About this episode

The episode discusses the environmental state of the Mediterranean Sea, a legal case involving a Syrian-born woman, and Israeli energy policy concerns.

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. E nvironmental reporter Sue Surkes joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode. We open the episode with a recent annual national monitoring report, carried out on behalf of the Energy and Environmental Protection ministries, on the state of the Mediterranean Sea. Surkes describes how the sea is growing saltier, warmer and more polluted, and why it has become a home to invasive tropical fish. We discuss what that means for beachgoers and fish eaters as we head into the summer season. We then move on to the latest updates in an unusual court case: The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday ordered the Interior Ministry to grant temporary Israeli status to a Syrian-born woman, the wife of a disabled IDF veteran, who converted to Judaism. The Syrian Alawite woman and her husband have faced a series of legal hurdles as they seek to build a life together in Israel. We hear about their saga. In the second half of the program, Surkes walks through her recent op-ed on Israeli energy policy, which she describes as a growing security risk. We…

People in this episode

Host: Gabriella Jacobs

Guest: Sue Surkes

Topics covered

• Mediterranean Sea
• energy policy
• environmental issues
• legal case
• Israeli society
• wildlife conservation

Keywords

• Mediterranean Sea
• energy policy
• environmental report
• Israeli court case
• orangutan birth
• invasive species
• pollution
• summer season

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Energy and Environmental Protection ministries

Places: Israel, Jerusalem, Syria, Mediterranean Sea, Jerusalem Zoo

More episodes of The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

• Scared and angry London Jews feel UK isn't fighting antisemitism · May 3, 2026 · 26 min
• The Reel Schmooze on 'Roommates' and 'How to Make Challah': Different slices of Jewish American pie · May 2, 2026 · 45 min
• Haviv Rettig Gur: Political footballs and politicians' fumbles · May 1, 2026 · 50 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Times of Israel Daily Briefing podcast page.