The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

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.

Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur and Knesset correspondent Carrie Keller Lynn join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

We all waited last week for the incoming coalition to push through four bills. And yesterday, the first was finally passed. What is this bill?

Current Prime Minister Yair Lapid had some strong words for the presumed Netanyahu government on Monday. “The incoming coalition has a new slogan: ‘Bite me.’” What were the reactions in the Knesset?

Deputy Attorney General Amit Marari said yesterday she has reservations about another bill, which would expand ministerial authority over police leadership and policy. What is this "problematic" piece of legislation?

Rettig Gur is back from a trip to the United States and notes changes in how American Jews view their relationship with Israel.

Discussed articles include:

New Knesset passes its first law, meant to thwart potential internal Likud rebellion

Lapid pans Netanyahu bloc for ‘Bite me’ attitude toward critics of contentious moves

Deputy AG: Despite amendments, Ben Gvir’s policing bill grants unbalanced powers

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ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: A flag of Israel and an American flag are displayed on a table during a meeting between Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the Pentagon in Washington, August 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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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.

Editor David Horovitz and health reporter Nathan Jeffay join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode.

We begin the show by hearing highlights from last night's Qatar World Cup final and how the country was inclusive of Israelis -- to a point.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog sent a Hanukkah video message to the Diaspora. Any strong statements here?

Horovitz discusses a recent op-ed he wrote about possible threats to the Law of Return with the incoming Netanyahu coalition. What makes him concerned?

We hear from Jeffay about new Israeli research that spotlights major benefits of stress reduction measures, specifically for women who are at elevated risk of cancer.

Some 15 percent of the world’s most influential studies on COVID-19 vaccines were written by Israeli scientists. No shock here?

And finally, we hear about another piece of research from Tel Aviv University in which Israeli scientists say they have found a way to boost the ability of bones to heal themselves.

Discussed articles include:

Israeli soccer fans rejoice over long-awaited World Cup win for Messi, Argentina

Messi’s black Qatari robe at World Cup trophy lift draws mixed reactions from fans

Don’t mess with the Law of Return

Reducing stress can be life-changer for women with high cancer risk — Israeli study

Israelis produced some 15% of world’s top COVID vaccine studies, analysis shows

Israeli gel boosts ability of bones to heal themselves, mice trial finds

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IMAGE: Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, December 18, 2022. Argentina won 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the match ended tied 3-3. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

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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.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian and news editor Amy Spiro join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

An Israeli driver came under gunfire by Palestinians in the northern West Bank on Friday and last night the Lion’s Den militant group reportedly claimed responsibility. Fabian fills in details.

Fabian attended a large-scale military and medical drill at Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem on Thursday. Should patients feel safe, based on what he saw?

Spiro recently interviewed Mixed Martial Arts fighter Natan Levy who had some fighting words for Kanye West.

Tonight, the Hallmark channel is airing "Hannukah on Rye." Why is this "perfect timing," according to Israeli star Yael Grobglas?

And finally, Borschel-Dan speaks about how archaeologists have uncovered a cache of 2,200-year-old silver coins near the Dead Sea, which they say is the first physical proof that Jews fled to the Judean Desert during the upheaval and persecution under Hanukkah villain Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

Discussed articles include:

Israeli car comes under fire near Nablus, driver escapes unharmed

IDF drills at Jerusalem hospital for potential war, heavy rocket attacks on capital

UFC’s only Israeli fighter believes all Jews ‘should know how to defend themselves’

Hallmark’s new Hanukkah movie is ‘perfect timing’ amid antisemitism spike, says star

2,200-year-old coin hoard gives hard proof of Book of Maccabees, say archaeologists

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IMAGE: 2,200-year-old silver coins that were discovered in a wooden box inside a cave in Wadi Muraba‘at near the Dead Sea. (Shai Halevy, Israel Antiquities Authority)

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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 real estate reporter Danielle Nagler join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Tonight The Times of Israel is holding a live-streamed event in which our Editor David Horovitz is hosting legal experts for a nuanced discussion about the possible consequences of the Override Clause proposal. Keller-Lynn explains what the clause is.

This has been a chaotic week in the Knesset as the incoming coalition attempts to push through four key pieces of legislation. What has been going on as clock ticks down to prime minister-designate's December 21 deadline?

The government published data yesterday showing that home sales in October plummeted by a staggering 65 percent compared to the same month last year. Could it be that people are no longer willing to pay the prices demanded by sellers?

Nagler recently finished a three-part series on how one can invest NIS 300,000 in Israel and abroad. We hear about the adventures of a fictional young couple, Dina and Ilan

Discussed articles include:

Live event TODAY: Reform or ruin? The next coalition’s plans for the judiciary

Knesset legal adviser: Bill to let convicted person be minister clearly ‘personal’

MKs advance bills to let Deri take ministry; grant Ben Gvir, Smotrich broad powers

Yariv Levin elected ‘temporary’ Knesset speaker, will facilitate crucial bills

No house, no problem: NIS 300,000 can still buy a ticket on the real estate express

For Israeli house hunters, NIS 300,000 goes further when you are farther from home

It’s not Boardwalk or Park Place, but NIS 300,000 puts you in Israel’s property game

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IMAGE: Likud Head MK Benjamin Netanyahu surrounded by MKs after a vote for the new Knesset speaker at the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on December 13, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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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.

US correspondent Jacob Magid and US reporter Luke Tress join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast.

Tress offers update on announcement of New York State prevention unit meant to help crack down on antisemitism, which has been on a steady rise in the last few years.

Magid discusses his separate interviews with ex-Meretz MK Yair Golan and Hadash-Ta’al’s Ayman Odeh at the recent J Street conference, each with their own differing views regarding what's next for resurrecting Israel's left.

Tress talks about uncovering anti-Israel comments made on social media by a UN investigator now tasked with reporting on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories.

Magid speaks about lessons from the World Cup, where there has been an overall sense of pro-Palestinian sentiments amidst the playing field of the Abraham Accords.

Discussed articles include:

New York launches bias prevention unit as leaders vow to tackle antisemitism

The Israeli left has fallen apart. Will Jewish-Arab partnership save it?

UN Palestinian rights official’s social media history reveals antisemitic comments

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IMAGE: Morocco's players celebrate with a Palestinian flag at the end of the Qatar 2022 World Cup round of 16 football match between Morocco and Spain at the Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha on December 6, 2022. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

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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.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian and religions reporter Judah Ari Gross join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast.

Fabian discusses the death of 16-year-old Jana Majdi Assam Zakarna, found dead on the roof of her Jenin home late Sunday after a gun battle between Palestinians and Israeli border police, and Israel's attempts to figure out what happened.

Gross looks at the latest reports of attempts by the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party to spread Haredi measures across Israel, as well as the results of a poll showing that few Israelis support these kinds of demands.

Fabian talks about Gaza operatives' attempts to contact Israelis through social media.

Gross looks at a Momentum trip to Israel for Russian and Ukrainian women, which went ahead despite political concerns and emotions, and offered surprising results.

Discussed articles include:

IDF says sniper likely mistakenly killed Palestinian girl during Jenin raid

Few Israelis support religion-and-state blitz mulled by incoming coalition – poll

Shin Bet: Gaza operatives try to ‘catfish’ Israelis with fake social media accounts

Russian and Ukrainian Jewish women bond during first-of-its-kind trip to Israel

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IMAGE: MK Moshe Gafni speaks during a meeting of the United Torah Judaism party at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on December 5, 2022 (Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

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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.

Editor David Horovitz and health reporter Nathan Jeffay join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's podcast.

This Thursday, will host our first Times of Israel live-streamed event, “Israel’s Judiciary: Reform or Ruin?” We hear what’s on the program.

Preliminary voting is expected to begin Monday on three bills that are key to the makeup of the next government. Likud MK Yariv Levin is also expected to become the new speaker of the Knesset at 16:00. What are these bills and what are their consequences?

Yesterday it was announced that a Libyan man suspected in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing of a Pan Am passenger jet that killed all 259 people aboard the plane was taken into US custody. The suspect is called Abu Agila Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi. How does his arrest influence the leading narratives of the bombing's perpetrators?

COVID is on the rise again here in Israel, but so are two other viruses, Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV, and common influenza. What did Sheba Medical Center pediatrician Prof. Moshe Ashkenazi have to say?

And finally, we hear about a world first in which Israeli scientists have derived male and female stem cells from the same person. What is significant about harvesting these almost identical cells, aside from their sex?

Discussed articles include:

Join ToI’s live event: Reform or ruin? The next coalition’s plans for the judiciary

Incoming coalition’s 1st legislative blitz begins Monday as Levin takes speakership

Lockerbie bomb suspect announcement puts spotlight back on decades-old investigation

RSV hospitalizations jump 31% in a week, stoking ‘tripledemic’ fear

In world first, Israeli lab derives male and female stem cells from same person

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IMAGE: Unidentified crash investigators inspect the nose section of the crashed Pan Am flight 103, a Boeing 747 airliner in a field near Lockerbie, Scotland, December 23, 1988. The plane crashed two days before, killing more than 270 people. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

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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.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and Palestinian Affairs correspondent Jack Mukand join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in The Times of Israel's Jerusalem offices.

Mukand digs into Palestinian Authority President Abbas's media blitz, with interviews on Wednesday and a speech on Friday. Why the sudden spotlight?

Three members of Iran’s small Jewish community have been arrested as part of the crackdown on the ongoing anti-regime protests. The community has previously condemned the protests. What else do we know so far?

Peru has its first female president, Dina Boluarte. Do we know anything yet about how the surprise new government may view Israel?

Berman speaks about the recently deceased Jewish Ukrainian soldier who was killed last month fighting Russian forces. Who was Vladislav Shain?

Mukand watched the Morocco-Portugal quarter-final last night in east Jerusalem. He explains why Moroccan soccer supporters fly the Palestinian flag.

Discussed articles include:

PA chief urges world to shun an Israeli government not committed to two states

PA’s Abbas says he opposes armed resistance, for now

3 members of Iran’s Jewish community arrested amid protests; 1 released

Jewish Ukrainian soldier killed fighting Russian forces

‘Indescribable’: Ecstatic Israelis, Palestinians celebrate Morocco World Cup success

Arab world, Palestinians, join Moroccans’ celebrations of advance to World Cup semis

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IMAGE: Morocco's Achraf Daria, with a Palestine flag, celebrates next to his teammate Sofiane Boufa after the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Morocco and Portugal, at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, December 10, 2022. Morocco won 1-0.(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

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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.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider and United States correspondent Jacob Magid join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Schneider briefs us on the final coalition agreements that have been signed and what ministries Sephardic religious party Shas has received even as its leader Aryeh Deri is still barred from being a minister.

We hear what Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism is asking for in its 100-some demands that are an appendix to its coalition agreement. Among them, barring the Women of the Wall from prayer at the Western Wall.

The second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, convened a round table discussion yesterday on the subject of antisemitism. Who attended and what came out of this event?

How is the future opposition shaping up its campaign against the incoming government's proposed changes? Schneider discusses this weekend's upcoming "overpass" protests."

We hear what came out of the J Street confab that took place this week. The headlines surrounded remarks made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, but that's not the full story.

Discussed articles include:

Likud inks deal with Shas, finishes doling out government posts to coalition allies

Haredi party said to demand law banning all non-Orthodox prayer at Western Wall

At White House antisemitism roundtable, Doug Emhoff laments ‘epidemic of hate’

Blinken: US will judge the next Israeli government on policies, not personalities

With Biden cautious on new Israeli gov’t, Dems at J Street ready to take gloves off

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IMAGE: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks as his image in seen on a large screen behind him at the J Street National Conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, December 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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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.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazer Berman and Diaspora Affairs correspondent Judah Ari Gross join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

We begin by hearing why the Foreign Ministry summoned UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland yesterday.

We hear about Berman's recent trip to the Gulf with President Isaac Herzog. Did it meet its goals? And how was the kosher food?

Gross just returned from a trip to Moldova where he spent time with Mark Dovev, who works with an organization called Nativ. What is happening on the ground with Ukrainian immigration to Israel?

Far-right Noam head Avi Maoz has historical and current connections to Nativ and the flight for Soviet Jewry. We hear how he fought alongside Natan Sharansky for decades.

Discussed articles include:

Foreign Ministry summons UN Mideast envoy over sympathy for Palestinian attacker

Meeting UAE president, Herzog assures him all Israelis support Abraham Accords

Herzog meets with small Bahrain Jewish community in Manama

Aiding Ukrainians, immigration official finds what it means for Israel to be a haven

He campaigned for Soviet immigration. Now Avi Maoz is poised to fight against it

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IMAGE: Jewish Ukrainian who fled war zones in Ukraine wait to receive their entry papers to Israel, at an emergency shelter in Chisinau, Moldova, March 15, 2022. (Yossi Zeliger/Flash90)

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