Sanders, soaring in polls, slams ’racist’ Israeli gov’t * Diplomats open election vote * Trump pardons Milken * Gantz rejects PM debate challeng e * Dead Sea flora thrives

[Visit timesofisrael.com for 24/7 updates]( The Daily Edition Wednesday, February 19, 2020 [Sanders: You can support Israelis without backing their ‘racist’ government]( By [TOI staff and Agencies]( [Democratic candidate says US should work to bring Israel and Palestinians together; as a Jew he ‘feels strongly’ on issue]( [Sanders soars to double-digit lead in new poll of Democrats; Biden slumps]( By [TOI staff and Agencies]( [Trump pardons 1980s junk bond king Michael Milken]( By [Marc Brodsky]( [Israel advances housing plan in Jerusalem area Trump plan marks for Palestinians]( By [Jacob Magid]( [Project for 9,000 homes at inoperative Atarot airport would take over last open area in East Jerusalem neighborhood that US envisions will house tourism center for Muslims]( [Jordan condemns Israel’s plan to bring high-speed train to Western Wall]( By [TOI staff]( 2020 Elections [Israeli diplomats and emissaries worldwide kick off March elections]( By [Raoul Wootliff]( [Some 5,200 Israelis stationed abroad begin casting ballots; first to vote in country’s third election in a year is Israel’s ambassador to New Zealand]( [Israel media review / This isn’t up for debate: 8 things to know for February 19]( By [Jacob Magid]( [Netanyahu challenges Gantz to televised debate, after avoiding gambit for decade]( By [TOI staff]( [First 2 Israelis get off coronavirus ship]( By [TOI staff and AP]( [Edna and Henry Ben Shabbat are among the first to leave Diamond Princess, say they’re feeling well but will be worried for remaining 10 Israelis]( [Passengers begin to disembark from coronavirus ship as quarantine ends]( By [AP and TOI staff]( [Israeli device could help treat coronavirus patients in China]( By [TOI staff]( [Iran reports its first 2 cases of the new coronavirus]( By [Amir Vahdat]( [IDF: Islamic Jihad snipers fire at troops on Gaza border; none injured]( By [Judah Ari Gross]( [Incident comes as Israel and Palestinian terror groups in the Strip negotiate ceasefire]( [PM warns Hamas of ‘big surprise’ amid reports Israel planned to kill its leaders]( By [TOI staff]( [After 3 days without rockets, Israel ends ‘sanctions’ on Gaza]( By [Judah Ari Gross]( [Palestinian teenager killed in clashes between PA forces and locals near Jenin]( By [Adam Rasgon]( [Palestinian governor says security forces were confronted by rocks and gunfire after arriving in village; Hamas accuses PA of killing the teen]( [Jordanian woman, nabbed with knife in Jerusalem 18 days ago, refuses to ID self]( By [TOI staff]( [PA to protest to Amazon over its shipping policies to settlements]( By [Adam Rasgon]( Live updates [Gantz: To join my government, you must oppose immunity law for Netanyahu]( By [TOI staff]( [Blue and White chief dismisses PM’s call for debate: ‘Netanyahu has been avoiding debates for over a decade’; Netanyahu calls the former army chief ‘scared’]( Photo essay [Rains bring stunning floral displays to parched Dead Sea area]( By [Sue Surkes]( [Shores between Kalya and Ovnat are alive with wildflowers]( [Live tweet / Cameras allow peeping from afar at private lives of predatory birds]( By [Sue Surkes]( Top Ops [Yohanan Plesner]( [Israel’s third election needs a game-changer. Will it get one?]( [The future of Israel’s slowly eroding democracy doesn’t just depend on whom you vote for – but on who votes!]( [Bill Slott]( [Ein Bokek: Going after the polluters]( [Is this a tragic tale of unchecked industrial pollution or an inspiring story of one angry citizen’s gutsy tenacity? Yes.]( [In shakeup, IDF to create new general position to counter Iran]( By [Judah Ari Gross]( [Chief of staff Kohavi to restructure Planning Directorate into department focused on developing and rolling out new combat doctrines]( [Iran: Flight recorder of downed Ukrainian jetliner ‘considerably damaged’]( By [TOI staff]( [In win for environment, Israel won’t issue new oil shale exploration permits]( By [Sue Surkes]( [Energy Ministry says it will not renew ICL Rotem Amfert license and will require 2 other oil shale projects to comply with environmental criteria]( [Government body wants taxpayers to subsidize half of new gas pipeline]( By [Sue Surkes]( [Likud ministers slam police for arresting, searching home of ex-MK Glick]( By [Michael Bachner]( [Public security and justice ministers lambaste police’s ’embarrassing’ conduct in case of Temple Mount activist]( [Former Likud MK Glick arrested for 2nd time following incident on Temple Mount]( By [TOI staff]( More Headlines [Teacher who threw apple at Netanyahu to face disciplinary hearing]( By [TOI staff]( [Israeli man killed in mid-air plane collision in Australia]( By [TOI staff and AFP]( [Michigan State student sprays swastika on his own fraternity house]( By [Marcy Oster]( [Australian court awards AUS $800,000 to victim of Orthodox pedophile]( By [TOI staff]( [Mandelblit said set to tell court Netanyahu can form government despite trial]( By [TOI staff]( [After Eurovision, Tel Aviv aims to sustain ‘tourism miracle’ with 10-year plan]( By [Luke Tress]( [Cellcom said set to buy Golan Telecom for NIS 600 million]( By [Luke Tress]( [Israeli defense firm Elbit wins $670 million contract with Asia-Pacific country]( By [Luke Tress]( [PM says first of 400 new immigrants from Ethiopia set to arrive next week]( By [TOI staff]( [Tel Aviv court tells Facebook to unblock account belonging to NSO Group employee]( By [TOI staff]( [Israeli Opera to host Placido Domingo despite sexual harassment claims]( By [AP]( [Germany to tighten screws on online hate speech]( By [Mathieu FOULKES]( [Unsubscribe from this List]( © 2020 THE TIMES OF ISRAEL, All Rights Reserved