LLX News

By: Hana Levi Julian – Jewish Press; jewishpress.com

The Israel Institute for Biological Research in Ness Ziona has achieved a significant breakthrough in its effort to find an antibody to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, officially called SARS-CoV-2, by scientists around the world. The announcement was made in a joint statement by the Institute and the Ministry of Defense.

The antibody in question attacks the virus in a unique manner and can neutralize it in the body of the individual who contracts the illness.

By: Michael Brown – The Christian Post; christianpost.com

A new Barna poll points to a dramatic drop in biblical beliefs among American Pentecostals and Charismatics. If the findings are accurate, what are the likely causes?

According to the poll, “although we proclaim ‘In God We Trust’ on our currency, a slim 51% majority of Americans believe in a biblical view of God – down from 73% thirty years ago. Increasingly, the research finds mounting evidence that Americans are both redefining – and rejecting – God.

“Stunningly, Americans are more confident about the existence of Satan than they are of God. Overall, 56% contend that Satan is an influential spiritual being, yet almost half (49%) are not fully confident that God truly exists.”

More specifically, “The largest declines in possession of an orthodox, biblical perspective on the nature of God since 1991 were among individuals who attend Pentecostal or charismatic Protestant churches (down by 27 percentage points); people in the 18 to 29 year old category (down 26 points); adults in the Elders generation, (i.e., people born before 1946, down 25 points); and women (down 25 points).”

https://www.christianpost.com/voices/this-new-poll-could-raise-serious-concerns-for-american-pentecostals-and-charismatics.html

By: Rick Moran – PJ Media; pjmedia.com

Since 1995, the United States has recognized the Lebanese group Hezbollah as a terrorist group. Key to this designation was the inclusion of Hezbollah’s “political” arm — a difference without distinction from the military wing of the terror group. The political/social services/charitable wing of the party is run by the same people who plot to kill innocents.

But Europeans chose to ignore the obvious and have lately recognized Hezbollah’s “military wing” as a terrorist organization while legitimizing its “political” wing by tolerating the radicalism in their midst. Hezbollah has set up radical mosques and community associations across the EU, despite their blood-curdling threats against Israel and the Jews.

But the scales have now fallen from the eyes of Germany, the most important nation in Europe. Germany has completely banned Hezbollah, with the interior ministry saying it now considers the entire group a “Shiite terrorist organization.”

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2020/04/30/finally-germany-bans-hezbollah-and-raids-its-mosques-n386849

By: Lahav Harkov – The Jerusalem Post; jpost.com

The secretary of state added: “We will work closely with them to share with them our views on this in a private setting.”

Israel will decide whether and when to annex parts of the West Bank, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a briefing on Wednesday.“

As for the annexation of the West Bank, the Israelis ultimately make those decisions, so that’s an Israeli decision,” he said.

“We will work closely with them to share with them our views on this in a private setting,” he added.

Pompeo said he was glad there is now a “fully formed” government in Israel.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/pompeo-west-bank-annexation-is-an-israeli-decision-to-make-625509

By: Alan Rosenbaum – The Jerusalem Post; jpost.com

During the past day, public figures, Jewish leaders and ambassadors sent their messages in remembrance of those who perished during the Holocaust.

Thousands of people from around the world, including children, teens and adults, have in the past day, uploaded virtual memorial messages to a special memorial site established by the March of the Living organization.

The site was inaugurated yesterday by President Reuven Rivlin and was created because of the cancellation of the March due to the Corona epidemic that had been scheduled to take place next week on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Thousands-join-virtual-March-of-the-Living-Memorial-Project-624779

By: TOI Staff – Times of Israel; timesofisrael.com

Israel’s main source of freshwater swells to just 21 centimeters under upper red line; experts expect lake to be full by early May, but Water Authority casts doubt

Israel’s largest freshwater lake, the Sea of Galilee, rose by six centimeters (2.3 inches) over the rainy weekend, and after a particularly abundant winter could become full for the first time in 28 years.

According to officials who measure the water level every day, the level was at 209.01 meters (685.73 feet) below sea level Sunday, just 21 centimeters (8.26 inches) below the “upper red line,” above which the lake would be in danger of overflowing.

Rain since early January has been so plentiful that the water level rose 3.12 meters (10.23 feet), and will continue to rise over the next few weeks as snow melts on peaks in the Golan Heights and steadily flows into the lake.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/sea-of-galilee-likely-to-fill-up-for-1st-time-since-1992-dam-opening-expected/

By: Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman – The Jerusalem Post; jpost.com

Not only have all the patients survived, according to Pluristem, but four of them showed improvement in respiratory parameters.

Six critically ill coronavirus patients in Israel who are considered high-risk for mortality have been treated with Pluristem’s placenta-based cell-therapy product and survived, according to preliminary data provided by the Haifa-based company.

The patients were treated at three different Israeli medical centers for one week under the country’s compassionate use program and were suffering from acute respiratory failure and inflammatory complications associated with COVID-19. Four of the patients also demonstrated failure of other organ systems, including cardiovascular and kidney failure.

https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-COVID-19-treatment-shows-100-percent-survival-rate-preliminary-data-624058

By: Bill Zeeble – KERA News; keranews.org

Passover, one of the most important holidays on the Jewish calendar, it begins Wednesday night. This year, though, things are different, because of COVID-19.

Lasting a week, Passover celebrates the ancient Israelites’ escape from Egypt. Generations of family often gather around the large, symbolic Seder meal, sometimes with friends.

https://www.keranews.org/news/2020-04-08/jewish-congregations-in-dallas-celebrate-ancient-holiday-of-passover-online

By: JPost Editorial – Jerusalem Post; jpost.com

This pandemic will pass over us, it will end. We do not know how, but we know that we have been tested before and we have come through.

Passover is a unique holiday, with its message of liberation from slavery and the requirement that the Haggadah be recited to relive the experience of the Exodus in our own time. The commandment that the story be passed from generation to generation illustrates the importance of not merely reading about the historic redemption but also recognizing the adversity that those who witnessed it faced.

The themes of Passover relate to our own time. We remember that many generations throughout history have endured tyranny and that they have come through it. The plagues that befell Egypt may seem distant – bleeding idols or the earth turning to locusts; masses of frogs or hail and fire raining down on earth.

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Passing-over-coronavirus-this-Passover-623962

By: Brandon Showalter – The Christian Post; christianpost.com

Only 6 percent of Americans possess a biblical worldview, according to a new survey.

The study, which was released last week out of the recently launched Cultural Research Center based at Arizona Christian University, is called the American Worldview Inventory and is the first of what will be an annual report from veteran researcher George Barna, who is the CRC research director.

The survey asked 51 worldview questions that examined both what people believe and how they conduct their lives.

Approximately one-fifth of those who attend evangelical Protestant churches espouse a biblical worldview, as do one-sixth of those who attend charismatic or Pentecostal churches (16%), the survey found. The numbers were much lower for those among mainline Protestant churches, 8 percent, and Catholics, 1 percent.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/record-low-number-of-americans-hold-biblical-worldview-survey-says.html