Daily Briefing April 26: Not the first time religion causes coalition crisis

Religions correspondent Judah Ari Gross looks back at issues of religion and state in Israel, while deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan discusses a major archaeological find

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.

Religions and Diaspora Affairs correspondent Judah Ari Gross and Deputy Editor Amanda Borschel-Dan join host Jessica Steinberg for today’s podcast.

Gross discusses how Knesset Whip Idit Silman quit Prime Minister Bennett’s Yamina party over the issue of leavened goods in public spaces during Passover, looking back at other historical cases of religion and state in Israeli politics.

He also explains the archaic, Jewish law issue of the status of illegitimate children and the efforts being made to amend it.

Borschel-Dan examines the unveiling of what is claimed to be the earliest proto-alphabetic Hebrew text ever discovered in ancient Israel and why it isn’t being lauded just yet.

Discussed articles include:

Once it was F-15s on Shabbat; now, hametz: The religious issues that end governments

‘Father unknown’: A dread biblical status leads to modern problems

Archaeologist claims to find oldest Hebrew text in Israel, including the name of God

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