Daily Briefing Jan. 24: Netanyahu's beef with the attorney general; Shabbat culture

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.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider and real estate writer Danielle Nagler join host Jessica Steinberg for today’s podcast.

Schneider talks about the face-off between Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following reports, denied by Baharav-Miara, that she has weighed ordering him to take a leave of absence because of conflict of interest. Schneider offers some background information about Baharav-Miara as the first female attorney general, her role and why the prime minister sees her as a threat.

She also discusses Culture Minister Miki Zohar and the brouhaha over his statement Saturday saying he intends to shut down cultural activities funded by the government taking place in the Upper Galilee on Shabbat, and the prime minister’s comments pedaling back Zohar’s statements.

Nagler takes a look at still-rising housing prices across Israel. Rental prices are also up, compounding the issue for those finding it hard to buy.

Nagler also discusses a survey looking at the best places to live in Israel that places Rishon Lezion at the top of the list, followed by other central locations including Ramat Gan and Kfar Saba, with Jerusalem scoring low.

Discussed articles include:

Coalition warns AG any move to suspend Netanyahu akin to coup; she denies weighing it

New Culture Minister Zohar vows to withdraw funding for art that ‘defames Israel’

Rise in housing prices slows but still up almost 19% from 2021

First of Zion: Rishon is Israel’s best city to live in, statistics bureau finds

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