Daily Briefing November 8 — Why Muslims and Druze cast very different ballots in the north

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.

Health reporter Diana Bletter joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today’s episode.

WATCH the full episode here:

Residents of the Western Galilee — a diverse mix of Jews, Muslims, Druze and Christians — came out in full force to vote in the October 27 polls. Bletter discusses the factors these Israeli citizens say informed their voting decisions.

On election day, Bletter visited Yarka, Nahariya and Mazra’a and noticed a different energy than in past elections. Yet now, as the country struggles to form a new government, Bletter reports a total lack of consensus across the region, and says the initial atmosphere of optimism has faded into uncertainty.

After the break we take a look at Israel’s trailblazing protocols for repatriating October 7 hostages, which are detailed in a new study published in the journal Healthcare.

Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Week after election, Western Galilee voters agree on one thing: Lack of consensus

In mixed city of Acre, Jewish-Arab coexistence shapes hopes for anti-Netanyahu coalition

In historic first, some Golan Druze, now new citizens, plan to vote in national election

Israel’s trailblazing protocols for repatriating Oct. 7 hostages detailed in new study

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and edited by Ari Schlacht.

Check out yesterday’s episode here: