Daily Briefing Feb. 10: US envoy says he’s a Zionist, and other local tremors

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.

Today, ToI’s editor David Horovitz and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg.

Horovitz offers some key points from his interview, conducted together with Tal Schneider, Lazar Berman and Jacob Magid, of US ambassador Tom Nides, where the subject matter ranged from Nides’ staunch Zionism to the US stance on Iran.

Horovitz then discusses the latest revelations in the NSO spyware allegations, how the Israel Police are reacting now, and ToI’s conversation with a former senior civil servant who explained why she believes she was the subject of illicit targeting by Israeli police.

He also comments on the UK Board of Deputies of British Jews telling far-right MK Bezalel Smotrich to “get back on a plane,” an unusually blunt critique of a Knesset party leader by British Jewry’s main umbrella representative organization.

Surkes speaks about Truaa, Israel’s now official new earthquake warning system, and offers some quick reminders about what to do in case of an earthquake warning.

She also updates listeners on the latest in the Israeli bottle recycling system, which has become more confusing since the change in the law in December 2021.

Discussed articles include:

US envoy to Times of Israel: ‘My job is to calm things down, not to jazz things up’

Israel gets new earthquake warning system, sends alert within seconds of 1st tremor

Over 1,000 Israelis complain about stores refusing to comply with bottle deposit law

Artist Beverly Barkat creates globe from miles of plastic waste

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