Drone In Israel

 By Micah Halpern

Wednesday March 17, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Israel conducted a drone exercise on Wednesday. This was not a military program, instead, it was a test of commercial deliveries using small mini drones.

The test took place in the city of Hadera. It was computer controlled and managed from Haifa, which is 35 miles away.

The drones, released 20 at a time, delivered pizzas and other small items.

The skies of Israel are filled with other drones, with planes and with helicopters and even with paragliders. Because of all this air traffic, the rules of delivery drones state that they must fly under an altitude of 360 feet.

Israel’s delivery drones all have emergency parachutes in case of malfunctions.
Should there be a malfunction, the parachute will make certain the drone and the package and anyone or anything on the ground is not damaged.

The exercise was a success. It looks like drone deliveries are soon to become a reality for Israelis.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Israel Hospitals Close COVID Wards

 By Micah Halpern

Tuesday March 16, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

On Monday March 15, 2021 Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv closed their last COVID ward.

The 18 remaining patients were transferred to other non-COVID care units.

This is enormously significant.

Ichilov is the largest medical center serving Tel Aviv. It is one of the largest medical campuses in Israel. Closing their COVID wards signals that Israel is in the final stretch of this pandemic.

Fewer and fewer people are dying of COVID in Israel. Fewer and fewer are becoming critically ill and requiring hospitalization. Vaccinations have topped 5 million will hit 7 million in the next few weeks.

The lock downs, the quarantines, the strict enforcement of rules and restrictions have paid off in lives saved and a pandemic that has been contained.

Good going Israel.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Israelis Take Israel to ICC

 By Micah Halpern

Monday March 15, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

An Israeli group named Anshei Emet (the People of Truth) have taken the State of Israel to the Hague, also known as the ICC – the International Criminal Court.

This group alleges that Israel is forcing citizens to vaccinate and that forcing them to vaccinate is a form of abuse. They also assert that people have died from the vaccine. Their biggest argument is that the reaction to the shot is a form of abuse.

In reality, the numbers tell an opposite story.

Only 0.25% of those in Israel who received the Pfizer vaccine had any significant reaction. That number is practically 0.

The case is absurd. This group and their decision to bring the case to the Hague takes anti-vaxxers to a whole new – and dare I say ridiculous, level.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Hackers Hack Israel

 By Micah Halpern

Sunday March 14, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

A hacker group successfully attacked an Israeli finance company. Now they are demanding a ransom of 1.9 million shekel. That’s about $570,000.

The group is called The Black Shadow.

The company they attacked is called KLS, a finance company that handles car payments.

The Black Shadow has begun to release the company’s private information on the web. They also deleted a significant amount of data.

This is not the first time The Black Shadow has cyber attacked an Israeli company.
Last December they successfully attacked Israeli Insurance company Shirbit. Following that attack the hacker group demanded - and received 200 Bitcoins which equaled $3.8 million.

KLS has refused to pay. They told The Black Shadow that they will not pay.

Micah@MicahHaleprn.com

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Discoveries in Egypt

 By Micah Halpern

Saturday March 13, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

A team of archeologists from Norway and France have discovered and unearthed a compound consisting of six churches and many isolation chambers. The remains are from the 5th century.

The finds are located in the Western desert. This dig further supports the idea that monastic life was commonplace in Christian religious life.

They found inscriptions. They found buildings that were cut into bedrock. They discovered that basalt stone as well as mud brick was used for building.

Archeological finds like this one are very helpful in our understanding of early Christian society.

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Fresh Water in ISrael

 By Micah Halpern

Friday March 12, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Just 18 months ago the water line in the Sea of Galilee was so dangerously low that it was below the bottom red line.

It was so low that pumping from Israel’s only freshwater lake was restricted to the bare minimum and nearly stopped. When the water level reaches the bottom red line, pumping must be restricted if not stopped.

Today, the Sea of Galilee is almost at full capacity. Israel is no longer in crisis for fresh water.

The Sea of Galilee was filled due to an unusual amount of rain and snow over the winter months.

If the water rises just a little more, the National Water Authority will open a dam and release water form the lake into the Jordan River. This is done in order to prevent flooding.

Imagine, six months ago water in Israel was at a dangerous low, today it is so high Israel can afford to siphon it off.

Israel needs water. For decades Israelis have been taught about the importance of water conservation. Water is so important for productive life and Israel has many plans to insure that the country continues to have fresh water.

Rain, of course, is not part of the plan but, thankfully, this year it arrived in the nick of time.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Elections in Iran

 By Micah Halpern

Thursday March 11, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

I have written about the upcoming elections in Iran that will take place on June 18th.

Now we are hearing from “experts” explaining that, because of those elections, the window for the United States to come to an agreement with Iran before their election is about 10 weeks. That is all - just 10 weeks. After the election, they explain, the new president who will almost certainly +be even more conservative than Rouhani, the current president, will not welcome an agreement.

That entire analysis is wrong.

Who is to say that after an agreement is cobbled together and signed with the current government of Iran within the next 10 weeks, the incoming government will not rip it to shreds if for no other reason than to prove that they do not support relations with the United States and with the West.

This is Iran we are dealing with!

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Stevie Wonder Prize in Israel

 By Micah Halpern

Wednesday March 10, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Stevie Wonder will be awarded the Wolf Prize from Israel. As always, the award was announced by the Israeli President, Ruby Rivlin.

The Wolf Prize is awarded to artists and scientists. It’s quite impressive.

Not surprisingly, Roger Waters – a blatant and outspoken hater of the Jewish State, is asking Stevie Wonder to reject the prize. Waters is a singer, songwriter, musician and composer. He is a also rabid supporter of BDS and he never misses an opportunity to attack Israel or to use his fame and music popularity to force others to boycott Israel.

Waters has reached out to just about every single performer scheduled to come to Israel. He publicly calls them out and uses Twitter to embarrass them.

Thus far, Waters’ campaign has had only very limited success.

And Stevie Wonder is still scheduled to accept the award.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Bomb @Israel Embassy in India

 By Micah Halpern

Tuesday March 9, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

There was an explosion outside the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, India, this past January.

Until now it was thought that ISIS – which claimed responsibility in the aftermath of the explosion - had planned and executed the terror attack.

But India has now concluded that Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were behind the terror attack which was detonated by remote control.

A note, written in English was found nearby the site of the attack.

Turns out that the note was a deliberate attempt to mislead investigators.
According to the note, the attack was to avenge the deaths of several “martyrs”.
The martyrs listed on the note were Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander who was killed in a January 2020 United States drone strike; Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a top Iraqi militia commander who was killed along with Soleimani; and Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the architect of Iran’s nuclear program, killed in a November 2020 attack that Tehran has blamed on Israel.

The note also said warned that the attackers are watching and can strike at any time.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Elections in Iran

 By Micah Halpern

Monday March 8, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

On June 18th, right around the corner, an election is scheduled in Iran. Candidates are starting to emerge.

One of the most likely candidates, and with an excellent chance of succeeding in this election, is named Saeed Mohammad. Mohammad is the director of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He also runs the largest commercial enterprise in Iran called the Khatam al Anbiya Construction.

Mohammad has no political experience. But that will not sideline him. He is very close with the Supreme Leader the Ayatollah Khamenei, the man who makes all decisions in Iran. In addition, his role in the IRGC gives him a great credential.
And he is also the employer of 10’s of thousands of people. Or he was – Mohammad just stepped down from that position in order to dedicate time to his run for the presidency.

Name recognition. A close connection to the Grand Ayatollah. An insider. Remember the name. Saeed Mohammad may very well become the next president of Iran.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Crisis in Kindergarterns

 By Micah Halpern

Sunday March 7, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Israel’s ministry of education announced that over 500 kindergartens have been closed because of COVID. It is the largest number yet.

The kindergartens have been closed either because the children have been exposed to COVID or because their teachers have contracted COVID. In an effort to protect the teachers and the students and their families, the kindergartens had to be shuttered.

Anat Dadon, director of pre-school unions in Israel is quoted saying: "Parents are sending their children [to kindergarten] knowing they may be exposed to a carrier of the virus."

"We have not seen so many kindergartens forced to close and staff and children made to quarantine since the start of the pandemic."

The simple fact is that, in Israel, for the next few months, there will continue to be rolling closures of schools as students and teacher continue to test for COVID and some of them come back with positive test results.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Dalai Lama Says Vaccinate

 By Micah Halpern

Saturday March 6, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Today the Dalai Lama got received his COVID 19 vaccine.

It was the first of the two vaccines he will get.

After receiving the shot, the 85 year old Tibetan spiritual leader spoke to the world.
He spoke to his ardent followers and to all who listen to him. He urged them all to be brave and to get the vaccine.

The Dalai Lama was the latest in a series of leaders - especially spiritual leaders, who are urging people to vaccinate. They are combatting a growing number of anti-vaxxers who have created conspiracy cults. Thee claim that COVID is a hoax.

They claim that the vaccine will cause damage to one’s health.

It is these conspiracy theories that are the real hoax. The Dalai Lama stood up and is helping to save the lives to his followers.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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A/S In England

Friday March 5, 2021

I've Been Thinking:

A mother complained that the homework assignment for her 7 year old son depicted the Jews as killing Jesus.

As a result, the site that the homework was on took down the 19 pages dealing with Jews as the killers of their god.

On the site, under the title The Trial, there was the following quote: “The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to be guilty. They found it difficult to find anything that he had done wrong even though they paid people to lie about him. Eventually they asked him if he was the Son of God. Jesus replied I am. This was enough. They said this was an insult to God. Jesus was taken before Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor.”

And it goes on.

In the Christian Bible, on the several occasions where it is written that Jesus says that he is the son of God, it is only inferred. He never actually says those words.

There are people who are teaching children to hate Jews because they are the killers of their god. It is medieval. But it is happening today.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Assad Tested Positive

Thursday March 4, 2021

I've Been Thinking:

President Assad of Syria and his wife Asma tested positive for COVID. Both the president and his wife are 55 years old.

Asma had cancer nearly three years ago. She was treated and has fully recovered. The presidential office said that they have only mild symptoms, are in isolation in the palace and will return to work in a few weeks.

Several important points have emerged with that report.

Telling us that Assad and his wife have COIVD is unusual – it is not the modus operandi in Syria. Not telling us how serious the cases are is also very telling. The Syrian president’s office lies all the time. They are not lying about the COVID, but they are most certainly lying about the symptoms.

As an example of a lie - according to Syrian health officials only 16,000 people in Syria have contracted COVID. That cannot be the case.

In a dictatorship, information about the president or about national health are almost never made public and what is made public is almost never accurate.
It will be interesting to see if any further details – truth, half truths or lies – will be released.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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COVID

Wednesday March 3, 2021

I've Been Thinking:

Israel is investing millions of shekels to combat fake news on the internet about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Over the past few weeks, as Israel has hit major milestones in vaccine numbers and prepares to vaccinate the remained of their still unvaccinated population, an online movement has developed spreading hoaxes and lies about the vaccine.

Those behind these hoaxes couch their lies in pseudoscience and medicine.
Israelis who have not yet been vaccinated have done so out of choice. They need to be convinced. And because of these fake news sites, it is harder to sway them.

Experts say that these hoaxers are endangering individual lives as well as the greater health and well being of the population of the nation.

500,000 Israelis over the age of 50 still have not been vaccinated. They will get sick and some will die - simply because they were told lies about the vaccine.
Websites quoting real Israeli medical experts are now on counter websites. In simple terms, they explain the science behind the vaccines. They are debunking the myths. Hopefully, they will be saving lives.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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US Israel Agree on Iran

 By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Most great agreements are hammered together behind closed doors.

Announcements of the final product are much more impressive when details of the day-to-day bickering inherent in forming an agreement are kept in the shadows.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced that the United States and Israel have come to an agreement about Iran.

Both countries agreed that there be no surprises. That means that Israel will not attack Iran without tell the United States in advance. And the United States will not open doors for Iran or enter negotiations or begin a new strategy without letting Israel know in advance.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said: "If anyone thought the Americans would run to make an agreement with Iran, up until now it did not happen, and I hope it does not happen in the future".

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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Israel Regional Defense Pact

 By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Israel has launched an effort to create a regional defense pact.

The idea is to come to strategic agreements with numerous countries in the region, bonding together as a group, enabling group members to better protect themselves from aggressive outliers.

This defense pact will function similarly to NATO. If one country is attacked it is, by treaty, seen as an attack on all member nations.

The plan was reported by KAN, a Hebrew language radio network in Israel. It credited Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi with the idea for the plan and the follow through.

So far, the players joining Israel are UAE and Bahrain. I predict that both Egypt and Jordan will follow suit.

The outliers that will be isolated in this defense pact are Iran and Syria.

This could be a very useful – and intimidating, defense tool.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com

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