A new Israeli study found that the Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus is highly effective in protecting pregnant women. A Yisrael Hayom report last week said that the study, carried out by the Kupat Cholim Maccabi on two-thirds of the Kupah’s pregnant clients, shows that the vaccine is 97% effective in protecting pregnant women. The percentage of unvaccinated pregnant women who contracted the coronavirus while pregnant was 8.1% versus 0.05% of the vaccinated pregnant women. All of the 62 pregnant women who have been hospitalized with the coronavirus in Israel (of whom 41 are still hospitalized) were unvaccinated. Two Arab-Israeli sisters, aged 23 and 31, recently passed away within three weeks of each other after contracting the coronavirus while pregnant.

HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein answered questions about voting in a video published on Motzei Shabbos by the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party. The campaign representatives began by saying: “After this difficult year of dealing with the coronavirus, many people feel that the Chareidi representatives weren’t there for them.” HaRav Edelstein: “Voting for Gimmel is a declaration, Hashem Hu HaElokim, Moshe Emes V’Toraso Emes. Not voting is saying that you’re unconcerned about making a Kiddush Hashem, you’re not sharing in making a Kiddush Hashem. They’re being oseik in Kiddush Hashem, and you’re running away from it.” “If you don’t vote Gimmel, you’re preventing a Kiddush Hashem.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, suspended from Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, plans to launch his own platform in two to three months, one of his senior advisers told Fox News on Sunday. Jason Miller, a spokesman for Trump’s 2020 campaign, told the network that Trump would re-enter the social media space with a new platform of his own that would “completely redefine the game.” “I do think that we’re going to see President Trump returning to social media, probably in about two or three months here, with his own platform,” Miller told Fox News on Sunday. “This is something that I think will be the hottest ticket in social media. It’s going to completely redefine the game.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to the US-Mexico border on Friday with a group of bipartisan senators. Typically on such a trip, a cabinet secretary and lawmakers would be accompanied by reporters or a member of the White House press pool to feed notes back to newsrooms. But on this trip, the Biden administration blocked that from happening. It’s part of a larger pattern of restricted media access at the southern US border – despite promises of transparency and the fact that at least 14,000 migrant children are detained in federal custody amid a surge in migrants attempting to enter the country.

The final poll for Israel’s elections for the 24th Knesset, taking place in six days, was submitted Tuesday night by Kan News, with results showing that Prime Minister Netanyahu will be able to form a narrow right-wing government of 62 seats if Yamina leader Naftali Bennett agrees to join it. The poll predicts Likud rising in popularity and garnering 30 seats, one-quarter of the Knesset. Yesh Atid will also rise, winning 21 seats, and Yamina will win 12 seats. The poll shows the New Hope party of Gideon Sa’ar declining, winning only 11 seats. The Joint-Arab List will also decline, winning 8 seats, and Yisrael Beiteinu and Shas will each win 8 seats.

The pressure against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over harassment allegations reached the White House on Tuesday, with President Joe Biden saying Cuomo should resign if the state attorney general’s investigation confirms the claims against him. Biden made the remarks in an interview with ABC News that is scheduled to air Wednesday. When asked by anchor George Stephanopoulos whether Cuomo should resign if the investigation confirms the women’s claims, Biden said “yes” and added, “I think he’d probably end up being prosecuted, too.” “It takes a lot of courage to come forward so the presumption is it should be taken seriously,” Biden said.

Sri Lanka on Saturday announced plans to ban the wearing of burqas and said it would close more than 1,000 Islamic schools known as madrassas, citing national security. Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara said he signed a paper on Friday seeking the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to ban burqas — outer garments that cover the body and face worn by some Muslim women. “The burqa has a direct impact on national security,” Weerasekara told a ceremony at a Buddhist temple on Saturday, without elaborating. “In our early days, we had a lot of Muslim friends, but Muslim women and girls never wore the burqa,” Weerasekara said, according to video footage sent by his ministry. “It is a sign of religious extremism that came about recently.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu canceled his trip to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday after his wife was hospitalized and in the wake of the Jordanian refusal to approve the prime minister’s flight over its airspace. Sara Netanyahu was hospitalized at Hadassah Medical Center on Thursday morning after feeling unwell and she was found to be suffering from appendicitis. She is expected to be hospitalized for several days. Media reports early Thursday morning said that Netanyahu may cancel his trip to the UAE due to his wife’s illness. However, later on Thursday, media reports said that Netanyahu canceled his trip due to Jordan’s refusal to approve his flight over its airspace.

Israel’s Health Ministry reported on Monday that Israel’s basic reproduction number (R) has decreased from 1.02 to 0.99. However, there is a worrying increase in the R number (how many people each virus carrier infects) in the Chareidi sector, from 1 to 1.07. A reproduction number above 1 means that the outbreak is worsening rather than abating. In the Arab sector, the R number has decreased from 1.04 to 0.98. The ministry reported 2,331 new coronavirus cases as of Monday morning, with tests showing a positivity rate of 3.7%, the lowest percentage in months. However, 9% of new coronavirus patients are from the Chareidi sector, with a positivity rate of 4.8%. There are currently 708 seriously ill patients, of whom 223 are ventilated.

Despite Israel’s partial opening of the skies to its citizens, foreigners continue to be barred from entering the country. Since the onset of the third Corona wave in early January, student visa holders, too, have been prevented from entering Israel. Now, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has extended the ban on students until at least March 27 (Erev Pesach). See the Interior Ministry’s latest rules, here. It should be emphasized that there is no reason to believe that immediately after March 27, students will be granted entry. Rather, it is now clear that until March 27, permission will certainly not be granted. This new ruling underscores the Travel Advisory issued in February by Amudim, Chaim V’Chessed and the Igud.