ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 495

Daily Briefing Feb. 4: Day 487 – Annexation? Saudi normalization? What’s on the table in DC

Editor David Horovitz on Israeli anticipation surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing visit to the US capital and the restart of hostage release-ceasefire talks

With:
  • Amanda Borschel-Dan
    Amanda Borschel-Dan

    Deputy Editor Amanda Borschel-Dan is the host of The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing and What Matters Now podcasts and heads up The Times of Israel’s Jewish World and Archaeology coverage.

  • David Horovitz
    David Horovitz

    David Horovitz is the founding editor of The Times of Israel. He is the author of “Still Life with Bombers” (2004) and “A Little Too Close to God” (2000), and co-author of “Shalom Friend: The Life and Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin” (1996). He previously edited The Jerusalem Post (2004-2011) and The Jerusalem Report (1998-2004).

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.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.

Eight were wounded, two critically, in a shooting attack at an army checkpoint near the northern West Bank village of Tayasir this morning. Two soldiers’ deaths were subsequently announced. Horovitz updates us on what we knew about the attack at recording time.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently in Washington, DC, and set to meet with US President Donald Trump today. Yesterday, reporters were given mixed signals surrounding Trump’s willingness to see Israel annex the West Bank. Horovitz explains.

Amid mounting talk of a peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, posters of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shaking hands with Trump against the backdrop of an Israeli flag were unveiled in Jerusalem and other cities across Israel with the message, “Israel is Ready.” Is it?

Amid the expected restart of negotiations for the second phase of the hostage release-ceasefire deal, Netanyahu appears to be heading toward some personnel changes on his team. Who may be in — and who is out?

Finally, Justice Minister Yariv Levin declined Monday to sign the official announcement of the appointment of Justice Isaac Amit as the new president of the Supreme Court in the state gazette. While one may call this petty politics, Horovitz warns that what’s at stake is extremely serious.

Please see today’s ongoing live blog for more updates.

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple PodcastsSpotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

For further reading:

2 soldiers killed, 8 hurt in shooting attack at IDF checkpoint in northern West Bank

Asked about West Bank annexation, Trump says Israel ‘a small country, in terms of land’

Billboard campaign proclaims ‘Israel is ready’ for Saudi normalization

Levin declines to sign official announcement of new Supreme Court president

Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode here:

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