Daily Briefing Mar. 25: Day 536 – Gov’t, High Court and AG face off on Shin Bet chief

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.

Legal reporter Jeremy Sharon and archaeological and religions reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Jessica Steinberg for today’s Daily Briefing.

Following the cabinet’s decision last week to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, various opposition political parties and legal organizations have filed petitions against the decision with Israel’s High Court of Justice. Sharon discusses the government’s response to the petitions and its stance that the court has no right to intervene.

Sharon also reviews Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s reaction to the government decision, which she had warned against, and her view that the firing will have implications for the functioning of law enforcement and the Shin Bet in the future.

The Shin Bet is also reported to be conducting a probe into the possible infiltration of extreme-right elements into the Israel Police, and Sharon discusses the existence of Kahanist elements in National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s party, which ostensibly led to the probe.

Meanwhile, Tercatin looks at a recent archaeological discovery that grapevines and olive trees may have once grown on land under the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, with evidence uncovered of agricultural tools, pottery and new technologies that can research pollen remains and seeds that relate to the time of Jesus.

She also discusses a poll of high school teens from religious Zionist high schools indicating a prevalence of sexual activity, leading to the researcher’s determination that there’s a need for more openly discussing sex with religious teens.

Please see today’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Government tells the High Court it can’t be forced to work with Shin Bet chief it doesn’t trust

Report: Shin Bet covertly probed Kahanist infiltration into police under Ben Gvir

Echoing Gospel account, traces of ancient garden found under Church of Holy Sepulchre

Poll showing religious teens are sexually active sparks rethink of when to have the talk

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Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode here: