Israel does not stand the holidays: everything is crowded everywhere

On the first weekday of the holiday week, there are reports from all over Israel of the closure of popular holiday destinations - crowds of vacationers overwhelm beaches, national parks, nature reserves and campsites.

In the middle of the day, the Association of Kinneret Cities announced that all 15 "quiet" family beaches on the northern and eastern coast of our only lake are closed due to overflow, and suggested that citizens look for other places to relax.

But there are also crowds elsewhere. The National Parks and Preserve Authority has closed the entrance to the Ein Gedi nature reserve for those who have not booked parking spaces in advance.

The city beaches of Rishon LeZion, the beaches of Palmachim and Nakhsholim, the Tel Afek National Park are closed - there are also no free places left.

The Taba border checkpoint cannot cope with the influx of people wishing to leave for Sinai, many hours of queues lined up on both sides. The administration asks fellow citizens not to come to the checkpoint in the morning - in the evenings there is no such pandemonium. People languish under the scorching sun, scolding the authorities for their inability and deafness to the needs of citizens - but the reason for the holiday suffering lies deeper: Israel is rapidly becoming the most populous country in the world.

The tourist infrastructure and nature of Israel cannot withstand the demographic load, despite the fact that everyone who had such an opportunity tried to leave Israel for the holiday week, and Ben Gurion Airport has also been operating at the limit of its capacity in recent days.

Thanks to the reopening of our borders, Santa was able to land safely in Israel and start the Christmas season!

An architecture student repaired a wall with LEGO bricks

The wall was damaged by a Palestinian rocket, but the guy was able to fix it with LEGO bricks.

The bodies of the family who died in the crash of the funicular in Italy were delivered to Israel

The funeral took place on May 27. We are talking about 30-year-old Amit Biran, his 26-year-old wife Tal Peleg-Biran, their two-year-old son Tom, as well as the woman's parents - 71-year-old Braha Cohen and 81-year-old Yitzhak Cohen.

Recall that the only survivor of the tragedy, five-year-old Eitan, the son of Amit and Tali, remained in the Italian hospital.

The girl, Jan Al-Kiswani, was shot dead

This happened when she was standing in front of her house, leaving her with a fractured spine and bruises in her lungs.

Black Hawk helicopters soaring over Mt.

Hermon in northern Israel as part of a recent operational exercise

Children begin to vaccinate in Israel after 16 years

From today, vaccination of the entire population begins in Israel, except for the excluded categories - children under 16 years of age and allergy sufferers.

From 4 February, all health insurance customers aged 16 and over will be able to schedule a queue for COVID-19 vaccinations through the usual queuing mechanism.

So far 3.2 million Israelis have received the first dose of the vaccine, and 1.8 million have received the second.

In the age group 70-90, about 80% of the population is fully vaccinated, at the age of 60-69 - 64% of Israelis, at the age of 50-59 - 35%.

Jerusalem Day is the main holiday of the year, which this time will take place in quarantine

This year, the capital of Israel will celebrate its 53rd anniversary. But, unfortunately, due to the epidemic of the Kovid-19 virus, the long-awaited holiday will take place not in the usual format, but with certain restrictions.

The main tradition of celebrating the day of the city, from year to year - the traditional dance of flags in Jerusalem. But this time it was canceled. Only thanks to the Supreme Court, the police and the organization organizing the march, the action will take place on Thursday evening.

The Supreme Court has asked two parties - the police and the Amla Kavali Association - to agree on a plan for this year's limited event. After discussions between the police and the organization, the head of the Jerusalem Police Department presented the agreements reached.

Residents of the capital rejoiced at this news.

What holiday awaits Jerusalem?

This year the celebration will take place without government meetings, without a city-loving ceremony, The Ethiopian Jews National Remembrance Day ceremony will be without a crowd, and the ceremony to honor beloved Jerusalem at the Tower of David Museum will be canceled.

Dances in the center of Yeshiva will also be held in a limited format.

As for the flag dance itself, the event will consist of three sections.

The first is driving trucks and cars.

The second is a human chain of several hundred people, which will take place in several places approved by the police. People are transported around the Old Town by buses provided by the municipality. The main requirement - participants will have to stand at a distance of 2 meters from each other. During this part, other participants will be allowed to watch the chain from the Wall embankment.

The third part - 450 people will be able to pray at the Western Wall.

Lawyer Nati Rom, representing Amalabi, said: "The tradition will not be broken. We are glad that the flag dance continues even during the Crown, and we hope that next year we will have a particularly big event. We thank the Israeli police for their efforts and persistence ".

So, the feast of Jerusalem, albeit with restrictions, will still take place.

Ancient Mosque, Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount

Temple Mount is a special place for the Jewish people.

According to old legends, it was on it that Abraham had to give his own son, Isaac. Here the sanctuary was rebuilt in the form of a temple with an ark. The Temple Mount was the point from which the great Way of the Cross began. After the destruction of the temple, which occurred 40 years after its creation, two mosques were erected on this site. One of them was the Dome of the Rock.

This mosque impresses with its grandiose golden domes and is an outstanding example of architecture. Each of the domes in diameter reaches about 20 meters. Thanks to this, they are visible from almost anywhere in the city.

Inside the mosque is a rocky platform from which, according to legend, the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

There is also a museum of Islamic art, and the Paradise Stone and Earth Stone are kept.

The internal halls of the mosque are decorated with marble, ceramic tiles and mosaic ornaments. Two-story galleries with multi-colored stained-glass windows stretch along the walls.

Even the most luxurious hotels in Jerusalem cannot be compared with this mosque in its splendor.

During quarantine, work on urban infrastructure projects accelerated

During quarantine, traffic on the roads was limited, which caused the activation of infrastructure.

In this regard, Mayor Moshe Leon this week instructed specialists to accelerate urban infrastructure projects.

For example, the first and most important project that is already underway is the expansion of the light rail line, the red line, to Hadass Ein Kerem in the south and Neve Yaakov in the north.

“The municipality of Jerusalem, the Ministry of Transport, the group of transport master plans and Moriah will facilitate infrastructure work to expand the red line of the light rail in the coming days,” the mayor said. The municipality added that for more intensive work, work will be performed during rarefied automobile traffic.

The work will include excavation and laying of railway infrastructure, after which the transport situation will be restored to its previous state.

Another important project that is being implemented next week will be the laying of public transport routes on Begin Road.

As part of this work, the route will be expanded, and a 2.5 km long road will be built on the new route. The work will include the organization of infrastructure for the placement of control and information signs, lighting and fences.

Also this week, the modernization of city streets will be accelerated. Modernization work includes the modernization of roads and sidewalks, including geometric changes, modernization of lighting, planting trees and flowers, as well as the placement of outdoor furniture.

This burst of infrastructure work is caused by the desire of the municipality to minimize the inconvenience of citizens.

Mahane Yehuda Market Opens Thursday

The Ministerial Committee finally made the long-awaited decision to open markets for buyers, as well as open shopping centers throughout the country.

“Law enforcement agencies are ready for the mission, and starting on Thursday morning, they will enter the market and ensure compliance with the guidelines,” the words of the city measure.

The committee approved the opening of the main Mahane Yehuda market, subject to strict quarantine rules.

According to the approved scheme, all sellers and buyers in the Mahane Yehuda market will have to wear masks and observe the rules of social distance - 2 meters. Also, barriers will be installed at the entrances to the market, and inspectors will monitor the number of incoming customers.

In addition, law enforcement and police officers in the municipality of Jerusalem will enforce Covid 19 virus prevention rules.

Market traders welcome the long-awaited discovery.

Tonight in Jerusalem, public transport will resume its work

According to the decision of the government, today, on Tuesday, light rail and buses will continue to work after 20:00 until midnight.

Public transport in Jerusalem will operate five days a week, respectively, on Fridays and Saturdays, transport will not work.

The Tram Management Department in Jerusalem stated that, in accordance with the decision of the government and in accordance with the directives of the Ministry of Transport, starting from Tuesday May 5, the light rail will return to work (from Sunday to Thursday) until about 24:00 in accordance with the original schedule .

This decision of the government was due to the fact that in recent days the number of trips around the country increased, so the lines, which were partially active in recent weeks, returned to full activity.

The National Public Transport Authority recalls that passengers must follow all safety precautions, namely wearing masks while traveling, avoiding public transportation if they suffer from symptoms of the crown, and it is also forbidden to sit in the front row near the driver.

Citytips wishes all travelers and residents of Jerusalem a good trip and good health.

Lost Little Deer Returns to Natural Habitat

In Jerusalem, a family found a small deer on the doorstep of their home.

People gave him milk to drink. An hour later, the man contacted the Office of Natural Resources and Parks.

After consulting with a veterinarian, Dr. Ronnie King, it was decided to quickly return the animal to nature.

The man who found the deer is called Adir Ken-Dror; he is a resident of the Pisgat Zeev region in northern Jerusalem.

The man explained: “My child’s game ball rolled under the house, and when I followed him, I came across Ofer. I felt sorry for him because he looked lonely, so I invited him to my home and introduced him to my children. We fed him, and we even read about him. But I quickly realized that this should not be so, so I contacted Moran in Biane, whom I know from the events on the Zimri River."

Fortunately, the inspector of the Department of Nature and Parks contacted Adir fairly quickly, he asked the man questions about when the little deer was in the house, and then immediately ordered to leave him where he was, and then see if the deer was there.

The adir followed the inspector's instructions to return the animal to its natural habitat.

Shor Antebi, community coordinator at the Jerusalem Wildlife and Parks Authority, said this was not the first time deer came to people's yard, the main thing was to bring them back to nature as quickly as possible. It is important to remember that a wild animal must live in the wild.

Remembrance Day for victims of Israeli systems and victims of hostilities

Memorial Day for victims of Israeli systems and victims of hostilities will begin tonight, April 27, at 16:00.

Because of the Kovid-19 epidemic, Memorial Day will be different.

The event and the ceremony will be held without a crowd, but will be broadcast to residents of the city.

Due to social isolation, the municipality of Jerusalem decided to help the families of the victims as a transfer (in advance) to Mount Herzl and back.The municipality of Jerusalem said that special transport will collect families, deliver them to cemeteries, wait about 40 minutes and return families to their homes in an orderly and organized manner, observing all respiration hygiene rules.

Families who wish to participate can call the Jerusalem Municipality Hotline 106.

Today after 16:00, entry to military cemeteries and memorial sites is prohibited.

The main memorial rally on the Western Wall Square will be held as usual, but with a limited presence of public figures and without the families of the victims. The rally will be broadcast on television and radio.

Wearing a mask in Israel has become mandatory

The world continues to fight the Kovid-19 virus, and although there is no vaccine against this virus, our state is asking us to take care of ourselves and our family to prevent the spread of the terrible disease.

In this regard, another measure taken by the state in the fight against coronavirus is the introduction of a law on the mandatory wearing of a medical mask.

Now, when you go out, you must wear a medical mask, otherwise you will have to pay a fine.

Naturally, there are exceptions, for example, people with disabilities, drivers transporting members of their families, and some others who believe that the mask interferes with normal breathing, may not wear it.

In addition, media workers were exempted from wearing a mask, but only when they talk in front of the camera.

It remains hoped that such a step will help us prevent the emergence of new victims of this epidemic.

Garden of Gethsemane, the beauty and grandeur of Jerusalem

One of the insanely beautiful and mysterious places in Jerusalem is Gethsemane. This charming and sacred area inspires everyone who visits it. The history of this garden is very interesting and valuable for many beauty lovers.

Gethsemane is an area at the foot of the western slope of the Mount of Olives, in the Sedron Valley, east of the Old City of Jerusalem. Here are the church of All Nations, the church of St. Mary Magdalene, the tomb of the Virgin and Gethsemane grotto.

As for the Garden of Gethsemane, this is only one part of the territory, which is located under the western slope of the Mount of Olives. The beautiful garden was much larger, but today it is a small plot of land with an area of ​​about 2300 square meters.

But with all this, this place remains sacred and revered, because it was here, according to the New Testament, that Jesus prayed on his last night spent in freedom.

To this day, the garden has preserved eight incredibly old olive trees that, according to the Gospel, could see how this happened: according to some estimates, their age exceeds two millennia.

Under what conditions can quarantine be revoked?

The dangerous disease Kovid-19 holds the whole world in fear. Many countries are quarantined to minimize the spread of the virus. The quarantine is often extended and the exact dates of its end change, keeping everyone in the dark.

Social exclusion is considered one of the most important and effective measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

But the expected quarantine end time is still of interest to people.

In Israel, a team of experts from the National Security Council said that one of the conditions for ending quarantine is to reduce the number of infected people to 10 people per day.

But restrictions can be partially returned if the number of patients with COVID-19 exceeds the mark of 40 people per day.

One expert said: “Lowering to this level is necessary to ensure a high level of confidence that we will be able to block a new outbreak without having to re-introduce harsh measures of social exclusion.”

We hope that in the near future they will release a vaccine against this terrible virus, and our life will return to its normal course. But now we must wait and observe all the precautions recommended by the state and doctors.

The decline of the sixth wave of the coronavirus epidemic in Israel: about 32 thousand infected, less than 600 in hospitals

On Tuesday, April 19, the Israeli Ministry of Health published new data on the coronavirus epidemic. The sixth wave of the epidemic is on the decline.

In total, 4,038,703 cases of coronavirus infection have been detected in the country since the start of the pandemic.

The number of infected people is taken into account by PCR tests and tests at checkpoints (a positive home test result is not taken into account in statistics if it is not confirmed at the checkpoint).

Over the past 24 hours, 62,591 tests have been carried out. Coronavirus was detected in 9% of cases.

At the moment, 32149 people are infected (-269 per day).

10,647 COVID-19 cases died (+17 per day; data for several days has been updated).

598 cases in hospitals (+16 per day; 1.8% of the current number of infected), others are recovering in specially equipped hotels or at home.

The condition of 216 patients (-4 per day; 0.7% of the current number of infected) is assessed by doctors as severe, 75 (-3) are connected to ventilators or ECMO.

The infectiousness index (an index of the reproduction of the virus, showing how many people, on average, one infected person transmits it) - 0.7.

According to a report by the Israeli Ministry of Health, 87% of seriously ill patients are over 60 years old.

Most people over 60 years of age are fully vaccinated, and the percentage of seriously ill among them is much lower than among the unvaccinated. Among citizens in the age group 60+, 40/100 thousand are seriously ill and unvaccinated, 11/100 thousand are seriously ill and vaccinated for a long time (more than six months), and 9/100 thousand are seriously ill and fully vaccinated. At the same time, against the background of high infection rates in absolute numbers, the number of seriously ill patients among fully vaccinated elderly people is growing: at the moment, among seriously ill patients in the 60+ category, there are 32 unvaccinated, 9 vaccinated long ago (more than six months), and 131 fully vaccinated. In the age categories under 60 years among seriously ill unvaccinated absolute majority.

Vaccination

According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, as of April 19, 6,705,575 people (72% of the country's population) received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and 6,133,264 people (65% of the country's population) received the second dose. 4484464 people were vaccinated with the third dose (48% of the country's population). The fourth dose was received by 796,184 people (9% of the country's population).

In recent months, the vaccination process in Israel has been very slow. There is a growing number of people who were vaccinated more than six months ago (that is, they cannot be considered "fully vaccinated").

You can sign up for the vaccination queue at the health insurance fund: by phone, through the website or mobile application.

There is a program "Vaccination at home", the purpose of which is to eliminate social injustice in relation to residents of the periphery and settlements with a low socio-economic status.

QUARANTINE RESTRICTIONS

A green certificate is only required for "high risk" events. For example, at celebrations or parties with a large number of participants.

The following populations are eligible for the Green Certificate:

- Persons vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine, when no more than four months have passed since the second dose;

- Persons who have been ill with coronavirus, if more than four months have not passed since the moment of recovery;

- Persons vaccinated with three or four doses of the vaccine, regardless of the date of vaccination.

A decision was made to abolish the "green standard". However, it will still be necessary to do an antigen test before entering nursing homes.

Currently:

- Nursing homes, geriatric hospitals and hostels for the elderly will require a negative rapid test result to enter.

- It is recommended to be tested for coronavirus before meeting with the elderly.

- Institutions that will require a rapid test before entering will receive partial subsidies from the state.

- Unvaccinated employees of educational institutions, medical institutions and social services will still be required to be tested twice a week for coronavirus.

Middle school students are exempt from weekly coronavirus tests.

- Testing for coronavirus in elementary grades has been cancelled.