Government

Severe increase in unemployment and the number of unemployed in the background of the second closure and intentions to extend it until the end of October: From the last report of the Employment Service yesterday until this morning at 7:00, 14,723 new jobseekers were registered. A total of 909,460 jobseekers are currently registered with the employment service, of which 572,908 are on unpaid leave. Since September 17, 2020, the day before New Year's Eve and the entry of restrictions, 178,020 jobseekers have been registered with the Employment Service - 162,858 of them due to leaving the...

The tax authority transfers hundreds of millions of shekels in tax refunds to businesses in a concentrated manner. The Authority announced today (Thursday) that out of a desire to help businesses in Israel, in light of the cash flow difficulties they encountered as a result of the economic consequences of the Corona virus and the tightening of restrictions, tax refunds amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels were released this week. Those eligible will be able to see the money in their bank accounts in the coming days. In this context, income balances in the total amount of NIS 153...

The resignation of the director general of the Ministry of Finance, Keren Terner Eyal, just five months after taking office, is taking its toll on the ministry: in the next two weeks, senior officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Israel will hold meetings with the three major credit rating companies - S&P Israel's current situation and its ability to meet its obligations. The meetings will be held this time in Zoom, and will not include shared and friendly meals with representatives of the rating companies. Generally, rating agencies do not take an interest in the retirement...

The Corona Cabinet on Thursday approved the first phase of easing the general closure. According to the Cabinet decision, educational institutions for children up to the age of six will return to activity, as well as businesses that are not audience recipients. In addition, the restriction that only one thousand meters away from the place of residence is allowed will be removed, and it will be possible to visit other people's homes. In addition, takeaway services will be available in restaurants in addition to deliveries, beaches and nature reserves will be open to the general public,...

Bahrain and Israel on Sunday signed an interim agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries. Bahrain Foreign Minister Abed a-Latif a-Ziani, Foreign Ministry Director General Alon Ushpiz and National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat signed the joint declaration establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain as well as eight memoranda of understanding in various fields, including visas, aviation, agriculture and investments . "We have signed these agreements because we believe in coexistence and reconciliation," the Bahraini foreign minister said at...

The annual State Comptroller's report, which was devoted mainly to issues in the fields of economics and infrastructure, with an emphasis on socio-economic issues, also addressed two important environmental-socio-economic issues: energy efficiency and the promotion of renewable energies and reducing fuel dependence. Plans are organized, and how the implementation of existing plans fails, so the goals are not achieved, and it is important to say that in advance these are low goals on any scale. However, this report is only the tip of the iceberg, and the big picture is even more worrying,...

The Corona Cabinet has decided not to further ease the restrictions at this stage, and to discuss this again next week in accordance with the updated morbidity data. According to the position of the Ministry of Health, it is not possible to bring forward the opening of the stores, which is scheduled for November 15. At the hearing, Finance Minister Israel Katz called on ministers to allow small businesses and shops on the street, hairdressers and beauty and cosmetics salons to resume their activities as early as Sunday, to allow self-collection from all businesses from tomorrow and to...

The United States, Israel, and Sudan officially announced Friday the normalization of relations between Khartoum and Jerusalem - a move that ends decades of hostility. According to the announcement, US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sudanese leaders' Abd al-Fatah al-Burhan and Abdullah Hamduk spoke today and discussed "the historic process that Sudan is undergoing for democracy" and the promotion of peace in the region. A senior source says that within the framework of the agreement, the agreements between Israel and Sudan are also being formed on the return...

More than 300,000 fines, with a total value of NIS 170 million, were imposed by the Israeli police on civilians for various violations of corona laws and regulations. So far, only about NIS 30 million has been paid, for 70,000 fines. The high number of fines and the burden imposed on citizens during a deep economic crisis raises the question of whether fines do achieve their purpose - deterring the public from violating regulations, and preventing the infection and spread of the corona virus. While the purpose of the laws and fines imposed for non-compliance is to maintain physical...

Data from the National Insurance Institute published on Wednesday show that about 277,000 are entitled to unemployment benefits for more than 100 days. A total of 1.08 million applications for unemployment benefits have been submitted since the beginning of the crisis, of which over 980,000 applications (92%) were approved, with 114,000 approved under the Corona conditions (qualification period 6-12 months). 85,000 of the applicants were not entitled under the terms of the law to receive unemployment benefits. About 634,000 people entitled to unemployment benefits are unemployed, while...