Daily Briefing Nov. 4: Day 395 – Who is served by alleged leaks from PM’s office?
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman on retraction of a 1967 agreement recognizing UNRWA, and movement toward a peace agreement for the northern border – with added pressure from Iran
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.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.
This morning, the Foreign Ministry officially informed the United Nations that Israel is withdrawing from the 1967 agreement recognizing the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, after the Knesset passed legislation to severely limit the operations of the agency in Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. We hear about the practical implications.
A round of talks between Hamas and Fatah officials in Cairo ended with an agreement to establish a technocratic committee composed of independent Palestinian figures to manage the Gaza Strip, according to an unnamed Hamas source quoted by the Qatari-owned paper Al-Araby al-Jadeed. Berman weighs in on the chances of this agreement coming to fruition.
Eli Feldstein, a spokesperson working with the Prime Minister’s Office, is accused of divulging top-secret information with national security implications to European media outlets, according to a ruling published Sunday evening by Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court head Menahem Mizrahi. The names of three other suspects remain gagged by the court, but it confirmed that they were connected to the defense establishment. Berman examines what we know about the case and how serious the allegations are.
Touring the northern border on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that whether via a negotiated settlement or military force, Israel will achieve the conditions it needs to restore security to the area and keep the Hezbollah terror group at bay. Relatedly, we’re hearing that Iran’s president said a potential ceasefire between Israel and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah “could affect the intensity” of Tehran’s threatened attack. Could this added pressure see a ceasefire agreement solidify?
For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Israel informs UN that 1967 agreement recognizing UNRWA is void
PM spokesman Eli Feldstein suspected of leaking intel that may have hurt hostage efforts
Visiting border, PM vows to restore security in north ‘with or without an agreement’
Iran said planning to use more powerful weapons in next attack on Israel
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