Israel sees COVID surge even as PA rejects vaccine transfer

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Today’s panel comprises our health reporter Nathan Jeffay and Palestinian Affairs correspondent Aaron Boxerman, along with host Amanda Borschel-Dan. Israel is experiencing a minor surge in COVID cases. We discuss what the origins are and just how worrying this is. Over the weekend Israel and the Palestinian Authority inked a deal with Pfizer for the transfer of some 1.4 million COVID vaccines to be transferred from Israel to the PA. However, quickly after its announcement, the Palestinians rejected the short-dated shots. What's happening now? Equally controversial is the Family Reunification amendment to the Citizenship bill, which was slated for a vote this week. Boxerman gives background on the 2003 amendment which limits citizenship for Palestinians married to Israeli Arabs and explains what's at stake now. And finally, we hear about interesting new research reaffirming the linkage of Vitamin D deficiency with poor results for those infected with the coronavirus. Discussed articles include: Government orders stepped-up COVID screening at airport, quarantine inspections As virus infection rate rises once more, health experts say: Don’t panic PA says it wants to renegotiate terms of vaccine deal with Israel, Pfizer Three countries said to ask Israel for vaccine doses Palestinians don’t want Lacking a majority, vote to extend Palestinian family reunification ban delayed 1 in 4 COVID patients hospitalized while vitamin D deficient die – Israeli study Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: An Israeli youth receives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the central Israeli city of Rishon LeZion, June 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.