Daily Briefing Apr. 27: Day 569 – Legal wrangles at ICC, shark attack in Hadera

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.

Following Israel’s procedural victory at the International Criminal Court, in which the Jewish state argued it could challenge the court’s jurisdiction to try Israeli citizens for war crimes, Sharon examines the basis for the reasoning and what it could mean going forward regarding the arrest warrants issued last year for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.

Sharon also discusses the potential for a constitutional crisis following the allegations against Netanyahu made by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar in an affidavit to the High Court. With Bar having backed up his claims with documentation and evidence, Sharon says it will be far harder for the court to avoid ruling on the petitions against the government’s attempted dismissal of the security agency head, potentially bringing the government and judiciary into direct conflict.

A highly unusual shark attack in which an Israeli man was fatally mauled brought visitors to the beach where it happened, reports Surkes, despite police attempts to keep them away. Surkes discusses the environmental changes that have affected shark behavior along the coast.

Surkes also discusses her visit to a neighborhood in the southern city of Ofakim that was heavily attacked on October 7, 2023, and community efforts to draw together in healing and unity.

This conversation can also be viewed here:

Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog for more updates.

For further reading:

ICC Appeals Chamber rules lower court must hear Israel’s challenge to jurisdiction

Bar’s allegations against Netanyahu have raised the risk of a constitutional crisis

Diver missing, feared dead, after rare shark attack off the coast of Hadera

Seasonal fish mortality draws sharks to central beach, alarming bathers

A scarred Ofakim neighborhood grows into a community after October 7

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.

Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode here: