Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee will oppose calling more witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, all but dashing Democratic efforts to hear more testimony and pushing the Senate toward a vote to acquit Trump as soon as Friday. A vote on witnesses, expected Friday, could lead to an abrupt end and assured acquittal in only the third presidential impeachment trial in American history. Trump was pressing for action in time for his State of the Union address, and that now seems likely. As the Senate adjourned late Thursday, it set the date for Tuesday night’s speech. Despite the Democrats’ singular, sometimes-passionate focus on witnesses after revelations from John Bolton, the former national security adviser, the numbers are now falling short.

The Mekubal Rav Baruch Abuchatzeira, also known as the Baba Baruch, the son of the Baba Sali, recently related his view of Trump’s peace plan as part of a wide-ranging conversation with Kikar H’Shabbos which will be published in its entirety at a later date. “Look at a few wondrous things,” the Baba Baruch said. “Just the fact that America, President of the United States Trump – who dreamed that it would be like this? It’s all the signs of Moshiach and we need to rejoice.” “Look at the fear of the Arabs when they heard that Trump has a peace plan. But it won’t come to anything. Why? Because Moshiach will come and he’ll annul it – there won’t be a peace plan.” Baba Baruch also related the famous “watch dream” that has been riveting the town of Netivot for the past few years.

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com The following Shailah was recently posed to Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein: We are from a family with strong aspirations for Torah and yiras shamayim. Boruch Hashem, our daughter met a young man from a good family, and as it appears he will continue studying in Kollel after the wedding. We […]

A tectonic shift in relations quietly underway for years now was on full display as representatives of Gulf Arab states attended President Donald Trump’s unveiling this week of an Israeli-Palestinian plan that heavily sides with Israel and all but crushes Palestinian aspirations. The audience at the White House, when Trump presented the plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, included Christian Zionist leaders and staunch pro-Israel supporters, such as Republican party donor Sheldon Adelson. Rounding out the crowd were ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman, who posed for a photo at the White House ceremony for the plan, which Palestinians have outright rejected.

Kan News interviewed Naama Issachar’s mother Yaffa on Thursday morning in Moscow as she shared the news about her daughter’s release from Russian prison with the Chabad shaliach in Moscow who had accompanied her on the long journey from the very beginning. Yaffa heard the news about her daughter’s release the same way everyone else did – on the news. She was not officially informed of the development by the Russian authorities. “Yaffa is a symbol and example of ‘eim ha’banim s’meicha,’ the Chabad shaliach said to Kan. “He was the first person who saw [Naama],” Yaffa said emotionally, with tears running down her face. “He was the one who helped me the entire time.” “Why are you so emotional right now?” the Kan reporter asked Yaffa.

On Thursday, Israeli Health Minister Yaakov Litzman issued a ban against all flights emanating from China from landing in Israel. The ban came in light of the rising death toll from the Coronavirus in the country. The ban is set to remain in place until further notice. The directive was given at the end of a meeting arranged by the Health Ministry’s  Emergency Department. Litzman told Israeli reporters that “We shall not allow any flight in the near future from China to land in this country, not one.” “After extensive consultations, we’ve made a number of decisions pertaining to the coronavirus. The numerous cases of the virus discovered in Europe require us to do everything we can to keep the Israeli people safe.

When it comes to the 2020 presidential election, Democrats are nervous wrecks and Republican excitement has grown. That’s according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research as Americans look ahead to a high-stakes election that is 10 months away but still very much top of mind. While emotions could change in the coming months, the findings give Democrats one more worry to add to the list: Will anxiety or enthusiasm be a bigger motivator come November? On the verge of the first votes being cast in a primary contest with no clear leader, 66% of Democrats report anxiety about the election, compared with 46% of Republicans. Democrats are also more likely to feel frustration.

A newborn baby suffered a serious injury as red alert sirens rang in Sderot, late Thursday night. According to initial reports, it appears her mother was running to get her three-week-old daughter into a safe room as the sirens rang, when the baby was accidentally struck on the head. United Hatzalah and Magen David Adom Paramedics were treating the baby, who suffered a serious head injury. The IDF said that three rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza. Two of them were intercepted by the Iron Dome Missile Defense System. A third rocket landed in an open area. IDF officials say that the military holds Hamas responsible for what is happening in and out of the Gaza Strip and it will carry the consequences for any action against Israeli citizens.

The Palestinians with knives arrested on Wednesday at about 4 p.m. on Har Habayis apparently intended to stab an Israeli policeman at the site. The suspects, East Jerusalem residents ages 17-18, are under investigation for the crimes of attempted murder, racially motivated crimes and possession of a knife. They were brought to a hearing on Thursday at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court for an extension of their detention. Israeli security forces are preparing for further conflict on Har Habayis at the weekly Friday prayers due to the Palestinians’ anger at the unveiling of President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan on Tuesday. The last few weeks have seen heightened tensions at the site. Police are on high alert as Palestinians vent their wrath about the peace plan.

After more than 90 questions and 8 hours of debate on Wednesday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated to Republican senators he believes he now has the votes to defeat any Democratic motion that the Senate consider new witnesses when the Senate decides that question on Friday, according to two GOP sources. That would allow him to skip to the final stages of the trial. Multiple Republicans tell ABC News they hope to move quickly to a vote to acquit the president as early as Saturday, ahead of his State of the Union address on Tuesday. (Source: ABC News)