The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, asked members of his government to contact Ukrainian authorities in order to obtain an assurance of “safe passage” for the Chassidim currently sitting on the border between the two countries. According to a report issued by the Press Secretary for the President, Natalya Eismont, Lukashenko said that his government was willing to take upon itself the logistics and responsibility of transferring the Chassidim to Uman safely. “Belarus is willing to supply transportation in the form of busses that will take the pilgrims to their destination and return them directly to the airport for flights to their countries of origin.

As Israel prepares to enter its second lockdown on erev Rosh Hashanah, it continues to experience a high rate of daily coronavirus cases, with the Health Ministry confirming 3,182 cases on Monday morning in the previous 24 hours, a rise in the percentage of positive cases – 9.4% of all tests. There are currently 40,347 active virus cases, with over a thousand patients currently hospitalized, with 529 seriously ill, of whom 135 are ventilated. The death toll has risen to 1,126. Health Ministry Director-General Chezy Levy hinted on Monday morning that the nationwide lockdown could be extended even longer than three weeks if the number of daily coronavirus cases fail to drop to a low enough number during that time.

There is an ongoing humanitarian crisis at the Belarus / Ukrainian border, which has since turned into a potentially serious situation. Despite being told they would not be allowed into Ukraine to travel to Uman, there are hundreds of Breslover Chassidim at the borders, demanding entry. Most arrived at the border on Monday morning, and passed the day with singing and dancing – as border police prevented the group from crossing into Ukraine. As the day passed, most ran out of food, and the crisis grew. There are many children in the group – some as young as 4 years old – all without food and sleeping on the ground, shivering in the cold. Late at night the Red Cross arrived at the border, where they brought the group food, hot drinks and blankets.

The frum community in Melbourne, Australia wrote a letter to the local authorities requesting a permit to daven in minyanim for Rosh Hashanah in accordance with social distancing regulations, even offering for all participants be tested for the coronavirus prior to gathering if necessary. As YWN reported last week, the state of Victoria, where Melbourne is located, is currently under severe regulations following a coronavirus outbreak. The restrictions preclude gatherings of even ten people and anyone who violates the regulations are subject to huge fines of thousands of dollars. “We are marking Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year,” the letter stated.

Following the Israeli government’s approval of a nationwide lockdown beginning on erev Rosh Hashanah, it also approved a special outline for tefillos for the Yamim Tovim in Tishrei. The outline will go into effect at the same time as the lockdown, on erev Rosh Hashanah and continue for three weeks, until after Sukkos, on October 11. Davening will be allowed in minyanim of up to 20 people outdoors. The number of mispallelim and/or minyanim allowed in closed spaces indoors will be in accordance with both the size of the building and the number of entrances to the building as well as the infection rate in the city the shul is located in.

Iran is considering an assassination attempt against the US ambassador to South Africa in order to avenge the killing of Quds Force general Qassem Soleimani, according to US intelligence reports, a Politico report said on Sunday. Ambassador to South Africa Lana Marks was most likely chosen due to her close relationship with US President Donald Trump, the report said. According to US government officials, they have been aware of a general threat against Marks since the spring but the intelligence has become more detailed in recent weeks. The Iranian embassy in Pretoria is aware of and actively involved in the plot. Assassinating Marks is only one of a number of options that US intelligence officials believe Iran is considering to avenge Soleimani’s death.

Amiram Ben Uliel, who was convicted in May of three counts of murder in a 2015 arson attack in the Arab village of Kfar Duma, was handed three life sentences by an Israeli court on Monday. The Lod District Court said that Ben Uliel, 26, committed the attack that killed three members of the Dawabsha family out of “extreme and racist ideology.” According to the conviction, Ben Uliel carried out the attack to retaliate for the murder of Malachi Rosenfeld in a drive-by shooting days earlier. A teenaged accomplice who signed a plea bargain with prosecutors admitting to conspiring with Ben-Uliel in planning the arson attack and to three counts of vandalism will be sentenced on Wednesday.

An important email from the Medical Director of Lakewood Hatzolah (who is the Medical Director of NYC Hatzolah as well) was provided to YWN, and it is published below. Our decision to publish this, is to inform the public about the importance of seeking the proper medical care if infected with COVID-19 – and not being scared to go to a hospital, which are pretty empty at this point. There are many new treatments (see below) which hospitals are utilizing, and if given early, are seeing a tremendous positive outcome. To the members, As you are all aware, there has been quite an uptick in positive COVID cases in Lakewood and surrounding areas. While the majority of cases are mild, we have seen some patients requiring oxygen, hospitalization, and even ICU admissions.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened Bahrain on Saturday following the announcement of the Israel-Bahrain normalization deal, saying it would face “harsh revenge.” “The executioner ruler of Bahrain should await the harsh revenge of the Mujahideen aiming to liberate Quds [Jerusalem] and the proud Muslim nation of this country,” the Revolutionary Guards stated on their website as quoted by Reuters. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the deal, stating: “Undoubtedly, the oppressed and right-seeking people of Palestine and the free Muslims in the world will never approve of normalization of relations with the usurping and lawless Israeli regime,” according to Xinhua News.

Following the announcement of the normalization deal between Israel and Bahrain on Friday, Walla News and Axios journalist Barak Ravid revealed that Trump adviser Jared Kushner gifted the Bahraini king with a Sefer Torah at a meeting in Manama about the peace agreement with Israel last week. Kushner ordered the mehudar Sefer Torah from a sofer in the United States prior to his trip to Bahrain, paying for it with his personal funds. U.S.