Daily Briefing March 7: Israel becomes diplomatic hub as Ukrainian refugees arrive

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.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider and religion and Diaspora affairs reporter Judah Ari Gross join host Jessica Steinberg.

Schneider fills us in on the latest diplomatic efforts being sallied by Israel, starting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s trip on Shabbat to meet with Putin, and today’s meeting of Foreign Minister Yair Lapid with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Latvia.

Gross speaks about the possible numbers of expected Ukrainian refugees expected by Israel in the coming weeks and months, and the efforts being made to welcome and acclimate them.

Schneider offers a tidbit from sister Hebrew site Zman Yisrael with a story about Ukrainian-born Housing Minister Ze’ev Elkin, who accompanied Bennett to Russia on Saturday while his brother and family were fleeing Kharkiv.

Gross offers highlights from his interview last week with Yad Vashem director Dani Dayan, and the constant referencing of the Holocaust and Nazism in the current conflict.

Discussed articles include:

Bennett holds follow-up call with Putin after Moscow meeting

Bennett found Putin to be ‘rational’ during meeting — report

90 Jewish orphans who fled Ukraine greeted by Bennett, ministers at airport

Yad Vashem chief: Russia trivializing Holocaust with false ‘denazification’ claim

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode:

This Times of Israel podcast is sponsored by Thirty-Six, in which host Justin Hayet scours Israel to find the 36 most wonderful, interesting people doing the most wonderful, interesting things. Subscribe to Thirty-Six on your favorite podcast platform.