There is an ongoing situation developing between American parents and the Interior Ministry in Israel. What began on Friday is now getting more tense by the minute. There are unfortunately students in Yerushalayim who are thoroughly traumatized by the loss of their roommates and close friends. There is understandable shock and pain. Chavrusos have been lost. Yeshivas have been thrown into turmoil. Many of these young adults are suffering a deep traumatic loss and need help. Despite the severe anguish and trauma, the Israeli Government is adamantly refusing to allow entry of parents of these students into the country.

In the course of his weekly shiur this week, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef warned that those who visit Meron on Lag B’Omer, which falls out on Erev Shabbos, should be careful not to cause the policemen securing the area to be mechallel Shabbos. “This year, Lag B’Omer falls out on Thursday night and Friday,” HaRav Yosef said. “There are police officers there, they need to direct traffic and preserve order, and they’re required to work there.” “If people remain at Meron until the afternoon, the policemen will be forced to remain there also. And then they’ll return to their homes, it will already be close to evening or already nighttime and they’ll be mechallel Shabbos.

Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services has banned private bonfires due to the unseasonably warm and dry temperatures expected this week, with temperatures peaking on Thursday and Friday. Bonfires will be allowed in cities and towns only in designated areas approved by the fire authorities and at Meron. The ban goes into effect on Tuesday at 8 a.m. and ends on Sunday at 8 p.m. “Bonfires will not be permitted due to extreme weather conditions that raise the risk for wildfires and damage to both people and property,” Fire and Rescue Services stated. This will be the second heatwave to hit Israel this spring. There will be no restrictions on the number of people allowed at Har Meron this year on Lag B’Omer.

In the wake of the ongoing Arab riots and attacks on Jews in Jerusalem in recent days, and the fact that the perpetrators have been specifically targeting Chareidi Jews, Rosh Yeshivas Mir HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Yehudah Finkel issued a letter of warning to his talmidim on Motzei Shabbos. “In our many sins, our holy city is currently suffering a difficult period,” the Rosh Yeshivah wrote. “Haters of Israel are perpetrating attacks against Jews on our streets and the violent and dangerous riots have encroached on the area near the yeshivah and has become deadly riots that pose an actual danger to life. Hashem Yisbarach should send a refuah sheleimah to all those injured.” “We are herby clarifying the magnitude of the danger involved in approaching these places,” the letter continued.

Senior Chabad Rabbanim in Israel sent a letter to Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir this week, condemning his visit to Har HaBayis last week on Yom Ha’atzmaut. Ben-Gvir has received many Chabad votes over the years as many see him as the candidate who will most preserve “shleimus Eretz Yisrael.” As is well known, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, z’tl instructed his chassidim in Eretz Yisrael to vote for the most Chareidi candidate who will preserve sheleimus ha’eretz. “We were greatly pained to hear that you publicly entered Har HaBayis, something that has been forbidden by all Gedolei Yisrael,” the Rabbanim wrote.

Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) both called for restricting military aid to Israel during their recorded talks at the J Street lobby’s virtual national conference on Monday. “We should talk about the elephant in the room—America’s military assistance to Israel,” Warren said. “If we’re serious about arresting settlement expansion and helping move the parties to a two-state solution, then it would be iresponsible not to consider all of the tools we have at our disposal.” “One of those is restricting military aid from being used in the ‘occupied territories.’ By continuing to provide military aid without restriction we provide no incentive for Israel to adjust course.” “We must be willing to say loudly and clearly,” Sanders said.

A disturbing incident took place on Thursday morning in a shul that houses a kollel in South Africa when thieves ripped a tallis into strips to tie up the Rav and two avreichim, leaving them on the floor of the Ezras Nashim as they stole their belongings and ran off, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported. There were only three men left in the Kollel in Kehillas Shomrei Emunin in Johannesburg on Thursday morning when the armed thieves entered. After they tied up the men, they stole the men’s phones, the kollel’s laptops, and a car belonging to one of the avreichim. The building is guarded by a private security company whose guards regularly patrol the area but for some reason, the guards somehow missed the incident.

Chaim V’Chessed has learned that, effective immediately, entry permits to Israel will no longer be issued to student visa holders. This sudden decision by the Israeli authorities is due to the discovery of fraudulent activity involving entry permits. Several non-students have been caught in recent days entering Israel under the guise of students. Authorities have learned that unscrupulous individuals charged large sums of money for these illegitimate permits. An immediate ramification is that student visa holders currently in Israel are advised not to leave Israel at this point, if they desire to return to Israel in the near future. It is unknown how long the permit moratorium will last.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people will “likely” need a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated. His comments were made public Thursday but were taped April 1. He also said it’s possible people will need to get vaccinated against the virus annually. Pfizer said earlier this month that updated data from its clinical trial showed its vaccine to be highly effective six months after the second dose. The data was based on more than 12,000 vaccinated participants. More data is still needed to determine whether protections last after six months. JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY ARE ALERTED OF BREAKING NEWS LIKE THIS IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status.

A congressional hearing on the pandemic turned personal when Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) loudly attacked Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease doctor, about when Americans will be able to stop taking public health precautions like wearing masks and physical distancing. Rep. Jordan (R-OH) demands Dr. Fauci give him a date for the end of COVID mitigation measures: “15 days to slow the spread turned into 1 year of lost liberty.” Fauci says: “I don’t look at this as a liberty thing, Congressman Jordan. I look at this as a public health thing.” Rep. Jim Jordan: “Are we gonna be here two years from now wearing masks …?” Dr. Fauci: “You’re ranting again.” Rep. Jordan: “Here’s how it works, Dr. Fauci.