In New York City, Mayor Bill De Blasio, anticipates the city will reopen to some degree of normalcy by September.
 

Mysterious Covid-related illness in children: Children across Europe, Israel, and the U.S. are coming down with a rare disease involving the inflammation of arteries and other blood vessels. For some unknown reason, experts believe the illness is linked to the Coronavirus. So far at least four children in Israel and 15 in New York have contracted or experienced the disease doctors say resemble Kawasaki Syndrome.
 

 Layoffs at Jewish Groups: Jewish Federations of North America announced layoff and executive salary cuts this week. While Congress is negotiating another stimulus package, Senator Chuck Schumer told Orthodox Jewish groups the next round of pandemic relief will extend to nonprofits employing more than 500 people. Yeshiva University announced voluntary pay cuts, Yad Vashem has placed 107 workers on unpaid leave and New York’s B&H Photo, known for its Orthodox staff, has furloughed 400 employees.

Another question in front of the Court was whether an indicted person can form a coalition and become Prime Minister under indictment, specifically aimed at Netanyahu. The court ruled that Netanyahu can form the next government, despite his indictments. The Chief Justice, Esther Hayut, wrote that Netanyahu still enjoys the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. Netanyahu’s trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust is set to begin May 24.
 

The Court’s decisions followed an official mandate by Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin, granting Netanyahu the right to form his fifth straight government, which would keep him in power until November 13, 2021. Prior to the ruling, over 1,000 Israelis (properly social distancing) protested the coalition agreement and called for the Court to undo it.
 

A joint statement between Netanyahu’s Likud Party and Gantz’s Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) Party acknowledged agreement on the formation of a government and its swearing in on May 13, 2020, after parliament passes necessary legislation.
 

Settlement Expansions: Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett approved a West Bank construction project in Efrat of 7,000 homes. Peace Now, a left wing group, plans to petition the High Court against the construction. Efrat already has a population of approximately 9,200 residents. The new unity government’s coalition agreement allows for the government to announce annexation plans on or after July 1^st, in accordance with the Trump peace plan and in full cooperation with the U.S. The Gush Etzion bloc of the West Bank, which includes the city of Efrat, is part of the consensus areas that would probably remain in Israel under a peace deal with the Palestinians, though mapping of the annexation area is still not completed.
 

Annexation has been heavily contested by many countries and according to a survey this week in Israel, a majority of Israeli Jews oppose annexation as well. The respondents of the survey prefer solutions based on separation from the Palestinians. 
 

Joe Biden weighs in: In an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Joe Biden maintained that it is vital Israel not take any unilateral steps towards annexation. Biden also said he would resume financial aid and security assistance to Palestinians, he would seek to reopen the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington and reaffirmed his intention to open a U.S. Consulate office in East Jerusalem if he is elected. These steps are an effort to roll back measures Donald Trump’s administration has taken. Biden did, however, state that as president he would keep the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.
 

Christian proselytizing on TV in Israel: Many people in the Jewish community were shocked to learn that a Christian missionary television station, GOD TV, was given the go-ahead to broadcast in Israel, in Hebrew and aimed at Jews. Religious programming is allowed but missionary activities are banned from broadcasting in Israel. The Chairman of the regulatory body that awarded the license to GOD TV claimed he was not aware of the planned broadcast of missionary activities and that he has ordered an investigation of the matter.
 
 

Prisoner exchange: In other Gaza news, a senior Hamas official confirmed to Israeli media that indirect talks are taking place through Egyptian intermediaries over a prisoner exchange, which includes Israel securing the bodies of two fallen I.D.F. soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, and information about two Israeli citizens, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who voluntarily crossed the border and who are thought to be held captive by Hamas.
 

Amnesty International, a London based human rights group, called out both the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip over their human rights abuses in detaining critics and opponents, including a peace activist who held a video conference call with Israelis and a writer who criticized Gaza leaders.
 

The monthly budget prepared by the Palestinian Authority for 2020 is attempting to hide the salaries paid to terrorists in its “pay to slay” scheme. “Pay to slay” provides imprisoned terrorists and families of killed terrorists monthly stipends from tax and donor dollars. The PA is obliged to produce transparent financial records for the benefit of donors.
 

The changing nature of the situation in Iran & Syria
 

With Iran’s economy in freefall (which preceded the coronavirus pandemic but has been greatly exacerbated by the global decline in oil demand), and its efforts to contain its coronavirus outbreak floundering, Israel is taking advantage of a window to aggressively drive Iranian forces from Syria. Despite Iran’s threats to the contrary, Israel says Iran is moving out of Syria, in whose civil war Iran has long been meddling. And there was even more bad news for Iran this week, with Facebook saying they’ve disabled hundreds of fake accounts being run out of Iran’s state-run broadcasting service.
 

Iran Powers resolution in the U.S.: In the U.S., President Donald Trump vetoed the Iran Powers resolution, a bipartisan resolution aimed at reining in the President’s authority to use military force against Iran without congressional approval. Congress doesn’t expect to have enough votes to override Trump’s veto of the resolution. The resolution was introduced after the President’s decision to order a strike which killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in January.
 

Today in 1492, the first printed Mishna was produced in 1492 in Naples.