23 Tishrei 5781
11 October 2020
Photo of the Night
Ultra orthodox crowding a street at the intersection of the Bukharan and Beit Yisrael neighborhood singing, dancing, and celebrating Simchat Torah–completely maskless.
The above photo was taken just after midnight, and one would have never believed that the Corona epidemic was coursing through this very street in one of the hardest hit virus neighborhoods.
The News on the Israeli Street
Palestinian terror in the last 24 hours . . .
On the Gaza border:
For the second time in as many days, Islamic Jihad has issued an ultimatum to Israel that unless terrorist hunger striker Maher Al-Ahras is released from prison, missile attacks will be launched against southern Israel.
Here in Ashdod we take these threats seriously because Ashdod is an “Islamic Jihad city”–meaning that it will be first hit should Al-Ahras not be released.
Do you know what the people here in the city think? “Let him rot in prison” was a sentiment I heard expressed by many this morning.
The daily Corona (Covid-19) update . . .
Corona statistics this morning:
There are 289,875 confirmed cases—an increase of 2,017
225,725 of these confirmed cases have recovered—an increase of 477
838 are in critical condition—a decrease of 22
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237 of the most critically ill are on ventilators—a decrease of 4
1,941 have died–an increase of 55
There are now 64,150 active Corona cases in Israel.
What you see above are more skewed numbers from the Health Ministry. Essentially, the government has discovered that if relatively few get tested, then there are relatively few newly confirmed cases. Also the decrease in critically ill patients looks like a positive development until you look at the spike in deaths. In other words, it is likely that the decrease in 22 critically ill is because those 22 people died.
Good news from Iran . . .
The Iranian rial continues its demise against the dollar.
Yesterday it reached a new low on the black market of 304,000 rials for 1 dollar. What the Iranians are counting on of course is that Joe Biden will be elected president of the U.S., the sanctions will be immediately lifted, and international money will flow into the country.
TODAY’S BLOG:
Yes Virginia, It Has Been A Hot Summer
Any Israeli will tell you that this has been an extraordinarily hot summer. Just how hot was revealed yesterday.
September was the hottest September in Israel since Israel began keeping records. It as 0.5 degrees C hotter than September of last year. Here in Ashdod, the heat accompanied by the humidity made every day of the month have the “real feel” of between 37-40 degrees C.
Now we are in October and the temperature is still scorching with fires raging. Everyone preferring to stay indoors beside an air conditioner. Of course, they are not supposed to go outside anyway because of the Corona restrictions.
And so it goes on another beachless day in Israel.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.