Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Knesset correspondent Carrie Keller-Lynn and investigative and features reporter Inna Lazareva join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast.

Keller-Lynn discusses incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's complex negotiations with Religious Zionism leader and idealogue Bezalel Smotrich, and how their coalition deal is an attempt to rein in Smotrich on certain issues.

She also talks about why there could be as many as 32 ministries in Israel's small parliament in order to keep the complicated coalition together.

Lazareva looks at recent chess championships in Israel, one with the first Israeli woman to captain a local chess team and another featuring Ukrainians in Israel who most recently were on the battlefield with Russia.

Steinberg speaks about the recently opened Jerusalem Arts campus in downtown Jerusalem, with four arts schools, including the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, and the failed efforts to include student dorms as part of the campus.

Discussed articles include:

Netanyahu, Smotrich said to inch closer to finalizing deal to form government

‘Are you here by mistake?’ Meet the 1st Israeli woman to captain a men’s chess team

Holding Russia in check, Ukrainians look to capture chess glory at Jerusalem tourney

Film school’s second act gives starring role to new downtown Jerusalem arts campus

IMAGE: Religious Zionist party head MK Bezalel Smotrich seen after coalition talks at a hotel in Jerusalem on November 30, 2022. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

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