Quebec Premier François Legault has announced that Quebec will be imposing a health tax In Quebecers who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19.Legault said he was responding to the anger of the vaccinated at those who remain unvaccinated, and he also blamed the unvaccinated for overwhelming local hospitals, claiming that although Inly ten percent of the population of Quebec are unvaccinated, they make up fifty percent of patients in ICUs."A health contribution will be charged to all adults that don"t want to get vaccinated. We are there now," he said."Those who refuse to get the shot bring a financial burden to hospital staff and Quebecers. The ten percent of the population can"t burden the ninety percent."Legault added that there will be an exemption for those who cannot be vaccinated In medical grounds.

Senator Marshall was demanding Fauci release his financial disclosures Fauci claims to have already done so.

Responding to threats by UAL leader MK Mansour Abbas that he will dismantle the coalition if tree-planting in the Negev continues, Likud MK May Golan appealed to right-wing members of the coalition to "wake up.""Just in case anyone still had any doubts, this shows clearly that the Islamic Movement is slowly but surely transforming this Jewish and Zionist state into a state of all its citizens," Golan said."Naftali, Ayelet, and Gideon: This moral stain will remain with you forever if you do not wake up from your pipedream of power that you have sunken into."

Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit is investigating the conduct of senior Finance Ministry official Hamad Amar, who voted in place of his boss, Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, during a ministerial committee vote.

Responding to MK Mansour Abbas' boycott of Knesset votes until the Jewish National Fund stops planting trees in the Negev, MK Orit Strook (Religious Zionism) warned that giving in to the UAL just whets its appetite for new demands."Each surrender is just the precursor to the next Ine along the line," Strook said. "We just finished with the Electricity Law and now it's the Jewish National Fund that's the problem. Slowly-slowly, this country is turning into a binational state. On Thursday, the Land of Israel lobby will be making an urgent tour of the tree-planting in the Negev in order to lend our support to Minister Elkin in order that he should not surrender to the United Arab List."

Responding to Bedouin riots in the Negev and the latest demands of the UAL, former premier Benjamin Netanyahu called In the Prime Minister to issue an unequivocal condemnation."No Ine will stop the planting of trees in the Land of Israel. I give my full support to our security forces and demand that Bennett immediately condemn the incitement of his senior coalition partner, the United Arab List."

Commenting In Bedouin riots in the Negev in the wake of JNF tree-planting in the area, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid insisted that halting the planting was a valid response."Twelve years of abandoning the Negev and neglecting the problems of the Bedouin there are not going to be solved in a single day," he said. "The State of Israel must plant trees In its land, but it is not obligated to harm the livelihoods of the local residents. Just as the Netanyahu government halted tree-planting in 2020, we can also halt the planting now. This government of change is committed to solving the Bedouin problem in the Negev and restoring order there."Lapid stressed that, "Politicians from all parts of the spectrum need to calm the situation and not inflame it. I condemn the violence and support the police in their efforts to restore order."

On a visit to a Haifa naval base today, Defense Minister Benny Gantz expressed his satisfaction with recent upgrades."The Navy is upgrading its capabilities to protect Israel's vital assets, including gas rigs and other infrastructure facilities," Gantz said. "We will continue to enhance our cooperation with the United States and other countries in the face of threats from terrorist countries and entities, both near and far. We also intend to maintain our superiority both in defense and attack, if necessary."I was happy to hear that the Navy continues to promote women to command positions as well as combat roles," Gantz added.