ventilators. “Israel is going back to the moon,” said establish full diplomatic relations and The data was released a day after the SpaceIL co-founder Kfir Damari. resume official contacts with Israel." He country recorded its highest number of Under the new plan, Israel will launch a added that Morocco will grant overflight daily coronavirus cases in almost two spacecraft, coined Beresheet 2 -- Hebrew and direct flights to and from Israel. months on Monday, as runaway infections for Genesis -- in 2024 from Cape "They'll reopen the liaison offices in upended the country’s gains during its Canaveral, Fla., like its predecessor. The Rabat and Tel Aviv immediately with the second national lockdown and threatened spacecraft will be composed of three intention to open the embassies in the to bring a third crashing down. The parts, an orbiter and two lunar landers, near future.” positivity rate for test results coming back which will descend to different parts on Much of the momentum behind the deal- Tuesday was 2.5% of 68,464 tests the moon. One will remain on the moon making has been to present a united front conducted, a rise over last week, when and will feature an ongoing interactive against Iran and roll back its regional that figure was closer to 2%. program for Israeli schoolchildren, while influence. Virus leads to poverty jump collecting data and conducting scientific experiments, while an orbiter will circle COVID vaccines to roll out Poverty in Israel, which was already high, the moon for years, conducting Israel will begin vaccinating its citizenry has risen by more than 50% since the start experiments and collecting data. of the Covid-19 pandemic and the against coronavirus on December 27 and Beresheet 2 will weigh 1,400 pounds; resulting economic recession, Globes will be able to inoculate 60,000 people a each lander will weigh 260 pounds. day, The Times of Israel reports. reports. No launch date has been set. According to the 2020 report by Israel For 1st time in +10 years, funding the US State Department and turn, send rabbis and kashrut supervisors to the emirate. PM to officially visit Egypt embassies, includes language that prohibits funding from "being used to Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thami, a Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is themove the United States' embassy out of resident of the UAE and owner of dozens expected to depart for a state visit to Jerusalem." of event halls and venues in Dubai and Egypt in the coming days to meet with Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's other UAE emirates, told Israel Hayom Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi capital on Dec. 6, 2017, and moved the that multiple prominent Hassidic leaders in Cairo, Israel Hayom reports. US embassy there from Tel Aviv five contacted him with the request to hold The official visit will be the first by an months later. events in his halls and venues. Israeli prime minister to the country in Israel accepted into Candles lit round the world over 10 years. The Jewish Agency for Israel Thursday Netanyahu is expected to discuss a series International Energy Agency rolled out a worldwide campaign to of regional issues with the Egyptian The State of Israel has been accepted into "counter the darkness of the coronavirus leader, chief among them bolstering the International Energy Agency (IEA) pandemic by amplifying the lights of security and diplomatic ties in light of the after members of the agency voted Hanukkah," Israel Hayon reports. Iranian threat and coordinating positions unanimously in favor of the move, Arutz between Jerusalem and Cairo ahead of Joe Sheva reports. Jewish Agency shlichim (Israeli Biden's inauguration. This is the first step towards becoming an emissaries) who serve Jewish communities across the globe lit Netanyahu and el-Sissi are also expected official member of the IEA. Hanukkah candles at famous landmarks to discuss the possibility of renewing talks The International Energy Agency (IEA) worldwide, including the Eiffel Tower in between Israel and the Palestinians to unites the largest energy consumers in the Paris, Times Square in New York, Red achieve a deal for the Gaza Strip. world, and manages global energy costs, Square in Moscow, the Hollywood sign while providing its members an The Egyptians said the government was in Los Angeles, the Tower Bridge in international platform for the management concerned a Biden administration would London, the Nybroplan in Stockholm, of the national energy economy. be hostile to Cairo and that it would sign the National Palace in Mexico City, the onto a new nuclear deal with Iran that Destination: Dubai Colosseum in Rome, and the Menorah would undermine regional stability. The The coronavirus restrictions and the center, the world's largest Jewish center, officials further said that Cairo placed in Ukraine. great importance on the Abraham current ban on weddings in Israel have Thursday was the first night of the 8-day Accords, as well as the regional alliance forced couples to look for a wedding destination abroad. And Dubai is proving festivities. being forged between Israel and other to be a popular chuppah destination for moderate Sunni Arab states and Sudan. Said Chairman of the The Jewish Agency Israeli, Israel Hayom reports. Isaac Herzog: "Happy Hanukkah to the A senior Egyptian Foreign Ministry Jewish people all around the globe. May official told Israel Hayom that should the An official at the Dubai principality told the beautiful candles on our menorahs Egyptian and Israeli leaders meet, the Israel Hayom that authorities in the United Arab Emirates received hundreds light up our world and cast out darkness expectation was that Netanyahu would of requests from ultra-Orthodox in favor of light." receive an official state welcome. communities from Israel and the US to * * * GOP Members push for hold weddings in Dubai with hundreds of Artzeinu wishes all its cherished readers guests attending. embassy to stay in JRS a joyful Chanukah. Ahead of the three-year anniversary of US According to the official, the ultra- President Donald Trump recognizing Orthodox leaders suggested that if the Jerusalem as Israel's capital, more than authorities approve the requests to hold three-dozen Republican members of mass weddings in Dubai, they would, in Congress have called for language in an upcoming must-pass appropriations bill that would prohibit American funding from being used to move the US Embassy in Israel from Jerusalem, Israel Hayom reports. In a Dec. 4 letter, 43 Republican House Artzeinu, online at www.artzeinu.org, is published weekly by Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, 125 E. 85th Street, Representatives called on Congressional New York, NY 10028. To get Artzeinu in your shul, email [email protected]. The Artzeinu team: leaders to ensure that a bill primarily for Amichai Gelman, Bennett R. Katz, JJ Hornblass. Founder: Deena Shiff. .