The Times of Israel Daily Edition

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THE DAILY EDITION Thursday, April 16, 2020

LIVE UPDATES Ministers ease Bnei Brak lockdown, extend Jerusalem neighborhoods closure BY TOI STAFF Cars to be permitted into Haredi city near Tel Aviv, but no public transportation; restrictions on areas of capital set to expire April 19

Rivlin gives Knesset 21 days to agree on a PM, or go to new election BY RAOUL WOOTLIFF AND TOI STAFF After talks fail to produce government by Gantz’s Wednesday night deadline, president says he hopes legislature can choose an MK to form a coalition

Gantz mandate to form coalition expires but Likud, Blue and White talks to go on BY TOI STAFF AND AFP   Analysis / Netanyahu and Gantz negotiate as if time is on their side — and on ours BY HAVIV RETTIG GUR

OP-ED DAVID HOROVITZ Party broken, tactics poor, and deal elusive, Gantz plays into Netanyahu’s hands In 6 weeks, the Blue and White leader has undergone an extraordinary downfall – from being endorsed as PM by most MKs, to heading a diminished party merely irritating the incumbent

Pushing bills against PM, Liberman says he means to press him to join with Gantz BY TOI STAFF

US said probing possibility that virus came from Chinese laboratory BY TOI STAFF Intelligence officials tell CNN they are looking into theory virus was accidentally released by infected technician, though they stress it is far from substantiated

Coronavirus could erode global fight against other diseases BY ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL AND VICTORIA MILKO

Cuomo says threat that virus will overwhelm New York hospital system averted BY TOI STAFF AND AGENCIES New York governor orders people to wear face masks in public, sending 150 ventilators to Michigan and Maryland; State develops own antibody test

Explainer / Why have so many died of coronavirus in New York? BY CATHERINE TRIOMPHE   US factory shutdowns near levels of post-WWII demobilization BY PAUL WISEMAN AND AP

Police remove Bnei Brak roadblocks, anticipating end of closure BY TOI STAFF As cabinet ministers discuss whether to extend restrictions on city, authorities appear to believe lockdown at an end; no immediate news on Jerusalem

Report: Morocco blocks joint UAE-Israel effort to repatriate stranded citizens BY RAPHAEL AHREN   In new low, only a single flight departs from Israel Wednesday BY TOI STAFF

Israel said to shut down East Jerusalem virus testing site operating under PA BY TOI STAFF Police arrest 4 who were running the clinic; UNRWA says Israeli authorities hindering efforts to curb virus in city’s east

Settler extremists quarantined in West Bank abscond with IDF-supplied tents BY JUDAH ARI GROSS AND JACOB MAGID

ANALYSIS: COVID-19 CRISIS RAPHAEL AHREN Ahead of curve, now marred by politics: Fading praise for Netanyahu’s leadership Most Israelis satisfied with Netanyahu’s management of battle against pandemic, but analysts say his initially savvy handling is being overshadowed by mistakes and petty politics

Netanyahu said to have turned down UK request for ventilators BY TOI STAFF   Flights from US, S. Korea bring 100 ventilators, chemicals for 100k virus tests BY TOI STAFF

National death toll rises to 141 with 10 new deaths, as Passover closure lifted BY TOI STAFF Infection cases at 12,591; bakeries reopen, limited public transportation resumes and Israelis can again leave hometowns if they comply with restrictions

In landmark pilot, High Court livestreams hearing on Shin Bet phone tracking BY TOI STAFF   Virus rules ignored at Druze funeral, ultra-Orthodox circumcision BY TOI STAFF

Iran unveils ‘smart system’ to detect virus from 100m in seconds, faces derision BY TOI STAFF IRGC commander says Mosta’an can find infections in five seconds ‘creating a magnetic field and using a bipolar virus’; critics claim it is based on scam tool for detecting bombs

US accuses Iran of ‘dangerous’ harassment of its warships in Strait of Hormuz BY AP

Flouting social distancing rules, Ivanka Trump flew to New Jersey for seder BY TOI STAFF President’s daughter has been at forefront of administration’s response to coronavirus, and repeatedly urged Americans to refrain from discretionary travel

Absorption Minister Galant latest top official accused of flouting virus rules BY TOI STAFF

Dozens of world’s top entertainers to lead virus extravaganza — from home BY TOI STAFF AND AP Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney among stars to headline ‘One World: Together At Home,’ airing April 18 to raise funds or frontline health care workers

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