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The Daily Edition

What Matters Most On Friday, February 12, 2021

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People wearing face masks walk in Jerusalem's city center on February 7, 2021 (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

Confirms vaccinees to get 'preference' in leisure activities

Israel on track to reopen large swaths of economy in 11 days — virus czar

Virus reproduction rate said lowest in 3 months; Nachman Ash asks businesses to ‘hang on,’ opening is ‘just around the corner’

Illustrative: An Israeli receives a COVID-19 vaccine in Jerusalem, February 10, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Israel said set to recommend vaccinating some teens aged 12-15 against COVID-19

Illustrative: Antibodies attacking a SARS-CoV-2 virus (Dr_Microbe;iStock by Getty Images)

Israeli study boosts belief post-COVID immunity stays when antibodies fade

By Nathan Jeffay

From the blogs

In Iran, I was taught to hate Israel and Jews. Then I watched Schindler’s List.

Spielberg’s movie undid decades of lies, inspired me to visit Auschwitz, and taught me that the truth will always, eventually, come to light

It works: 0 deaths, only 4 severe cases among 523,000 fully vaccinated Israelis

By Nathan Jeffay

HMO data a week after 2nd dose shows 93% effectiveness, ‘unequivocally’ proving vaccine’s success and leaving ‘no doubt’ it’s saved many Israeli lives, says Maccabi official

Medical workers in the COVID-19 ward of Shaare Zedek hospital in Jerusalem, February 3, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

More younger Israelis now being hospitalized for COVID than those 60-plus

Police and inspectors of the Bat Yam municipality enforce a COVID-19 lockdown at a mall in Bat Yam that was partially opened against government regulations, on February 11, 2021. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Vaccine refusers will be kept to ‘supermarkets, pharmacies’ when Israel opens up

Naian González Norvind as the title character in 'Leona,' directed by Isaac Cherem. (Photo by Diana Garay, courtesy of Fosforescente/ Menemsha Films)

Film review

Debut film by Mexican duo, ‘Leona’ is way more than a Jewish ‘Romeo and Juliet’

By Jordan Hoffman

Fatah terror chief Marwan Barghouti, serving five life terms for murder during the Second Intifada, is escorted by Israeli police into Jerusalem's Magistrate Court to testify as part of a US civil lawsuit against Palestinian leaders, in January 2012. (Flash90)

From Israeli prison, Barghouti mulls presidency bid, turning up heat on Abbas

By Aaron Boxerman

Abbas confidant Hussein al-Sheikh visits popular former terror chief in jail, where he’s serving multiple life terms for murder, in reported attempt to convince him not to run

Illustrative: Palestinian members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas terrorist movement, during a patrol in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on April 27, 2020. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

Senior IDF commander says Hamas has 30,000 men, 7,000 rockets, dozens of drones

Parenting guru Einat Nathan, author of 'My Everything: The Parent I Want to Be, the Children I Hope to Raise.' (Adi Orni)

Times Will Tell

PODCAST: For Family Day, a schmooze with Israeli parenting guru Einat Nathan

Her approach: Go back to basics and allow children to deal with pain and work out their own problems, while supported by ‘reliable, relaxed parents — that are present’

The IHRA definition of anti-Semitism derails our fight against it on campus

Codifying this anti-Semitism definition is divisive, just when we must unite, among ourselves and with our allies, against acts of hate

The Religious Zionist party and the significance of a name

The new party and its priorities make it clear that the religious Zionism of over 100 years remains relevant in religious terms, but not in political ones

Illustrative: A woman shops in Wadi Nisnas in Haifa on February 5, 2021. (Shir Torem/Flash90)

Analysis

Haviv Rettig Gur

As Arab consensus splinters, wangling for community’s vote sparks hard questions

A pollster predicts Arab representation will shrink with the breakup of the Joint List. Jewish-led parties want to capitalize, but much-wooed Arab voters may end up losing out

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, speaks with then Education Minister Naftali Bennett during a plenum session in the Knesset, on December 5, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Netanyahu, Bennett trade fire in battle for right-wing voters

This image from video shows a hearing from the 394th Judicial District Court of Texas. The hearing took a detour when an attorney showed up looking like a kitten. A filter that had been activated on the attorney's device obscured his appearance and made him look like a cat. Judge Roy Ferguson shared the short video clip of the mishap on YouTube. The judge says everyone involved handled the situation with professionalism and grace. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP)

‘I’m not a cat’ lawyer’s dark past with Jewish woman who owned a Tx. smoke shop

By PHILISSA CRAMER

Long before his fluffy feline video went viral, Rod Ponton drew national attention, accused by Ilana Lipsen of targeting her in terror-linked drug raid after she ended their affair

Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik attends an event in Jerusalem on August 10, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Analysis

A year of grief: Orthodox Jewry reels as COVID-19 hastens the loss of its rabbis

The relentless deaths have hit all sides of the diverse community, leaving many to wonder who can possibly step up to fill their fallen leaders’ shoes

Illustrative: Ultra-Orthodox Jewish people attend a funeral in Jerusalem, October 12, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Vaccine misinformation blamed as 36-year-old ultra-Orthodox man dies of COVID

The Bushehr nuclear power plant outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran. (AP Photo/Mehr News Agency, Majid Asgaripour, File)

European powers blame Iran for ‘undermining opportunity’ for nuclear diplomacy

By AFP

Britain, France and Germany ‘strongly urge’ Tehran to halt uranium metal production activities; analysts say narrow window of opportunity exists to bring US back into deal

Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat during a ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport prior to visiting Bahrain to sign a series of bilateral agreements between Jerusalem and Manama, October 18, 2020. (Marc Israel Sellem/POOL via FLASH90)

Report: PM to tap national security adviser to lead nuclear deal talks with US

Syrian Air defenses respond to alleged Israeli missiles targeting south of the capital Damascus, on July 20, 2020. (AFP)

Drone strike reported on pro-Iran militia arms shipment on Iraq-Syria border

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with the US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, in Tel Aviv in 2011 (photo credit: Matty Stern/US Embassy/Flash90)

Former US envoy to Israel says timing of Biden phone call ‘utterly irrelevant’

By Lazar Berman

Amid snub rumors, Obama’s envoy Dan Shapiro says it’s nothing personal against Netanyahu — Biden is just focused on domestic issues, Russia and China; expects conversation soon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and then-US Vice President Joe Biden speak prior to a meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2016. (AP/Michel Euler)

White House says Biden will call Netanyahu ‘soon’ as speculation of rift grows

Illustrative: Construction work in the Dagan neighborhood of the settlement of Efrat, in the West Bank on July 22, 2019. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)

In major shift, KKL-JNF said set to okay purchasing W. Bank land for settlements

In what would be a dramatic policy change, century-old environmental organization reportedly could spend millions to buy Palestinian-owned lands in and around settlements

Police escort a group of supporters of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, February 6, 2020. (AP/Peter Dejong)

ICC to elect new prosecutor as controversial Bensouda set to step down

By Agencies and ToI Staff

Illustrative: An Israel Police car in Petah Tikva, August 4, 2017. (Roy Alima/Flash90)

Police investigating suspected gang rape of 13-year-old girl by 4 men

Medical exam confirmed sexual assault, but victim refusing to cooperate with authorities after reporting incident last month; no suspects arrested yet

Defense Ministry and Rafael defense contractor test an upgraded version of the Iron Dome missile defense system in January 2020. (Defense Ministry)

In air defense drill with EUCOM, IDF works on ties to a unit it’s due to leave

By Judah Ari Gross

Israeli military’s feted move to Mideast-focused CENTCOM comes at a cost, as was on display over past 2 weeks during 20th Juniper exercise, simulating a ballistic missile attack

Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva during a ceremony in June 2014. (Israel Defense Forces)

Current IDF operations chief tapped to lead Military Intelligence

By Judah Ari Gross

Beitar Jerusalem owner Moshe Hogeg (C) with UAE member of the royal family Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan (R) (Beitar Jerusalem)

Beitar Jerusalem sale frozen amid disclosure of UAE sheikh’s iffy finances

Move comes after Israel’s soccer association said to commission probe into Emiratee royal Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, find alleged ties to dubious businessmen

More Headlines

The German chapter of the Grandmothers Against The Right group posted about the flyer on Instagram. (Grandmothers Against The Right/Instagram via JTA)

Flyers in German tram blame Jews for pandemic

Illustrative: A pharmacist prepares a syringe of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, in Seattle. (AP/Ted S. Warren)

Doctor censured for suggesting vaccine ‘psychosis’ led husband to murder wife

David Schoen, right, arrives prior to the start of opening arguments on the second day of Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, at the US Capitol, February 10, 2021. (Joshua Roberts/Pool/Getty Images)

Day after covering head with hand, Trump lawyer wears kippa at impeachment trial

In this image from video, the Senate begins the third day in the second impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump in the Senate at the US Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)

Wrapping up arguments, Democrats urge Republicans to end ‘nightmare’ of Trump

By LISA MASCARO, Eric Tucker, MARY CLARE JALONICK and Jill Colvin

Holocaust scholars Barbara Engelking, left, and Jan Grabowski, right. (Yad Vashem via AP / courtesy)

Yad Vashem slams Polish court ruling that Holocaust scholars must apologize

A protest against the expansion of activity at the EAPC oil port in Eilat, southern Israel, on February 10, 2021. The sign reads, 'Stop the oil agreement now.' (Egor Iggy Petrenko/Coast Patrol)

Fearing for corals, protesters denounce plans to turn Eilat into oil and gas hub

The payslip of a Roman soldier found at Masada, believed to be from between 72 and 75 CE (Courtesy)

Hail seizure!Roman soldier’s ancient Masada payslip shows unfair wages go way back

Danish forensic technicians work at Apotekerhaven in Holbaek, Denmark, on February 6, 2021, as Danish police search addresses in Apotekerhaven. (presse-fotos.dk/Ritzau via AP)

Germany, Denmark say alleged terrorist bomb plot Islamist in nature

Amar'e Stoudemire attends the 2021 Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series at Gulfstream Park on January 23, 2021 in Hallandale Beach, Florida. (Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for The Stronach Group via JTA)

Traveling lightAmar’e Stoudemire takes antique golden menorah wherever he goes

By Gabe Friedman

Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, talks about the ancient inscriptions on a first-century stone burial box that refer to Jesus of Nazareth, during a press conference at a Washington hotel, Monday, Oct. 21, 2002. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Hershel Shanks, popularizer of biblical archaeology, dies at 90

By Andrew Silow-Carroll

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