Articles

The holes in Israel's social security network widened even before the corona crisis, according to data from the April edition of the publication "Social Security in the World" in the National Insurance Institute. According to the document, public welfare expenditure in Israel in 2019 was among the lowest in the OECD and stood at 16.3% of gross national product (GDP). This figure places Israel in 30th place out of 37 countries. 17% of GDP in 2017. In the Corona crisis itself, public spending increased at a rate similar to the OECD average, but it cannot be concluded that Israel has bridged...

A serological test research done for Sheba Hospital staff who received the Pfizer vaccine revealed a significant decrease in their share of blood antibody levels, a few months after receiving the second vaccine. It is now being investigated whether other measures in the blood may indicate that the vaccines are still efficient. The research team led by Professor Gili Regev-Yohai is examining whether the effectiveness of the vaccine is declining. The hospital said "we are not sure this decline has any significance". One of the study participants reported that two weeks after the second...

The Bank of Israel today publishes the annual report for 2020, which includes an extensive review of the effects of the corona on the economy. The bottom line, the report notes, is that there are considerable differences between sectors in the economy and society. Weaknesses of the socio-economic safety net and gaps between sectors. According to the report, the approval of the state budget for 2021 is essential to set priorities and implement plans to accelerate growth, especially in the areas of human capital and investment in public transport, communications, energy and environmental...

The Ministry of Health updated Friday that 2,479 people were diagnosed in Corona last week - a figure that is about half the week before, when 5,011 people were diagnosed with the virus. This is the lowest figure since June 2020. The total number of people infected in Israel since the outbreak is 833,707. Also, 56 people died this week - after 93 people died last week. This is the lowest figure since November. The total death toll from the virus is now 6,220. In the last day, 331 people have been diagnosed with corona carriers. Out of 35,768 tests, the positive rate is 1%. The test data...

The EU's investment bank EIB will provide NIS 30 million in financing to Brennmiller Energy for the construction of a plant for innovative thermal energy storage systems, which will be established near Dimona and will provide the city's residents with about 100 new jobs. Funding for the new plant is made possible as a result of Israel's participation in the European Horizon 2020 Framework Program for the Advancement of Research and Innovation. The loan is supported by the European Commission as part of the financing of InnovFin Energy Demonstration Projects. The European Investment Bank...

A few hours remain until the expiration of the mandate given by the president to Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government, and the political system is eager to find out to whom Reuven Rivlin will grant the mandate in his place. In the bloc of parties trying to bring about political change, workers are working so that the chairman of the Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid, will receive the mandate and with him a large force to control events in the near future. All options are open. Yesterday there were quite a few talks in the Netanyahu bloc to resolve the political tangle and think of ways to...

The state opening national event to mark Holocaust Martyrs 'and Heroes' Remembrance Day was held Wednesday night at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. The ceremony was attended by President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Speaker of the Knesset and chief justice of the Supreme Court Ester chayut. This year's ceremony was marked by the phrase "until the last Jew - 80 years since the beginning of the mass extermination." In his speech, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nuclear talks with Iran - and sent a message to the United States: "An agreement with Iran will not...

Three months ago, Israel was among the leading countries in morbidity in Corona and at one point was in the first place in the world in morbidity per million inhabitants. But now, almost four months after the start of the vaccination campaign, when 85% of the target population has already been vaccinated - the situation is completely different. According to data collected by a research body belonging to Oxford University, Israel is ranked 97th in the world in the ranking of new infections in the last week per million inhabitants - lower than the world average at the time. The morbidity...

For the first time since the election, and after the imposition of the task of assembling the government on Benjamin Netanyahu, about a thousand people demonstrate tonight (Saturday) in front of the prime minister's residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem against him and his government. At the same time, about 30 demonstrators stood in front of the president's house and police forces were called to the scene. Before that many protested at intersections and bridges. The protesters first arrived at the Knesset, from where they marched to Balfour, and some even continued as far as the...