Daily Briefing Dec. 19: Hanukkah ‘miracle’ at World Cup; hands off the Law of Return

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.

Editor David Horovitz and health reporter Nathan Jeffay join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today’s episode.

We begin the show by hearing highlights from last night’s Qatar World Cup final and how the host country was inclusive of Israelis — to a point.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog sent a Hanukkah video message to the Diaspora. Any strong statements here?

Horovitz discusses a recent op-ed he wrote about possible threats to the Law of Return from the incoming Netanyahu coalition. What makes him concerned?

We hear from Jeffay about new Israeli research that spotlights major benefits of stress reduction measures, specifically for women who are at elevated risk of cancer.

Some 15 percent of the world’s most influential studies on COVID-19 vaccines were written by Israeli scientists. No shock here?

And finally, we hear about another piece of research from Tel Aviv University in which Israeli scientists say they have found a way to boost the ability of bones to heal themselves.

Discussed articles include:

Israeli soccer fans rejoice over long-awaited World Cup win for Messi, Argentina

Messi’s black Qatari robe at World Cup trophy lift draws mixed reactions from fans

In Hanukkah message to world Jewry, Herzog welcomes ‘tough questions’ about election

Don’t mess with the Law of Return

Reducing stress can be life-changer for women with high cancer risk — Israeli study

Israelis produced some 15% of world’s top COVID vaccine studies, analysis shows

Israeli gel boosts ability of bones to heal themselves, mice trial finds

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Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode: