Day 539 - Huckabee: Judge my actions, not my Judea and Samaria stance

The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

The Times of Israel

News

4.4 • 864 Ratings

🗓️ 28 March 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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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.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing, which will be followed by a full episode of ToI's newest podcast series, the Friday Focus with Lazar Berman.

An Egyptian proposal to end renewed fighting in Gaza would see five living hostages released on the first day of the restored ceasefire, with another five living hostages released every 7-10 days, two foreign diplomats with knowledge of the details told The Times of Israel on Wednesday. Magid delves into what else is being reported about this proposal, one of several on the table right now.

One well-connected US analyst of the Middle East told Magid this week that the current Israeli government has all but foreclosed any chance for a normalization deal. We hear what Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI) who regularly speaks to Saudi and other regional officials, has to say -- and what the Saudis are potentially planning in the meantime.

US President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, tried to present a more moderate stance on Israel and the West Bank -- or Judea and Samaria, as he calls the contested land -- and urged lawmakers at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday to judge him based on his ability to represent the new administration. Magid weighs in.

In the Friday Focus, Berman illuminates the ongoing prejudice against Israel's Christians, who make up almost 2% of the country's population.

Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Egyptian plan would free 5 living hostages on day one, with releases every 7-10 days

Playing down normalization prospects, US analyst says Saudis feel Israel ‘looking backward’

Mike Huckabee downplays pro-settler views at confirmation hearing to be envoy to Israel

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.

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: Then-Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., takes questions from the media, prior to laying a brick at a new housing complex in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, August 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. Today is Friday, March 28th, Day 539 of the war.
0:13.4	Amanda Borssel Dan here with our U.S. Bureau Chief Jacob Magid. Hi, Jacob. Thanks for joining me today.
0:19.1	Hey, man. That's been a while. Good to be with you again.
0:21.2	It is so good to see you. Now, we are recording amid reports of an Egyptian security delegation
0:27.6	in Qatar for hostage-release ceasefire negotiations. So Jacob will fill us in on what we're hearing
0:34.6	about the Egyptian proposal. With all the optimistic buzz surrounding talk of a Saudi normalization with Israel deal,
0:43.4	one voice told Jacob recently,
0:45.5	it's not even close to the realm of possibility.
0:48.9	We'll hear why.
0:50.3	And we'll learn about new U.S. ambassador to Israel,
0:53.6	Mike Hakebe's more moderate tone.
0:56.6	All this and more when we're back.
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1:32.8	That's R-E-C-U-S-T-O-M.com. An Egyptian proposal to end renewed fighting in Gaza would see five living hostages released on the first day of the restored ceasefire,
2:02.8	with another five living hostages released every seven to ten days. This is from two foreign
2:09.6	diplomats who spoke with Laser Barman, our diplomatic reporter, this week. Now, dual U.S.
2:16.1	Israeli citizen, Aidan Alexander, would be released on the first day,
	...

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