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.

Chief Justice John Roberts is the picture of judicial modesty at President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, wearing his unadorned black robe and wielding an ivory gavel as he presides over the Senate. So far he has played a limited role in the proceedings, but some hope that will change as the trial ends its second week, and that he will take a more active role — possibly even calling witnesses himself or breaking a tie vote. But whatever powers Roberts has as the trial’s presiding officer, it would be out of character for him to do anything to grab the spotlight. Roberts, who celebrated his 65th birthday this week, has led the Supreme Court for the past 14 years. Appointed by President George W.

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.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross suggested Thursday that the viral outbreak in China might offer an unexpected benefit for the U.S. economy: It could encourage American manufacturers in China to return to the United States. “I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America. Some to U.S., probably some to Mexico as well,’’ Ross told Fox Business Network. The new virus, from the coronavirus family, has paralyzed business in China. The industrial hub of Wuhan and other Chinese cities are on lockdown. China has reported more than 7,700 cases and 170 deaths. The crisis has also begun to ripple through U.S. companies with operations in China.

On Thursday morning, a worker in his 60s was killed in a work accident on Maryland Boulevard in the city of Rishon LeZion. The accident occurred when a worker, at a waste disposal site, fell onto a conveyor belt used to move waste to a compactor. The man suffered critical injuries before being pulled out by other workers at the site. United Hatzalah volunteers and MDA ambulance teams were called to the scene, but were forced to declare the worker dead. United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Oren Meshullam who was one of the first responders at the scene said: “When I arrived at the scene I found the worker had sustained a full-system trauma after he fell onto the conveyor belt at a waste disposal site.

On Thursday, Border Police were actively working to restore the peace in the Jerusalem periphery in the Arab neighborhoods of Bir Nabalah and Al Jib, when Arab protesters threw rocks at border police officers. Utilizing the assistance of lookouts, border police officers were able to nab 8 protesters who were actively engaged in causing physical harm to security forces. The suspects, two teenagers, and six adults were arrested and brought in for questioning. During separate protests that transpired at the Ayosh Interchange at the entrance to Ramallah, a border police officer was injured when a large stone was thrown at him. The officer was evacuated to Share Zedek Hospital after being lightly injured in the incident.

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.

Maran Sar HaTorah in a call to the tzibbur: “Allow HaGaon Rav Avner Efgin to continue learning.” This week HaGaon Rav Avner Efgin, the head of Bais Halevy, visited the home of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, who entreated those present to do their utmost to allow him to continue learning Torah and free him from the financial difficulties that have been weighing down his mosdos. The names of donors will be mentioned along with their personal requests at special prayers at Kever Shmuel HaNavi led by rav Avner Efgin, and at the home of Maran Sar HaTorah.

Republican seatmates Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski on Thursday passed a piece of paper back and forth, nodded — and then sent the note on an unusual journey across the Senate aisle, into the hands of Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Two hours later, Sinema posed the trial’s first bipartisan question. On behalf of the power pocket of moderates, she asked: Will President Donald Trump assure the American public that private citizens won’t conduct foreign policy unless the State Department requests it? The query referred to the president’s private lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, pressuring Ukraine to give Trump political help. But by asking it together — with Sen.