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 environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today’s podcast.
Horovitz discusses Benjamin Netanyahu’s baffling decision to appoint extremist MK Avi Maoz as a deputy minister at the helm of a new “national Jewish identity” government agency, an appointment that will give him control over school extracurricular subjects.
He also looks at the newly released details of the coalition agreement that will give Bezalel Smotrich’s far-right Religious Zionism party extensive influence over the Israeli government’s civilian activities in the West Bank.
Surkes discusses recent findings regarding Israeli pension funds that hold some $17 billion in companies that profit from oil, gas, coal and other polluting energy sources.
Horovitz talks about Iran and the recent revelations regarding the disbanding of its morality police and hijab laws, accompanied by confusion and denials from the regime.
Surkes looks at the recent sharp increase in bird flu in Europe and whether it’s spreading in Israel and among the millions of wild birds that fly into Israel, a major avian highway for cranes and pelicans that stop near the Hula Lake during the winter months.
Discussed articles include:
Likud on back foot as dozens of towns say won’t let anti-LGBT MK dictate education
Deal will reportedly give Smotrich say in filling sensitive West Bank defense posts
Smotrich primed for authority over key West Bank appointments in deal with Likud
At least NIS 57.6 billion of Israelis’ pensions invested in fossil fuels — watchdog
Bird flu detected in Israel in 2nd case within days
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