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

Both Schneider and Magid were at the Israeli American Council’s national summit in Florida last week, attended by some 3,000 participants, including Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Magid discusses a briefing with Gantz regarding construction in settlement blocs in the West Bank. He senses that Gantz is thinking strategically about his own political positioning, given his comments about expanding the so-called settlement blocs.

Schneider offers some details about who attended the summit, including the high participation in the age of Covid and in the wake of AIPAC's canceled conferences.

Magid also talks about his interview with MK Nir Barkat, and his harsh line with regard to Iran, while Schneider gave some insights as to Barkat's political plans to become the Likud party leader and his position as a Knesset member without a particular role.

Discussed articles include:

Senior defense official: ‘Blocs’ prioritized but all settlements have right to exist

Likud’s Barkat: Tehran should be targeted if Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel

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IMAGE: Defense Minister Benny Gantz addresses the Israeli American Council's national summit in Hollywood Beach, Florida on December 10, 2021. (Noam Galai)

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