Daily Briefing Aug 9: Why are ultra-Orthodox Jews suddenly praying at a Haifa church?

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 religion reporter Canaan Lidor join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today’s episode.

The Anti-Defamation League and partner organizations in France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain released a report focusing on left-wing antisemitism. Why is this unusual?

Yesterday, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid met with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed in Italy to discuss bilateral ties and advance joint projects. Was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the loop?

Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman announced last week that two nature reserves near Jerusalem will stay open outside of their usual hours for visitors who prefer gender-segregated swimming. What happened next?

Early this week in a Bloomberg English-language interview, Netanyahu indicated that his government will move ahead with changing the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee and then stop its overhaul of the judiciary. But will his own Likud MKs support him?

We end with a curious story out of Haifa’s Stella Maris church where ultra-Orthodox Jews are increasingly making pilgrimage to what they consider is the grave of the Prophet Elisha, Elijah’s disciple. Why the Jews’ sudden interest in this site?

Discussed articles include:

Europe’s far-left is normalizing antisemitism, report co-authored by ADL warns

Lapid meets UAE foreign minister in Italy, amid hiatus in high-level visits

Environment minister announces sex-segregated hours at parks, prompting legal review

Netanyahu: Coalition will probably remake judicial selection panel, then halt overhaul

PM doesn’t have the votes to remake judicial selection panel, Likud said to believe

At a Haifa church, Jewish pilgrims test coexistence strained by painful history

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