Day 451 - Democracy in Syria? De facto leader says not so fast

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.


Arab Affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani and
reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda
Borschel-Dan on today's show.


Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa spoke on Al Arabiya and
gave a glimpse of his plans for the country, including divulging
that holding elections in Syria could take up to four years and
that drafting a new constitution could take up to three years.
Pacchiani weighs in.


For the past week and more, swaths of Israelis from many parts of
the country have found themselves seeking shelter in the middle
of the night as the Houthis continue their campaign of
projectiles, vowing to continue their attacks on Israel “until
the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted.” We hear
when they rose to power — and how?


Sweden-based Yemeni activist Luai Ahmed, 31, has become something
of a celebrity in Israel and he comes by it genetically, it
seems: After fleeing Sanaa in 2014, Ahmed, who is openly gay,
received refugee status in Sweden and later acquired Swedish
citizenship. But his family still lives between Yemen and Egypt,
and his mother, Amal Basha, is one of the most
prominent women’s rights advocates in Yemen. We hear about Ahmed.


Surkes has done a deep dive into Israeli international aid
organizations and has discovered that their funding has dried up
for two main reasons: antisemitism -- people don't want to give
to a Zionist body -- and patriotism -- funders prefer to donate
to a group doing work inside Israel proper. She explains why.


The Energy Ministry has identified geological formations capable
of holding 10 million tons of carbon dioxide a year and
kickstarting a carbon storage industry worth an annual estimated
NIS 1 billion ($275 million). Surkes is cautiously optimistic.


For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s
ongoing live blog.


Discussed articles include:


Syrian leader: New elections could take up to 4 years,
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham will be dissolved


‘Houthis are simply insane’: In Tel Aviv, Yemeni activist
explains current conflict


Energy Ministry: Geological formations could store 10
million tons of CO₂ annually


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podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.


IMAGE: Syria's new leader and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) chief
Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) receives Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii
Sybiha (Andriy Sybiga) in Damascus on December 30, 2024. (Bakr
Alkasem / AFP)


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