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Tel Aviv's Jewish museum reopens after $100 million upgrade
Read full article: Tel Aviv's Jewish museum reopens after $100 million upgradeA man walks near the entrance to the Jewish museum in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Israel's revamped Museum of the Jewish People is reopening after a $100 million renovation project, offering visitors a comprehensive look at more than 2,500 years of Jewish life, history and culture from around the globe. Its exhibition space has tripled, making it the largest Jewish museum in the world, officials say. Another $52 million came from other U.S.-based philanthropists and foundations, and $18 million from the Israeli government. It focuses on the diversity of Jewish culture and the accomplishments of the Jewish people, not just its tragedies, she said.
Vaccination 'passports' may open society, but inequity looms
Read full article: Vaccination 'passports' may open society, but inequity loomsStill, the reanimating experience Monday night above a shopping mall north of Tel Aviv night was not accessible to everyone. Only people displaying a “green passport” that proved they had been vaccinated or had recovered from COVID-19 could get in. Inside Israel, green passports or badges obtained through an app is the coin of the realm. Ad“The core human rights principle is equity and nondiscrimination,” said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University professor and director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law. As those countries begin vaccinations, wealthier nations are starting to talk about “green passport” logistics, security, privacy and policy.
Israel trades Pfizer doses for medical data in vaccine blitz
Read full article: Israel trades Pfizer doses for medical data in vaccine blitzIsrael has struck a deal with Pfizer, promising to share vast troves of medical data with the drugmaker in exchange for the continued flow of its COVID-19 vaccine. Neither Israel nor Pfizer would say how much Israel has paid for the vaccines, though Edelstein called it a “classical win-win” for both sides. Israel had already announced the acquisition of millions of vaccine doses before the Pfizer deal was announced. But the Palestinians and major human rights groups say Israel remains an occupying power and is responsible for providing them vaccines. With tens of thousands of West Bank Palestinians working in Israel and its West Bank settlements, experts say Israel should share vaccines on ethical and practical grounds.