Israel

11 Jan 2022; MEMO: Recent data has revealed that Israeli police registered about 600 resignations in 2021, Globes reported yesterday, noting that this is the largest ever number of resignations.

According to Al Hodhod news website, which specialises in Israeli affairs, Hebrew language Globes said that this is twice as many as the number of resignations registered in 2020.

10 Jan 2022; MEMO: The warnings stated recently by Yair Lapid, the Israeli Foreign Minister, regarding the insistence of those that he described as enemies of the occupation to describe the Israeli policy towards the Palestinians an "apartheid state", which is the other term of the "apartheid regime", are still provoking more internal Israeli reactions, as well as a state of annoyance that is spreading in the Israeli diplomatic community.

11 Jan 2022; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in closed meeting held yesterday morning that Israel might go into a military confrontation with Lebanon or Gaza soon, Ynet News reported.

During a meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, Bennett did not rule out the need for a military confrontation with Lebanon or Gaza alongside Israel's fight against Iran's nuclear deal.

11 Jan 2022; MEMO: Three former Israeli army commanders have warned that the increasing settler violence in the occupied West Bank might ignite a Third Intifada, Haaretz reported yesterday.

The newspaper did not name the commanders, but said they are members of the movement Commanders for Israel's Security, which includes retired officials from the Israeli army, Shin Bet, Mossad and Israel Police.

"Uncontrolled violence of extremist settlers undermines the deterrence of the Israeli army," the letter warned.

JERUSALEM, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Israel's Health Ministry on Monday instructed people self-testing for COVID-19 to swab their throat as well as their nose when using rapid antigen kits to increase the chances of detecting the Omicron variant.

The recommendation goes against the advice of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has said manufacturers' instructions should still be followed and that incorrect use of throat swabs could pose a safety risk.

Jerusalem, Jan 10 (AP) Two former Israeli prime ministers faced off in a Tel Aviv courtroom as Benjamin Netanyahu's defamation suit against Ehud Olmert got underway on Monday.

Netanyahu, his wife and son appeared in the Tel Aviv Magistrate's court for the opening of their case against Olmert, Netanyahu's predecessor as Israel's prime minister.

JERUSALEM, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Some 250,000 Israelis have received the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since the country began offering it to the elders and medical personnel a week ago, the prime minister said on Sunday.

"Almost a quarter of a million people have been vaccinated with the fourth booster," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in televised remarks at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting.

"This is an exceptional response that will prevent much severe morbidity and suffering," he added.

07 Jan 2022; MEMO: Israeli Member of the Knesset Yair Golan called settlers living in the illegal West Bank settlement of Homesh as "subhumans" yesterday.

JERUSALEM, Jan 7 (NNN-PNA) – The total number of chickens and turkeys detected with the pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza during the current spread of the virus in Israel, surpassed one million, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

During the virus outbreak, 17,000 infected ducks for fattening were also detected and more than 8,000 infected wild cranes died in the northeastern Hula Lake area, the ministry statement added.

JERUSALEM, Jan 6 (NNN-PNA) – Israel reported 16,115 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the regime to 1,440,771, the Israeli Ministry of Health said today.

This is the highest daily number of new cases in Israel, since the outbreak of the pandemic there in Feb, 2020, breaking the previous record of 11,978 set yesterday.

The number of deaths from the virus rose to 8,253, with six new fatalities.

The number of patients in serious condition increased from 125 to 134, while the number of active cases increased to 72,034.