Artzeinu ○ www.artzeinu.org ○ Vol. 20 No. 665 ○ March 20, 2021

poll, which was released one week ago, COVID rate falls to 2% policy for dealing with COVID-19, also approved the opening of outdoor fairs and rising to 31 seats. p Israel’s coronavirus outbreak continued to tourist attractions. Yesh Atid held steady at 19 seats, while rapidly diminish Thursday amid the Other changes included allowing both Yamina and the New Hope party fell widespread vaccination campaign, with businesses operating according to the to nine seats each. the rate of positive test results falling to Green Pass standard to permit entry for The Joint Arab List received eight seats in 2% alongside a further drop in the non-vaccinated people who take a rapid the poll, with the United Arab List transmission rate, The Times of Israel virus test at the entrance. receiving four. reports. The Green Pass identifies holders as fully Among the haredi factions, Shas is The positive test rate recorded for vaccinated or as having recovered from projected to win eight seats, compared to Tuesday has been undergoing a steep the coronavirus, granting them entry to seven for United Torah Judaism. decline since January, when it was over public venues not available to the 10%. Coronavirus infections in Israel Yisrael Beytenu is also projected to win unvaccinated. have fallen broadly in recent months, a seven seats, the same number as in last decline credited to the country’s During the week-long Passover holiday, week’s poll. successful vaccination drive. hotels and event venues will be able to Labor fell from six seats to five, while permit entry for unvaccinated people who The number of serious COVID-19 cases Meretz rose from 0 to four. In last week’s took a test in the previous 72 hours, the dropped below 600 this week for the first poll, Meretz received 2.6% of the vote, statement said. time in over two months. below the 3.25% threshold. In what will be the fourth step of rolling The transmission rate, which measures Blue and White also received four seats, back the lockdown, ministers also how many people each virus carrier barely clearing the electoral threshold. approved lifting some restrictions from infects on average, was 0.68 on Thursday, The Religious Zionist Party with Noam the education system, raising the number indicating that the outbreak was and Otzma Yehudit received five seats, up of students allowed to participate in subsiding. It has been declining despite from four. outdoor events organized by kindergartens Israel’s economy mostly reopening. and schools from 20 to 50. Bennett rebuffs Likud’s call Meanwhile the number of people in Israel to pledge loyalty to Bibi fully vaccinated against COVID-19 Latest poll shows Likud continued to climb. surging to 31 seats Transportation Minister Miri Regev sent Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett a The data showed 5,158,059 people have With just five days to go until election letter Thursday for him to sign, pledging received at least the first dose of the day, a new poll shows the 24th Knesset he will back Prime Minister Netanyahu to vaccine and 4,421,370 have received both deadlocked at 60-60, Arutz Sheva reports. doses. form a government after next week’s The poll, conducted by Kantar and elections, The Times of Israel reports. Ministers OK further easing broadcast Thursday night, surveyed 1,406 Bennett, a former member of Netanyahu’s respondents on Wednesday and Thursday. of coronavirus restrictions bloc of right-wing and religious parties, If new elections were held Wednesday, Ministers on Thursday approved a further rejected the call. However, the Yamina the poll found, the right-wing – religious easing of coronavirus lockdown chief has not ruled out joining a Likud-led bloc would win 60 seats, compared to 44 measures, upping attendance at cultural government after the elections. for the left-wing – Arab bloc, and 16 seats and sporting events and opening up other The ultra-Orthodox Shas and United for right-of-center parties, which have public activities, The Times of Israel Torah Judaism parties signed on to vowed not to sit with Prime Minister reports. Netanyahu’s loyalty pledge, agreeing that Netanyahu in a coalition government. Voting by telephone, ministers in the they will not independently join a The Likud gained two seats in the latest coronavirus cabinet, a panel that sets government led by any party other than poll in comparison to the previous Kantar Likud after the March 23 election. his younger brother, Remi Meshi-Zahav, Avi Cohen, director general of the The document was supposedly signed by while retaining an ownership stake. The Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage, said: Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism company would raise funds through “The scroll fragments containing biblical party, but the leader of the far-right thetelemarketing, using the charity’s name, texts, the coins and the additional finds faction announced that he had refused to “ZAKA — Location, Rescue and from the Second Temple Period that do so. Lifesaving,” and would even issue the were found in this unique project directly charity’s receipts, court-appointed attest to the Jewish heritage of the region Even without Bennett or Smotrich, the administrators for the search and rescue and the inseparable bond between the move could further complicate efforts by charity alleged. Jewish cultural activities and our place in Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid and New this land.” Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar — the leaders There are no fewer than 11 Israeli entities of the likely second- and third-largest with some variation of the name ZAKA in Helping hands Israel’s corporate and charity registries. parties, respectively — to form a The Israeli humanitarian aid agency government. Yehuda Meshi-Zahav has denied any IsraAID dispatched a medical, logistical, ICC gives Israel a month to wrongdoing. and psychosocial team to Eswatini seek deferral of probe New Dead Sea Scrolls (Swaziland), Israel21c reports. excavated in Judea The team was sent on March 8 at the The International Criminal Court invitation of the Eswatini government. confirmed on Thursday it has sent formal For the first time in approximately 60 The team will support the South African notices to Israel and the Palestinian years, archaeological excavations have country’s national Covid-19 vaccination Authority about its impending uncovered fragments of a biblical scroll campaign, which is set to begin soon. investigation into possible war crimes, near the Dead Sea, Mashav reports. Several Eswatini leaders, including giving them a month to seek deferral by The scroll includes portions of the Books Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini, have proving they are carrying out their own of the Twelve Minor Prophets, including died from the virus. The impoverished investigations, The Times of Israel the books of Zechariah and Nahum. country bordering South Africa and reports. Despite most of the text being in Greek, Mozambique, recorded more than 9,940 Earlier this month, the ICC announced it the name of God in the scrolls appears in coronavirus cases and over 230 deaths. would investigate possible war crimes ancient Hebrew script known from the That is the highest Covid-19 death rate in committed by Israel and Palestinians times of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Africa. following a request by the Palestinians, The relics were excavated from the "Cave The CEO of IsraAid Yotam Polizer said, who joined the court in 2015 after being of Horror" in the Judean Desert reserve’s “We hope to use our experience to help granted nonmember observer status in the Nahal Hever where Jewish refugees hid the government of Eswatini build and UN General Assembly. 1,900 years ago. The cave, roughly 260 implement a successful immunization ZAKA co-founder’s legal feet below the cliff top, is flanked by program – and to expand our vaccination woes continue to mount gorges and can only be reached by efforts to other countries in the near rappelling down the sheer cliff. future through our Global Vaccine The co-founder of the ZAKA emergency In addition to the scroll fragments, the Access Initiative.” services organization, who is currently operation uncovered a cache of rare coins IsraAid has responded to the pandemic in being investigated by police over from the days of Bar-Kokhba, a 6,000 16 countries. accusations of sexual abuse, has a history year-old skeleton of a child -- likely * * * of alleged financial malfeasance, court female, wrapped in a cloth blanket and filings have revealed, The Times of Israel mummified -- and a large intact basket Artzeinu wishes all its readers a kosher reports. dating back 10,500 years, likely the oldest and happy Passover. According to public documents, Yehuda in the world. Meshi Zahav set up a private for-profit company, also called ZAKA, which for years raised millions of dollars in the charity’s name. Reports have alleged that he and his family kept some of the money, using it as a slush fund. According to court filings, Meshi-Zahav created the company True Kindness: The Artzeinu, online at www.artzeinu.org, is published weekly by Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, 125 E. 85th Street, ZAKA International Organization in June New York, NY 10028. To get Artzeinu in your shul, email [email protected]. The Artzeinu team: 2005. He transferred its management to Amichai Gelman, Bennett R. Katz, JJ Hornblass. Founder: Deena Shiff.