Middle East Experience

“Parts of this plan were ready already four months ago,” he said, “but due to the election we weren’t able to bring them forward.”
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Defense Ministry promises treatment change to IDF disabled veterans

The Indian variant is a “double mutation.” One aspect of the double mutation appears to make the virus more infectious.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Why the Indian mutation should worry Israel - analysis

Bennett, right-wing politicians condemn incident as having ‘nationalist motivations, allege attack is part of series of ‘antisemitic attacks’ by Arab Israelis, Palestinians.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Rabbi, yeshiva director violently assaulted in Jaffa

The agreement amounts to approximately NIS 5.4 billion and includes the establishment and operation of an International Flight Training Center for the Hellenic Air Force.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel and Greece sign their largest-ever defense procurement deal

Authorities this month have confirmed 46 coronavirus cases across three camps hosting displaced people in northeast Syria.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Virus surge threatens northeast Syria camps, Save the Children warns

The legislation from a progressive representative reflects a trend in the Democratic party toward pro-Palestinian positions and criticism of Israel.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Congresswoman introduces bill to condition US aid to Israel

It is now clear that Israel has been left on its own as the Americans strive for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict with Iran.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israel stands alone on Iran

While some Egyptians see the suspension of work on the series "El-Malek" as controlling creative expression, others feel that the move is necessary to protect Egypt's identity from historical inaccuracies.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Production stalls on Egypt's 'The King' over Pharaonic accuracy

Muslim worshippers in Saudi Arabia marked the first Ramadan Friday prayer in the holy city of Mecca as they gathered around the Kaaba while keeping a distance due to COVID-19 precautionary measures.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Only those who have been fully vaccinated are eligible for permits to perform the pilgrimage and to attend prayers in the Grand Mosque during the Muslim holy month, the Hajj and Umrah Ministry announced earlier this month.During the month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening.According to the ministry, three categories of people are considered “immunized” – those who have received two doses of coronavirus vaccine, those administered a single dose at least 14 days prior, and people who have recovered from the infection.The policy has effectively raised the Grand Mosque's capacity during Ramadan to accommodate 50,000 umrah pilgrims and 100,000 worshippers per day, according to state media.It is unclear whether the policy, which comes amid an uptick in coronavirus infections in the Kingdom, would be extended to the annual Hajj pilgrimage later this year.In late July last year, the Kingdom hosted a downsized hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.Only up to 10,000 Muslim residents of Saudi Arabia itself were allowed to take part, a far cry from the 2.5 million Muslims from around the world who participated in 2019.Saudi Arabia has reported more than 400,000 coronavirus infections and 6,700 deaths from COVID-19.With AFPRead more:Saudi Arabia reports 964 new COVID-19 cases, 10 deathsIn COVID-19's shadow, migrants find solace in Ramadan prayers and online iftarsImmunized pilgrims perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca on first day of Ramadan
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Muslims mark first Ramadan Friday prayer in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca amid COVID rules

Lebanese doctor Riad Sarkis says he can help curb COVID-19 globally. As he speaks inside Beirut airport, one of his secret weapons is wagging its tail next to him.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Specifically trained sniffer dogs can detect Covid in a person in a few seconds, including in very early stages when a PCR test would yield a negative result.“Man’s best friend” doesn’t even begin to describe how Dr Sarkis views dogs, which he argues can save more human lives than ever before by stopping the spread of the pandemic.“The day we build a machine with an electronic nose that amplifies smells 10,000 times, then we can replace the dogs. For now, we need them,” Sarkis says.The effusive professor, who splits his time and work between France and Lebanon, has temporarily sidelined his passions for music and poetry to stay on a war footing against the pandemic that has brought the world to a standstill.A digestive system surgery professor and oncologist, Sarkis had spent 12 years researching how dogs could help detect cancer and increase chances of early treatment.“When COVID appeared, I thought why not try. And it worked,” he recounts.Almost infallibleResearch was conducted with France’s Maisons-Alfort veterinary school, a leading institution founded in the 18th century, and various labs and universities.The results were staggering: the hyper-sensitive snouts of trained sniffer dogs were almost infallible.“PCR tests have a margin of error that can reach 30 percent. With dogs, it’s less than five percent,” he says.Each dog can process hundreds of samples every day, the only wages they need are biscuits or rubber toys and they deliver results on the spot.The technique is not intended to replace PCR testing but has been rolled out in a number of international airports such as Dubai, Helsinki and Sydney.At a training facility provided by Bank Audi in Beirut, Rox and Sky, an Alsatian and a Malinois, are being trained by dog handler Carlo Selman.“These dogs are a gift from God to combat Covid,” he says, as Sky wiggles in excitement ahead of a new exercise.Replicating the set-up at an airport terminal, a partition shields the dogs from the testing area, where passengers are ushered into booths.The underarm sweat sample is collected by the passengers, who are generally only too happy not to have a swab drilled into their nostrils.Other usesThe cotton pad is dropped in a glass container, which is in turn placed at the small end of cones that flare open on the other side of the partition.Pacing down the row of cones on their handlers’ leash, the dogs poke their muzzles in each one.If a sample is positive, they stop and sit in front of it, waiting for their treat.Sniffer dogs with K9 unit experience in explosives or drugs detection can be trained in weeks.Sarkis explains that the accuracy and speed of the dogs’ testing skills should be a key to stemming the spread of the Covid pandemic.“By the time a passenger carrying Covid gets PCR results, he has entered the country and very often the damage is done,” he says.Dogs can detect Covid at a very early stage, which allows for the isolation of asymptomatic people who would otherwise be unwittingly spreading the virus.The use of dogs is not limited to airports and Sarkis hopes to spread the technique to a wide range of occasions and locations.The speed of canine screening could make it an attractive option for buildings and events hosting large numbers of visitors, such as theaters and weddings.The use of dogs for Covid detection is also a milestone in scientific research, Sarkis said.“It’s a fantastic innovation because it’s the first time we’re able to demonstrate that a virus gives off specific scents,” he said.“This technique will be implemented with a lot of pathologies in the future,” he predicts. “Unfortunately, we should expect pathologies that could be even worse than COVID.”Read more:Malta to offer tourists up to $238 for visits after COVID restrictions liftedMuslims mark first Ramadan Friday prayer in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca amid COVID rulesParents in the US begin to ponder: Should my child get a COVID-19 shot?
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lebanese doctor’s drive to curb COVID-19 with sniffer dogs