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JUNE 3, 2021 | The Jewish Home
defense ministers. Currently, thousands of NATO troops, several warships and dozens of aircraft are taking part in military exercises stretching across the Atlantic, through Europe and into the Black Sea region.
Turkey Bans Alcohol
A three-week ban on alcohol sales in Turkey which began on April 29 had been extended through the end of May, Nikkei Asia reported. The ban was initially implemented along with a nearly threeweek lockdown, and though grocery stores continued operating during that time, their liquor sections were sealed off with tape.
Though the lockdown ended May 17, the Turkish government decided to extend both the weekend curfews and the ban on alcohol sales through the end of the month. Alcohol is prohibited by the Muslim religion, and the Turkish government has increased taxes on it throughout the years. In 2013, the Turkish government banned sales at liquor stores past 10:00p.m., banned alcohol ads, and banned those who produce and sell alcohol from sponsoring sports events. The government has also made it increasingly difficult to obtain permits to open new liquor stores, Nikkei reported, quoting Ozgur Aybas, the head of a liquor store association that opposes government restrictions. According to Aybas, “The president may be trying to turn Turkey into a place like Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which allows alcohol consumption only among non-Muslim foreigners.” Nikkei added that several private-sector surveys have shown that roughly 20% of Turks drink alcohol regularly. The state-run Turkish Statistical Institute has reported that over 70% of those aged 15 and above have never had alcohol. At the
same time, a recent survey by Istanbul Economics Research showed that 56% of respondents feel the ban on alcohol is inappropriate, and just 44% support it.
Snake Wine Bites First Israeli Woman Climbs Mt. Everest
Snake “wine” may be dangerous to your health. A man in China, identified by his last name Yu, had to undergo several hours of emergency treatment after suffering from a near-fatal snakebite last week when he tried to catch a pit viper to make “snake wine.” The 63-year-old’s arm was spared following his encounter with the serpent, which happened in a neighbor’s courtyard. Yu had been taking a walk after lunch one day when a nearby resident noticed a pit viper outside their home. The species, known as a Chinese copperhead, is also called a “five-pace snake” and sometimes a “hundred-pace snake” – denoting the number of steps a snakebite victim can take before succumbing to its venom. Yu, who had grabbed a shovel, said he wanted to kill the animal, which he described as a fully mature adult. However, he had a change of heart and decided to capture it alive to make snake wine. The potent tonic is produced by infusing whole snakes – often alive – in rice wine or grain alcohol. It is consumed in some parts of Asia for its rumored medicinal properties. The Hangzhou hospital said Yu tried to pick up the viper and put it in a sack, but the predator turned and struck him on the right wrist. Yu attempted to suck the venom out of his arm, but his gums began to bleed and his lips went numb a few minutes later. He then had trouble breathing and collapsed, prompting family members to call for an ambulance. Yu underwent two hours of blood and plasma transfusions, swapping out 2,500 milliliters of fluids until his urine turned from black to yellow and his coagulation functions returned.
Danielle Wolfson, a Tel Aviv lawyer, reached the peak of Mount Everest on Tuesday after trekking for 45 days. Wolfson, a Russian-born 43-year-old who came to Israel at age 10, is the first Israeli woman to conquer the peak. “I am happy and proud to be the first Israeli woman to reach the summit,” Wolfson posted on her Facebook page. “My journey to the summit began in the ‘lowest’ state possible.” Wolfson was seriously injured in a ski accident in 2011, suffering multiple broken bones. At the time, doctors warned that she may not be able to walk again. Speaking during the Mount Everest climb to Channel 13, Wolfson said, “I have fears, but there I feel like I’m myself,” she said, adding that she dreamed, “to stand there, to be a woman, to reach the summit and to raise the Israeli flag, and to say, ‘I was here, too, on the famous Mount Everest.’ “I told myself, ‘I will show everyone. I will climb Everest.’” During her training period, Wolfson climbed several other peaks, including Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, and Ojos del Salada, the highest volcano in the world, located in Chile. “I have a rule. On every summit I hoist an Israeli flag,” she said. She added, “If we only learn to accept those different to us and love each other, we can together achieve miraculous achievements, almost like climbing to the summit of Everest.”
