Attached is a congratulatory letter from Agudath Israel of America to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
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Attorney General William Barr has authorized federal prosecutors across the U.S. to pursue “substantial allegations” of voting irregularities before the 2020 presidential election is certified. Barr’s action comes days after Democrat Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump and raises the prospect that Trump will use the Justice Department to try to challenge the outcome. It gives prosecutors the ability to go around longstanding Justice Department policy that normally would prohibit such overt actions before the election is formally certified. Trump has not conceded the election and is instead claiming that there has been a widespread, multi-state conspiracy by Democrats to skew the vote tally in Biden’s favor.

As thousands accompanied HaGaon HaRav Dovid Feinstein, z’tl, to his final resting place at Har Hamenuchos in Israel, violent clashes broke out as Israel Police tried to disperse the massive crowd. The levaya began peacefully at the Shamgar funeral home in Romema but as time went on, the crowd grew larger and larger, with many chutznikim who live in Jerusalem participating in the levaya. The participants were wearing masks but the crowd was too large for social distancing regulations to be properly adhered to. A large number of police officers were sent to Romema and violent tumults broke out as they tried to disperse to the crowd. There were also scuffles at the entrance to Har Hamenuchos, where HaRav Feinstein, z’tl, was buried, and two people were arrested.

Israel’s Health Ministry published the number of newly confirmed Coronavirus cases in Israel. On Friday, 669 people were confirmed to have contracted the disease. The total number of fatalities due to the disease since the beginning of the virus in Israel stands at 2,649. Currently, there are 8,817 active cases in Israel among which are 323 in serious condition, and 153 are connected to respirators. Former Chief Rabbi of England, Rabbi Professor Lord Jonathan Sacks, passed away at the age of 72 after a lengthy fight with Cancer. Rabbi Sacks was known as one of the most important Jewish thinkers of our time and was renowned for his brilliance the world over.

El Al Airlines has requested that Israel’s Finance Ministry transfer its promised aid as outlined in the government bailout plan, and also requested an increased state loan guarantee of $400 million, Globes reported. New El Al owner Eli Rozenberg acquired 42.89% of El Al with a $150 million offering at the company’s public offering in September, and according to the bailout plan, El Al is to obtain a $250 million bank loan, with a state guarantee for 75% of the loan. The reason for El Al’s request for increased aid is that it hasn’t thus far managed to obtain a bank loan. However, the Finance Ministry turned down its request, instead demanding that El Al streamline its operations and workforce.

Democratic lawmakers are urging Twitter to suspend President Trump’s account, suggesting none of his tweets should be posted until all ballots have been counted in the 2020 presidential election. The president, whose Twitter comments Wednesday complained about Democratic challenger Joe Biden’s lead among mail-in ballots and claimed victory for himself in Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina before counting was finished, has been spreading “pure disinformation,” Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly said on the social media platform. “Suspend his account, @Twitter,” Connolly wrote. “Valid votes are being counted. This is America, not Russia.” Rhode Island’s Rep.

An elderly doctor in Rishon L’Tzion called ZAKA Tel Aviv last week with a highly unusual request – the burial of a human skull that she’s had in her possession for fifty years. The skull was part of a body (apparently a Jew) donated to science and the doctor has studied anatomy on that very skull and then saved it as a memento in a place of honor in her living room, unaware that it is forbidden by halacha. One of the doctor’s relatives who recently became closer to Yiddishkeit told the doctor that keeping the skull is completely forbidden and the skull must be brought to burial. The doctor, extremely perturbed that she had unwittingly done something wrong for so many years, called ZAKA Tel Aviv. A ZAKA volunteer retrieved the skull from the doctor’s home and buried it.

More than 6-in-10 rate economic conditions negatively and only about 2-in-10 think coronavirus is under control in the U.S. Just over half, 51 percent, say the Coronavirus is “not at all” under control – up from 40 percent in early September. When asked what should be the federal government’s top priority, voters are 25 points more likely to rank limiting the spread of coronavirus over restarting the economy (61-36 percent). President Trump is preferred on the economy by just 1 point, while more trust Democratic candidate Joe Biden on coronavirus by 16 points. By a 6-point margin, more pick Biden over Trump on handling Supreme Court nominations. Biden leads Trump by 52-44 percent among likely voters.

Israel’s Health Ministry published that 674 people tested positive for contracting the coronavirus on Friday. An additional 138 people tested positive from midnight until 4:00 p.m. on Shabbos. The numbers continue to decline, even two weeks after the lockdown ended. Currently, there are 419 people listed as being in serious condition in Israeli hospitals, among them are 182 people who are on respirators. The total number of fatalities as a result of the virus in Israel currently stands at 2,523. The Foreign Ministry of the Dominican Republic announced that they are considering the possibility of moving their embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Lakewood, NJ – A group of children from the Misameach Organization had the opportunity to spend time with Ivanka Trump on Thursday. Sources tell YWN that the event was arranged by Boris Epshteyn, the Strategic Advisor for Coalitions on the Trump 2020 Campaign. The meeting took place in a hotel in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, where Ivanka was on the campaign for her father, just 5 days before Election Day. The group consisted of children from the Tri-State area who are suffering from cancer as well as some special-needs children. Ivanka interacted with the children, taking individual photos, signing autographs and speaking with each one. The Misameach Organization was most grateful for the time she devoted to the children today.