Pres. Herzog to US Congress: 'Let's elevate our partnership'

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. US bureau chief Jacob Magid and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoin host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast. Magid and Berman discuss the details of President Isaac Herzog's speech to the US Congress, including the focus on the judicial overhaul and the protests against it -- and whether or not they mark the strength of Israel's democracy. They note Herzog's skill in walking a diplomatic tightrope, bridging the gaps between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They also look at Herzog's meeting with Biden prior to the speech, and why the Israeli president came to the US to speak to the US president at this point in time. Magid discusses a long-awaited pilot of the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) which will begin easing travel restrictions for Palestinian Americans to travel through Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport and at Israeli border crossings. Discussed articles include: In speech to Congress, Herzog lauds strong judiciary, says democracy in Israel’s DNA Herzog tells Biden Israel’s democracy ‘resilient,’ as overhaul protests rage at home Herzog’s ‘important’ speech to Congress wins plaudits from across political spectrum Israel launches pilot for US visa waiver, easing travel for Palestinian-Americans IMAGE: Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrives to speak to a joint meeting of Congress, July 19, 2023, at the Capitol in Washington, as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, look on. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.