ToI podcast

Daily Briefing July 8 – Herzog’s hope: What the new president wants to achieve

Tune in Sunday through Thursday to hear ToI editors and reporters quickly catch you up on what’s important today

By ToI Staff 8 July 2021, 1:51 pm Edit

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’s panel comprises our editor David Horovitz and our deputy editor and archeology reporter (and regular host of the podcast) Amanda Borschel-Dan, along with host Raoul Wootliff.

On today’s show — long live the president of Israel! As of yesterday evening, Israel has a new president, its 11th: Isaac Herzog, son of the 6th president, Chaim Herzog. We try to understand what sort of presidency is in store for the next seven years.

And, with Herzog in, Israel’s 10th president Reuven Rivlin is out. We look back over his presidency and discuss the legacy he leaves behind.

Then, a vast “city hall” has been unearthed in a subterranean ancient warren in Jerusalem’s Old City. We hear about the ongoing excavations and the new pathways found in the Western Wall Tunnels.

And finally, with summer upon us, we look at the biblical origins of watermelon and a new study tracing its roots.