MK Uri Maklev (Degel HaTorah) attacked Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman and Yisrael Beiteinu on Sunday in an interview on the Knesset Channel in a rather surprising way, blasting them for using kosher phones. Maklev claimed that the reason for Liberman’s mysterious behavior – his apparent use of a kosher phone – is due to the fact that his party is a criminal party. “190 members of Yisrael Beiteinu have been investigated over the years by the police,” Maklev said. “Yisrael Beiteinu is a criminal party – dozens of them have been convicted – the people closest to Liberman.” “The only way that Liberman is close to religion is his kosher cellphone.

President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial heads toward a historic conclusion this week, with senators all-but-certain to acquit him on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after narrowly rejecting Democratic demands to summon witnesses. There’s still plenty of drama to unfold before Wednesday’s vote. The vote is expected to cap a months-long investigation spurred by a whistleblower complaint that Trump improperly withheld U.S. military aid from Ukraine in a bid to pressure it to launch investigations into 2020 Democratic rival Joe Biden. In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage and there’s nowhere near the two-thirds needed for conviction and removal.

Israelis on the left side of the political spectrum demonstrated in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square on Motzei Shabbos against the “Deal of the Century,” in a march and rally organized by the Peace Now organization. Decrying the peace plan for allowing Israel to unilaterally annex the Jordan Valley and settlements in Judea and Samaria, the protestors chanted “Peace plan, not annexation deal” and “Annexation is a disaster, no peace, no security.” The protestors bore signs stating “no to apartheid” and “no to transfer” – the inclusion of several Arab-Israeli towns in a potential Palestinian state. “This isn’t a peace plan, it’s not even a plan,” said MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz).

An emergency meeting was held on Sunday afternoon in the Prime Minister’s Office with the participation of the ministers of health, finance, foreign affairs and justice and medical representatives on how to minimize the risk of the coronavirus spreading to Israel. During the meeting, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu agreed that any Chabad Shliach who wants to leave China will be assisted by Israel, with Israel organizing the planes and bearing the financial expenses, COL reported. Rabbi Dovi Henig, a Chabad shaliach in Chengdu, China was on his way home to Israel with a stopover in Germany but Lufthansa Airlines refused to allow his wife on the plane to Israel since she’s an American citizen.

YWN regrets to inform you of the sudden Petira of R’ Shlomie Pinchas Ritterman Z”L of North Miami Beach, Florida (previously of Flatbush). He was 58. R’ Shloime was on a flight with his wife at Forth Lauderdale Airport, when he suffered a massive heart attack. He was rushed to the the closest hospital (Broward Hospital) where he was R”L Niftar. The Niftar Grew up in Flatbush on East 3rd Street near Avenue M, and lived on East 10 between Avenue’s N-O before moving to North Miami Beach. He was one of the original members of Flatbush Shomrim, and was a member of the Chevra Kaddisha in Flatbush. He leaves behind his wife Mrs. Leah Dini and children Chesky, Moshe, Eli, Tzvi and Gitti. Chesed Shel Emes was instrumental in ensuring proper Kavod Hames and a timely Levaya.

A second person in New York City is being tested for coronavirus, the Health Department reports. Officials say the 60-year-old, who is currently hospitalized at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, had recently been in mainland China, and displayed fever symptoms and shortness of breath. Meanwhile, New York City health officials are awaiting test results on a possible first case of coronavirus as the TSA issues new travel restrictions for people coming to the U.S. from China and the number of cases continues to climb. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a hotline Sunday for New Yorkers to call about the coronavirus. The hotline, staffed by Health Department experts, is 1-888-364-3065.

A chilly February morning. A young man wakes and opens his closet. His hands trace the fabric of his garments, hoping to find something in particular: A suit suitable for his wedding. But the suit has not materialized overnight. Nor have the invitations, the hall, or gowns for his sisters. An apartment to rent lies of his reach, hosting sheva brachos remains an impossibility. Everyone in the family pulls together what they can, but time and time again, they fall short. This is the life of Uriel Brohm. After his father Dovid a”h passed away, his mother Shoshana raised 13 kids on her own. It was not a simple life: They hesitate to even turn on the heat in the winter, as money is extremely tight. A tension fills the house. The day is coming.

It’s a heart stopping moment. A toddler, barely 2 years of age, has gone missing. The family is frantic, and for good reason. A two year old child roaming the city streets is a recipe for disaster. “After the waves of panic made way for hysteria, I picked up the phone and called Shomrim. That was the smartest phone call I’ve ever made. Within minutes, my house was flooded with volunteers and within the hour, my baby was back home safe and sound. I shudder to think of what could have been. “ Without fanfare or commotion, Shomrim saved a child’s life and a mother’s sanity. The calls don’t stop. “Someone is in my basement. He’s carrying a knife.” “My vehicle was stolen.” “My elderly parent is lost.” Shomrim is ready for every call. Shomrim is ready to help every Jew.

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman posted yet another provocative video on social media on Sunday, blasting all yeshivos due to the Peleg protestors who caused traffic jams in Jerusalem last Sunday. Liberman, knowing very well that the protests were carried out by a tiny minority of the Chareidi community, claimed that just as the protests are intolerable, the “Chareidi committee” in the Finance Committee is intolerable, referring to the fact that Degel H’Torah chairman Moshe Gafni is the head of the Finance Committee. Liberman went on to make false statements that the “Chareidi committee” allots huge sums to yeshivos, taking the money from other areas like welfare, education and health and leaving no money to pay lone soldiers.

President Donald Trump used a Super Bowl pregame interview to rail against Democrats, accusing them of hatred and offering schoolyard insults about his potential 2020 rivals. “I see the hatred. … They don’t care about fairness, they don’t care about lying,” Trump said in a taped interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, which aired on Fox hours before sports’ biggest night of the year. Trump spent his weekend in Florida as most of the political world has been focused on Iowa, where Democrats on Monday will cast their first votes to choose the party’s nominee. Prompted by Hannity, Trump went through most of the major candidates one by one, deriding “Sleepy Joe” Biden, the former vice president, accusing Massachusetts Sen.