Serious clashes broke out between police forces and attendees of the hilula of the Baba Sali, who were being blocked from the Netanya site due to Israel’s Covid-19 regulations. An agreement between police and organizers of the event – under which only a handful of visitors would enter the tziyon at one time – quickly fell apart as thousands streamed to the tziyon of the revered mekubal. As the crowd increased, some began surging towards the tziyon, and clashes with police broke out. At least three attendees were arrested by police for disorderly conduct and assaulting police officers. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A massive protest took place in Yerushalayim Wednesday night after police reportedly threatened to cut off all contact with the chareidi community over hafganos against cell phone stores in the Geulah neighborhood. The hafganah Wednesday night took place in front of the “Cellular Giant” store and attracted thousands of demonstrators from Meah She’arim and surrounding neighborhoods. Police dispersed the demonstrators with water cannons, and a number of chareidim were injured by police forces during the protest. Earlier in the day, a smaller protest took place in front of the store, during which 8 of 20 chareidi protesters were arrested by police. After several hours of protesting, the police reportedly agreed to keep communication with the chareidi community open.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki pushed back against a reporter who questioned whether President Joe Biden and his administration had lost control of the Covid-19 crisis as Omicron cases surge dramatically across the US. “Cases are rising across the country. Tests are hard to come by in many places, or there is long lines for them. Schools are closing again or having to go virtual and that’s not because of the weather, in some parts of the country, but because of the pandemic. There is a sense among many that the country has lost control over the virus,” CBS reporter Ed O’Keefe said. “Would the White House agree with that?” “We would not,” Psaki shot back. “We’re in a very different place than we were a year ago, Ed,” Psaki said. “200 million people are vaccinated.

Thought we were done with Covid-19 once Omicron passes through? Think again. A new variant of Covid-19 has been found in southern France, with scientists worried over its record 46 mutations from the original strain. Omicron has 36 mutations from the original strain. Twelve patients in France have so far tested positive for the new strain, with the first patient having returned from Cameroon, suggesting the variant first arose in the African country. The variant has officially been dubbed the B.1.640.2 variant, and scientists are racing to find out more about it. It isn’t yet known whether this variant is more transmissible than even Omicron is, or whether it causes milder or more severe illnesses that previous strains. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Missionaries are upping the ante in their attempts to lure frum Jews to Christianity, mailing Bibles translated into Yiddish to frum households in the Monsey and Spring Valley area. In addition to being straight-out kefirah, the books come in a package that lists a shul as the sender – an outright deceptive practice to fool people into thinking that the books are from another frum Jew. Those who received any such books should either discard of them or mail them to Beyneynu, who can use them in their counter-missionary efforts. For more information WhatsApp Beyneynu at 917-387-4330 or email info@beyneynu.com. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Nearly 17% of the NYPD’s 36,000 uniformed force – about 6,000 cops – are out of service due to sickness as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 causes infections to soar across New York City and the country. Of the 6,000 or so cops who are out sick, approximately 3,000 had flu-like symptoms and more than 1,300 were diagnosed with Covid, the New York Post reported. The staggering number of police officers out sick is more than double the number who were out due to illness just a week ago. The NYPD typically has between 3% and 4% of officers out sick on any given day, the Post reported, but those numbers have been increasing during the pandemic. As a result of many officers being out sick, some officers have had their vacation time nixed over the upcoming New Year’s weekend.

A caller who told President Biden “Let’s go, Brandon” during a holiday call says he is now receiving threatening phone calls. Jared Schmeck, a former Medford, Oregon police officer, made the comment during a livestreamed event in which Biden took calls from Americans across the country. But Schmeck says that he is now receiving vague threats from anonymous callers over what he says was nothing but a joke. “I understand there is a vulgar meaning to ‘Let’s go, Brandon,’ but I’m not that simple-minded, no matter how I feel about him,” Schmeck told The Oregonian. “He seems like he’s a cordial guy,” Schmeck said of Biden. “There’s no animosity or anything like that. It was merely just an innocent jest to also express my God-given right to express my frustrations in a joking manner.

Rabbi Nechemya Malinowitz, head of the Igud of Yeshivas and Seminaries tells YWN that he has just been notified by the Israeli Airport Authorities of the following breaking news. Any non-Israeli citizen that has been vaccinated outside of Israel, meaning anyone that arrives in Israel now with a permit (such as a student visa etc.) that was vaccinated in the United States (or anywhere outside of Israel), will be required to quarantine in a hotel for 7 days. If you were vaccinated in Israel will be able to quarantine in your own home. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

As fear of a major COVID wave in Israel spurred by the Omicron variant grows, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky issued dramatic instructions on Monday evening regarding COVID vaccinations for children. A statement written in HaRav Chaim’s name and reviewed by him stated: “In response to principals of mosdos, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky responded regarding the issue of COVID vaccines: ‘Definitely order the vaccines to the Talmudei Torah and schools and [the children] should be vaccinated.'” The instructions are causing quite a stir in Chareidi society since there has been a very low turnout to the pediatric vaccination campaign among Israelis in general, and in the Chareidi population in particular.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri is expected to sign a plea deal with Attorney General Avichai Mandelbit next week for minor tax offenses, Channel 12 News reported on Monday evening. As part of the deal, Deri will resign from the Knesset but will be allowed to run in the next elections. He will continue to serve as leader of the Shas party, running the party from outside the Knesset. A case was opened against Deri six and a half years ago for the serious offenses of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust but absolutely no evidence was found to support the allegations. Instead, he was charged with twice failing to report income to tax authorities. According to the report, Deri has already agreed to the deal and it is only awaiting Mandelbit’s signature. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)