Ultra-Orthodox rage on and the politics of Eurovision

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. Today’s panel comprises Times of Israel editor David Horovitz and senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur, along with host Amanda Borschel-Dan. We speak today about the continued rioting in the streets among Israel's ultra-Orthodox population. Is it a matter of faith? United Torah Judaism's MK Yitzhak Pindrus said that Torah study among children "will stop the pandemic... that's what can save the entire world." Or a political ploy? Facebook sanctioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for fishing for private medical information. In the run-up to the March 23 elections will we see more crack downs? As the world marks a decade to the Arab Spring, Horovitz relates some of the conflicts he faced when sending a female reporter to cover what became a violent event in Cairo's Tahrir Square. And finally, Israel has picked its song for the annual Eurovision contest. What are some of the tournament's political implications? And have a listen to the new tune, "Set me free." Discussed articles include: Haredi protesters endangered light rail passengers’ lives, operator says Police, firefighters stood by for an hour as ultra-Orthodox mob torched bus As 4 cops hurt in fresh clashes, chief rabbi slams ‘delinquent’ Haredi rioters Under Haredi pressure, PM said to agree to soften bill hiking lockdown fines Facebook suspends Netanyahu’s chatbot for seeking to ID unvaccinated Israelis Arab Spring exiles look back 10 years after Egyptian uprising ‘Set me free’: Israel picks Eurovision song entry for 2021 PHOTO: Israeli police officers clash with ultra-Orthodox Jewish men during enforcement of coronavirus emergency regulations in Jerusalem, January 26, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.