Daily Briefing Mar. 16: What Smotrich said and saw in the US; inflation on the rise

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.

US correspondent Jacob Magid and Tech Israel editor Sharon Wrobel join host Jessica Steinberg for today’s podcast.

Steinberg discusses Thursday as another day of escalating resistance as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected President Isaac Herzog’s ‘People’s Framework’ proposal to replace the coalition’s radical judicial overhaul, presented Wednesday night in an evening address to the nation, in which he urged both sides of the debate not to destroy the country in a power struggle.

Netanyahu flew to Berlin to meet with the German chancellor as protestors began gathering before dawn in dozens of locations around the country.

Magid discusses the protesters who gathered outside during Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s speech to the Israel Bonds gathering in Washington, DC, as well as the finance minister’s conciliatory words and gestures following his remarks about the Huwara riots.

Magid also looks at how Smotrich spent his four days in the US, given his lack of invitations from US officials and mainstream Jewish organizations.

Wrobel talks about the consumer price index released on Wednesday, with Israeli inflation numbers higher than expected in February, and central bank governor Amir Yaron’s interview on CNN on Wednesday.

She also discusses the reactions of the Israeli tech community following the failure of the Silicon Valley Bank, and plans to recover.

Discussed articles include:

Overhaul or occupation? Smotrich trip dredges up Israeli-Diaspora rift at DC protest

In US, Smotrich walks back Huwara remark, touts unity, as hundreds protest; 7 arrests

In New York, Smotrich predicts compromise on overhaul that ‘mainstream’ will accept

Israeli inflation higher than forecast in February, boosting odds of more rate hikes

Tel Aviv shares drop as SVB failure triggers cash-flow concern for Israeli startups

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Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode: