Saudis host Hamas as chaos in Israel may tangle regional web

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. Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode. For the 15th straight week, anti-judicial overhaul protesters took to the streets throughout the country, with an estimated several hundred thousand throughout the country. Rettig Gur weighs in on why the protests have continued even as negotiations are taking place under the auspices of President Isaac Herzog. Israel suffered a series of Hamas rocket attacks over the first Passover holiday weekend, including from Lebanon. Fabian explains what Israeli experts are saying about this seemingly new alliance between Hamas and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. A senior delegation representing the Palestinian terror group Hamas is reportedly set to visit Saudi Arabia today. Rettig Gur describes how Iran and Hamas have finally built and activated their alliance, which allows Hamas to continue expanding the Gaza front to more theaters. What can we can learn from what just happened over the past week about the effects of Israel’s domestic strife on the broader region? And finally, Likud MK Tally Gotliv gave a rare English-language interview to an international reporter last night during a rally in support of the judicial overhaul last night. Rettig Gur responds. Discussed articles include: Hundreds of thousands rally against judicial overhaul plans for a 15th straight week With support of Iran and Hezbollah, experts believe Hamas well established in Lebanon Saudis said set to host top Hamas delegation, further dimming Israeli hopes for ties Saudi-Iran detente marks latest twist in decades of fraught ties Israel’s efforts to forge Saudi ties said on ice as tensions with Palestinians spike Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. Illustrative image: Hamas supporters wave green Islamic flags during a protest to show the solidarity with Al-Aqsa Mosque, in Jebaliya City, northern Gaza Strip, April 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.