Now that restaurants in Israel are opening up, our resident wine expert David Rhodes joined Arieh O’Sullivan in the studio with some good advice on ordering wines.
In Britain, a commission established to examine racial inequalities within the Jewish community has concluded that there is considerable discrimination not only against the estimated 1,000 black Jews and less than four and half thousand Jews of Asian origins, but that Sephardi, Mizrachi and Yemini Jews also suffer from a predominantly Ashkenazi based population. Giving us a snapshot of the report’s recommendations, is our London Correspondent Jerry Lewis
Prof. Manfred Green, a member of the advisory committee to the health ministry on the coronavirus, said that sense of “the coronavirus pandemic is behind us,” was premature. He also told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that the government messaging was backwards and that instead of telling the public it was OK to take off masks outside, it should have been: “keep the masks on inside.”
The Israeli pharmaceutical giant TEVA is launching a program that aims to get scientists in Israeli academic laboratories innovating in the real world. Dr. Dana Bar-on, the head of academic affairs at TEVA, told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that Teva has a new way of mentoring them in their transition from academia to the industry.
The political strife and parliamentary paralysis. The temporary Knesset committees responsible, among other things, for oversight of government activities, are not expected to be formed before the beginning of next week. This due to the power struggle on the key Knesset arrangements committee, where chair Micky Zohar of the Likud has refused to advance any agenda because rivals of Benjamin Netanyahu hold a majority on the committee.
KAN Naomi Segal heard more about the implications of the situation from Prof. Yuval Shany, Vice President of the Israel Democracy Institute and a faculty member at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Myanmar's newly formed government of national unity urged neighboring countries to not recognise the junta that seized power in February and to negotiate with it instead as part of any attempt to solve the crisis that began with the coup.
The military has shown little willingness to engage with its neighbors and no sign of wanting to talk to members of the government it ousted.
Meanwhile in Israel a group of concerned citizens has formed a solidarity group with the people of Myanmar.
KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with one of the founders of the group, Guy Gelbgisser.
Israel has long been a leading researcher in medical cannabis and now Israeli cannabis products have marked a key milestone to penetrating the European market. Panaxia Israel Laboratories have just sent its first shipment of medical cannabis oils to Cyprus after the government there selected it for sale in pharmacies. Assi Rotbart, the co-founder and general manager of Panaxia said that the coronavirus has increased demand for medical cannabis.
Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel has unveiled a draft climate bill that gives the ministry sweeping new powers.
The new bill specifies that Israel will reduce climate-warming greenhouse gases by at least 27 percent by 2030 and by at least 85% by 2050, compared with 2015 levels.
The draft aims to bring Israel into line with the 18 OECD countries that already have climate laws.
Publication of the draft bill comes three days before Earth Day, on Thursday, and the beginning of President Biden’s two-day, virtual Climate Summit.
KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Attorney Tammy Gannot, the director of Policy and Strategy at the Israel Union for Enviromental Defense (Adam,Teva V'Din) which worked with the ministry on drawing up the climate bill.
The board of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund is set to hold a meeting on April 22nd to discuss a controversial decision allowing the organization to purchase West Bank land for the development of Israeli settlements. The new policy was narrowly approved earlier this year, amid objections from progressive factions represented within the organization. KAN reporter Naomi Segal heard more about the policy change and the deliberations around it from David Yaari, chairman of the World Confederation of United Zionists.
While the coronavirus pandemic put an abrupt halt to the concert touring schedule of Israeli composer Oded Zehavi, it did not stop his creative output, and in fact, served as muse for a new piece, Arlozorov 178, that will be premiered by the Israel Chamber Orchestra on April 20th at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The work aptly takes its title from Zehavi's home address, where it was composed. Zehavi is one of four composers whom the Tel Aviv municipality commissioned to create works inspired by the coronavirus period. The other three are: Josef Bardanashvili, Aharon Harlap, and Naama Zafran. Zehavi spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal about how he approached the project.