The nation’s Union of Local Governments announced on Sunday that beginning tomorrow, Monday, 16 January, they are launching an open-ended strike.

** Heavy weekend rains resulted in an 11cm increase in the level of the Kinneret, the nation’s main drinking water source, now measuring -213.44 under the ‘red line’. An additional 4.64 meters are required to bring the Kinneret to the upper level of the ‘red line’.

** The Mount Hermon ski resort opened on Sunday morning after over a meter of snow accumulated over the weekend.

** Authorities on Sunday morning made additional arrests in connection to the recent attack in the IDF’s Ephraim Base. A resident of Efrat and Givat Ronen were taken into custody near Har Bracha in Shomron. They were apprehended during predawn hours.

** Arab MK Dr. Ahmed Tibi told authorities he is receiving death threats on Facebook.

** 7 Israelis were among the passenger of the Italian Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Italy. A number of people died in the accident and dozens were reported missing early Sunday morning. Four of the seven Israelis have already returned home.

** Due to the threats from the Islamic Brotherhood, no delegation left Eretz Yisrael to be mispallel at the tziyun of the Abir Yaakov in Egypt, whose yahrzeit is today. Mispallalim instead visited the tziyun of a nephew in the old cemetery in Ramle, where admorim and others are convening today to be mispallel for Am Yisrael.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)