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The Times of Israel


Welcome to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing: Your update on what’s important in Israel, the Middle East and The Jewish World.


The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

Welcome to a bonus episode of The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. In today's episode, environment reporter Sue Surkes makes a guest appearance, stepping in for Berman.
 
This is a week of spring holidays, and so we are dedicating the program to some of the biblical flora of the Land of Israel.
 
In honor of Easter, which is celebrated by much of Christendom on Sunday, we begin with a date palm that was brought back from the dead and a plant that resurrects itself.
 
In 2008, Dr. Elaine Solowey germinated a 1,900-year-old date palm seed that took the name Methuselah after the long-lived biblical character. She has since gone on to revive several more ancient seeds, including females that bear fruit. Surkes tells the story of Solowey's amazing success -- and describes how the dates taste.
 
Next, we hear about the Rose of Jericho, which was named for the biblical city of Jericho that constantly rose from its ashes -- and still stands today. It's an extraordinary story of a plant surviving in the harshest of circumstances.
 
We then turn to a tree that is called the Christ-thorn jujube (shezaf). Traditionally, this type of tree was used to create the thorny crown that Jesus wore on his last journey down the Via Dolorosa.
 
Surkes then speaks about the olive tree -- both the last few remaining "wild" variety located near Atlit, and the cultivated variety. She turns to Psalm 128 to show how being acquainted with the flora of the Land of Israel gives a deeper meaning to the text.
 
And finally, we speculate on the Garden of Eden's "forbidden fruit." Was it an apple? Or maybe a fig?
 
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
IMAGE: Dates harvested from 'Hannah,' the first female palm tree germinated from 2,000 year-old seeds discovered in the Judean desert, are displayed in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel, on September 27, 2021. (Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)

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Day 560 - Israeli scientists resurrect biblical date palm

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Mitch Ginsburg, a producer at the Israel Story podcast.
 
Ginsburg, a former military reporter for The Times of Israel, brings us a special episode from Israel's flagship podcast series, called The Hebrew Hobbit: A Passover Special.
 
In it, Ginsburg charts the tale of a number of Israeli POWs who took upon themselves the unlikely task of translating JRR Tolkien's "The Hobbit" while imprisoned together in an Egyptian jail.
 
In a vivid soundscape, Ginsburg brings a 360-degree account of life before, during and after their detention -- for the soldiers and those they left behind.
 
This Passover holiday, we hear the improbable story of a group of Israeli men who formed a mini-kibbutz in the heart of an enemy country's prison and what happened after their exodus from Egypt.
 
So this week, we ask Israel Story's Mitch Ginsburg, what matters now?
 
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. 
 
IMAGE: An undated photo of the POW group who together translated 'The Hobbit' into Hebrew prior to their release from an Egyptian prison in November 1973. (courtesy)

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Day 561: A 1973 exodus from Egypt

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.
 
Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
 
Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement Saturday night detailing his refusal to negotiate a deal that ends the war to free the hostages, Horovitz discusses the anguish of the hostage families and their growing concern over the government's plans. He explores the prime minister's stance on the war with Hamas as well as Netanyahu's detailed reasoning amid the growing skepticism and dismay about Netanyahu's motivations regarding the war.
 
As the US and Iran head into more nuclear talks on Wednesday, following another round in Italy on Saturday, Horovitz considers the implications of the talks, and the role of special envoy Steve Witkoff in the negotiations, and the concerns about Israel's security.
 
Finally, Horovitz takes a brief look at the latest spat in Qatargate, as lawyers for the one of the main suspects goes up against a spokesperson for the prime minister, and how the entire scandal connects back to the forced resignation of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
 
Please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
 
For further reading:
 
Netanyahu: Won’t surrender to Hamas by ending war to get back hostages; can’t trick Hamas either
 
Israeli soldier killed in Hamas attack, in first since collapse of Gaza ceasefire
 
After Rome talks, Tehran says Iran and US ‘to start designing framework’ for nuclear deal
 
In public spat, lawyers for Qatargate suspect accuse Netanyahu spokesman of ‘hysteria’
 
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
 IMAGE: Sylvia Cunio, mother of hostages and brothers David and Ariel Cunio, at the Gaza border near Kibbutz Nir Oz calling for her sons and the other hostages to be freed in one phase. (Credit Tanya Zion-Waldoks/Israeli Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

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Day 562 - Hostage families in anguish as PM says no deal

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.
 
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
 
Yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces announced the dismissal of the deputy commander of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit over the March 23 incident in which 15 medics were killed after his forces opened fire on a convoy of ambulances and emergency vehicles in southern Gaza’s Rafah. Fabian explains the findings of a high-level IDF probe.
 
The Lebanese army announced Sunday that it had foiled a planned rocket attack from Lebanon at Israel for the first time since a November ceasefire cut short a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. We learn about what steps the Lebanese Armed Forces are currently taking to fulfill the terms of the ceasefire.
 
On Saturday, for the first time since the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Strip on March 18, a soldier was killed inside the Strip. The deadly incident took place during work to clear the area close to the border of Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels, as part of efforts to expand Israel’s buffer zone — which now comprises over 30 percent of the Strip. Fabian discusses the IDF's recent activities ahead of his IDF embed to the Morag Corridor today. We learn about the IDF's Bedouin tracker units and hear about an attempt from several Israeli civilians to enter the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
 
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
 
For further reading:
 
Admitting ‘errors,’ IDF fires officer over killing of 15 rescue workers in Gaza’s Rafah
 
In first since ceasefire, Lebanese army says it foiled rocket attack on Israel
 
Israeli soldier killed in Hamas attack, in first since collapse of Gaza ceasefire
 
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
IMAGE: Mourners gather around the bodies of 8 Red Crescent emergency responders, recovered in Rafah a week after an Israeli attack, as they are transported for burial from a hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana,File)
 
 

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Day 563 - IDF: Killing of 15 Gaza medics didn't breach code of ethics

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.
 
Political correspondent Sam Sokol and archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
 
Sokol delves into comments made by leaders of the Knesset’s opposition parties, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of placing Israel in existential danger, after Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar alleged that the premier demanded his loyalty. Sokol notes that the opposition is exploring legal avenues against Netanyahu's actions, as political rhetoric in Israel becomes increasingly heated.
 
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made it clear in an interview Monday morning that the hostages are not the priority of the government, which Sokol calls a clarifying statement of the coalition government, bringing tremendous criticism from hostage families and one ultra-Orthodox member of the coalition.
 
Following the death of Pope Francis, Tercatin shares insights on the Jewish community in Rome, its relationship with the late pope and the community's deep historical connection to the Vatican.
 
She also reports on archaeological findings related to the production of biblical purple dye, confirming an industrial-scale production of purple dye that took place in the region several thousand years ago.
 
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
 
For further reading:
 
Opposition leaders say Netanyahu’s conduct, as described by Bar, endangers Israel
 
Smotrich slammed for willingness to ‘sacrifice’ hostages
 
Smotrich says returning hostages ‘not the most important thing,’ sparking fierce backlash
 
For Rome’s Jews, ties with ailing pope are personal. And increasingly complicated
 
Made from snails and fit for kings: First biblical-era dye factory found on Israel’s coast
 
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
IMAGE: A protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in support of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, as a protestor carries a sign that says, 'Save the country from itself,' at Habima Square, April 21, 2025 (Photo by Avshalom Sassoni//Flash90)

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Day 564 - Politics heat up over Shin Bet chief statement

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.
 
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke via phone on Tuesday with US President Donald Trump. Following the conversation, the American leader said that the pair “are on the same side of every issue.” So what were the issues discussed?
 
Hamas is expected to soon propose a new ceasefire framework for Gaza as its representatives arrive in Cairo. Hamas is reportedly pushing for a five-year truce and accepting the previous Egyptian idea of a technocratic council to rule the Strip. What else may be involved?
 
Pope Francis died on Monday, a day after making a public appearance at Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. In his final message, he included a segment about the war in Gaza, saying, “I express my closeness to the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel, and to all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. ... I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!” Berman weighs in on whether this may help ease the uncomfortable relationship Israel has had with the pope since the war in Gaza was launched by the Hamas-led massacre on October 7.
 
Among the candidates to replace Pope Francis at the upcoming conclave, one name familiar to many Israeli officials stands out — Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The Italian priest has lived in Israel for over three decades, and is a fluent Hebrew speaker. Berman explains how this dark horse candidate may have a chance.
 
After presenting his letter of credence to President Isaac Herzog on Monday, Washington’s new ambassador Mike Huckabee accused Iran of seeking to destroy Israel and the United States. We hear why this may be music to official Israel's ears.
 
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
 
For further reading:
 
Trump after call with Netanyahu: ‘We’re on the same side of every issue’
 
Report: Hamas to propose new ceasefire framework including release of hostages in one phase, five-year truce
 
 Hamas delegation heads for Cairo as Egypt takes mediation lead in hostage talks
 
Pope Francis cared deeply about Holy Land, Jews, but left ‘sour taste’ after Oct. 7
 
Latin patriarch of Jerusalem among candidates to replace Pope Francis
 
Presenting credentials to Herzog, Huckabee says Iran seeks to destroy Israel, then US
 
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
IMAGE: Pope Francis stands at Israel's West Bank security barrier on his way to a mass in Manger Square in Bethlehem, May 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

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Day 565 - Why pope's final Gaza statements won't heal rift with Israel

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.
 
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.
 
To commemorate Yom Hashoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, October 7 survivors, released hostages and hostage family members toured Auschwitz yesterday ahead of the start of the March of the Living today. Likewise, we hear what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog said last night at the official state ceremony at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
 
During a speech at the opening of the PLO Central Council meeting last week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called Hamas “sons of dogs” and told the terror group to release hostages it is holding in order to eliminate what he said was Israel’s pretext to continue its war in Gaza. Magid weighs in with his view on the motivations for these statements.
 
The father of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander on Tuesday urged the Trump administration to return its hostage envoy Adam Boehler to the negotiation effort, arguing that the latter’s direct talks with Hamas last month were the closest his son had come to being released from captivity in Gaza. Magid spoke with Adi Alexander and reports back.
 
A man was killed in a shark attack off the coast of Hadera, police confirmed Wednesday, after human remains were positively identified by forensics experts. The victim was named as 45-year-old Barak Tzach, a father of four from the central city of Petah Tikva. Borschel-Dan explains why the sharks are gathering and urges the public not to swim with or feed them.
 
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
 
For further reading:
 
Hamas claims it won’t develop weapons, dig tunnels during long-term truce with Israel
 
Abbas tells ‘sons of dogs’ Hamas to free hostages, remove Israel’s ‘excuses’ for Gaza war
 
Father of American-Israeli hostage urges Boehler’s return to negotiating table
 
Police confirm man killed in shark attack; victim named as Barak Tzach, 45
 
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
IMAGE: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during the 32nd Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council session in Ramallah on April 23, 2025. (Zain JAAFAR / AFP)

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Day 566 - Calling Hamas 'sons of dogs,' Abbas steps up condemnations

Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
 
Over the Passover holiday, some 6,315 Jews visited the Temple Mount, a 37% rise over last year. Among them, Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot, where he participated in a prayer service and prostrated himself on the ground in worship — activities that are nominally prohibited for Jews at the flashpoint holy site.
 
Sukkot hailed the “tremendous change” since he was arrested for the same act 14 years ago.
 
Meanwhile, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees the Israel Police, which enforces law and security on the Mount, boasted that a shift in the unwritten status quo that governs the site was a result of his policies. He was up on the mount earlier in the month.
 
In a statement, Ben Gvir said, “I’m happy to see that MK Zvi Sukkot, like many thousands, is prostrating himself and praying at the Temple Mount.. What wasn’t done for 30 years is being done on my watch, and I’m glad to have the honor, by the grace of God, to lead this huge change.”
 
So this week, Berman delves into whether this is such a "huge change" and how we arrived at the current precarious balance.
 
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
IMAGE: Jewish visitors walk protected by Israeli security forces at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, also known as the Temple Mount complex to Jews, in Jerusalem on April 9, 2023, during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, also coinciding with the Jewish Passover holiday. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

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Day 567: Why MKs praying on Temple Mount doesn't shift status quo

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Prof. Manuela Consonni, director of Hebrew University's Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism.
 
Consonni, a leading scholar of Holocaust memory, gender, and post-war European culture, decided to mark Yom Hashoah, Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, with an exhibition at the Mount Scopus campus called, "Faces of Women's Resistance."
 
The exhibition looks at how women -- Jewish and non-Jewish -- resisted the Nazi regime. Like men, many were fighters, partisans and rescuers, but also the sheer survival of their family was put on the shoulders of many mothers.
 
We discuss definitions of resistance and what means were available to women during the Nazi regime.
 
And finally, we delve into the use of Holocaust language when discussing the hostages kept by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
 
So this week, we ask Prof. Manuela Consonni, what matters now?
 
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. 
 
IMAGE: Two young women who managed to survive over a year in the concentration camp at Belsen, Germany, are shown, April 30, 1945. (AP Photo)

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Day 568: Prof. Manuela Consonni on how women resisted the Nazis

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.
 
Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
 
Following Israel's procedural victory at the International Criminal Court, in which the Jewish state argued it could challenge the court's jurisdiction to try Israeli citizens for war crimes, Sharon examines the basis for the jurisdiction reasoning and what it could mean going forward regarding the arrest warrants issued last year for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
 
Sharon also discusses the potential for a constitutional crisis following the allegations made in writing to the High Court by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar against Netanyahu. Now that Bar has backed up his initial claims with documentation and evidence in his affidavit to the High Court, Sharon says it will be far harder for the court to avoid ruling on the substantive issues of the case, potentially bringing the government and judiciary into direct conflict.
 
A highly unusual shark attack in which an Israeli man was mauled to death brought visitors to the beach where it happened, reports Surkes, despite police attempts to keep people away. Surkes discusses the environmental changes that have affected shark behavior along the Israeli coast.
 
Surkes also discusses her visit to the southern city of Ofakim and the neighborhood that was most heavily attacked on October 7, 2023, and how the small city has reacted, with community efforts to draw together in healing and unity.
 
This conversation can also be viewed here:
 
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
 
For further reading:
 
ICC Appeals Chamber rules lower court must hear Israel’s challenge to jurisdiction
 
Bar’s allegations against Netanyahu have raised the risk of a constitutional crisis
 
Diver missing, feared dead, after rare shark attack off the coast of Hadera
 
Seasonal fish mortality draws sharks to central beach, alarming bathers
 
A scarred Ofakim neighborhood grows into a community after October 7
 
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
IMAGE: 
 
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.
 
Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
 
Following Israel's procedural victory at the International Criminal Court, in which the Jewish state argued it could challenge the court's jurisdiction to try Israeli citizens for war crimes, Sharon examines the basis for the jurisdiction reasoning and what it could mean going forward regarding the arrest warrants issued last year for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
 
Sharon also discusses the potential for a constitutional crisis following the allegations made in writing to the High Court by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar against Netanyahu. Now that Bar has backed up his initial claims with documentation and evidence in his affidavit to the High Court, Sharon says it will be far harder for the court to avoid ruling on the substantive issues of the case, potentially bringing the government and judiciary into direct conflict.
 
A highly unusual shark attack in which an Israeli man was mauled to death brought visitors to the beach where it happened, reports Surkes, despite police attempts to keep people away. Surkes discusses the environmental changes that have affected shark behavior along the Israeli coast.
 
Surkes also discusses her visit to the southern city of Ofakim and the neighborhood that was most heavily attacked on October 7, 2023, and how the small city has reacted, with community efforts to draw together in healing and unity.
 
This conversation can also be viewed here:
 
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
 
For further reading:
 
ICC Appeals Chamber rules lower court must hear Israel’s challenge to jurisdiction
 
Bar’s allegations against Netanyahu have raised the risk of a constitutional crisis
 
Diver missing, feared dead, after rare shark attack off the coast of Hadera
 
Seasonal fish mortality draws sharks to central beach, alarming bathers
 
A scarred Ofakim neighborhood grows into a community after October 7
 
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
IMAGE: Israelis on the beach in Hadera on April 26, 2025, where a man was attacked and killed by a shark during Passover (Photo by Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

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Day 569 - Legal wrangles at ICC, shark attack in Hadera

Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
 
Tens of thousands of IDF reservists are again being called up — Berman among them — and Israel appears to be standing at a crossroads in the Gaza War.
 
In the first half of our program, we discuss Israel's strategy of conducting conflicts through a fighting force that is largely made up of reserve forces. Berman charts earlier wars and discusses the major takeaways from them.
 
We then turn to the present war and discuss its rollout, pauses, surprises (beepers, anyone?) and successes.
 
Berman discusses why it is imperative to end this war quickly -- for both Israelis and Palestinians.
 
At this liminal moment, we take a look at the past, present and future of the operations in the Gaza Strip.
 
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
 
IMAGE: Undated image of IDF forces in the Gaza Strip. (Israel Defense Forces)

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Day 581 - The 'forever' Gaza War: Past, present & potential future

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