A report I'll share:

The intelligence agencies of Israel are playing an increasingly important role in Israel's effort to combat the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic in its territory. The Israeli government has gone out of its way to advertise http://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/02/825898681/israels-defense-and-spy-agencies-step-up-anti-coronavirus-efforts their participation in the national effort to limit the spread of the virus.

Earlier this week, an Israeli television station aired an interview http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-19/israel-s-mossad-spy-agency-nabs-100-000-coronavirus-test-kits with an individual whose face was hidden, and was only identified as the director of technology for the Israeli external intelligence agency Mossad. He said that the secretive spy agency had managed to secure 100,000 coronavirus testing kits, 25,000 N-95 masks and 100 ventilators. The material had been acquired “from unnamed countries” by Mossad officers, he said. The officers had to “race to [foreign] factories” and secure these critical supplies after they had been “ordered by other countries”, he added. The agents then had to coordinate secret airlifts so that the medical material could be transported to Israel in time.

It has also been disclosed by the Office of the Prime Minister that the Israel Institute for Biological Research, which works closely with the Mossad and other Israeli intelligence agencies, has been making “significant progress” in developing a vaccine against COVID-19. One of the institute’s mission is to develop and produce defenses against biological and chemical threats. However, it has been alleged that it also produces chemical and biological weapons, as well as poisons and antidotes for use by the Mossad.

Meanwhile, several units of the Israel Defense Forces are helping to retrofit CPAP and BiPAP machines, which are designed to help treat sleep apnea, so that they can be used as ventilators. They include Unit 81 http://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/03/20/coronavirus-fightback-even-israels-top-secret-unit-81-has-just-broken-cover-for-covid-19/#4bac758d5f24, which is the technology unit of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN)...

As of Friday morning, nearly 7,000 Israelis had tested positive for COVID-19. It was reported that 36 Israelis had died and 338 were believed to have recovered from the disease.

Dear Plantagent,

It is painful to see how Israeli society breaks down under the stress of the virus. Even with the toughest draconian restrictions, Israel does not show the signs of flattening the curve as we have it in Australia with fewer restrictions.

The pre-1967 Israeli society would have easily and quickly overcome the virus, because the solidarity and willingness to sacrifice were there - but not any more: the 1967 occupation have fragmented Israeli society so now it is each to their own.

With police blocks everywhere and restriction of movement, ordinary Israelis are able to feel for the first time, in person, how it is to be a Palestinian. It should not have come to this, but perhaps as a result more Israelis will become more sensitive and unwilling to continue the occupation.

Repeated use of "Occupation"?

Doesn't the Jewish desire to hang onto the land of Israel stem from 1,500 years of discrimination?

See "Medieval Laws - Christianity became the dominant religion in Europe, and various laws were introduced that discriminated against the Jews. These laws limited Jews’ freedom. They stretched into almost every area of Jewish life, from work to clothing.

Jews were not allowed to own land, and therefore could not become farmers."

see http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/anti-semitism/medieval-antisemitism/

Dear Plantagenet,

«Doesn't the Jewish desire to hang onto the land of Israel stem from 1,500 years of discrimination?»

In part, yes, in part also in order to be able to observe certain biblical commandments that are only possible in the land of Israel, in part also due to the heavily-disputed belief that this will advance the coming of the Messiah.

«Jews were not allowed to own land, and therefore could not become farmers.»

In Europe, yet Jews were allowed to own land in most of Israel all along without a break, even after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans. Owning of land by Jews has then been accelerating since 1882 and Jewish farming grew ever since.

All this is good and necessary, but there is no need to own the whole of the land for that - the pre-1967 portion of the land is sufficient to support all living and farming.

Even so, I support the ability of Jews to live and farm even beyond the 1967 borders, provided that they do not do it under the jurisdiction of the state of Israel. Let them either accept living under Palestinian rule, or try if they can to create there a second Jewish state, it is up to them so long as the state of Israel withdraws back to its rightful borders.

Here's a very relevant article from Israel Defense, April 9, 2020, http://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/42537

"Australia Says it is Striking Back Against Foreign Cyber Adversaries

The country is reported to have just begun an offensive cyber campaign targeting hackers who are attempting to take advantage of the CORONAVIRUS outbreak.

Defense Minister Reynolds says that the criminals are not beyond reach of the authorities.

Australia's Department of Defense announced April 7 that the country is engaged in an cyber operation against criminals attempting to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press release, Defense Minister Linda Reynolds was quoted as saying the country's cyber intelligence agency is using its offensive capabilities to disrupt foreign criminals who have carried out a range of malicious activities against citizens and businesses during the coronavirus crisis.

"Cyber criminals that are using the cover of cyberspace and international borders to target Australians are not beyond our reach," the minister said. "We are hitting back through the Australian Signals Directorate, who have already successfully disrupted activities from foreign criminals by disabling their infrastructure and blocking their access to stolen information."

"Some of these cybercriminals have even posed as health officials in an attempt to exploit vulnerable Australians, by infecting their computers with malware and stealing their private information," she added.

The directorate's Australian Cyber Security Centre is working with the country's telecommunications providers to block access to malicious websites, and is working with Microsoft and Google to have those sites flagged as malicious, according to the defense department.

Rachel Noble, director-general of the directorate, said "Close cooperation with telecommunications and IT companies is vital in providing increased protective barriers for Australians from these heartless cyber criminals."

"Our offensive cyber campaign has only just begun and we will continue to strike back at these cyber criminals operating offshore as they attempt to steal money and data from Australians," Noble said."