A magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck Cyprus was felt near in northern Israel early Sunday morning • Full Story

Israel’s daily COVID cases continue to mount and the number of seriously ill patients skyrockets to over 500 (from just 100 a few weeks ago), Health Ministry to continue administering 4th vaccine dose, despite new evidence that it is not very effective against Omicron • Full Story

The United States issued a travel warning advising citizens not to visit Israel due to the steadily rising number of coronavirus cases in the Jewish State. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Israel is one of over 20 countries which are considered to be at the fourth level of coronavirus risk • Full Story

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday announced that he has accepted the recommendation of Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz to shorten quarantine for asymptomatic coronavirus patients to 5 days from the previous 7 days • Full Story

A terrorist stabbing attack was foiled south of Jerusalem Monday afternoon. The attempted terror attack occurred at the Gush Etzion Junction just south of the capital, when an Arab terrorist brandishing a knife attempted to carry out a stabbing attack • Full Story

Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday approved a multi-year, 500 million shekel ($160.9 million) development plan for the city of Beit Shemesh, according to an official statement • Full Story

Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is eliminating the category of “other” in its official publications, which means that all non-Jews who aren’t Arab will now be classified as being in the “extended Jewish population.” The new classification will include hundreds of thousands of immigrants from the FSU who gained Israeli citizenship through the Law of Return and non-Jews who gained citizenship by marrying Jews – up to 4.6% of the Israeli population or 415, 147 Israelis (as of 2020) • Full Story

Israel has donated $500,000 to the United Nations for food, medical aid and other assistance for Afghan refugees in Tajikistan, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday • Full Story

An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck Cyprus early on Tuesday morning, and was felt throughout much of Israel, according to the Israel Police • Full Story

A car-ramming attack was reported in the Binyamin region on Tuesday evening. A 19-year-old IDF soldier was reportedly moderately injured. The terrorist was arrested after fleeing the scene • Full Story, Photos

Starting Sunday January 9, all vaccinated or recovered foreign travelers from all countries will be able to enter Israel with with no need for a special permit. 24 hour quarantine will be required upon landing • Full Story

The organization “Jews for J,” one of the main preaching arms of the “Messianic Jews” cult, recently opened an office in the heart of Yerushalayim aimed at getting Jews in the capital to convert out of their religion. Information on the office reached Yad L’Achim by way of classified documents from the cult, together with intensive field work on the part of Yad L’Achim’s countermissionary department. This information led to the precise location of the office, whose address was not publicized even in internal missionary publications • Full Story

The Israeli government has managed to wage war on Shleimus Ho’om (Mihu Yehudi – Dropping conversions standards drastically. Sheimus HaTorah (abandoned centralized Kashrus standards and authority) & Shleimus Ho’oretz – connecting arab illegal houses to the grid while voting to actively keep unofficial jewish settlements disconnected and off the grid • Full Story, Video

Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana on Tuesday evening announced the appointment of Rabbi Binyahu Brunner, the Nasi of a Hesder Yeshiva in Tzfat and a Tzohar dayan, as the head of the state giyur system. Rabbi Brunner will replace Rav Moshe Weller, who was appointed by Chief Rabbi Lau, who was dismissed by Kahana due to his refusal to his advance the giyur reform, in line with Rav Lau’s opposition to the reform • Full Story

Police arrived in Chomesh Tuesday morning and destroyed buildings, uprooted infrastructure and even ruined the electricity of the yeshiva, which has been active there for over a decade. Police also demolished structures erected by families who had come to strengthen Jewish presence at the site. However they did not demolish the yeshiva itself • Full Story

A helicopter crashed Monday off of Chaifa’s coast in Israel’s north, with the three crew members onboard rescued and taken to hospital • Full Story

Israel’s Health Ministry announced Monday that it will permit the entry of some tourists into the country starting next week. The Health Ministry said it would ease restrictions both on air travel into and out of the country, including exempting vaccinated and confirmed recovered travelers from low and medium-risk countries from quarantine, once they have received negative PCR test results, or have waited 24 hours without symptoms • Full Story

In the wake of the Israeli government’s attempts to promote a new conversion arrangement which will allow every city rabbi to perform conversions, Chief Rabbi Lau sent a sharp letter to Prime Minister Bennett. Rabbi Lau said that if the head of the Rabbinate’s Conversion Directorate, Moshe Waller, would be fired as he was told by Religious Affairs minister Matan Kahana and if the new arrangement was promoted in the Knesset, he would suspend the entire conversion procedure in Israel • Full Story

Rabbi Moshe Weller, who was appointed by Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau three years ago, informed Kahana during a meeting last week that he wouldn’t support Kahana’s giyur plan, in line with Rabbi Lau’s position that “the goal of the giyur reform is to violate halacha” • Full Story

At the far end of the smallest rocky Desert on Earth, you find … the lowest point on Earth. Located at more than 400m below sea level, the Israelian side of the Sea is a very peculiar landscape, full of contrasts! Photographer Shmuel Amit visited and captured some astonishing photos at the site • Photos

The United Nations has approved funding for a commission of inquiry into alleged Israeli crimes during Operation Guardian of the Walls. The decision to establish a committee to investigate potential crimes that took place during the operation focuses only on Israel, with no mention of Hamas. Unprecedentedly, no date has been set for the commission of inquiry to end its activities • Full Story

Over 10,000 people came to fulfill the request of a widow whose husband Yehuda Dimentman HY”D was murdered in a horrific terrorist attack, to march to the top of the Chumash settlement while it was raining. The climbers began to sing the traditional song “Ani Maamin,” (I believe). Boaz Bendorf filmed the singing from above • Video

About fifteen thousand people arrived today (Thursday) at the Chumash settlement, demanding to re-establish the settlement that was expanded in the disengagement plan (Tochnit HaHitnatkut). The demand came after a Yeshiva Bochur was horrifically murdered at the entrance to the settlement. The march was led by prominent rabbis, members of the Knesset, and of course the family members of Yehuda Dimentman • Video

Israel is implementing a new quarantine policy which will have a huge impact on incoming travelers, regardless of vaccination status • Full Story

Arab teen arrested with large kitchen knife in Tel Aviv Central Bus Station after passerby notices him acting suspiciously • Full Story