H eadlines
ISRAELBRIEFS More COVID Cases Diagnosed in Israel in
January Than in All of 2021
MORE COVID-19 CASES were identified in Israel
this January than in all of 2021, The Times of Israel
reported, citing a Coronavirus National Information
and Knowledge Center report.

The report said 960,500 coronavirus cases were
identified during 2021, while through Jan. 26, more
than 1.16 million tested positive.

The increase was attributed to the omicron variant.

On Jan. 26 alone, 67,723 new cases were recorded,
with a positivity rate of 24.58%.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Israel
topped 3 million on Feb. 2, The Jerusalem Post
reported. As of Feb. 3, the nation’s death toll since the
pandemic’s start was 9,013.

China Surpasses United States as Israel’s
Largest Import Source
China became Israel’s largest importer in 2021,
surpassing the United States, according to data
released by Israel’s National Bureau of Statistics, JTA
reported. Israel imported $10.7 billion in goods from
China in 2021, compared with $7.7 billion a year
earlier. Israel also had a $6.6 billion trade deficit
with China.

Imports from the U.S. totaled 8.2 billion. The U.S.

did remain Israel’s largest destination for exports.

Israel recently vowed to keep the Biden admin-
istration in the loop on any major trade deals with
China to defuse increasing tensions. Haaretz reported
that the U.S. hadn’t made explicit demands, but
Israeli officials were discussing the state’s policy
toward China.

Both the Biden and the Trump administrations
have expressed concerns about the warming relation-
ship between Israel and China — as the latter’s ties
with Europe and the U.S. have soured.

El Al to buy Arkia
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. said it signed a nonbinding
memorandum of understanding to buy all of the
shares of Arkia Israeli Airlines Ltd. in exchange for
10% of its own equity, Globes reported.

Options could bring that allocation up to 14%.

Arkia’s employees, who hold a 30% stake in the
company, must approve the agreement, as must the
Israel Competition Authority.

Under the arrangement, Arkia will continue to
operate as a separate brand — likely as the low-cost
arm of El Al — with its own staff. The deal values
Arkia at between $26.6 million and $37.6 million.

1.5 Million-Year-Old Bone Identified in Israel
International researchers discovered a vertebra from
a hominin species dating to 1.5 million years ago
that lived in the Jordan Valley, The Times of Israel
reported. The bone is from a child aged 6-12 who was tall
for his age and offers the most-ancient evidence of
humans living in Israel – along with the second-
oldest human remains found outside of Africa.

The vertebra was discovered while Israeli and U.S.

researchers examined fossils from previous excava-
tions kept at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

They identified it as a human lumbar vertebra, from
the lower back.

Scientific Reports journal said the findings offer
clues that multiple waves of hominin (consisting of
modern humans, extinct human species and our
immediate ancestors) left Africa. The first wave
occurred about 2 million years ago. l
— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
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