Daily Briefing Nov. 21: World Cup diplomacy and why the coalition isn't coalescing

Editor David Horovitz on Netanyahu’s game of ministerial chairs and chess hijinks; diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman on talks with Turkey and historic firsts in Qatar

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.

Editor David Horovitz and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today’s episode.

Three weeks after Israeli elections, the coalition has yet to coalesce. What are the current obstacles and what are some reactions from top US Jewish leaders?

Presumed next prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fielding calls from world leaders, including perhaps most notably from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Will bygones be bygones?

The World Cup is now taking place in Qatar. Horovitz speaks about some historic firsts and how some of the world is relating to Qatar’s human rights record. Berman jumps in and discusses how the presence of a team of six Israeli diplomats currently in Doha — which does not have official relations with Jerusalem — is a cautiously optimistic sign.

Israel is also hosting its own international sporting event — the World Team Chess Championship, which kicked off yesterday in Jerusalem. Horovitz plunges into what makes this competition so exciting.