Day 487 - Annexation? Saudi normalization? What's on the table in DC
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 4 February 2025
⏱️ 21 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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.
Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Eight were wounded, two critically, in the shooting attack at an army checkpoint near the northern West Bank village of Tayasir this morning. Horovitz updates on what we knew about the attack at recording time. Sadly, two soldiers' deaths were subsequently announced.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently in Washington, DC, and set to meet with US President Donald Trump today. Yesterday, reporters were given mixed signals surrounding the president's willingness to see Israel annex the West Bank. Horovitz explains.
Amid mounting talk of a peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, posters of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shaking hands with Trump against the backdrop of an Israeli flag were unveiled in Jerusalem and other cities across Israel with the message, “Israel is Ready.” Is it?
Amid the expected restart of negotiations for the second phase of the hostage release-ceasefire deal, Netanyahu appears to be heading toward some personnel changes on his team. Who may be in -- and who is out?
Finally, Justice Minister Yariv Levin declined Monday to sign the official announcement of the appointment of Justice Isaac Amit as the new president of the Supreme Court in the state gazette. While one may call this "petty politics," Horovitz warns that there are very serious repercussions for this type of behavior.
Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
For further reading:
2 soldiers killed, 8 hurt in shooting attack at IDF checkpoint in northern West Bank
Asked about West Bank annexation, Trump says Israel ‘a small country, in terms of land’
Billboard campaign proclaims ‘Israel is ready’ for Saudi normalization
Levin declines to sign official announcement of new Supreme Court president
IMAGE: President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony with the Florida Panthers NHL hockey team to celebrate their 2024 Stanley Cup victory in the East Room of the White House, February 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. |
| 0:07.9 | Today's Tuesday, February 4th, Day 487 of the war. |
| 0:13.6 | Amanda Borschell Dan here in our Jerusalem office with editor David Horvitz. |
| 0:17.5 | Hi, David. Thanks for joining me today. |
| 0:19.3 | Hi, Amanda. |
| 0:19.9 | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C., so we'll speak about what we've |
| 0:24.6 | heard about his trip so far, what expectations are for continued ceasefire negotiations, |
| 0:31.0 | and the different approach the Trump administration is taking with the coalition ministers |
| 0:35.8 | and their desires for, |
| 0:38.9 | among other things, |
| 0:41.2 | the annexation of the West Bank. |
| 0:43.6 | We'll speak about anticipation surrounding a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia |
| 0:46.9 | and how everything is unknowable and fragile. |
| 0:50.7 | All this and much, much more when we're back. |
| 0:58.5 | Thank you. All this and much, much more when we're back. We the Holocaust survivors are a rapidly diminishing group. |
| 1:02.8 | We are in the last moments of being able to share with our young people our firsthand testimonies. |
| 1:08.7 | Time is rapidly running out. |
| 1:13.6 | Each year sees smaller numbers of survivors able to accompany students on the March of the Living. Marching with students |
| 1:19.6 | and survivors from many countries in those terrible places allows our students to learn and |
| 1:25.1 | understand through stories and eyewitness accounts about our resilience, |
| 1:30.3 | our strength, and our determination. |
| 1:33.4 | This Yomashoa, the Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day, many survivors like Ava want to march |
... |
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