The IDF and Border Police canceled a planned entry of Jewish mispallelim to Kever Yosef in Shechem after a group of mispallelim entered the city on their own overnight Monday. Shechem, a known terror hotspot, is unsafe to enter at the best of times and even more so during the current tense security situation throughout the country. One of the mispallelim was attacked by Arabs who almost lynched him. He ran away and hid overnight and was rescued in the morning by the Palestinian police who transferred him to IDF forces. He received emergency medical treatment and was evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah for further treatment.

Claudia Sheinbaum was elected by a landslide on Sunday as the first Jewish and first female president in Mexico’s 200-year history. The climate scientist and former Mexico City mayor said Sunday night that her two competitors had called her and conceded her victory after she won around 58-60% of votes, according to a preliminary count. Sheinbaum, formerly the mayor of Mexico City and a scientist by training, was born to a Jewish family in Mexico City. Her paternal Ashkenazi grandparents emigrated from Lithuania to Mexico City in the 1920s, while her maternal Sephardic grandparents emigrated there from Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in the early 1940s to escape the Holocaust. She celebrated all the Jewish holidays at her grandparents’ homes.

A poll conducted by Morning Consult on Friday has shed light on how voters are responding to the historic guilty verdict against Donald Trump for falsifying business records. The poll’s findings indicate that a substantial number of Republicans and Independents believe Trump should withdraw from the presidential race, while a majority of registered voters approve of the jury’s decision. According to the poll, 54% of registered voters either “strongly” or “somewhat” approve of the guilty verdict, compared to 34% who disapprove. Notably, 49% of Independents and 15% of Republicans think Trump should end his campaign due to the conviction.

In a historic election over the weekend, the ruling African National Congress (ANC), once led by Nelson Mandela, lost its absolute majority for the first time since apartheid ended 30 years ago. The blow to the ANC follows its outrageous claims against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it is committing genocide in Gaza and its threats to arrest its citizens who serve in the IDF. In February 2024, MP Kenneth Meshoe attacked the ANC and predicted that the party will be cursed for cursing Israel. “I want to remind the ANC today that Isaiah 54:17 says that no weapon that is formed against Israel shall prosper and every tongue that rises against it in judgment will be condemned,” he said. “ANC, you have gone too far and your judgment is imminent.

A Chassidish visitor to Beitar Illit was chased by a pack of dogs in the early hours of Shabbos morning as he was walking from the mikvah to shul. A resident of the city told B’Chadrei Chareidim that the teen had to be hospitalized after the ordeal as the dogs had bitten him. The incident occurred on Rechov Rabbi Akiva at about 6:40 a.m. Another resident said that the frightening phenomenon is nothing new. “I work at night and it’s just scary. Packs of dogs roam the city unhindered.” The Beitar Illit municipality responded: “These are wild dogs that roam around the city. The municipal veterinarian is working to prevent them from entering the city but unfortunately, there are cases where they manage to enter.

The annual Israel parade is set to take place today along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, with tens of thousands of participants and attendees expected. This year’s event will have a more somber tone due to the recent October 7 attack and the ongoing war. Despite no specific threats to the parade, city officials are taking all necessary precautions to ensure a safe and successful event. Security will be tighter than usual along the parade route and surrounding areas. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has announced a high police presence, including drone surveillance, K-9 units, bike patrols, fencing and barriers, designated entry points for spectators, metal detectors for all spectators, and a ban on backpacks, large bags, and coolers.

HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau requested that the Chareidi public say Tehillim on Sunday morning as Israel’s Supreme Court holds a hearing on the future of the Chareidi draft law and funding for yeshivos.

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has announced a staggering $52.8 million in donations in the 24 hours following his guilty verdict in his hush money trial. This amounts to over $2 million in donations per hour since the verdict was read. The funds were contributed through the campaign’s online digital fundraising platform. Trump campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita released a statement, saying, “Biden and his Democrat allies have turned our legal system into a political tool, and Americans from every corner of the country have had enough.” This announcement comes after the campaign previously reported a “record-shattering” $34.8 million in small-dollar donations between 6 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Thursday.

The Hamas terror group engaged in psychological terrorism on Friday, releasing a video in which the voice of the hostage Noa Argamani, 26, is heard calling to be released from Gaza. Her father recognized her voice in the video. Argamani is heard saying that “she’s already in captivity for over 237 days,” which indicates that the video was recorded on Thursday. In January, Hamas released a video of Argamani with two other hostages, Itai Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi, who were both later murdered by Hamas. Noa’s mother is very ill with cancer and her last wish is that she see Noa, her only child, before her death. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

The IDF has announced the completion of a nearly three-week-long operation in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya, one of the most densely populated areas in Gaza. The 98th Division, comprising the 7th, 460th, and Paratroopers brigades, engaged in intense battles, killing hundreds of terror operatives and recovering the bodies of seven Israeli hostages slain by Hamas on October 7. According to the IDF, Hamas transformed Jabaliya’s civilian infrastructure into a “fortified combat complex,” firing at troops from schools and civilian shelters, and building extensive tunnel networks under civilian buildings. The troops faced massive RPG fire, with over 120 anti-tank projectiles launched, as well as numerous incidents of planted explosive devices, sniper fire, and drones dropping bombs.