Hospital chiefs split as COVID cases rise * Coalition scrambles to avoid defeat on Palestinian families law * The Sackler calamity * Blogs: Bottom line on ’Jewish’ Elvis

[Times of Israel]( [The daily edition]( Monday, July 5, 2021 [Israel ‘underreacting’ to COVID? Or justified optimism? Hospital chiefs split]( By [Nathan Jeffay]( [With Muslim festival and Israeli wedding season approaching and COVID cases rising, some are filled with foreboding while others relax, saying vaccines doing their job]( [Bennett speaks to Pfizer CEO about additional supply of vaccines to Israel]( By [TOI staff]( [Government set to impose fresh restrictions as COVID cases rise]( By [TOI staff]( [Ministry data said to show Pfizer shot blocks majority of serious Delta cases]( By [Amy Spiro]( [Figures reportedly indicate vaccine less effective against contagion from variant, but hospitalizations remain low; officials said weighing use of Moderna for 2nd dose for over 18s]( [Early Israeli data signals Delta strain may bypass vaccine, cause mild illness]( By [AFP]( Live updates [LIVE: Ahead of vote on reunification law, PM urges ‘responsibility’ from opposition]( By [TOI staff]( [Shaked says she hopes to clinch majority by day’s end; Lapid: Not a disaster if the bill doesn’t pass, some have been hurt by it]( [Vote to extend Palestinian family reunification law coming down to the wire]( By [Amy Spiro]( [Shaked said to agree on compromise with 6-month extension; Likud MKs to meet ahead of vote to solidify position; coalition MKs slam opposition as damaging Israel’s security]( [ToI podcast / Daily Briefing July 5 – What’s at stake in the Palestinian reunification law?]( By [TOI staff]( [Palestinian family reunification law up for Knesset vote, a day before deadline]( By [TOI staff]( [Rescue efforts resume in Florida after demolition of remaining part of condo]( By [Rebecca Santana and BOBBY CAINA CALVAN]( [Search-and-rescue teams hope to gain access to parts of the garage area for 1st time; mayor expresses ‘relief’ that danger of unstable structure removed]( [Remaining part of Surfside condo demolished as rescuers prepare to resume search]( By [Adriana Gomez Licon and TERRY SPENCER]( [Fireworks go silent as Miami area marks somber Fourth of July]( By [AP]( Top Ops [Roselle Kline Chartock]( [The bottom line on Elvis Presley’s Jewish heritage]( [The King of Rock ‘n Roll grew up in a poor, fundamentalist Christian family in the Deep South, but a conversation with his mother Gladys likely changed his outlook for life]( [Danny Hakim]( [Is co-existence in Israel a myth? Co-thriving is not!]( [A Friday morning beach training session of Jewish and Arab martial arts instructors may sound risky, but meant only sand, sea, sweat, fresh air, and goodwill]( [Shlomo Deutsch]( [My Hamas-supporting taxi driver]( [Our understandings of recent events were contradictory: I knew the terror group had attacked Israel on Jerusalem Day; he was sure they were only retaliating]( [Naomi Chazan]( [Saving the Knesset]( [Outsized by a ballooning population, Israel’s flailing parliament desperately needs reform to strengthen checks and balances and promote equality]( Don't miss a thing [Get The Times of Israel on your Google News]( [Catch everything that really matters on Israel and the Jewish world. Click here, then on the star >]( Interview [How the Sackler family built a pharma dynasty and fueled an American calamity]( By [Rich Tenorio]( [In ‘Empire of Pain,’ Patrick Radden Keefe details the humble Jewish immigrant roots of Purdue Pharmaceuticals, and how it is evading justice despite being behind the opioid crisis]( [Defense minister: Israel will act whenever, wherever needed against Iran]( By [Judah Ari Gross]( [In TV interview, Gantz also warns war could again break out in Gaza Strip, as terror groups continue to launch arson balloons into Israel; offers to help Lebanon]( [Experts reportedly see major damage in attack on Iran centrifuge plant]( By [TOI staff]( [Iran’s sole nuclear power plant back online after sudden closure]( By [Agencies and TOI staff]( [Netanyahu’s son Yair attacks Bennett on US TV as ‘puppet’ PM of the radical left]( By [TOI staff]( [In interview with far-right One America News Network, ex-premier’s son says new government is ‘very dangerous,’ lacks public legitimacy]( [Court rejects Yair Netanyahu’s appeal to cancel libel verdict against him]( By [TOI staff]( [Court again delays resumption of Netanyahu trial, putting it off till July 19]( By [TOI staff]( [Postponement puts restart of proceedings just 2 days before summer recess; delay comes at request of prosecutors who need more time to provide defense with missing materials]( [CRM]( [Twice in an hour: Jewish man faces antisemitic abuse on London bus, train]( By [TOI staff]( [In two incidents within an hour, passerby threatens to ‘slit your throat for Palestine,’ while another shouts ‘I f***ing hate the Jews’]( [Awarding defense prize, Gantz says military tech limited civilian deaths in Gaza]( By [Judah Ari Gross]( [President, defense minister give top security prize to four classified projects, dealing with intelligence, the air force, cybersecurity, and a new technological capability]( [Israel said seeking European donors to provide Gaza funding alongside Qatar]( By [TOI staff]( [Norway’s largest pension fund divests from firms linked to West Bank settlements]( By [AFP]( [IDF to probe fitness program, lack of defibrillator after officer’s death]( By [Judah Ari Gross]( [Army announces third investigation into fatal collapse of Col. Sharon Asman, 42, following run, after previously launching Military Police probe and medical inquiry]( [‘An officer and a gentleman:’ IDF commander who died during training is buried]( By [TOI staff and Judah Ari Gross]( [Meron disaster commission begins investigation, orders documents handed over]( By [TOI staff]( [Attorney general given 30 days to present government reports on planning of Lag B’Omer event at Mount Meron, where 45 people were killed in a deadly crush]( [Police to probe Arab former lawmaker for alleged incitement]( By [TOI staff]( [Heba Yazbak says she was summoned for questioning but not told what investigation is about; ex-Balad MK previously praised terrorist who killed Israelis]( [Firebrand ex-MK Hanin Zoabi to strike plea bargain in forgery case — TV]( By [TOI staff]( [CRM]( More Headlines [Eilat’s neighbor Aqaba beckons Israeli tourists with bargain vacation prices]( By [TOI staff]( [Star mangled banner / Lapid fumbles July 4 message with tweet of Liberia flag]( By [TOI staff]( [Israel approves tax rule changes for greater transparency of multinationals]( By [TOI staff]( [Pope in ‘good condition’ following intestinal surgery, Vatican says]( By [Frances D'Emilio]( [Bennett speaks with Russia’s Putin for first time since becoming PM]( By [TOI staff]( [Fire forces evacuation of homes in West Bank settlement; arson suspected]( By [TOI staff]( [Spacecom gets $8.6 million follow-on Hungary deal for satellite services]( By [Shoshanna Solomon]( [Panel on prison reform recommends some sentences be served at home]( By [TOI staff]( [Major search underway for missing teen washed out to sea near Hadera]( By [Stuart Winer]( [Amnesty, research groups map out global reach of Israeli NSO Group’s spyware]( By [Shoshanna Solomon]( [4 arrested for selling images, videos of nude women, teens without their consent]( By [TOI staff]( [Bank of Israel keeps rates unchanged, says COVID still poses ‘risk’ to economy]( By [Shoshanna Solomon]( [Unsubscribe from this List]( Email not displaying correctly? 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