H EADLINES
ISRAELBRIEFS Ethiopian Immigrants Arrive in Israel
MORE THAN 300 ETHIOPIAN JEWS arrived in Israel on
Dec. 3 in the opening phase of a plan called Operation Tzur
Israel that will bring 2,000 Ethiopians in all, Th e Times of Israel
reported. Th e Ethiopians arrived via an airlift from Gondar that
Absorption and Immigration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata
headed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister
Gabi Ashkenazi and Alternate Prime Minister/Defense Minister
Benny Gantz were among those greeting them at Ben Gurion
Airport. Many of those arriving waved Israeli fl ags as they left the
plane, while some passengers kissed the ground. Some of the
arrivals had waited more than 15 years to emigrate.

Th ose who already have family in Israel will have to wait two
weeks to see them because of coronavirus guidelines that require
all arrivals to isolate. In addition, they will spend their fi rst few
months in Israel at an absorption center, where they will learn
Hebrew. A second group of 500 Ethiopians arrived the following day,
with the remainder expected before the end of January.

Israel’s Fiscal Defi cit Rises
Israel’s fi scal defi cit has increased to 11.1% of gross domestic
product, in large part because of the economic consequences of
the pandemic, Globes reported.

Th e defi cit is now NIS 151.3 billion, or about $46.5 billion.

Th e Minister of Finance expects the defi cit will continue to grow,
reaching 13% of GDP in 2021.

Th e Ministry of Finance said it has spent NIS 59.4 billion
($18.2 billion) on aid related to deal with the pandemic’s
economic impact, with NIS 101.4 billion ($31.1 billion) in all
added to the economy from various sources.

COVID-19 Cases Nearly Double in Two Weeks
Israel’s Health Ministry said on Dec. 7 that the average number
of daily new cases of COVID-19 grew to 1,318, up from 750 new
cases a day reported on No. 22, according to Th e Times of Israel.

Figures are based on seven-day averages.

In addition, the number of people hospitalized in serious
condition is growing, with 331 patients in serious condition —
including 112 on ventilators — compared to 260 a week ago.

Th e death toll is now 2,917. Th e total number of confi rmed
cases since the start of the pandemic is 345,201. Th ere are 12,776
active cases.

Further restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus are
being considered by government offi cials.

Sea of Galilee Likely to Be Full for First Time Since 1992
An especially wet November has raised expectations that the Sea
of Galilee will be full this winter for the fi rst time since 1992,
Globes reported.

Th e Israel Water Authority had a dress rehearsal on Nov. 29
for opening the Deganya dam, which allows water to exit the
lake’s southern end, down the Jordan River and into the Red Sea.

Heavy rains have pushed the Sea of Galilee (also known as
Kinneret) to about 210 meters below sea level, about 1.16 meters
from its maximum level. Israel had 130% of its average annual
rainfall in the past year, with some parts of northern Israel
reporting up to 200%. ●
— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
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