The Times of Israel Daily Briefing The Times of Israel

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 Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's packed episode.

The intensified situation on the border between Ukraine and Russia has Israeli officials updating plans for the possible evacuation of potentially some 75,000 Jews. Who is working on that?

Last week, the United Nations unanimously adopted an Israeli-led resolution against Holocaust denial. How did serial Holocaust-denier Iran try to play a role here?

Also late last week, Israel finally signed the controversial deal to purchase three submarines from Germany. Yesterday, the cabinet voted to create a state commission of inquiry into submarine and naval vessel purchases that occurred under former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Schneider takes a deep dive into the issue.

Aside from political aftershocks, Israel felt two earthquakes within 24 hours this week. Is the country prepared for the big one?

And finally, Berman sheds light on how Israel's relationship with the European Union may or may not shift with France at the helm.

Discussed articles include:

Israel said preparing for potential need to evacuate Ukrainian Jews in case of war

UN General Assembly adopts Israeli resolution aimed at combating Holocaust denial

Israel signs scandal-ridden €3 billion deal with Germany to buy new submarines

Cabinet votes to establish state inquiry into submarine affair

2nd minor earthquake within hours rattles northern Israel; some buildings evacuated

Israel-Europe ties may not get much warmer with Macron as president of EU Council

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Illustrative: Ivan Perchek dresses in a traditional bear costume ahead of the Malanka festival in the village of Krasnoilsk, Ukraine, January 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz and political and legal correspondent Carrie Keller-Lynn join host Jessica Steinberg.

Horovitz and Keller-Lynn discuss the ongoing possibility of a Netanyahu plea deal being considered by attorney general Avichai Mandelblit.

Keller-Lynn discusses that the possible plea deal is important for the government's coalition stability, while Horovitz makes the point that this is not an ordinary case, with the indictment of a serving prime minister who has since lost power and shouldn't be wrapped up in a behind-the-scenes negotiation.

Horovitz and Keller-Lynn also take a look at the ongoing case of NSO's Pegasus spyware and the Israel Police. While the police have acknowledged using it, they claim they haven't used it in breach of the law.

Keller-Lynn reports that a Knesset committee will be discussing the matter on Monday, given the suspicions that existing legislation isn't sufficient and the lack of oversight.

Finally, for some good news, Horovitz recaps Pfizer CEO's prediction that world should be back to near-normal in a few months.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, speaks with then-cabinet secretary Avichai Mandelblit, later Israel's attorney general, during a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, September 21, 2014. (AP/Menahem Kahana, Pool/File)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Daily Briefing listeners, we'll be back with more news about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World on Sunday, but in the meantime, have a listen to Times Will Tell, the weekly podcast from The Times of Israel.

We’re taking a deep dive today into Israel’s kosher certification system, as the government undertakes the first step in overhauling the industry.

The new plan, unveiled in July by religious affairs minister Matan Kahana, would presumably end the monopoly of the chief rabbinate and local rabbinates as the only bodies that can issue kosher certificates, which costs businesses upwards of $2 million a year, and allow for other private kosher certification agencies.

This long-awaited privatization of the kosher certification industry follows a path paved by the religious Zionist Tzohar organization, which launched its own kosher certification agency in 2018. They took over for a grassroots group that first entered the industry years before, aiming to break the rabbinate’s grip on what can be considered kosher.

You'll hear from several people involved in this industry, including Rabbi David Stav, chairman of Tzohar; Tzvi Maller, the American-born owner of Crave, a restaurant in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market that grappled with a fakin' bacon issue; Itzik Kadosh, a pastry chef and owner of a beloved Jerusalem cafe who fought the rabbinate over turning his croissants into triangles; Yittie Lawson, who runs Tacos Luis, a Mexican restaurant down the block from Kadosh; Dan Male, who runs Jerusalem's Angelica, a fine chef restaurant whose customers won't stand for anything other than the rabbinate's stamp of approval and Leon Avigad, who owns and operates the Brown Hotel chain in Israel, Greece and Europe and just wants his kosher supervisors to tell him what to do and how to do it.

It's a wacky world of kosher laws and these people live it, every day.

Times Will Tell podcasts are available for download on iTunes, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, PlayerFM or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Crave Jerusalem's 'facon' duck bacon on its Black Forest Special (Courtesy Crave)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Tech Israel editor Ricky Ben-David and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman join host Jessica Steinberg.

Ben-David opens today's podcast reviewing her interviews with privacy experts who sharply criticized Israel police following revelations about their use of Israeli company NSO cyberweapons to spy on civilians.

Berman looks at situations unfolding in two regions with connections to Israel; the UAE's diplomatic handling of Tehran following the deadly oil field strike, and the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Ben-David closes today's podcast with a brief look at Israeli startup Plantish, which says it has produced a 3D-printed, plant-based salmon fillet. 

She also discusses the first foray of Trigo, an Israeli company offering checkout-free shopping at a grocery store in New Jersey, aiming to compete with retail giant Amazon.

IMAGE: Israeli startup Plantish unveiled a 3D-printed, whole-cut, plant-based salmon fillet in January 2022. (Plantish)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Palestinian Affairs reporter Aaron Boxerman and Military correspondent Judah Ari Gross join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Israelis awoke to news of an overnight eviction from the much-discussed east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, the first eviction since 2017. The hot-button area has been the site of countless court cases and protests. What is different about this current eviction case -- and why was it carried out in the dead of night?

It's a few decades late, but it appears that Israelis are now experiencing shades of "1984" with the government's use of NSO Group Pegasus software on innocent-until-proven-otherwise citizens. Gross delves into what we know so far in this developing story.

Boxerman recently investigated one of the most lucrative industries for Palestinian residents outside of Hebron: metal salvage from electronic waste. This livelihood, they claim, comes with a terrible cost -- their health. Boxerman spent time with countless people who claim their families' cancer cases are due to rampant air pollution.

And finally -- snow! Find out what these ToI staffers do when the weather outside is frightful.

Discussed articles include:

Jerusalem police evict Palestinian family overnight, ending standoff; 18 arrested

In first since 2017, police try to evict family in flashpoint Jerusalem neighborhood

Israel Police accused of using NSO spyware on civilians for years without oversight

Comptroller to probe spyware use on citizens, as outraged lawmakers demand inquiry

Police chief doesn’t deny use of spyware, says it wasn’t deployed against protesters

A deadly trash trade is poisoning Palestinians in the West Bank

Golan covered in white as Jerusalem braces for snow

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: The remains of a house that was destroyed by Israeli authorities in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, on January 19, 2022. (Jamal Awad/Flash90

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

United States correspondent Jacob Magid and Environment reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Magid reports in from Colleyville, Texas, where he has been working around the clock to update readers on the developing story of the attack on a Reform synagogue on Saturday. The question of whether or not the 11-hour hostage standoff was an antisemitic attack gains nuance as he speaks with one of the hostages and several locals.

Next we are joined by Surkes who speaks about new legislation in honor of Tu Bishvat, the new year of the trees. A bill proposed by MK Alon Tal updates a British Mandate-era law that aims to protect trees and increase urban green spaces.

We then speak about an ongoing case in which radioactive water pollution in the Zin Stream may be whitewashed by big industry.

And finally, Surkes sheds light on a new water purifier called Miriam's Well, which just may be a game-changer for the developing world.

Discussed articles include:

Hostage: Attacker chose synagogue, thinking Jews powerful enough to free ‘sister’

1,000-strong multifaith crowd rallies around Jewish community at post-standoff vigil

New bill seeks to replace British mandate law on protection, planting of trees

Chemical company’s expert in court case: Southern stream’s radiation not health risk

Israeli cleantech company aims Miriam’s Well water purifier at developing world

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Pleasant Run Baptist Church's sign showing solidarity with Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas on January 16, 2022. (Screen capture/Lupe Zapata/Spectrum 1 News)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.