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- 940 - Day 221 - Why a 43-year-old rabbi joined the IDF post-Oct. 7
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.
It is day 221 of the war with Hamas. In this special Independence Day episode, host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaks with Rabbi Avi Poupko, an immigrant from North America who, at age 43, joined the IDF following the massacre on October 7.
Through his early 20s, Poupko was raised in a "haredi-leaning" milieu and he came to Israel in 1999 to study at the Mir Yeshiva, arguably the largest yeshiva in the world. He returned as an immigrant in 2007, but did not then get called to the IDF.
Poupko discusses what led him to enlist at this time and his experiences during his service so far. We also hear his thoughts on the chances of a more universal conscription that would include at least parts of the haredi community.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Government may submit Haredi draft proposal to cabinet next week
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: At 43 years old, Rabbi Avi Poupko joined the IDF following the October 7 massacres and serves in the north in a reserves unit. Pictured here in Kiryat Shemona, May 2024. (courtesy)
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Tue, 14 May 2024 - 939 - Day 220 - A day of reckoning as Israel observes Memorial Day
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.
It is day 220 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and news editor Amy Spiro join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
As the IDF operation in Rafah appears poised for expansion, Egypt announced Sunday it would support South Africa’s ongoing lawsuit in the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Is it a warning shot or something more serious?
In an Israeli Channel 12 interview last night, US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew insisted that “fundamentally, nothing has changed in the basic relationship” between Israel and the US — despite the decision last week by US President Joe Biden’s administration to delay a shipment of high-payload bombs to Israel, and Biden’s declaration that he would not supply offensive weapons to Israel for a major IDF offensive affecting population centers in southern Gaza’s Rafah. What is the significance of Lew's rare Israeli media appearance?
Speaking at the Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Sunday night, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said he is responsible for providing answers to the families of slain troops. While his remarks were not new, Berman talks about their importance on this day.
Following October 7, The Times of Israel has been working nonstop to bring readers the personal stories of those who were killed through our Those We Have Lost project, a dedicated page to share the names, faces and stories of those who can no longer speak for themselves. Project coordinator Spiro describes the process behind these memorials and shares the story of Mark Mordechai Peretz, 51, from Rishon Lezion, who was murdered on October 7 while trying to save his daughter from the Supernova music festival.
Borschel-Dan speaks about Cpt. Amir Zur, 23, a paramedic in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, fell in battle while attempting to “save and free” Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7. Borschel-Dan describes Zur, her husband's cousin, and talks about the last time she and her family spent time with him.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Egypt joins ICJ case against Israel as one official warns Rafah op puts peace at risk
US envoy denies ties with Israel have changed: Only ‘1 set of munitions’ held back
‘A tear in the heart of Israel’: Nation marks a visceral post-October 7 Memorial Day
Mark Peretz, 51: Father slain while trying to rescue his daughter
Cpt. Amir Zur, 23: ‘You will always be our guardian angel’
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Bereaved families, friends and Israeli soldiers visit the graves of fallen soldier during Memorial Day which commemorates the fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on May 13, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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Mon, 13 May 2024 - 938 - Day 219 - IDF preps more Rafah ops while fighting in Gaza's north
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.
It is day 219 of the war with Hamas. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Palestinian media reported this morning that there is renewed fighting in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya. Fabian describes fighting in all parts of Gaza, from north to south, including parts that were previously declared taken.
In the initial evacuation zone and other areas of Rafah, around 300,000 Palestinians have evacuated to a designated “humanitarian zone,” according to IDF assessments. The IDF announced yesterday that it had successfully coordinated the opening of a field hospital in this area. Who is running this hospital and what other facilities are there?
This morning an explosion was seen on northern Israel’s coast near the community of Rosh Hanikra, after sirens warned of an incoming drone launched from Lebanon. This is after a weekend of barrages that sparked fires. We hear what has happened on the northern border over the past several days.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant slammed Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Friday for continuing to hold up approving the purchase of two fighter jet squadrons for the Israeli Air Force amid the war. Fabian explains the consequences of the delay-causing power play.
Israel is readying to mark Memorial Day for the first time since the October 7 onslaught and the ensuing war. As of this recording, 25,040 have died during service to the country since 1860. Fabian delves into the categories of the fallen and describes a schoolmate, Sgt. First Class Yosef Malachi Guedalia, who was killed on October 7 while defending Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
IDF calls on Gazans to leave additional Rafah neighborhoods as it presses operation
Gallant blasts Smotrich for mid-war holdup of fighter jet procurement
A dark year: 766 soldiers, 834 civilians killed since last Memorial Day
Sgt. First Class Yosef Malachi Guedalia, 22: ‘A very gentle, sweet person’
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: IDF troops operate in the Gaza City neighborhood of Zeitoun, in a handout image released May 11, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Sun, 12 May 2024 - 937 - IDF expands Rafah operation, US okay with it so far
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.
It is day 218 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and legal reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Berman discusses the expansion of the targeted, moderate operation in Rafah, the US reactions to the operation so far and what that means for US-Israel relations.
He also updates what's happening with talks for a hostage deal and ceasefire, as well as the release of a Hamas propaganda videos of hostage Nadav Popplewell, which Berman believes is meant to put pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sharon looks at an interview with the recent past president of the International Court of Justice, and her comments about the 'plausibility' term with regard to the court case about whether Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
US: Ongoing IDF op in Rafah doesn’t amount to major offensive we’ve warned against
‘Plausibility’ in the South African genocide case against Israel is not what it seemed
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Israelis taking part in a protest calling for the end of the war and the release of the hostages, as they march through the streets of Tel Aviv. on May 9, 2024. (Photo by Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)
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Sat, 11 May 2024 - 936 - Day 217 - Blinken report to exonerate Israel; will US arms follow?
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.
It is day 216 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid and news editor Amy Spiro join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to deliver a report to Congress this week that will criticize Israel but ultimately conclude that the Biden administration has accepted assurances from Jerusalem that the IDF is using American weapons in accordance with international law. How could this shift the contentious US-Israel relationship -- or would it?
The conceptual dissonance over the Gaza war between Israel and the US was highlighted Thursday with statements by White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby who stated, “Any kind of major Rafah ground operation would actually strengthen Hamas’s hands at the negotiating table, not Israel’s. That’s our view." Magid looks into the differing stances.
Israel’s Eden Golan advanced to the grand final of the Eurovision on Thursday night in Malmo, Sweden, qualifying with her song “Hurricane” despite months of anti-Israel protests against her participation. Spiro gives the full picture.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Report: State Department set to confirm Israel not breaking international law in Gaza
Despite Biden’s pause, billions of dollars in US arms for Israel still in pipeline
‘Didn’t fall from the sky’: Biden threat follows months of feeling PM ignored his warnings
US says it’s not abandoning Israel, asserts Rafah offensive would embolden Hamas
Defying haters, Israel’s Eden Golan advances to the Eurovision grand final on Saturday
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Israeli soldiers at a staging area near the Israeli-Gaza Border, southern Israel, May 9, 2024. (Flash90)
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Fri, 10 May 2024 - 935 - Day 216 - Biden drops bombshell, Hamas’s duplicitous ‘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.
It is day 216 of the war with Hamas. Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Horovitz discusses US President Joe Biden's "bombshell" series of comments regarding withholding weaponry for Israel to attack Rafah in Gaza, and how the Israeli mainstream and right-wing politicians are reacting.
He talks about Israeli dependence on American weaponry and how Israel and the US need to find a way to resolve this latest issue.
Horovitz then tackles Hamas' counter-proposal to the hostage situation, calling it a "deceitful" offer that will not bring home most of the hostages, and which aims to free many of their high-level security prisoners, bringing some home to the West Bank, in order to inflame that region and open a second front.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Biden accused of helping Hamas as Israel outraged by threatened weapons freeze
Biden: I won’t give Israel offensive weapons to attack in populated parts of Rafah
Sinister Hamas terms would let it keep most hostages, win the war, inflame the West Bank
Visiting CIA chief said to tell Netanyahu he still sees chance for deal with Hamas
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: President Joe Biden meets with campaign volunteers at the Dr. John Bryant Community Center, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Racine, Wis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Thu, 09 May 2024 - 934 - Day 215 - What is Israelis' top priority: War or hostages?
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.
It is day 215 of the war with Hamas. Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur and news editor Amy Spiro join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The Biden administration on Tuesday night confirmed reports that it had recently held up a large shipment of 2,000- and 500-pound bombs that it feared Israel might use in a major ground operation in the densely populated southern Gaza city of Rafah. But it also appeared to signal its initial approval of the operation launched by Israel early Tuesday morning to take over the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Rettig Gur weighs in on these push-pull announcements.
According to polling by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) that was released yesterday, a majority of Israelis believe that reaching a hostage deal with Hamas should be the country’s top national priority — more important than launching a military operation against the terror group in Rafah. We hear whether this accurately reflects Israeli thinking and what the numbers truly mean.
The Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, officially began Tuesday evening with the first live semifinal. Israel’s contestant is set to take the stage only on Thursday, but there’s plenty to talk about in the meantime. Spiro fills us in.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
US confirms holding up sale of heavy bombs it feared Israel would use in Rafah
US signals backing for ‘limited op’ after IDF takes over Gazan side of Rafah crossing
US completes construction of Gaza aid pier, but weather preventing installation
Poll: Majority of Israelis support prioritizing hostage deal over Rafah operation
Hostage families urge US, other countries to press Israel to reach deal with Hamas
Eurovision organizers rebuke performer who wore keffiyeh during first semifinal show
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Einav Zangauker holds a sign identifying her son Matan (24), one of the hostages taken captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip during the October 7 massacre, as she stands on the roof of a car during a demonstration by hostages' relatives and supporters in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on May 6, 2024. (Jack Guez / AFP)
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Wed, 08 May 2024 - 933 - Day 214 - Has the IDF crossed the Rubicon into Rafah?
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.
It is day 214 of the war with Hamas. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and Diaspora reporter Canaan Lidor join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The Israeli military confirmed that its 401st Armored Brigade captured the Gazan side of Rafah Crossing on the Egyptian border this morning. Israel is now in control of all above-ground crossings into Gaza. The crossing was captured amid a “pinpoint operation” against Hamas in “limited areas of eastern Rafah,” the IDF said. Goren weighs in on whether this is a one-and-done operation or the start of the much-talked-about Rafah op.
The New York Times reported this morning that Hamas intends to include the remains of several dead hostages among the 33 captives it says it will release in the first phase of a hostage and truce deal it proposed. Israel has previously insisted that the first stage include only living hostages and had reduced its demand from 40 hostages, with the understanding that not all those in that category were still alive. After Hamas said yesterday it had accepted a deal put forward by mediators, Israel stated that what Hamas put forward was significantly different from what Israel had agreed to.
Where does this leave us?Lidor has reported from the annual March of the Living in Auschwitz for many years. He talks about why this year, in the shadow of the October 7 massacre by Hamas, it felt so different.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Army announces two reserves troops killed in Hezbollah drone attack Monday
Hamas claims to accept ceasefire, hostage deal; Israel: This isn’t what we agreed to
Specifics of a deal Hamas says it accepts, and that Israel says does not meet its terms
Protesters block roads to demand Israel accept ceasefire-hostage deal, halt Rafah push
At Auschwitz, Holocaust survivors scarred by October 7 march in a show of resilience
At Auschwitz march, participants rally around concern over hostages and antisemitism
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: This image grab taken from footage released by the Israeli army on May 7, 2024, shows the 401st Brigade's combat team tanks entering the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on May 7, 2024. (Fayez Nureldine / Israeli Army / AFP)
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Tue, 07 May 2024 - 932 - Day 213: War at a crossroads as IDF orders partial Rafah evacuation
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.
It is day 213 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and military reporter Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told his American counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in a phone call overnight that Israel was left with no choice but to launch its offensive in southern Gaza’s Rafah. Fabian reports on the IDF's evacuation order for Palestinians living in the eastern part of the city, along the border with Egypt.
This potential operation comes after four Israeli soldiers were killed and 11 more were wounded in a Hamas-claimed rocket attack on a staging ground near the Gaza Strip on Sunday. We hear what was and was not targeted in the barrage.
Berman weighs in on whether the timing of the barrage -- during a particularly sensitive moment in hostage negotiations -- was coincidental. We hear updates from the past several days and why Berman thinks the talks are potentially still ongoing.
A siren sounded throughout Israel at 10 am, marking Yom Hashoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. We learn about Holocaust survivor and partisan Dr. Hanan Karshai, who recently died in Jerusalem, aged 98.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
IDF calls on Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah ahead of planned offensive
3 soldiers killed, 11 hurt inside Israel by Hamas rocket attack from Rafah
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Palestinians hold leaflets dropped by Israeli planes calling on them to evacuate ahead of an Israeli military operation in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah)
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Mon, 06 May 2024 - 931 - Day 212 - Oct. 7 victims' graves reopened to ID more burnt corpses
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.
It is day 211 of the war with Hamas. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Iman Zareb, a senior figure in the Iran-backed group’s Rafah Brigade, was killed along with two other Islamic Jihad fighters in an Israeli bombardment on a “hideout apartment” in Rafah, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet Security Service said yesterday in a joint statement. We hear more about Zareb and what his terrorist organization's role was on October 7 and until now.
An officer in police’s elite Yamam counter-terrorism unit was seriously wounded and five Palestinian gunmen, members of a terror cell, were killed Saturday during a 12-hour raid in the West Bank town of Dayr al-Ghusun. Fabian explains the goals of the raid and how it was carried out.
Elyakim Libman, 23, an Israeli who was thought to have been abducted by Hamas during the October 7 attacks, was declared dead Friday after his body was found in Israel. We learn how this identification was made, and what led to his murder.
The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday announced the promotion of five generals as part of a series of appointments in the General Staff — a forum of senior commanders responsible for the various branches and departments of the military — including the next head of intelligence. As expected, there has been a lot of blowback, both from families of victims and hostages and from politicians.
On Wednesday, Channel 12 news reported that nearly all of the army’s posts along the border with the Gaza Strip failed a routine inspection carried out just three days before Hamas’s October 7 onslaught. Fabian weighs in on why this is troubling, but not exactly a comparable test of the base's readiness that October 7 proved to be.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Islamic Jihad commander who led Oct. 7 assault on Sufa killed in Rafah strike — IDF
5 Palestinian gunmen killed, Israeli officer seriously hurt in 12-hour West Bank op
Remains of Elyakim Libman, presumed a hostage since Oct. 7, found in Israel
IDF appoints new intel chief, promotes 4 other generals, despite far-right opposition
Father of soldier killed on Oct. 7 to petition appointment of new IDF intel chief
Report: Many IDF posts on Gaza border failed inspections in days before Oct. 7
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Elyakim Libman, security guard at the Supernova desert rave who was murdered on October 7, 2023 (Courtesy)
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Sun, 05 May 2024 - 930 - Day 211 - Are US high schools the next Gaza war battleground?
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.
It is day 211 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
After a day filled with a flurry of optimistic headlines surrounding the proposed hostage release deal, Taher Nunu, a Hamas official and advisor to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, said meetings in Cairo with Egyptian and Qatari mediators have begun and Hamas is dealing with their proposals “with full seriousness and responsibility.” However, he reiterated the terror group’s demand that any deal should include an Israeli pullout from Gaza and an end to the war, conditions that Israel has previously rejected. With no real movement on either side, why the media storm?
Qatar is prepared to accept a request from the US for it to expel Hamas’s leaders from Doha and is anticipating one could be made soon, a source familiar with the matter told Magid. If expelled, to where is the terror organization expected to relocate?
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a DC event that whatever one thinks of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the current government, “what’s important to understand is that much of what he’s doing is not simply a reflection of his politics or his policies; it’s actually a reflection of where a large majority of Israelis are in this moment.” We discuss how this stance is starkly different than previous takes by the Biden administration.
Magid reported onsite from anti-Israel protests at several Chicago area high schools and universities this week. We hear what shocked him.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hamas indicates it may agree to deal; Israeli official insists truce won’t end the war
Qatar anticipating US request to expel Hamas leaders, is open to doing so — source
Blinken says Netanyahu’s handling of war reflects views of ‘a large majority of Israelis’
Gaza campus protests spread to Chicago high schools, alarming Jewish students
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Campus police stand between demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian, abti-Israel encampment on the campus of the University of Chicago and counter demonstrators after a brief skirmish between the groups on May 3, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP)
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Sat, 04 May 2024 - 929 - Day 210 - Turkey halts all trade with Israel after 75 years of commerce
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.
It is day 210 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and archaeology reporter Gavriel Fiske join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Schneider discusses the latest regarding aid for Gaza, brought in Thursday through Israel's Erez Crossing, rebuilt for trucks after being destroyed by Hamas on October 7, followed by the seizure of the aid by Hamas terrorists. She also describes the temporary floating pier being built by US troops on the Gaza shores for the transfer of additional aid.
Schneider looks at Turkey's decision to halt all trade with Israel, a major blow for both countries given the annual $7 billion turnover in commercial trade, as Turkey erases all traces of Israel from its import and export systems after 75 years of trade.
Fiske explains the complicated science of carbon-dating techniques utilized by a team at the Weizmann Institute who examined the rings of trees and other organic matter to determine the size and breadth of ancient Jerusalem.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
US says Hamas seized first aid shipment that entered Gaza via reopened Erez crossing
Turkey halts all trade with Israel; Jerusalem denounces ‘dictator’ Erdogan
New carbon-dating techniques enable ‘absolute chronology’ of First Temple-era Jerusalem
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: A ship of Freedom Flotilla Coalition anchors at Tuzla seaport in Istanbul, Turkey on April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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Fri, 03 May 2024 - 928 - Day 209 - Blinken delivers bear hug while warning against Rafah op
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.
It is day 209 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz and diplomacy reporter Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The Hamas terror group was reportedly slated to submit on Thursday an amended proposal to the one crafted by Qatari, Egyptian and American brokers. It is a proposal that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called "generous" during his recent lightning visit to Israel yesterday. Berman updates us on reports of a deal and Horovitz discusses the optics of Blinken's support.
During Blinken's visit, he clarified that the US still doesn't believe Israel should carry out a wide-scale Rafah operation. Israel has refused to commit to ending the war, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Blinken on Wednesday that the IDF would launch a mass invasion of Rafah to dismantle Hamas’s remaining battalions in Gaza’s southernmost city regardless of whether or not there is a hostage deal, according to an Israeli official. Horovitz weighs in.
The ongoing protests on university campuses have spread across the globe. Horovitz discusses the phenomenon.
Finally, we hear about Israel's frayed ties with Colombia.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hamas indicates it will snub latest hostage deal offer, but says talks to continue
Netanyahu tells Blinken he will not agree to end war on Hamas as part of hostage deal
Colombia to sever ties after months of panning Israel as ‘genocidal’
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives for a meeting with the Israeli president in Tel Aviv, on May 1, 2024. (Abir Sultan / POOL / AFP)
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Thu, 02 May 2024 - 927 - Day 208 - Strong political reactions to proposed hostage deal
Wrobel talks about the market's reaction to the proposed ceasefire, with a rise in the shekel and slight gains in shares, although there is a negative outlook from Standard and Poor's because of increased war spending and concerns over an escalation in the north.
She also speaks about the potential deal with US gaming giant Nvidia, which is looking at a billion-dollar deal to purchase two Israeli start-ups, showing its belief in Israeli technology and a vote of confidence in local talent.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Far-right minister claims hostage deal throws war goals in ‘trash’ to save hostages
Smotrich threatens to quit gov’t over hostage deal; Eisenkot slams far-right ‘blackmail’
Israeli shares rise and shekel gains as investors watch truce, hostage deal efforts
US chip giant Nvidia snaps up Israeli AI workload management startup
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with Israelis calling for the release of Hamas hostages held in Gaza, on May 1, 2024 in Tel Aviv (Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
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Wed, 01 May 2024 - 926 - Day 207 - Ball in Hamas's court again for hostage release 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.
It is day 207 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Reports about a potential hostage release deal are, as ever, a rollercoaster of emotions: Yesterday, headlines were filled with positive signs, but today we’re hearing that Israel has decided it will not be sending a delegation to Cairo for hostage talks yet. Berman gives us a sense of where things stand now.
US Congress members from both parties have reportedly warned of retaliation from Washington, amid fears that the International Criminal Court may issue warrants against Israelis, concerned that the move could sink the hostages-for-truce agreement in the works between Israel and Hamas. We hear why the court may suddenly issue these warrants for alleged war crimes perpetrated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi -- or at least, why the issue is suddenly in the news again.
Several European member states are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of May, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday at the sidelines of a World Economic Forum special meeting in Riyadh. Which states and what could this mean for Israel on the international stage?
An overwhelming majority of Americans believe Israel should go ahead with an offensive in Rafah to end the war against Hamas, according to a new Harvard CAPS Harris poll. Berman shares his experience of overwhelming support for Israel while he was recently in the US.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Blinken hopes Hamas takes Israel’s ‘extraordinarily generous’ truce offer
US lawmakers threaten retaliation against UN court over potential Israel arrest warrants
What is the International Criminal Court and why does it worry Israeli leaders?
Israel working to block feared ICC arrest warrants against PM, others over Gaza war
EU top diplomat: At least 5 countries expected to recognize Palestinian state in May
Over 70% of US voters back Israeli offensive in Rafah to defeat Hamas — poll
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: A protester with a zipper over her mouth holds a poster showing pictures of Israeli hostages taken captive by Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza during the October 7 attacks, during a demonstration calling for their release in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on April 27, 2024. (Jack Guez / AFP)
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Tue, 30 Apr 2024 - 925 - Day 206 - How seriously should we view the US campus protests?
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.
It is day 206 of the war with Hamas. Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
In today's in-depth discussion, we step away from Israeli domestic news and delve into the spate of campus protests taking place across the United States.
How seriously should we be taking them? What could be their lingering effects? And should be the lessons learned for Israel?
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Anti-Israel protesters dig in as some US schools clamp down on encampments
Newsweek: Message From a Gazan to Campus Protesters: You're Hurting the Palestinian Cause
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Students demand their university divests from Israel at George Washington University in Washington, April 27, 2024 (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
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Mon, 29 Apr 2024 - 924 - Day 205 - As Hezbollah rattles sabers, what are its capabilities?
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.
It is day 205 of the war with Hamas. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
In the past several days, Hamas has released two disturbing videos with Israeli hostages. Israelis await Hamas’s response to the government’s latest proposal for an accord following intense Egyptian mediation but the government has said it won’t wait too long before the expected Rafah operation commences. Fabian puts the pieces together.
We hear about the spread of IDF troops throughout the country and in the West Bank and Gaza as an indication of current hotspots in the ongoing conflict against Hamas and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned Saturday that full-scale war will not bring residents of northern Israel home, but rather end their presence there “once and for all,” as Hezbollah attacks on the north and Israel strikes in Lebanon continued. Fabian explains what are some of Hezbollah’s capabilities and how Israel can counter them.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hamas airs clip of 2 hostages, as FM says Israel would delay Rafah op for a deal
Hezbollah warns full-scale war may end Israeli presence in north ‘once and for all’
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Illustrative: An Iranian domestically built missile is displayed in front of the portrait of the Lebanese Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during a rally of Iran's Basij paramilitary force in support of the Palestinians in Tehran, Iran, November 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Sun, 28 Apr 2024 - 923 - Day 204 - Report from Northwestern's Gaza 'solidarity encampment'
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.
It is day 204 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a truce and hostage deal, amid intensified efforts to broker an agreement. At the same time, Israel told a top-level Egyptian delegation that it will give Hamas "once last chance" before launching the Rafah operation. Magid updates us on what we know so far.
US troops have begun constructing a maritime pier off the coast of Gaza with the aim of speeding up the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave when it becomes operational in May. With the pier already suffering mortar fire, where will the troops be housed?On Thursday, Magid paid a visit to the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Illinois, and was witness to the set-up of its ongoing pro-Palestine protests. He reports back.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Avigail Idan’s meeting with Biden was ‘something special,’ family says
Hamas says it will study Israel’s latest response in truce, hostage deal negotiations
Israel tells Egypt it’s giving hostage deal ‘last chance’ before launching Rafah op
US troops begin constructing Gaza pier, aiming to have it operational by early May
Gaza ‘solidarity encampment’ shakes up Northwestern campus but leaves no clear winners
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: People rally on the campus of Northwestern University demanding the school divest from Israel, on April 25, 2024 in Evanston, Illinois. (Scott Olson/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
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Sat, 27 Apr 2024 - 922 - Day 203 - Yeshiva U head on anti-Israel campus protests in US
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.
It is day 203 of the war with Hamas. Yeshiva University president Rabbi Ari Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's special in-depth interview episode.
Berman was in Israel when Hamas invaded Israel's south on October 7, slaughtering 1,200 and taking 253 individuals hostage to Gaza. He told The Times of Israel this week that he felt called to return to New York, where he heads Modern Orthodoxy's flagship institution, and began immediately call on his university head peers to form a broad coalition to condemn the massacre and ensuing suffering.
More than 100 institutions of higher education, including public and private, faith-based, and historically Black colleges and universities, signed onto a a statement saying that they stood "with Israel, the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas' cruel rule in Gaza and all people of moral conscience."
Today, as violent anti-Israel protests are erupting on campuses throughout the United States, Berman shares his insights into the failings of the educators who allowed them to proliferate.
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hundreds arrested across US campuses as police clamp down on anti-Israel protests
US Catholic universities offer campuses as refuge for ‘harassed’ Jewish students
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Yeshiva University head Rabbi Ari Berman (Yeshiva University)
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Fri, 26 Apr 2024 - 921 - Day 202 - Why US students must be schooled on protesters' goals
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.
It is day 202 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
So-called pro-Palestinian rallies have sprouted up on US campuses, from Columbia University in New York -- where in-person classes have been canceled -- to the University of Southern California on Wednesday, just hours after police at a Texas university aggressively detained dozens of protesters. Horovitz describes what he believes are the protesters’ goals.
A senior Israeli defense official said Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces has conducted all necessary preparations to take Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah and can launch an operation the moment it gets government approval. But will the IDF also wait for US approval?
Thirty years after the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina has asked Pakistan and Sri Lanka to arrest Iran’s interior minister Ahmad Vahidi who is a lead suspect in planning the attacks. Why is Argentina again interested in seeking justice for the bombing?
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
The goal of the campus Jew-haters: To render Israel indefensible, in both senses of the word
At heart of protests sweeping US universities is demand they divest from Israel
Dozens arrested at U of Texas, USC as anti-Israel protests spread to more US campuses
As anti-Israel encampment at Columbia endures, Jewish students lament ‘Judenrein’ campus
IDF ready to conquer Gaza’s Rafah, awaiting government okay, says senior official
Argentina asks host countries to arrest visiting Iranian minister over 1994 bombing
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Students attend a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel rally against the Israel-Hamas war on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, on April 24, 2024. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP)
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Thu, 25 Apr 2024 - 920 - Day 201 - Gaza heats up as Hezbollah drones reach Israeli beaches
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.
It is day 201 of the war with Hamas. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces intensified its operations against Hamas terrorists in the central and northern Gaza Strip, as the war reached its 200th day. Fabian explains what is happening on the ground and where the Gazan citizens are meant to be evacuating.
Hamas officials in Gaza claimed on Saturday to discover a mass grave with more than 200 bodies at a hospital in Khan Younis that was recently the target of a military raid. How exactly was the IDF involved?
Overnight, IAF fighter jets carried out a wave of strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, following repeated attacks by the terror group on northern Israel. Fabian speaks about the unusual drone attack that came deep into civilian Israel over the holiday.
Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, chief of the Israel Defense Forces’s Military Intelligence Directorate, announced his resignation on Monday. Why now?
Police on Monday detained 13 people suspected of attempting to smuggle goats onto the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to sacrifice the animals in honor of Passover, in line with ancient Jewish tradition. What was different this year?
For the latest updates, please seeThe Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
On war’s 200th day, Israel intensifies Gaza operations; soldier killed in action
IDF rejects ‘baseless’ claim it dug mass graves at Gaza hospital; analysts also doubt charge
‘I will always carry the pain’: IDF intel chief Aharon Haliva resigns over Oct. 7 failure
Police detain 13 trying to smuggle goats onto Temple Mount for sacrifice ritual
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Troops of the Kfir Brigade's Netzah Yehuda Battalion operate in northern Gaza's Beit Hanoun, in a handout image published April 23, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Wed, 24 Apr 2024 - 919 - Day 200 - Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin want freedom for Hersh
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.
It is day 200 of the war with Hamas. Host Jessica Steinberg speaks with Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, parents of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin in a pre-recorded interview.
The couple speaks about the painful realities of marking the holiday of Passover, the holiday of freedom, when their only son is still held captive by terror organization Hamas.
Goldberg and Polin discuss their latest trip to the US, which included meetings with members of Congress and the Biden administration, and the hostage deal that was under discussion at the time, and later rejected.
Polin views the most recent proposal as Hamas’s opportunity to accept the ceasefire and end the suffering of the Gazans.
They both speak about the palpable shift in US attitudes, and then the subsequent Iranian attack, when Israel was backed by the global community. Polin discusses that moment as a real opportunity for Israel to say it wouldn't respond until all the hostages come home.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents contemplate Passover with their son in captivity
Passover celebrants urged to set a seat for a hostage, use a Haggadah of hope
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, parents of Hamas hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin (Courtesy)
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Tue, 23 Apr 2024 - 918 - Day 199 - What could make Pharaoh Sinwar let our people go?
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.
It is day 199 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Following days of unrest and anti-Israel action at Columbia University in New York City, the university’s Orthodox rabbi sent a message to Jewish students urging them to stay away from campus until it is deemed safe again. The situation has spiraled so out of control that President Isaac Herzog and President Joe Biden are publicly denouncing the situation. Berman weighs in.
Two US sources told The Times of Israel yesterday that in addition to the Netzah Yehuda Battalion -- which the Biden administration is reportedly slated to sanction this week -- Washington is reportedly considering sanctions against other Israeli military and police units alleged to have committed human rights violations against Palestinians. Berman explains the 1997 Leahy law that is being enacted and how it was applied in the past on other countries' militaries.
In a pre-Passover video, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would “land additional and painful blows” on Hamas over the holiday to increase pressure on the terror group to free the hostages it has held in the Gaza Strip for over six months. Berman explores what is missing today versus in November when the sides successfully freed over 100 hostages. What would it take for Sinwar to unharden his heart and let our people go?
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Biden blasts ‘alarming surge of antisemitism’ amid anti-Israel protests at Columbia
Columbia rabbi urges Jewish students to stay home until campus deemed safe
US mulling sanctions against other IDF units for alleged rights violations – sources
Netanyahu vows imminent ‘painful blows,’ diplomatic pressure on Hamas to free hostages
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: File - Yahia al-Sinwar, the Gaza Strip chief of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, greets supporters as he arrives to attend a rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, April 14, 2023. (Mohammed Abed / AFP)
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Mon, 22 Apr 2024 - 917 - Day 198 - Split screen as US approves aid, but considers IDF sanction
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.
It is day 198 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and legal and settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Schneider discusses the current nature of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's relationship with Turkey as Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Haniyeh over the weekend and as Qatar discusses possibility of expelling Hamas leadership from Doha.
She also looks at the latest in the US-Israel relationship, as the Biden administration considers sanctioning an IDF battalion known as Netzah Yehuda, largely made up of soldiers from more extremist backgrounds, known for alleged human rights abuse against Palestinians.
Schneider considers this possible step by the US against the backdrop of the approved $17 billion US military aid package, and as the US continues to look carefully at how the IDF is handling some of its actions in Gaza.
Sharon talks about the latest efforts by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who is starting the process of legalizing 68 illegal outposts, part of his coalition agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has to satisfy the demands of this far-right political partner.
Steinberg speaks about preparations for Passover among the hostage families, including a seder for 500 members of Kibbutz Be'eri at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, and other efforts in order to mark this complicated season and holiday.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hamas leaders said looking at leaving Qatar amid growing pressure in hostage talks
To punish Israel for Gaza war, Turkey’s citizens will gladly suffer the economic cost
House okays $17 billion in military aid for Israel under major spending package
Israel aghast as US said poised to sanction IDF unit with history of abuses
Smotrich said pushing to start legalization process for 68 illegal West Bank outposts
Passover celebrants urged to set a seat for a hostage, use a Haggadah of hope
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: A sign reading 'Happy Freedom holiday' refers to Passover, with the words 'Happy' and 'Freedom' crossed out, in Tel Aviv, April 16, 2024 (Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90)
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Sun, 21 Apr 2024 - 916 - Day 197 - US mum on Iran strike after urging Israeli restraint
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.
It is day 197 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode in the Jerusalem office.
The alleged Israeli strike in Iran overnight Thursday-Friday went beyond the scope of several small drones described by Tehran. The strike reportedly included at least one missile launched by Israeli Air Force warplanes that targeted an air defense radar site near Isfahan that was part of an array defending the nearby top-secret Natanz nuclear site. What are we hearing from the US so far about the attack on Iranian soil?
White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk said on Friday that the regional cooperation that took place in the thwarting of Iran’s attack on Israel last weekend is something that the Biden administration has been working to bolster for the past several years. What else did he say?
The Biden administration has managed to continue holding high-level discussions with Saudi Arabia in recent weeks aimed at brokering a normalization agreement between the leading Gulf kingdom and the Jewish state, three US officials told Magid last week. What does this information signal?
The Palestinian Authority said on Saturday that it will reconsider bilateral relations with the US after Washington vetoed a Palestinian request for full United Nations membership. Magid dives into the meaning of the vote.
Magid describes Benzi Gopstein, a far-right Israeli activist and close ally to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir who was targeted in the third round of sanctions imposed by the Biden administration, aimed at clamping down on settler violence in the West Bank.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
In ‘message,’ IDF said to fire missiles at radar defense for secret Iran nuclear site
US vetoes Security Council resolution recognizing Palestinians as full UN member state
PA’s Abbas threatens to reconsider ties with US after veto of UN membership bid
Top Ben Gvir ally, former MK aide among targets of latest US and EU settler sanctions
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Illustrative - Demonstrators burn a US and an Israeli flag during the funeral for seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members killed in a strike in Syria, which Iran blamed on Israel, in Tehran on April 5, 2024. (Atta Kenare / AFP)
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Sat, 20 Apr 2024 - 915 - Day 196 - What we know about an alleged Israeli strike in Iran
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.
It is day 196 of the war with Hamas. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and military reporter Emanuel Fabian host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode in the Jerusalem office.
Explosions were reportedly heard near the Iranian city of Isfahan early Friday in what some international media is claiming was Israel’s launch of the heavily anticipated reprisal strike for the Iranian attack on Israel Saturday night. Fabian briefs us on what is being reported and gives us updates on the conflict along Israel's northern and Gaza border. Goren weighs in on the immediate consequences of the alleged attack on Iran.
Ahead of next week’s Passover holiday, Jerusalem Affairs Minister Meir Porush wrote to United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland and demanded that he work to provide the hostages in Gaza with matzah and wine for the Seder night. Goren dives into their ongoing captivity and how it is a consequence of decisions made by the Israeli government on October 7.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Iranian air base reportedly attacked in ‘limited’ Israeli reprisal strike
Minister demands UN envoy ensures Gaza hostages have matzah, wine for Seder night
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: A man walks past a banner depicting missiles along a street in Tehran on April 19, 2024. (AFP)
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Fri, 19 Apr 2024 - 914 - Day 195 - Did Israel miss its moment to hit back at Iran?
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.
It is day 195 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode in the Jerusalem office.
The United States led a group of 48 countries at the United Nations in condemning Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel last weekend. Horovitz weighs in.
Egyptian officials tell a Qatari outlet that the US has accepted Israel’s plan for an operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, in return for not carrying out a large strike in Iran in response to Tehran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack. Horovitz postulates that Israel may have missed its chance for true retaliation for the Iran strike.
The New York Times is reporting that “multiple American officials” think that Israeli officials miscalculated the severity of Iran’s response to the April 1 strike on a building in Damascus in which several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders were killed. Based on previous targeted killings of key Iranian players, should Israel have anticipated Iran's large-scale potentially devastating strike?
Horovitz conducted an interview with Giora Eiland, a former IDF planning and operations chief and the former head of the National Security Council under prime minister Ariel Sharon. We hear highlights of their discussion.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
PM shelved pre-approved plans for immediate Iran reprisal after Biden call — report
A top ex-general’s radical strategy for tackling Iran, saving the hostages, calming the north
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Check out yesterday's Daily Briefing episode:
https://omny.fm/shows/the-daily-briefing/day-194-tension-on-3-fronts-knesset-passes-1st-rea
IMAGE: An Iranian military truck carries parts of a Sayad 4-B missile past a portrait of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a military parade as part of a ceremony marking the country's annual army day in Tehran on April 17, 2024. (Atta Kenare / AFP)
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Thu, 18 Apr 2024 - 913 - Day 194 - Tension on 3 fronts; Knesset passes 1st reading of climate bill
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.
It is day 194 of the war with Hamas. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Fabian discusses the latest in Gaza, as Israeli tanks pushed back into parts of the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, with two brigades joining ongoing missions in Gaza while other troops are situated outside Gaza, on the border, preparing themselves to enter for the expected large-scale strike on Rafah.
He also talks about the latest in the north, as two Hezbollah commanders were killed in IDF strikes following attack drones that injured three Israelis in the Beit Hillel community in the north and no sense of when 60,000 evacuated Israelis can return home.
Fabian also speaks about ongoing clashes in the West Bank, where violence has broken out between Israeli settlers and Palestinians following the Friday killing of 14-year-old shepherd Benjamin Achimeir, near Ramallah. There are considerable troops located in the West Bank, says Fabian, but it is complicated to contain three fronts simultaneously.
Surkes turns to the passage of the first reading of the climate bill, long-discussed but narrow in terms of planned targets, and largely controlled by budgetary expectations from the Finance Ministry.
She also discusses the long-awaited shipment of livestock from Australia, turned around in the fall because of maritime attacks by the Houthis, then relaunched again in March, and noted for the crowded conditions of the lambs and cows.
Surkes then describes several building developments in Jerusalem, the planned Burj Jerusalem near Yad Vashem and Har Herzl, along with a long-debated expansion of a city police station on the city's Lupine Hill, both fiercely opposed by several community groups.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Commando seriously hurt as Israeli tanks said to push back into northern Gaza
2 Hezbollah commanders killed in IDF strikes as attack drones injure 3 in north
Two Palestinians shot dead by settlers in clashes near West Bank village
Knesset passes 1st reading of climate bill without any clear budgeting
Controversial shipment of livestock reaches Israel from Australia after months-long odyssey
Planned ‘Jerusalem Burj’ skyscraper draws opposition over proximity to landmarks
Police revive plan to build complex on beloved Jerusalem hill, angering residents
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
IMAGE: Members of the emergency squad of Safed take part in a drill on April 5, 2024. (Photo by David Cohen/Flash90)
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Wed, 17 Apr 2024 - 912 - Day 193 - Why Jordan suppresses its role in blocking Iran's drones
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.
It is day 193 of the war with Hamas. Arab affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani and political reporter Sam Sokol join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Today, Israel reassured Arab countries in the region that its response to Iran’s attack will not place them in danger. One neighboring country, Jordan, which was a player in foiling the Iran strike Saturday night, is presented with an even more complicated situation with its large Palestinian population. Pacchiani weighs in.
On Sunday, far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government issued strident calls for Israel to react to Iran’s attack on Israel with a show of force, while other moderate members of the coalition, including war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz, urged a balanced approach aimed at avoiding a spiraling escalation. Sokol explains who is currently calling for what.
Yesterday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party said that it was no longer bound by coalition discipline, following opposition by ultra-Orthodox coalition parties to an expansion of his authority. We hear what this expansion is and how the Haredim are play quid pro quo.
We hear impressions from a long interview Pacchiani conducted with Gazan journalist Sami Obeid, who brings his thoughts on who should run the Gaza Strip after the war and life on the ground in Rafah right now.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Jordan’s help against Iran shows relationship with Israel still strong, despite Gaza
Shaken by daily mass protests on Gaza, Jordan accuses ‘infiltrators’ of stoking unrest
Should Israel launch an immediate retaliatory attack on Iran? Lawmakers are divided
Ben Gvir says no longer bound by coalition discipline, in spat with Haredi factions
Gazan journalist to ToI: We, the people of Gaza, are also living like hostages of Hamas
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Illustrative - Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks during a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, February 16, 2024 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (Yoan Valat, Pool via AP)
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Tue, 16 Apr 2024 - 911 - Day 192 - Could regional help in thwarting Iran shift global axis?
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.
It is day 192 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
To start Berman, who is currently in the United States shares how American media has depicted the foiled Iran strike.
Berman wrote an analysis following the Iran strike that examined the roles played by Israel's neighbors and Centcom partners. He analyzes how this teamwork developed and where it can go from here.
Neighboring Arab countries played greater and lesser roles in foiling the Iranian projectiles, including Jordan, but also Saudi Arabia. In an interview with the Israeli Kan broadcaster, a Saudi official criticized Iran for having engineered a war in Gaza in order to destroy the progress it was making in normalizing relations with Israel. Berman weighs in.
After over three hours of deliberations on Sunday afternoon, Israel’s five-person war cabinet did not reach a decision as to how the country would respond to Iran’s massive missile and drone barrage on Saturday night. Berman describes the United States' point of view as well as some potential strike options on Israel's table.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
With its aerial attack, Iran could break Israel’s isolation and reframe the Gaza war
‘Not seeking war’: White House stresses US won’t join Israeli counterstrike on Iran
War cabinet said to favor hitting back at Iran but divided over when and how
Should Israel launch an immediate retaliatory attack on Iran? Lawmakers are divided
US House to vote on Israel aid package following Iran attack
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
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IMAGE: In this photo obtained from the US Department of Defense, the US Navy's aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE) transits the Strait of Hormuz on November 26, 2023. (Ruskin Naval / US Department of Defense / AFP)
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Mon, 15 Apr 2024 - 910 - Day 191 - How Israel and allies foiled first direct Iranian attack
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.
It is day 191 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz and military reporter Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Late Saturday night, Iran launched a large wave of some 300 attack drones and missiles from its territory toward the Jewish state, in the first-ever direct attack on Israel by the Islamic Republic, triggering air raid sirens throughout the country early Sunday as the military worked to intercept the Iranian projectiles.
Fabian walks us through the timeline of the Iranian attack and explains what appears to have been Iran's goal. We hear which allies helped out in foiling the attack and how the long-range Arrow air defense system managed to knock down the “vast majority” of the 120 ballistic missiles, according to the IDF, although some penetrated Israel’s defenses and struck the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel.
We hear about some sense of the IDF's next steps and how it may retaliate.
The United States took one of the lead roles in staving off the attack on Israel. Horovitz weighs in on what this means for the reportedly fraying Israel-US relationship, as well as that with Israel's other allies, including Jordan.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Waiting for the drones and the missiles, at the opening of a regional conflict
Iran fires some 300 drones, missiles at Israel in first-ever direct attack; 99% downed
As Israel waits for potential attack, what are Iran’s missile and drone capabilities?
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Demonstrators wave Iran's flag and Palestinian flags as they gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on April 14, 2024, after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel. (Atta Kenare / AFP)
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Sun, 14 Apr 2024 - 909 - Day 190 - West Bank roils after murder of teenage Jewish shepherd
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.
It is day 190 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday found the body of a 14-year-old Jerusalem resident Benjamin Achimeir who went missing while shepherding in the West Bank northeast of Ramallah a day earlier. Achimeir was murdered in a terror attack, the IDF and Shin Bet security agency said in a joint statement and clashes were reported between settlers and Palestinians on both Friday and today, leaving at least one Palestinian dead. Magid gives us a fuller picture.
Commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps rappelled down from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel Saturday. We hear what has been the US security assessment prior to this attack and how President Joe Biden has responded to the reportedly imminent threat.
Despite huge steps taken by Israel to increase humanitarian aid following a contentious phone call between President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a week ago, the Biden administration’s Gaza humanitarian envoy warned Wednesday that “there is an imminent risk of famine for the majority, if not all, the 2.2 million population of Gaza.” What else did David Satterfield say during a virtual event hosted by the American Jewish Committee?
On Wednesday, former president Donald Trump said bluntly, “Any Jewish person who votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined.” Magid weighs in on whether these statements may sway some Jewish voters.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Settlers riot in West Bank after Israeli teen murdered; Palestinian killed, others hurt
Body of Israeli teen found in West Bank; IDF says he was murdered in terror attack
Despite Hamas’s hopes and Biden’s fears, Ramadan didn’t spread Gaza war to Jerusalem
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seizes Israeli-linked ship with 25 crew near Strait of Hormuz
Biden predicts Iran attack on Israel ‘sooner than later,’ renews warning: ‘Don’t’
‘It’s an established fact’: US envoy says most Gazans at risk of imminent famine
Trump: Jewish Biden voters ‘should have their head examined’
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: A Palestinian inspects the damage to his belongings in the village of Mughayir near Ramallah in the West Bank on April 13, 2024, after an alleged attack by Israeli settlers on the village. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP)
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Sat, 13 Apr 2024 - 908 - Day 189 - Tension mounts over Iran, question of surviving hostages
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.
It is day 189 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and Arab Affairs reporter Luca Pacchiani join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Schneider speaks about the latest headlines regarding Iran, which could strike Israeli soil within the next 48 hours according to intelligence from the US. She discusses the differences between previous attacks carried out by Iranian proxies on Israeli embassies and the threat posed by one possibly pointed toward Israel.
Schneider also discusses the information recently shared by the US administration in The Wall Street Journal regarding the number of hostages still presumed alive, and how six months of starvation, difficult conditions and lack of medications along with IDF missile hits may have left fewer hostages alive than expected.
Pacchiani talks about Hamas and Hezbollah operatives living and working in European countries, opening dozens of non-profit organizations in order to work with Palestinian loyalists and make inroads into local societies, often under the noses of security forces.
He also mentions an interfaith iftar meal at the end of Ramadan, held in west Jerusalem, where food, music and conversation were the cornerstone of the event after months of war.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
US intel said to indicate Iran could strike ‘Israeli soil’ in next 24 to 48 hours
US, Israeli officials fear most hostages held by Hamas are dead — report
Empty seder tables at Nir Oz as survivors mark an unhappy Passover without hostages
Europe turning blind eye to Hamas and Hezbollah networks in its territory, experts say
At interfaith Ramadan iftar in Jerusalem, breaking fast under the shadow of war
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Participants in the Let My People Go march hold posters of all the dates that the hostages have been held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza, on April 12, 2024 (Courtesy Tanya Zion-Waldoks)
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Fri, 12 Apr 2024 - 907 - Day 188 - High Court to decide whether to wade in on Gaza aid
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.
It is day 188 of the war with Hamas. Legal reporter Jeremy Sharon and health reporter Renee Ghert-Zand join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday that Israel will open a new land crossing into the Gaza Strip designed mainly to facilitate deliveries to Palestinians of aid from overseas or from neighboring Jordan. Sharon updates us on a High Court of Justice petition from Israeli NGOs that would go much further than that to bring humanitarian aid into the strip.
A group of Canadian citizens and residents whose children and parents were murdered by Hamas during the October 7 atrocities has filed an application in the Canadian Federal Court to the country’s attorney general demanding the annulment of the Canadian government’s decision in March to resume funding to UNRWA, the UN agency that provides humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Sharon explains the issues at hand in this case.
Ghert-Zand recently spoke with Dr. Raquel C. Gardner, director of clinical research of the Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center at Sheba Medical Center, who is an expert in the "invisible" side-effect of war, traumatic brain injury (TBI). We hear what it is and how she is raising awareness in Israel.
During a site visit to Beit Halohem, a center for rehabilitating former soldiers, Ghert-Zand viewed a ceramics exhibit and was struck by the pieces created by Amnon Sharon, who was taken captive during a fierce tank battle on the Golan Heights on October 6, 1973, the first day of the Yom Kippur War. He was held and tortured for eight months and is now bringing this experience into the open through this unique PTSD treatment.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’songoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
High Court gives government six days to submit answers on Gaza humanitarian crisis
Gallant says Israel plans to ‘flood Gaza with aid’ via new crossing into Strip’s north
Relatives of October 7 victims file suit against Canadian resumption of UNRWA funding
Invisible traumatic brain injuries in wounded IDF soldiers may have devastating effects
Israeli survivor of captivity and torture in Syria exorcises his demons by sculpting clay
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Masked members of the so-called 'People's Protection Committees' guard a humanitarian aid truck in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 3, 2024. (Said Khatib / AFP)
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Thu, 11 Apr 2024 - 906 - Day 187 - Biden again puts onus on Israel to pause the war
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.
It is day 187 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz and military reporter Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
US President Joe Biden told Spanish television in an interview that he’s urging “the Israelis to just call for” a six-to-eight-week ceasefire. Since most other demands made by the US last week in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been implemented, is this one-sided pause also on the horizon?
This week, Netanyahu said that he has circled a date in his calendar for the Rafah operation. But, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US counterpart Lloyd Austin during a call on Monday that Israel has not set a date. Why the conflicting information?
In a statement marking Eid Al-Fitr, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the plight of Palestinians in the West Bank alongside Muslims suffering in some of the world’s worst conflicts. And last week, United States Sen. Elizabeth Warren told a Boston mosque that Israel will be found guilty of genocide in the International Court of Justice. Do these remarks painting Israel as the oppressor represent mainstream Democrat thinking today?
The IDF said this morning that Nahal Brigade soldiers are still battling Hamas gunmen in the central Gaza corridor. We hear how the massive troop drawdown is playing out on the ground in the Gaza Strip and are updated on large-scale humanitarian aid efforts.
Early this morning, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Tehran will retaliate for Israel’s alleged bombing of a building in Damascus earlier this month. Among the threats that Israel is taking seriously are cyberattacks, drone strikes and long-range missiles. Fabian explains.
Fabian takes a look at the use of drones in the war so far, as well as a ship-mounted version of the Iron Dome missile defense system that intercepted a drone that entered Israeli airspace near the southernmost city of Eilat shortly before midnight on Monday.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.Discussed articles include:
Biden urges Israel ‘to just call for’ 6-8 week ceasefire, slams PM’s handling of Gaza war
Contradicting Netanyahu, Gallant told Austin no date set for Rafah op — source
US Sen. Warren: World Court has ‘ample evidence’ to find Israel guilty of genocide
Cyberattacks by Iran, Hezbollah have tripled during the war, says Israel cyber czar
In first, IDF says ship-mounted Iron Dome downs hostile drone over Eilat
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Israeli soldiers gather around army tanks stationed in an area along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on April 10, 2024. (Jack Guez / AFP)
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Wed, 10 Apr 2024 - 905 - Day 186 - Israel gets aid to Gaza; will allies be appeased?
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.
It is day 186 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Berman speaks about the latest in hostage negotiations, the role that Qatar is currently playing in the talks, the fact that the US is leaning into the talks given its desire to see a post-Hamas future, and the flexibility Israel is showing on certain details.
He then looks at the statement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made about a firm date for entering Gaza's Rafah, the last "unconquered city," says Berman. He notes some of the preparations made for evacuating Gazans from that area, but adds that it will be a unit-on-unit fight that "can't be a tiny operation."
Berman finishes the podcast with a careful look at how Israel has handled the matter of letting humanitarian aid into Gaza throughout the last six months, the lack of initiative on Israel's part at the start of the war, and now that the aid effort is finally happening, it should offer more latitude from Israel's allies and partners.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hamas says it won’t compromise on key demands as US leans into hostage talks
Israel has circled date in calendar for repeatedly-pledged Rafah invasion, PM says
Israel’s begrudging approach to humanitarian aid could cost it the war in Gaza
‘Proof is in the results’: US cautiously welcomes Israeli moves on Gaza aid
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Armed and masked Palestinians seen on trucks loaded with International humanitarian aid entering Gaza through Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing, into the southern Gaza Strip on April 3, 2024 (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)
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Tue, 09 Apr 2024 - 904 - Day 185 - With Gaza troop drawdown, PM marches to Biden's drum
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.
It is day 185 of the war with Hamas. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and reporter Canaan Lidor join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
This morning, Israeli and Palestinian officials have downplayed reports that a truce and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas could be reached as early as this week. But citing a senior Egyptian official involved in the talks, the Egyptian outlet Al-Qahera reported that talks in Cairo have made “significant progress on several contentious points of agreement.” Goren explores how the recent phone call between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week is playing a role.
Six months after the Hamas onslaught on southern Israel, 70% of those who departed the affected area have returned. The government released data yesterday. Lidor brings us some more numbers.
Also yesterday, 18 prominent rabbis associated with the Shas party and the ultra-Orthodox Sephardi movement signed onto a document rejecting any compromise on the conscription of Haredi Jews – including those who are not studying in yeshivas. Lidor explains why this runs counter to perceived notions of Shas.
Finally, to mark six months of war, Goren explores how October 7 was Israel's national experience of a solar eclipse.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
IDF chief says withdrawal of troops from Gaza doesn’t mean war is close to end
Israel, Hamas downplay report of progress in truce talks amid optimism from Egypt
6 months on, 70% of evacuees from the south are home, but thousands remain in hotels
Shas rabbis spurn compromise on Haredi draft following High Court ruling
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: A person holds a handful of spent bullet casings above a bigger pile in Khan Yunis on April 7, 2024, after Israel pulled its ground forces out of the southern Gaza Strip, six months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 7 attacks on southern Israel. (AFP)
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Mon, 08 Apr 2024 - 903 - BONUS - Philosopher Dr. Micah Goodman analyzes six months of war
To mark six months of war with Hamas, we are releasing on The Daily Briefing this bonus episode of What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring one key issue currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, hosted by deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan.
In half a year, Israel has systematically broken down Hamas’s battalions in the Gaza Strip. But in achieving terrible success in its aim to defang the terrorist army, the Jewish state is no longer seen on the world stage as the attacked underdog David, but increasingly reviled as a cruel Goliath.
According to many in the West, it is up to Israel to immediately stop the war regardless of Hamas’s clear ability to regroup and again attack, just as the terror group has publicly vowed to do.
This week, What Matters Now again speaks with public intellectual and philosopher Dr. Micah Goodman. We revisit the raw conversation we held six months ago, mere days after Hamas’s murderous attack, and see just how right Goodman’s predictions were.
In our conversation this week, Goodman explains the completely different framings of the war held by the West and Israel, and how they influence both sides’ actions and words.
And we hear about how Israelis, forever changed by the war, are now standing at a crossroads. Can civil society regroup and reemerge from this war stronger, saner and more united?
Goodman spent the past six months writing his seventh best-selling book, "Hayom Hashmini" ("The Eighth Day"), which was published in late March. He sees the end of this war as an opportunity for restructuring and revitalizing Israelis, as long as they embrace a new paradigm.
So this week, six months into the war, we ask Dr. Micah Goodman, what matters now?
What Matters Nowpodcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Philosopher and public intellectual Dr. Micah Goodman. (Yonit Schiller)
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Sun, 07 Apr 2024 - 902 - Day 184 - A guided tour of the fronts after six months of war
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.
It is day 184 of the war with Hamas. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
On October 7, Hamas led a cross-border attack killing 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducting 253 people to Gaza. Israel responded with a military campaign to topple the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip, destroy the terror group, and free the hostages.
The day after the Hamas assault, Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah began attacks along Israel’s northern border, saying it was acting in support of Gaza. Quickly, other fronts became active, including Houthi strikes on shipping routes in the Red Sea. And the shadowy long arm of Iran colors all.
Today on The Daily Briefing, we tour each of Israel's active fronts and look back over the past six months. We hear about successes, lessons learned, and where we may be heading.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Four soldiers killed fighting in southern Gaza as war on Hamas hits six-month mark
Two hurt, one seriously, in West Bank highway terror shooting
IDF hits Hezbollah air defenses in northeast Lebanon after terror group downs drone
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: An Israeli army vehicle moves along the Gaza border, March 19, 2024. (Jack Guez / AFP)
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Sun, 07 Apr 2024 - 901 - Day 183 - After Biden's 'or else' call, is more aid reaching Gaza?
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.
Today is day 183 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
United States President Joe Biden said Friday that Israel was heeding his demand to let aid into Gaza, a day after he warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a sharp shift in policy. What steps has Israel taken so far that we’ve seen on the ground?
US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew pushed back against the idea that relations between the White House and Israel were fraying and dismissed accusations that US President Joe Biden was trying to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth published Friday. What else did he say?
Hamas refuses to “back down” from its demands for a full ceasefire but agrees to send a delegation for renewed talks in Cairo over the weekend. At the same time, a senior Israeli official told Magid yesterday that the mediators of hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas are failing to exert any pressure on the terror group. Magid gives insight.
Magid learned this week that Qatar passed on to Mossad chief David Barnea in a recent meeting that Doha was not inclined help out in the reconstruction of Gaza, given Jerusalem’s treatment of Qatar throughout the war. What's happening here?
The Palestinian Authority wants the United Nations Security Council to vote this month to make it a full member of the world body, a move that would be a de facto declaration of statehood. What is the expected outcome of this vote?
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
After tense phone call with Netanyahu, Biden says Israel is doing what he asked for
‘Proof is in the results’: US cautiously welcomes Israeli moves on Gaza aid
US envoy: Idea Biden trying to topple Netanyahu a ‘misconception’
Israeli official: Mediators putting ‘no pressure’ on Hamas, Sinwar doesn’t want deal
Qatar not inclined to assist in post-war Gaza reconstruction due to Israeli treatment
Palestinian Authority to push for vote this month on full United Nations membership
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: A woman washes pots outside a tent pitched by a destroyed building in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 5, 2024. (Mohammed Abed / AFP)
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Sat, 06 Apr 2024 - 900 - Day 182 - Israel to open port, border crossing to get aid to Gaza
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.
Today is day 182 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and Arab affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Schneider first looks at the late Thursday night cabinet decision to open a port and some border crossings in order to get aid into Gaza following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tense conversation with US President Joe Biden.
She also discusses the tension felt in Israel Thursday over a potential Iranian response to Israel’s alleged assassination of Iran’s top commander in Syria, as GPS was turned off in the country's center while the IDF told citizens to try and relax.
Pacchiani looks at 12 nights of protests in Jordan, concentrated in Amman, some of it spontaneous but talks about strong possibility of persuasive incitement from Hamas leaders abroad and in Jordan.
Schneider talks about Israel marking six months since October 7, and how the country has become more secluded diplomatically, because of the humanitarian aid issue and the lack of a plan for the day after the war.
Pacchiani speaks about an interview with a Palestinian activist, Ahmed Faoud Ahlkhatib, who has lived in the US for years and is furious about the narratives that Palestinian leaders have told for decades.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
After PM’s call with Biden, ministers okay steps to swiftly ramp up aid flow to Gaza
Amid fears of Iranian attack, IDF says no need to ‘buy generators, stock food, get cash’
Shaken by daily mass protests on Gaza, Jordan accuses ‘infiltrators’ of stoking unrest
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Illustrative: Activists block the entrance to Ashdod port during a protest against aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip, February 1, 2024 (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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Fri, 05 Apr 2024 - 899 - Day 181 - Israel braces for possible retaliatory Iran strike
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.
Today is day 181 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi issued an apology for the deadly Israeli strike on three World Central Kitchen cars in an aid convoy in Gaza, adding that it was a result of a “misidentification,” which was being investigated and learned from. Horovitz delves into some of the diplomatic and political fallout.
The IDF said yesterday that it has bolstered its air defense array and had called up reservists and today we hear that the IDF has canceled home leave for all combat troops, as the country prepares for a potential Iranian response to a strike in Syria on Monday. What are some of the assessments?
Yesterday, for the first time, coalition member and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz called for Israel to hold early elections by September. Horovitz describes the political atmosphere that may have brought Gantz to this tipping point -- and speaks about other coalition members who perhaps could follow in making this call.
The Knesset is going on recess today, but not all of its members agree there should be a vacation at this time. Horovitz weighs in.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Yet another ‘How could this have happened?’ tragedy prompts deep strategic concerns
Amid retaliation threats from Iran, IDF cancels home leave for all combat troops
Israel beefs up air defenses, calls up troops as Iran payback for Syria strike looms
Gantz calls for early elections in September to ‘renew trust’ in government
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (3rd L) visiting the navy base of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, in a picture released on February 2, 2024. (Iranian Presidency/ AFP)
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Thu, 04 Apr 2024 - 898 - Day 180 - Knesset protests, Haredi draft and maybe Israeli cocoa
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.
Today is day 180 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Sam Sokol and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Sokol discusses the fourth day of the protests against the Knesset, and what's expected after the furor and violence of Tuesday night's demonstrations.
He also talks about the Haredi political parties and their reaction to the carrot-and-stick financial incentives being planned for drafting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students.
Surkes talks about the state comptroller's latest report on the environment and the successive governments' lack of action on necessary climate plan changes.
She also looks at a soil scientist's groundbreaking work on cocoa plants that could bring a new crop to Israeli fields.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
UTJ’s Roth: ‘No actual benefit’ to Haredim in toppling government over yeshiva funds
The High Court’s yeshiva funding ruling goes into effect today. What does it entail?
After surviving October 7, Israeli cocoa plants could help stave off world shortage
State comptroller chides government, PM for talk but little action on climate change
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Protestors march to the President's Residence in Jerusalem on April 2, 2024 (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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Wed, 03 Apr 2024 - 897 - Day 179 - Fingers pointed at IAF over strikes in Gaza and Syria
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.
Today is day 179 of the war with Hamas. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian and religions reporter Canaan Lidor join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen organization were killed in a strike on their vehicles in central Gaza late Monday after they helped deliver food and other supplies to northern Gaza that had arrived hours earlier by ship, the charity said Tuesday morning. The source of fire could not be independently confirmed but the IDF, the prime suspect, has expressed "sincere sorrow" and is conducting a probe. What do we now know?
Israel is also suspected of carrying out an airstrike on Monday on a building next to Iran’s embassy in Damascus that killed seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the top Iranian commander in Syria. Who was the commander who was killed and what was his role?
Early yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces withdrew from the Gaza City complex housing the Shifa Hospital, after a two-week raid in which the military said it detained or killed hundreds of terror suspects. What is the official tally according to the IDF?
A drone, apparently launched from Iraq, struck a building in a naval base in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat early Monday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said. What role did Iran play?
Much of the Christian world observed Easter this past weekend. Lidor attended events in Haifa and Jerusalem and shares a snapshot of the atmospheres at both locations, as well as the state of Christian Israelis in general.
Hundreds, if not thousands of protesters, assembled Saturday night in Caesarea outside of the private residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lidor sets the scene.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Aid organization says 7 workers killed in Israeli strike in northern Gaza
Iran’s top commander in Syria killed in airstrike; Tehran blames Israel, vows revenge
IDF ends Shifa Hospital raid, says it killed 200 terror operatives, arrested 500 more
Eilat naval base damaged by drone apparently launched from Iraq
In a still Jerusalem Old City, Easter pilgrims pray for peace amid fears of war
Haifa Christians stage solemn Good Friday march in Hezbollah’s crosshairs
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: People gather around the shell of a car used by US-based aid group World Central Kitchen, which was allegedly hit by an Israeli strike the previous day in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, April 2, 2024. (AFP)
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Tue, 02 Apr 2024 - 896 - Day 178 - Why Israel contests UN's Gaza famine claims
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.
Today is day 178 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators packed streets outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Sunday evening in a mass protest demanding the government resign, marking the first day in what is slated to be a four-day event. As protesters accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning hostages in Gaza and mismanaging the war against Hamas, for his part, he insisted on Sunday night at a press conference that he was doing everything in his power to bring the captives home. What else did he say?
According to multiple media reports, truce talks to release the hostages were set to resume yesterday in Cairo. Did they?
On Friday, Israel contested a recent UN-backed report on the humanitarian situation in Gaza saying that “the report contains multiple factual and methodological flaws, some of them serious.” Berman weighs in.
Yesterday, Israel lambasted an interim report that reviewed allegations by Israel against Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA of employing at least a dozen workers who took active roles during the October 7 Hamas massacre of some 1,200. We hear how independent the report really is.
Israel’s National Security Council said Thursday that Israelis should avoid traveling to Turkey, Morocco, Jordan and Egypt — including the Sinai peninsula, usually a popular holiday destination for Israelis over Passover — in updated travel warnings it issued for the coming months. What is seen as the risk in these areas and elsewhere?
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
‘Can’t go on like this’: Tens of thousands start 4-day anti-gov’t protest outside Knesset
As protesters demand he go, Netanyahu argues election would play into Hamas’s hands
The stunning rise, curious suspension and insistent return of Israel’s star spokesman
Indirect truce talks between Israel and Hamas to resume in Cairo
Israel says UN’s interim report on UNRWA allegations a ‘cover up’ of its terror ties
‘Multiple factual flaws’: Israel contests UN-backed report on imminent famine in Gaza
Israel warns of travel to Turkey and Arab countries; also notes Eurovision risks
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: This handout picture released by the Jordanian army on March 31, 2024, shows humanitarian aid being airdropped from a military aircraft over the northern Gaza Strip. (Photo by Jordanian army / AFP)
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Mon, 01 Apr 2024 - 895 - Day 177 - Did the IDF lay a trap for Hamas at Shifa Hospital?
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.
Today is day 177 of the war with Hamas. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
An off-duty Israel Defense Forces officer was stabbed and lightly wounded in a terror attack at Beersheba’s central bus station this morning. Fabian updates.
A gunman who carried out a terror shooting attack in the West Bank near Jericho last week, wounding three Israelis, including a 13-year-old boy, turned himself in to troops, defense sources said Sunday. Fabian takes us through the attack.
The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday denied carrying out a strike in southern Lebanon against a vehicle with United Nations peacekeepers, after Lebanese security officials accused it of targeting the car in a Reuters report. What makes the IDF so sure it wasn’t involved?
On Friday, the Washington Post reported that a new arms package from the US includes 1,800 MK-84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK-82 500-pound bombs, along with 25 F-35s that were initially approved as part of a larger package by Congress in 2008. What is the timing on delivery and will these bombs likely be used in Gaza, or potentially in Lebanon?
The fighting in Gaza's Shifa Hospital has been ongoing for the past two weeks. Instead of being an embarrassment for Israel that hundreds of terrorists regrouped in the semi-notorious medical center, Fabian proposes that Israel intended to lay a trap.
A historic High Court of Justice interim order Thursday evening bars the government from providing funds to ultra-Orthodox yeshivas for students eligible for IDF enlistment — as the legal framework for deferring their military service no longer exists as of today at midnight. But is the IDF even remotely ready to begin drafting tens of thousands of haredi youth?
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
IDF officer lightly hurt in terror stabbing at Beersheba central bus station
Terrorist who fired on vehicles in West Bank last week turns self in
IDF denies Lebanese claim it struck vehicle carrying UN peacekeepers
US approves transfer of over 2,000 bombs, 25 F-35s to Israel — report
IDF, Shin Bet say several senior Hamas terrorists killed as Shifa op continues
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Troops of the Nahal Brigade's reconnaissance unit operate in the area of Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, in a handout image published March 31, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Sun, 31 Mar 2024 - 894 - Day 176 - Palestinian Authority rebrands with White House help
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.
Today is day 176 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Magid spent much of last week in Washington with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during his meetings regarding the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. We hear several updates from that reporting trip, including what the atmosphere was like.
The Washington Post reported Friday that the United States has authorized the transfer of billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets to Israel even as it publicly expresses concerns about an anticipated military offensive in Rafah. With all the overt criticism against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct, which body made the decision to approve the new arms?
The Palestinian Authority is making changes apparently in an effort to become a more viable player to help rule the Gaza Strip the day after the war with Hamas. Magid weighs in, including the new cabinet that was installed last week and the attempts by the US to change the PA's ongoing pay-to-slay policy.
The US informed Israel this week that the Biden administration’s sanctions against violent settlers are not intended to compel Israeli banks to close the accounts of targeted individuals. What's the back story behind this unusual letter?
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Gallant seeks to smooth over tensions after PM’s cancellation leaves him alone in DC
US approves transfer of over 2,000 bombs, 25 F-35s to Israel — report
Integrating PA into Gaza aid efforts offers pilot to post-war governance, say experts
PA in final stages of talks with US to reform ‘pay-to-slay’ policy – sources
US says Israeli banks don’t have to close accounts of sanctioned settlers
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shake hands during their meeting in the West Bank town of Ramallah, February 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
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Sat, 30 Mar 2024 - 893 - Day 175 - Historic High Court ruling may propel haredi draft
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.
Today is day 175 of the war with Hamas. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and legal reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
In response to a new provisional International Court of Justice ruling yesterday, late last night, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the country will continue looking for new ways to facilitate the entry of increased aid into Gaza. Why did the court issue new provisional measures aimed at Israel now?
A government resolution from June 2023 instructing the IDF to temporarily not draft Haredi students will expire at midnight on March 31 and the past several weeks has seen the government attempt to come up with a reasonable proposal to stave off this deadline. Last night the High Court of Justice issued an interim order. Sharon explains what the court decided and Goren dives into the political turmoil.
Official Israel and the United States appear to believe that there is still a chance to revive hostage deal negotiations with the Hamas terror organization after indirect talks in Qatar broke down earlier in the week. But behind the scenes in political Israel, we’re hearing conflicting reports on willingness to negotiate. Goren explains.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid beat out opponent MK Ram Ben Barak by the skin of his teeth in Thursday afternoon’s Yesh Atid primary, the party’s first leadership contest since it was founded by Lapid in 2012. Goren dives into the real winner of this primary -- and it's neither contender.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
ICJ orders Israel to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, demands report in 30 days
In ‘historic’ step, High Court orders halt to yeshiva funds for students eligible for draft
In surprise primary result, Lapid holds on to party leadership by a mere 29 votes
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Israeli soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion patrol near the Israeli-Gaza border, October 20, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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Fri, 29 Mar 2024 - 892 - Day 174 - Haredi draft bill looms; Netanyahu spins and flipflops
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.
Today is day 174 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Schneider discusses the 11th-hour government request for an extension to the High Court petition to avoid mandatory Haredi conscription that would begin April 1, reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holed up in his office with his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners late Wednesday night in a last-minute attempt to find a solution that would appease them.
She then looks at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political flip-flopping and political spinning over the last few days, discussing his desperate attempts to save his political base of Likud voters despite a series of adverse reactions from the US administration and fellow politicians to his latest actions.
Schneider also talks about the passing of former Senator Joe Lieberman, his friendship with Israel, and his relationships with political conservatives on the other side of the spectrum, and what colleagues are saying about him.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Government seeks 11th hour-High Court extension to avoid mandatory Haredi conscription
Netanyahu desperately seeks to strengthen his base, at the expense of US ties, hostages
Former US senator Joe Lieberman, first Jewish VP nominee for major party, dies at 82
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the current Israeli government, in Tel Aviv, on March 23, 2024. (Photo by Erik Marmor/Flash90)
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Thu, 28 Mar 2024 - 891 - Day 173 - IAF flies deep into Lebanon, Hezbollah rocket kills man
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.
Today is day 173 of the war with Hamas. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
A 25-year-old man has been declared dead after being pulled out of a building struck by a Hezbollah rocket in Kiryat Shmona’s industrial zone after yesterday, the IDF conducted its deepest strike in Lebanon amid the Israel-Hamas war, some 110 kilometers from Israel’s border. Fabian gives updates.
The Israeli Air Force also carried out airstrikes in the predawn hours of Tuesday morning in eastern Syria, targeting Iranian assets and operatives involved in a recent plot to smuggle advanced arms to West Bank terrorists. We learn how members of Iran’s Unit 4000, the Special Operations Division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Intelligence Organization, and the special operations unit of the IRGC’s Quds Force in Syria, known as Unit 18840, were eliminated.
The Palestinian death toll in routine overnight clashes with Israeli forces in Jenin has risen to three. Fabian weighs in on how the operations in the West Banks have shifted since the beginning of Operation Breaking the Wave two years ago.
This morning the IDF said its raid on Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital is ongoing, with the military saying troops killed dozens of gunmen and captured weapons over the past day. Yesterday, the IDF released video footage of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives detailing how the terror groups used the hospital as a base for terror operations. What else does the IDF hope to learn?
The Israel Defense Forces’ top spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that the deputy commander of Hamas’s military wing, Marwan Issa, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the central Gaza Strip earlier this month. What do we know about the power structure of Hamas now?
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
IDF strikes Hezbollah deep in Lebanon after missile fire on base, border community
IDF strikes Iran-linked operatives, assets in eastern Syria; more than 15 said killed
In interrogations, Hamas, PIJ operatives describe using Shifa hospital as terror hub
IDF confirms Marwan Issa, Hamas’s No. 3, was killed in central Gaza strike
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Israeli forces check a building that was hit by a Hezbollah rocket in Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel near the Lebanon border, on March 27, 2024. (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)
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Wed, 27 Mar 2024 - 890 - Day 172 - As US abstains at UN, Hamas hardens its demands
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.
Today is day 172 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on Monday demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, after the United States withheld its veto and abstained from the vote. What is different in the text of this resolution and what it’s calling for?
Berman reported yesterday that he was being told the chances of a hostage release deal were at best 50-50. What happened last night to lower those odds even further and where do we stand now?
Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backtracked on parts of his proposed Haredi enlistment law and the updated version is expected to be brought to the cabinet on Tuesday. Horovitz weighs in.
New Hope chair Gideon Sa’ar announced his four-seat party’s departure from the coalition yesterday, two weeks after dissolving his political alliance with Benny Gantz, after his demands to be appointed to the high-level war cabinet were not met. Anyone care?
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
UN Security Council adopts call for Gaza ceasefire, hostage release as US abstains
US non-veto at UN, Netanyahu’s response reflect an alliance in crisis, a war slowed
Hamas tells mediators it’s ‘sticking to original position’ on demand for full ceasefire
Under pressure, PM revises Haredi enlistment plan but fails to satisfy critics
Gideon Sa’ar quits coalition after Netanyahu fails to appoint him to war cabinet
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Israeli police stand guard as relatives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Hamas protest during a Purim parade in Jerusalem on March 25, 2024. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP)
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Tue, 26 Mar 2024 - 889 - Day 171 - IDF battalion head: Hamas's 'fighting spirit' is broken
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.
Today is day 171 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Israeli officials seem to be giving the hostage release negotiations that are currently underway a 50-50 chance of success, but it sounds like the numbers and nuts and bolts of the potential deal continue to solidify. What is Berman hearing?
Late last week, Berman was embedded with the IDF near Khan Younis and Lt. Col. Ofir Caspi made headlines for some of his more controversial remarks. What did Berman see there and what did Caspi say?
Yesterday, US Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday did not rule out consequences for Israel if it moves forward with a major ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, but US President Joe Biden seems to be on board with targeted operations. How does Berman see that working out?
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Sunday in Cairo that delivering the necessary aid to famine-threatened Gaza “requires Israel removing the remaining obstacles and chokepoints to relief.” Berman speaks about the delicate balance the IDF must take while securing the aid conveys.
And finally, Berman puts on his old university chaplain hat and answers some questions about Purim.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Israel said willing to free some 800 inmates for 40 captives, as talks given 50/50 odds
As Rafah waiting game continues, 82nd Battalion expands long fight in Khan Younis
Biden’s wished-for targeted operation in Rafah might not be out of the question
Kamala Harris doesn’t rule out consequences for Israel if it goes ahead with Rafah op
UN chief blames Israeli ‘obstacles, chokepoints’ for looming famine in Gaza Strip
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Smoke plumes billow after Israeli bombardment over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 20, 2024, during the ongoing war against Hamas. (Said Khatid / AFP)
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Mon, 25 Mar 2024 - 888 - Day 170 - All fronts active as Gallant heads to DC
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.
Today is day 170 of the war with Hamas. Military correspondent Emmanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Fabian offers an update on the continuing Shifa Hospital raid as IDF troops moves through the compound during the week-long operation and should come to an end within the next few days.
He looks at the ongoing situation in north that appears to be intensifying as Hezbollah fired a battery of 50 rockets that landed near Kibbutz Kfar Blum.
Fabian also discusses the early Friday morning attack in the West Bank with lone sniper who was well prepared, taking several hours of a shootout, including a Duvdevan commado unit and helicopter to locate and take him out.
Finally, he speaks about Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's trip to Washington, DC Sunday with several senior defense ministry officials and IDF officials, in order to discuss the Gaza war, ongoing humanitarian situation, weapons deliveries and hostage situation.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Over 170 gunmen killed, 800 suspects captured in ongoing Shifa Hospital raid — IDF
Hezbollah claims it targeted Iron Dome battery near Kfar Blum with armed UAVs
IDF names soldier killed in West Bank sniper attack; battalion chief seriously hurt
Gallant to leave for Washington Sunday at invitation of US defense chief
Jerusalem mayor meets hostages’ families, agrees on changes to Purim parade
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: The fiancee of Ilya Cohen, who is still be held hostage in Gaza, calling for his release at a protest in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv (Courtesy Adar Eyal)
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Sun, 24 Mar 2024 - 887 - Day 169 - UN’s Gaza aid head: Situation slightly less desperate
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.
Today is day 169 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
What do we now know about a potential address by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress and Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer's response to it?
A massive appropriations package the US Congress passed early Saturday included a one-year ban on US funding to UNRWA until 2025. Magid explains what are likely scenarios.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is conducting a tour of the region and he said at the Rafah crossing today that a long line of blocked relief trucks on Egypt’s side of the border with the Gaza Strip where people face starvation is a moral outrage, blaming Israel for the delay. Yesterday, Magid spoke with the UN’s Gaza humanitarian coordinator. What did he learn?
The UN Security Council is set to vote on Monday on a resolution demanding a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but the United States warned the measure could hurt negotiations to pause the Israel-Hamas war. Magid weighs in.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on the last stop of his sixth diplomatic swing through the region since war erupted on October 7, amid tensions between Washington and Jerusalem over the management of the conflict. What are we hearing from Blinken's meetings here?
Magid obtained a series of documents that reveal how top Israeli officials sought and expressed their appreciation for the financial support provided by Qatar to stabilize the humanitarian situation in Gaza in the years and months prior to Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’songoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
‘A moral outrage’: At Gaza border, UN chief decries blocked trucks, inadequate aid flow
Schumer suggests he’s on board with proposal for Netanyahu to address Congress
Israel lauds US ban on UNRWA financing until 2025 under new government funding bill
UNSC vote set for Monday on new Gaza ceasefire resolution; US unlikely to back it
Blinken warns major Rafah op risks global isolation, long-term security harm for Israel
Documents show Israel sought, valued Qatari aid for Gaza in years leading to Oct. 7
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: File - Jamie McGoldrick, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, visits the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on March 5, 2020. (SAID KHATIB / AFP)
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Sat, 23 Mar 2024 - 886 - Day 168 - Kotel prayers for hostages; US rabbi reports support is hard
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.
Today is day 168 of the war with Hamas. Jewish world reporter Canaan Lidor joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Lidor talks about comments made by prominent Reform rabbi Angela Buchdahl about the struggles American Jews are having regarding Israel, the ongoing war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He also looks at a Knesset bill regarding the appointment of municipal rabbis, a potentially divisive bill that was postponed due to objections from senior lawmakers.
Lidor then discusses evacuees from the Gaza border communities remaining in Dead Sea hotels, because of the sense of trauma and lack of safety they feel in their former hometowns.
Steinberg describes the Fast of Esther prayers at different locations around Israel on Thursday, as well as the massive recitation of the Shema prayer at the Western Wall, for the safe return of the hostages.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Top US rabbi says Gaza’s plight, distrust of Netanyahu make supporting Israel ‘hard’
After protests, coalition refreezes bill hiking number of municipal rabbis
At Dead Sea hotels, lasting mental, physical traumas delay homecoming for some evacuees
Jerusalem mayor meets hostages’ families, agrees on changes to Purim parade
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Jews attend a prayer for the return of the Israeli hostages at the Western Wall on March 21, 2024. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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Fri, 22 Mar 2024 - 885 - Day 167 - The Israeli PM is (again) a partisan issue in the US
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.
Today is day 167 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
We begin today's episode with more ripples felt since Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer’s 45-minute speech last Thursday calling for new Israeli elections as the war winds down and branding Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace. Yesterday, Netanyahu spoke to a group of Republican senators and US House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that the legislative chamber’s Republican caucus is considering inviting Netanyahu to address Congress. What does it mean as Israel -- or at least Netanyahu -- becomes an increasingly partisan issue?
Netanyahu said yesterday he would “soon approve plans to evacuate the civilian population” from Rafah ahead of an expected major operation in the southern Gaza city. At the same time, he acknowledged that preparations for the operation “will take some time,” as Jerusalem continues its dialogue with Washington. What new information do we have on a looking Rafah operation?
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel on Friday, but yesterday he said that the “gaps are narrowing” between Israel and Hamas on an extended truce and hostage deal. What are we hearing from Israeli hostage families?
Though the findings predated the Hamas massacre of October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, Israel wis fifth place in the World Happiness rankings for 2024. Horovitz weighs in.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
US speaker says House GOP weighing asking Netanyahu to address Congress
Never mind Chuck Schumer’s hopes and fears, what Israel do Israelis want?
‘Gaps closing’ in hostage talks, Blinken says as he begins 6th wartime trip to region
Israel drops one place to 5th in global happiness list; Finland retains top spot
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: File: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves following his address to a joint session of the US Congress on March 3, 2015 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (MANDEL NGAN / AFP)
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Thu, 21 Mar 2024 - 884 - Day 166 - As Canada halts arms to Israel, who could follow?
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.
Today is day 166 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and Ops and Blogs editor Miriam Herschlag join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Schneider discusses the Canadian arms embargo that was passed in the Canadian parliament on Tuesday, highlighting the shift of global opinion against Israel and what it could mean in G7 politics.
She also talks about the food crisis in the Gaza Strip, the efforts being made by chef José Andrés's organization World Central Kitchen to bring food into the region and what it could mean if the term 'famine' is used to describe the situation in Gaza.
Herschlag discusses the Purim debate set out by ToI bloggers, who are discussing how to celebrate and mark the day this year, given the ongoing war, the remaining hostages and the Jewish commandment to celebrate.
Schneider briefly mentions the upcoming appearance of former justice minister Tzipi Livni in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
After non-binding motion, Canada to halt arms exports to Israel
Report says famine imminent in much of northern Gaza
Who’s in the mood for Purim this year?
A slightly different Purim for a very different year
‘Agunah Day’ and the Kontseptsia
Tzipi Livni arrives in court to testify in Netanyahu corruption trial
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, talks with Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly during the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
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Wed, 20 Mar 2024 - 883 - Day 165 - How resettling Gaza is not a quixotic passing fancy
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.
Today is day 165 of the war with Hamas. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone yesterday. It was their 20th phone call since the outbreak of war following Hamas’s October 7 attack, but their first since February 15. Goren fills us in on the broad strokes points addressed in the conversation, according to both leaders' readouts.
The phone call came four days after a scorching speech from longtime pro-Israel stalwart and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer — who is the most senior Jewish lawmaker in Congress -- calling for early elections in Israel to replace Netanyahu. What are the scenarios that could lead to new elections?
The United States imposed more sanctions on three Israeli settlers -- and, for the first time, two illegal outposts -- implicated in West Bank violence. What does it mean to sanction an outpost?
Six Israeli settler activists were arrested Friday night during a Shabbat dinner next to the Erez Crossing into Gaza, where they were spending a Shabbat dedicated to calling for the resettlement by Israel of the Gaza Strip. Sharon takes a step back and delivers the big picture.
More than half of the evacuees from Israel’s south — 32,000 out of the 60,000 people whom the government evacuated from locales within a 7-kilometer radius (4.3 miles) of the border with Gaza — are back in their communities. So the question remains how are they going to be protected?
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Biden rules out support for major Rafah op, in first call with PM in over a month
US targets three settlers, two illegal outposts in second round of sanctions
Six settler activists arrested at Erez Crossing after 50 people stage Shabbat event
Over half of southern evacuees back home as officials prep massive rehabilitation push
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Settlement activists hold a Shabbat event at the Erez crossing on the Israeli border with northern Gaza, March 16, 2024. (Courtesy Shavei Aza and Back to Home)
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Tue, 19 Mar 2024 - 882 - Day 164 - Why Schumer's speech fell on deaf Israeli ears
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.
Today is day 164 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The IDF released footage of what it says are Hamas operatives opening fire at troops from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City this morning as the army carried out a fresh raid on the medical center overnight. Why has the IDF returned to the medical compound now?
Israel’s negotiating team is expected in Doha today for some two weeks of indirect negotiations. Berman weighs in on what we possibly can expect.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in Israel for the second time during the war with Hamas and he expressed concern for protecting civilians and providing humanitarian aid. How did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu respond?
Thursday’s speech by US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is continuing to see ripples both in Israel and abroad. Berman weighs in with some Israeli responses and how this speech may affect US Jewry at this fraught time.
For the latest updates, please review The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Israeli delegation to head to Doha for hostage talks Monday after security cabinet ok
As ministers meet, protesters block roads in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, urge hostage deal
‘We’re not a banana republic’: Netanyahu denounces Schumer’s call for Israeli elections
Germany’s Scholz meets PM, calls for hostage deal with ‘longer-lasting ceasefire’
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: File: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, meets with Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, March 23, 2010, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
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Mon, 18 Mar 2024 - 881 - Day 163 - IDF secures first sea-drop of Gazan aid. Sustainable?
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.
Today is day 163 of the war with Hamas. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Palestinian sources have told a UK-based Saudi newspaper that Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas’s military wing and the terror group’s third most senior official in Gaza, was at the location targeted in an Israeli strike last week. But Fabian explains that we still don’t know whether he was hit.
The Israel Defense Forces says a “suspicious aerial target” was intercepted over night over the maritime space in the area of the coastal northern city of Acre. Fabian suggests three possibilities.
The World Central Kitchen NGO offloaded about “200 tons of food” onto a Gaza shore yesterday. That aid now needs to reach civilians. We drill down into the IDF's role in securing its journey, especially after claims by the Hamas terror group that troops had opened fire on crowds of civilians waiting for aid at a square in Gaza City.
A Palestinian gunman opened fire Saturday at an Israeli settlement neighborhood in the West Bank city of Hebron, according to the military, before being shot dead by troops. Who was he and where did he shoot from?
A Bedouin Israeli man who crossed into the Gaza Strip in 2016 and allegedly joined Hamas before being detained while trying to cross back into Israel during the ongoing war, has died in custody, authorities said Saturday. Fabian tries to put the pieces of his story together.
For the latest updates, please review The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
NGO says 1st aid ship to Gaza is unloaded, supplies being readied for distribution
IDF probe: Palestinian gunmen killed Gazans waiting for aid, army did not fire
Palestinian gunman opens fire at Hebron settlement neighborhood, is killed by troops
IDF chief says Israel in ‘multi-front war,’ urges vigilance amid Ramadan tensions
Bedouin Israeli said to have joined Hamas in Gaza dies after found unconscious in cell
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
Check out the previous Daily Briefing episode:
https://omny.fm/shows/the-daily-briefing/day-162-who-was-senator-schumers-howler-speech-aim
IMAGE: A Palestinian woman sits on a cart next to a box of food rations provided by charity World Central Kitchen at a makeshift street market in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 14, 2024. (Mohammed Abed/ AFP)
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Sun, 17 Mar 2024 - 880 - Day 162 - Who was Senator Schumer's 'howler' speech aimed at?
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.
Today is day 162 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
This morning US and Jordanian aircraft dropped food supplies to Palestinian civilians trapped in the Gaza Strip in a joint humanitarian aid operation and the World Central Kitchen NGO has finished unloading its first maritime aid shipment, in a test run for a new aid route by sea from Cyprus. Magid explains what we know so far.
Magid spoke with a few officials this week who told him that Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani proposed expelling Hamas’s leaders from Doha during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken days after the terror group’s October 7 onslaught. How was this proposal made — and why was it rebuffed?
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on Israel to hold new elections, saying he believed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost his way” and was an obstacle to peace in the region. What was the context for his comments and how were they received both in the US and in Israel?
For the latest updates, please review The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
NGO says 1st aid ship to Gaza is unloaded, supplies being readied for distribution
First ship to use new sea route arrives in Gaza with 200 tons of humanitarian aid
Qatar emir proposed expelling Hamas officials in meet with Blinken days after Oct. 7
Biden hails ‘good speech’ by Schumer criticizing Netanyahu, says many Americans agree
Senate leader Schumer urges Israeli election, says Netanyahu ‘has lost his way’
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: File - Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, March 12, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Sat, 16 Mar 2024 - 879 - Day 161 - Brothers in Arms eyes politics; EVOO shortage?
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.
Today is day 161 of the war with Hamas. Environmental reporter Sue Surkes joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Surkes talks about her interview with one of the founders of Achim LaNeshek, Brothers in Arms, the civilian organization with tremendous organizational skills who are expanding their societal efforts to education and needs in Gaza border communities along with some political aspirations.
She discusses the shortage of olive oil in Israel, the rising prices, and the need to import olive oils, sometimes fake olive oils that end up having to be recalled by importers.
Surkes also looks at the pause on urban development for Jerusalem's Bible Hill, an urban nature hilltop with plans for a hotel and commercial center, but the discovery of its ownership by a nearby church canceled plans.
For the latest updates, please review The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Impact of olive oil shortage on Israel could have been averted, industry chief says
With olives pressed and picked, local farmers hope consumers discover oil in Israel
Jerusalem mayor reverses support for large development at Bible Hill nature spot
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Members of the Brothers in Arms movement protest outside the house of minister Yitzchak Goldknopf in Jerusalem on February 26, 2024 (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)
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Fri, 15 Mar 2024 - 878 - Day 160 - General's mic drop as Blinken gives IDF new 'orders'
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.
Today is day 160 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan in our Jerusalem office for today's episode.
Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus, the commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ 98th Division, went off script yesterday during a briefing near the Gaza border and addressed Israel’s leadership. What did he say and how were his remarks received?
The National Unity wing of the coalition is no longer united: On Tuesday evening, MK Gideon Sa’ar, the leader of the right-wing New Hope party, unexpectedly announced he was breaking off from the National Unity faction, dissolving his alliance with Minister Benny Gantz. Horovitz weighs in.
Yesterday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a a virtual meeting with ministers from Britain, Cyprus, the European Union, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on a new maritime corridor for aid into Gaza after which he told reporters that protecting and aiding Palestinian civilians must be “job number one” for Israel in the Gaza Strip. How does this jibe with Israel’s two stated goals of the war — the dismantling of Hamas and bringing home the hostages?
The IDF said Wednesday it plans to direct a significant portion of the 1.4 million displaced Gazans in Rafah toward “humanitarian islands” in the center of the territory, ahead of a planned operation in the Gazan city. Horovitz explains what little we know about this plan and the Rafah operation's timing.
On Sunday night, Jonathan Glazer won an Oscar -- and lost Horovitz's respect. Glazer used his acceptance speech to deliver a very damning message to the world in which he “misidentified the root cause of the October 7 slaughter and the war.” Horovitz explains.
For the latest updates, please review The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
In rare critique, IDF general says politicians must ‘be worthy of us’
Polls show slow start for solo Sa’ar, dramatic impact for Bennett and Cohen parties
‘A statesmanlike right’: Why Gideon Sa’ar has decamped Gantz’s National Unity party
Blinken: Protecting civilians must be ‘job number one’ for Israel in Gaza
IDF: Civilians in Rafah will be evacuated to ‘humanitarian islands’ before ground op
And the Oscar for incendiary misdiagnosis of the cause of a massacre of Jews goes to…
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: The commander of the 98th Division, Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus, speaks to the press from the Gaza border, March 13, 2024. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)
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Thu, 14 Mar 2024 - 877 - Day 159 - By land, air and sea, humanitarian aid rushed to Gaza
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.
Today is day 159 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
This morning two people are wounded in a stabbing attack at the “tunnels” checkpoint near Gush Etzion on the West Bank’s Route 60 highway, south of Jerusalem. Fabian gives updates.
Israelis awoke to optimistic media chatter about the status of hostage release negotiations. Berman fills us in.
Earlier in the week, the IDF struck central Gaza strike, targeting Hamas #3 Marwan Issa. We hear about the ongoing uncertainty whether the strike was successful.
A ship taking almost 200 tons of food to the Gaza Strip left Cyprus early on Tuesday, according to the World Central Kitchen, in a pilot project to open a new sea route for aid to Palestinians amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Also yesterday, the United Nations used a new land route to deliver food directly into northern Gaza from an IDF crossing near Kibbutz Be’eri for the first time. And again, on Tuesday, Morocco sent 40 tons of humanitarian supplies for Gaza via Ben Gurion Airport, in another bid to diversify aid routes into Gaza.
We discuss the different routes and the IDF's role in securing them, as well as the diplomatic impact the need for aid to the Palestinians is having on Israel's "friendly" neighbors. We also hear about the status of UNRWA funding and which organizations Israel is willing to work with.
Finally, Fabian gives us an update on the sharp uptick in the conflict in the north.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Two lightly injured in stabbing at West Bank checkpoint, assailant shot dead
Jammed hostage talks advancing as Hamas softens under Qatari pressure — diplomat
IDF airs footage of strike on Hamas’s No. 3, but says still unclear if he was killed
UN and Morocco deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza via land routes through Israel
As first ship sails, Israel to inspect all aid from Cyprus; aid groups will distribute
IDF strikes Hezbollah sites deep in Lebanon; 100 rockets fired at north
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Palestinians line up for a meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on March 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
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Wed, 13 Mar 2024 - 876 - Day 158 - Tel Aviv markets optimistic; rabbinical threat over Haredi draft
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.
Today is day 158 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Sam Sokol and Tech Israel editor Sharon Wrobel join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Sokol discusses political reactions to the statement made by Sephardic chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef regarding a mass ultra-Orthodox exit from Israel if yeshiva students are forced to enlist in the army.
Wrobel looks at why markets and investors are currently bullish on Israel, a sense of cautious optimism given the waning war in Gaza and fewer signs of engagement in the north.
Sokol talks about the latest mayoral elections in Beit Shemesh, the central city with a large ultra-Orthodox population and a new, moderate Haredi mayor.
Wrobel describes a forum created by spouses of reservists for their particular needs during wartime, as they struggle to care for kids, homes, and jobs.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Watchdog group calls for removal of chief rabbi for politicizing judicial role
Assailing chief rabbi, Lapid says Haredim would have to get jobs if they moved abroad
Despite war uncertainty, Israeli stocks and the shekel attract investors
Ultra-Orthodox retake Beit Shemesh, former Haifa mayor Yona Yahav returns to office
Fired during war, reservists’ wives band together to battle for job security
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef attends a prayer for the release of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, at the Rachel's Tomb on October 25, 2023 (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90 )
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Tue, 12 Mar 2024 - 875 - Day 157 - And the Oscar goes to... the Hamas propaganda machine
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.
Today is day 157 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
At the Oscars last night, the acceptance speech from Jonathan Glazer -- writer-director of the Holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest” -- was used to comment on the Israel-Hamas war. Glazer appears to equate the massacre perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 with the ongoing war in Gaza. Berman weighs in on how prevalent this thinking may be in the wider population.
Berman attempts to make sense of conflicting reports over the status of negotiations to secure a hostage release deal.
At the Institute for National Security Studies conference in Tel Aviv on Thursday, Berman had a long in-depth sit-down conversation with retired US Gen. David Petraeus who commanded US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan among other high-level assignments during a 37-year military career. We hear what Petraeus has to say about IDF tactics in Gaza.
In a session at the INSS conference, former Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman said the organization had pushed for a surprise attack on Hamas’s top leadership for years before the devastating October 7 terror onslaught, but Israel’s political leadership repeatedly shot the idea down. We hear more about the politicized atmosphere at the conference.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
‘Oppenheimer’ wins big at Academy Awards where Gaza, Ukraine wars cast shadow
‘He’s wrong’: PM bluntly rejects Biden critique, says most Israelis back his policies
Former Shin Bet chief: Government repeatedly rejected plans to kill Hamas’s Sinwar
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: James Wilson, from left, Leonard Blavatnik, and Jonathan Glazer accept the award for 'The Zone of Interest' for best international feature film during the Oscars, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, March 10, 2024. (Chris Pizzello/AP)
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Mon, 11 Mar 2024 - 874 - Day 156 - A deep dive into the ongoing IDF operations in Gaza
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.
Today is day 156 of the war with Hamas. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Police and the Shin Bet say 13 Arab Israelis from northern Israel are being charged with planning terror attacks on behalf of Hamas. Who were arrested as far as we know?
The Hamas operative who killed Maj. (res.) Amishar Ben David during a battle in southern Gaza on Friday was killed in an airstrike, the IDF says. How common is such a very precisely targeted strike?
Some 37 rockets were fired in two volleys from Lebanon at the Mount Meron area this morning, and overnight fighter jets struck several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon overnight, including infrastructure in Ayta ash-Shab, an anti-tank missile post in Maroun al-Ras, and a site where Hezbollah operatives were spotted in Khirbet Selm. How are these connected?
Police arrested 20 East Jerusalem residents on suspicion of incitement and support for terrorism over the past two weeks, according to a statement released this morning as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins. What else has been happening ahead of Ramadan, especially in the West Bank?
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hezbollah fires barrage at north after deadly IDF strike in Lebanon
IDF officer killed in Gaza fighting, raising toll of slain troops to 248
Seven soldiers wounded by IED blast in West Bank town; troops launch manhunt
Hezbollah fires rocket volleys at north, hits home with anti-tank missile
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: IDF troops operate in the Gaza Strip in a photo cleared for publication on March 9, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Sun, 10 Mar 2024 - 873 - Day 155 - Hope floats? How the US is building a dock off Gaza
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.
Today is day 155 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
In his state of the union address on Thursday, US President Joe Biden announced that the US will build a floating dock off the shore of Gaza. We hear details of the dock and short and long-term plans for it.
Magid shares what else was relevant to Israel in Thursday's address -- and why the country should take note.
The Biden administration's frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to mount, as seen by statements made by the president and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Finally, on Friday, Biden warned Israel that tensions in east Jerusalem may be high ahead of Ramadan if the hostage deal is not signed.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
How the US military plans to build a floating dock for urgently needed aid to Gaza
Biden says Israel will secure new Gaza pier; Pentagon: It may take 2 months to build
Biden in SOTU pledges to free hostages, warns Israel not to use aid as bargaining chip
Biden caught on hot mic: I told Bibi we’re going to have a ‘Come to Jesus’ meeting
Harris: Israelis deserve security, don’t ‘conflate’ them with the Israeli government
Biden worried about potential East Jerusalem violence if no Gaza deal before Ramadan
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: An Israeli navy warship sails in the Mediterranean Sea waters off the coast of the Gaza Strip as pictured from a position along the border in southern Israel on January 4, 2024. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)
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Sat, 09 Mar 2024 - 872 - Day 154 - East Jlemites expect different kind of Ramadan
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.
Today is Day 154 of the war. Arabic affairs correspondent Gianluca Pacchiani and reporter Gavriel Fiske join host Jessica Steinberg on today's episode.
Pacchiani speaks about expectations for Ramadan, a usually celebratory period, as East Jerusalemites wonder what kind of access they and Palestinian Arabs will have to the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.
Fiske speaks about back-to-school again in the southern city of Sderot, where some 60% of the community returned home after months of being evacuated around the country, and their hopes for a different reality after years of rocket attacks.
Fiske also looks at the unexpected spike in online schools for Arabic, as Jewish Israelis want to learn how to speak Arabic, for different kinds of reasons.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
In East Jerusalem, hopes for a calm Ramadan mix with fears of Al-Aqsa restrictions
In Sderot, a first day of school for ‘the second time’
‘It’s a bit stressful’: Schools in Sderot reopen after five months of war
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Israeli border police officers visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, March 7, 2024. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Flash90)
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Fri, 08 Mar 2024 - 871 - Day 153 - Oct. 7 & Meron disaster: A pattern of poor leadership?
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.
Today is Day 153 of the war. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.
We hear statements from two journalists who arguably have the ear of the White House. Horovitz discusses how representative the statements are as every move the Biden administration makes in the war in Gaza is scrutinized ahead of the US elections in November.
On April 30, 2021, during the coronavirus pandemic, 45 people were killed in a crush at the Mount Meron gravesite of a second-century sage in northern Israel. After two and a half years of work, a state commission of inquiry headed by retired judge Dvora Berliner has named a number of officials responsible for the disaster in a 320-page report. We hear about the results of the inquiry as well as political blowback.
In Horovitz's weekly column yesterday, he proposed that we’re living in the most worrying period for Jews since WWII. How is he seeing this play out?
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Report: Biden mulling moves to keep Israel from using US weapons in Rafah
State inquiry blames Netanyahu, but does not sanction him, for deadly 2021 Meron crush
Likud derides inquiry on deadly Meron crush as ‘political weapon’ against Netanyahu
Full text of inquiry’s findings on officials’ responsibility for 2021 Meron disaster
We’re living in the most worrying period for Jews since World War II
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Victims of the April 30, 2021, Mount Meron disaster: Top row (L-R): Chen Doron, Haim Rock, Ariel Tzadik, Yossi Kohn, Yisrael Anakvah, Yishai Mualem, Yosef Mastorov, Elkana Shiloh and Moshe Levy; 2nd row (L-R): Shlomo Zalman Leibowitz, Shmuel Zvi Klagsbald, Mordechai Fakata, Dubi Steinmetz, Abraham Daniel Ambon, Eliezer Gafner, Yosef Greenbaum, Yehuda Leib Rubin and Yaakov Elchanan Starkovsky; 3rd row (L-R): Haim Seler, Yehoshua Englard, Moshe Natan Neta Englard, Yedidia Hayut, Moshe Ben Shalom, David Krauss, Eliezer Tzvi Joseph, Yosef Yehuda Levy and Yosef Amram Tauber; 4th row (L-R): Menachem Knoblowitz, Elazar Yitzchok Koltai, Yosef David Elhadad, Shraga Gestetner, Yonatan Hebroni, Shimon Matalon, Elazar Mordechai Goldberg, Moshe Bergman and Daniel Morris; 5th row (L-R): Ariel Achdut, Moshe Mordechai Elhadad, Hanoch Slod, Yedidya Fogel, Menahem Zakbah, Simcha Diskind, Moshe Tzarfati, Nahman Kirshbaum and Eliyahu Cohen.
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Thu, 07 Mar 2024 - 870 - Day 152 - Gantz wraps up US trip, with questionable results
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.
Today is Day 152 of the war. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and religion reporter Canaan Lidor join host Jessica Steinberg.
Schneider discusses the US visit of war cabinet member Benny Gantz, where he heard administration criticism about the lack of a viable post-war plan for Gaza, as well as the growing aid issue in the Gaza Strip.
She also looks at the decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow visits to the Temple Mount during Ramadan, overruling Public Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and the possible political ramifications of that decision.
Lidor talks about the return of some residents to the southern communities of Shlomit and Sderot, the desire of locals to return to their homes and what that looks like right now, during a war.
Schneider and Lidor speak about the expected results on Wednesday of the commission of inquiry into the 2021 Mt. Meron disaster on Lag B'omer, and what plans will look like for this year's holiday celebration for the ultra-Orthodox community, given the ongoing closure in the north.
Lidor concludes the podcast with a discussion of his piece about peaceniks who lived in the Gaza border communities that were attacked on October 7, and what they feel now about regular Gazans.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hosting Gantz, Harris balances praise of Israel with criticism over Gaza aid crisis
Netanyahu overrules Ben Gvir: Temple Mount access on Ramadan to be like previous years
No longer a ghost town, Sderot welcomes returnees and a renewed sense of normalcy
Meron disaster inquest blames former ministers Ohana, Avitan, police chief Shabtai
Their dovish hopes clipped, some Gaza border residents make peace with becoming hawks
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on IsraelTHOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
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IMAGE: Benny Gantz, left, a key member of Israel's War Cabinet is welcomed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, for a private meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Wed, 06 Mar 2024 - 869 - Day 151 - Where is world outcry after UN finds hostages are raped?
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.
Today is Day 151 of the war with Hamas. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and environment reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
In a 24-page report yesterday, the United Nation’s envoy on sex crimes during conflict told the UN that rape and gang rape likely occurred during the October 7 Hamas onslaught against southern Israel, that “clear and convincing” evidence shows that hostages were raped while being held in Gaza, and that those currently held captive are still facing such abuse. We talk about the methodology of the report and whether international women's groups will have some kind of reckoning in light of its findings.
War cabinet minister Benny Gantz has been in the United States for the past several days meeting with Biden administration officials and is set to travel to London for similar meetings. Goren explains why this trip is an unusual move for a cabinet minister.
For the first time in Israel’s history, the IDF has appointed a woman to command an Israeli Air Force base. We hear about Lt. Col. “Gimmel.”
The Energy Ministry is finalizing a potentially revolutionary plan, to be submitted to the government by March 18, to turn the Tekuma region along the Gaza border into a flagship for energy independence and renewable energy. This was unveiled at a conference in Eilat. What else did you hear at the conference?
Children in the Negev Bedouin village of Elarara are learning in classrooms heated by a diesel generator, which emits carcinogenic fumes. We hear how this is now an isolated incident and what a Jewish-Arab NGO is trying to do about it.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
UN finds evidence of rape on Oct. 7 and after; Israel: They tried to downplay issue
Hosting Gantz, Harris balances praise of Israel with criticism over Gaza aid crisis
For first time in Israel’s history, IDF appoints woman commander of Air Force base
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: Israelis visit the site of the Re'im music festival massacre in southern Israel, February 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
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Tue, 05 Mar 2024 - 868 - Day 150 - Israel pushes aid into Gaza. So why isn't it delivered?
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.
Today is Day 150 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
At a campaign stop in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where state troopers beat US civil rights marchers nearly six decades ago, US Vice President Kamala Harris delivered what appeared to be the sharpest rebuke yet by a senior leader in the US government over the conditions in the Gaza Strip. There appears to be a shift in tone, but was there also a switch in messaging?
An Israeli official told Berman yesterday that following Thursday’s deadly stampede in Gaza City surrounding an aid convoy, Israel will try new solutions for delivering humanitarian supplies to northern Gaza this week. What are some of these approaches?
According to an Egyptian state-linked TV report, mediators and envoys from the Hamas terror group have made “significant progress” toward a truce in Gaza, as the talks in Cairo entered a second day. Why did Israel not send a team?
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Urging 6-week ‘ceasefire,’ US VP Harris says Israel not doing enough to get aid to Gaza
After deadly aid incident, Israel to try new methods of delivery to north Gaza this week
Israel won’t send team to Cairo, said to believe Sinwar seeks escalation on Ramadan
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Palestinians sit in a vehicle loaded with sacks of humanitarian aid outside the distribution center of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 3, 2024. (AFP)
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Mon, 04 Mar 2024 - 867 - Day 149 - Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the 'other' bad guys in Gaza
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.
Today is Day 149 of the war with Hamas. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
A rare barrage of long-range rockets was launched from Gaza toward Beersheba yesterday. Who claimed responsibility and what do these rockets represent?
The Israel Defense Forces said it struck a vehicle near southern Lebanon’s Naqoura on Saturday, targeting operatives belonging to the Imam Hossein Division, an Iranian militia that operates alongside Hezbollah. Fabian speaks about the increase of overt attacks on Iranian operatives.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir railed at the release of Palestinian administrative detainees, claiming they were not freed due to overcrowding as had been stated. How many were released and on whose authority? And what is the status of the Gazan detainees?
Cpl. Ori Megidish, who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 and later rescued from captivity in the Gaza Strip by the Israel Defense Forces, returned to active military service on Monday. In what roles will she serve?
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Three soldiers killed in Gaza as troops keep up raids on Hamas sites and gunmen
IDF: Lebanon strike targeted Iranian militia members involved in rocket fire on north
Ben Gvir: Shin Bet head ordered release of administrative detainees as Ramadan ‘gesture’
Rescued Gaza hostage Ori Megidish returns to active military service
THOSE WE HAVE LOST:Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: The logo of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement at the Shatila camp for Palestinian refugees in a southern suburb of Beirut on November 7, 2023. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
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Sun, 03 Mar 2024 - 866 - Day 148 - Why US-airdropped aid to Gaza is a drop in the bucket
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.
Today is Day 148 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
US President Joe Biden announced on Friday plans to carry out a first US military airdrop of food and supplies into Gaza, a day after the reported deaths of dozens of Palestinians in a crowd crush as they rushed an aid convoy threw a spotlight on an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in the war-torn coastal enclave. That aid began reaching the Gaza Strip today, but the question is, is airdropping the most efficient method?
During the vote counting from Tuesday’s Michigan primary, over 101,000 people were found to have cast “uncommitted” ballots, most of them likely in protest of Biden’s Israel-Hamas war policies. What makes Michigan an especially watched primary and what do these votes represent?
The European Union is planning to host a “Preparatory Peace Conference” with regional stakeholders to advance a two-state solution. Magid, in conversation with EU Middle East peace envoy Sven Koopmans, heard about the official's modest hopes.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
‘No excuses’: Biden announces US military to airdrop food, supplies into war-torn Gaza
Michigan’s Gaza protest votes below levels seen as requiring major Biden shift
EU envoy details plans for ‘preparatory’ conference to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace
Peace efforts can be advanced, even if parties not currently interested — EU envoy
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: A US Air Force cargo plane heads for an airdrop of aid over Gaza, March 2, 2024 (US Central Command photo)
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Sat, 02 Mar 2024 - 865 - Day 147 - Chain of events of deadly stampede in Gaza unraveled
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.
Today is Day 147 of the war with Hamas. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian and health reporter Renee Ghert-Zand join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Dozens of Palestinians were killed Thursday in Gaza City as they swarmed aid trucks that entered the city. What is the IDF telling us about what happened?
Yesterday afternoon, two Israelis were killed when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire at a gas station outside the West Bank settlement of Eli before being shot and killed by the proprietor of a nearby business on leave from fighting in Gaza. First, we hear about the victims and then the perpetrator.
Ghert-Zand brings some highlights from a conference on women soldiers’ health under war.
Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center-Ichilov Hospital has opened a suite of 10 new underground operating rooms for ambulatory surgeries. What’s unique about this new set-up?
In a scientific first, researchers at Bar-Ilan University have created testicles in a laboratory — a discovery that they hope could lead to a better understanding of sex determination as well as advances in infertility treatment. We also hear how it could be a methodology used in the future for male children facing cancer treatments.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
US blocks Security Council motion blaming Israel for deadly Gaza aid convoy incident
Dozens killed in Gaza aid stampede; IDF says its fire caused no more than 10 casualties
Rabbi, teen hitchhiker killed in terror shooting at West Bank gas station
Surgery without a stay: Ichilov hospital unveils new operating rooms to cut wait times
In breakthrough, Bar-Ilan University scientists form artificial lab-grown testicles
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: This image grab from a handout video released by the Israeli army on February 29, 2024, shows Gazans surrounding aid trucks in Gaza City.(Photo by Israeli Army / AFP)
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Fri, 01 Mar 2024 - 864 - Day 146 - Sinwar claims Hamas is winning the war. Here's why
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.
Today is Day 146 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar believes that Hamas is winning the war it started against Israel on October 7, telling senior Hamas officials in Qatar that his ruling terror group “has the Israelis right where we want them.” Horovitz weighs in.
On Wednesday, in a televised speech, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh called on Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank to march to Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray on the first day of Ramadan on March 10, during the war in Gaza, seemingly seeking to raise tensions in the area. At the same time, Israel’s war cabinet has reportedly ruled that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir won’t be able to bar Arab Israelis from worshiping at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount on Ramadan. What may happen at this flashpoint site?
Yesterday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called for an end to military draft exemptions for members of the ultra-Orthodox community, and said he would only back legislation settling the matter if it is endorsed by centrist ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot. Horovitz explains how the clock is ticking for new efforts to conscription “all Israelis.”
In total, 3,511,758 out of 7,100,390 eligible voters cast ballots, down from 56% during the previous municipal elections in 2018, according to data provided by the Interior Ministry. It seems Haredi Israelis turned out in high numbers, while Jerusalem Arabs largely boycotted. Horovitz breaks down some of the numbers.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Gallant says no Haredi draft bill without centrist support, risking coalition crisis
Report: War cabinet sidelines Ben Gvir, rejects Ramadan Al Aqsa limits on Arab Israelis
Hamas chief claims flexibility in truce talks, calls for Ramadan march on Jerusalem
Half of Israel stays away from democracy * Friction helps Biden and the PM * SIMs signs
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Hamas's Gaza Strip leader Yahya Sinwar in a tunnel in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, October 10, 2023 (IDF Spokesman)
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Thu, 29 Feb 2024 - 863 - Day 145 - Israel's conflict with Iran comes into focus in Syria
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.
Today is Day 145 of the war with Hamas. Arab affairs reporter Luca Pacchiani and reporter Canaan Lidor join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Results from yesterday's municipal elections are still coming in, but in the meantime, we focus on Tiberias, where a secular former communications executive Yossi Naba’a has apparently won the race by garnering religious backing. Lidor tells us about this special race.
On Monday, the Palestinian Authority’s government formally resigned in what is meant to mark a major step toward the revitalization of the administrative body. Pacchiani weighs in on why this may not be that step.
For years, Israeli news media has talked about “alleged Israeli air strikes on Syria.” But lately, the Air Force appears to be taking much more overt credit for targeting leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Pacchiani spoke with two experts who explain the shift.
Late last week, leaders of South African Jewry who were visiting Israel organized a ceremony in honor of members of their community who were killed or wounded or made other sacrifices defending the Jewish state. Lidor explains why this was also a political protest.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
In Tiberias, Haredi locals cheer for defeat of their secularist nemesis’s comeback bid
‘Cosmetic’ PA reshuffle seen as bid by Abbas to hold power, avoid demanded reforms
No longer afraid of sparking war, Israel takes gloves off against IRGC in Syria
Defying their government, South African Jews honor compatriots who fell for Israel
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: A truck in flames following an alleged Israeli airstrike near the Syrian town of Qusayr, February 25, 2024. (X screengrab: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
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Wed, 28 Feb 2024 - 862 - Day 144 - Israelis cast votes in local elections, amid war
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.
Today is Day 144 of the war. Zman Yisrael editor-in-chief Biranit Goren and political correspondent Tal Schneider join host Jessica Steinberg.
Schneider discusses election day for local authorities and municipalities, describing the expectation that most Israelis will vote for incumbent politicians, rather than push forward on other issues, given the status of war and hostage situation.
Goren explains the latest in the matter of the Haredi draft, concerning a government resolution and the High Court, and how this could lead the ultra-Orthodox community and government toward finding a compromise for drafting Haredi yeshiva students.
Schneider and Goren look at the latest revelation regarding intelligence ahead of the October 7 Hamas terrorist assault, examining the political machinations behind the revelations.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Polls open across much of Israel for twice-delayed local elections under shadow of war
As Israel heads to municipal elections mid-war, here’s what you need to know
High Court orders the government to explain why its refusal to draft Haredim is legal
Hours before Hamas attack, IDF noticed dozens of terrorists activating Israeli SIMs
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Families of hostages set up booths next to polling stations during local elections on February 27, 2024, reminding voters to 'Choose the hostages' (Courtesy Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
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Tue, 27 Feb 2024 - 861 - Day 143 - Hostage talks continue in Qatar, at steady pace
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.
Today is Day 143 of the war. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Jessica Steinberg.
Berman talks about the movement made in the latest round of hostage negotiations while acknowledging the many details that still need to be agreed upon by Israel and Hamas before any deal can be finalized.
He also talks about two tours he recently made into Gaza, commenting that war aims haven't been met as IDF war dwindles to a smaller operation, and what the situation will look like as war ends, who will rule the Gaza Strip.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
War cabinet votes to dispatch Israeli team to Paris for fresh try at hostage talks
Israel to decide on sending team to hostage talks amid cautious signs of progress
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Demonstrators calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas terrorists outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 19, 2024 (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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Mon, 26 Feb 2024 - 860 - Day 142 - As Gaza war winds down, winds of war blow in north
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.
Today is Day 142 of the war. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.
The Israeli Navy’s fleet of missile boats carried out “extensive” exercises, as the military prepares for potential war in the north while Israel warns that its patience for a diplomatic solution is running out. Is this drill performative or is Israel that much closer to war in the north?
Early Thursday morning, Israel’s long-range Arrow air defense system shot down a ballistic missile over the Red Sea, fired by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, the military said. How close was this to Eilat?
On Thursday night, the IDF carried out a drone strike against a vehicle in the northern West Bank city of Jenin targeting a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative reportedly on his way to carry out a terror attack. Fabian speaks about the uptick of airstrikes in the West Bank.
This morning, the IDF said troops nabbed several terror operatives who attempted to hide among a group of civilians evacuating from combat zones in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. We hear how this is an ongoing challenge for the IDF.
On Thursday, the IDF’s Home Front Command declared it essentially safe to return to all communities located between four and seven kilometers (2.5-4.3 miles) from the border with Gaza, along with 18 communities even closer to the Strip, including some practically abutting the war-ravaged enclave. What does this tell us about the trajectory of the war in Gaza?
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hezbollah fires rockets, drone at Galilee as Israeli jets pounds southern Lebanon
Israeli Navy carries out ‘extensive’ drills in preparation for potential war in north
Israel’s Arrow intercepts Houthi ballistic missile headed for Eilat
IDF says Jenin drone strike kills Islamic Jihad terrorist behind string of shootings
IDF presses on with new Gaza City operation, 20 Hamas fighters killed in past day
Army okays return to many communities near Gaza, including some where Hamas attacked
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Members of the northern town of Katzrin's emergency squad train with the IDF and Israel Police in a joint exercise, Katzrin, Golan Heights on November 20, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)
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Sun, 25 Feb 2024 - 859 - Day 141 - Wanted: Clans to run Gaza & more of PM's postwar plan
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.
Today is Day 141 of the war. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.
The US is hoping that a hostage release deal and truce can be agreed upon before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. What do we know about the potential framework of the deal from today's talks?On Thursday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented the security cabinet with a document of principles regarding the management of Gaza after the war, aiming to install “local officials” unaffiliated with terrorism to administer services in the Strip instead of Hamas. We hear points from the plan.
Following a deadly shooting near the West Banks city of Maale Adumim on Thursday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that permits would be released for the building of some 3,000 homes. How did the US react?
The Biden administration is readying to issue a second round of sanctions in the coming weeks against Israeli settlers who carried out acts of violence in the West Bank. Who would be affected?
Israel has agreed to a new arrangement with the World Food Program rather than the UNRWA relief agency for Palestinian refugees that will allow for a massive American shipment of flour for Gazan civilians to move forward. Magid gives a picture of the conditions on the ground.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Netanyahu presents post-war plan to cabinet, aims for ‘local officials’ to govern Gaza
US revives policy deeming settlements illegal, pans Israel’s plan for 3,000 new homes
US readying to issue 2nd round of settler sanctions in coming weeks — sources
Israel agrees to finally release American flour shipment for Gaza, says US official
‘Hunger is killing us’: Gazans increasingly desperate amid growing humanitarian crisis
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 19, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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Sat, 24 Feb 2024 - 858 - Day 140 - Knesset chaos over MK impeachment, haredi draft
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.
Today is Day 140 of the war. Political correspondent Sam Sokol joins host Jessica Steinberg.
Sokol discusses the failed impeachment effort of Hadash-Ta'al lawmaker Ofer Cassif, who had supported the South African accusation of Israeli genocide in Gaza, he describes the heated debate in the Knesset and the reasons why it failed.
He also looks at opposition leader Yair Lapid beginning an extensive legislation process regarding the draft of ultra-Orthodox community during the ongoing war.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Bid to oust MK Ofer Cassif over backing for ICJ genocide case falls short in Knesset
Lapid advances bill to enlist ultra-Orthodox, demanding they share IDF burden
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Ultra-Orthodox soldiers attend a swearing-in ceremony as they enter the IDF 'Nahal Haredi' unit, at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem on May 26, 2012 (Photo by Miriam Alster/FLASH90)
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Fri, 23 Feb 2024 - 857 - Day 139 - Politics at play as Gantz talks possible hostage 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.
Today is Day 139 of the war. Zman Yisrael editor-in-chief Biranit Goren and health reporter Renee Ghert-Zand join host Jessica Steinberg.
Goren discusses Wednesday night press conference by war cabinet member MK Benny Gantz about a possible hostage deal, what details it may include and why it was Gantz and not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking about it.
Goren also looks at the tensions and differing opinions in the war cabinet and the power plays at work among that group of politicians.
Ghert-Zand talks about the predicted 30,000 Israelis who will probably suffer from PTSD in Israel after the attacks of October 7 and the ongoing war, and how psychologists and therapists plan on tackling that issue.
She also discusses Ram 2, the IDF medical unit that operates inside Israeli hospitals as a kind of separate military wing for injured soldiers.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Gantz sees signs of progress on hostage deal, warns of looming Rafah op during Ramadan
October 7 and war trauma will lead to at least 30,000 new cases of PTSD, expert says
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: War cabinet minister Benny Gantz speaks at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem on February 18, 2024 (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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Thu, 22 Feb 2024 - 856 - Day 138 - Israel in the dock at World Court over 'apartheid'
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.
Today is Day 138 of the war. Reporters Jeremy Sharon and Canaan Lidor join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.
Monday saw the start of six days of hearings in The Hague’s International Court of Justice over the UN General Assembly’s request for an advisory opinion by the ICJ on the “legal consequences” of Israel’s 56-year rule in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We hear what has been said so far.
Israel Judicial Selection Committee met -- and appointed judges -- for the first time in nearly two years. Sharon explains why the two slots on the Supreme Court remain unfilled.
A Palestinian artist who has in the past exhibited with renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was arrested on last week during a search conducted by an IDF reservist battalion looking for weapons in a West Bank Bedouin village. Sharon delves into the case and shares why this is hardly an isolated case.
Lidor was in Kiryat Shmona yesterday, just along Israel's border with Lebanon. Within the evacuated city, several stalwarts remain. Who are they?
Earlier in the week, Lidor accompanied the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations umbrella group’s first delegation to the south of Israel since October 7 and wrote about Eran Masas. Hear why his heroic story had the entire group crying.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
At World Court, South Africa says Israeli ‘apartheid’ surpasses its own sordid past
Israel accused of repressing basic Palestinian freedoms in ICJ hearing on West Bank rule
Palestinian artist who exhibited with Ai Weiwei arrested during IDF West Bank search
In Safed, a deadly rocket salvo fails to rattle deeply rooted residents
On Oct. 7 killing grounds, a vigilante army vet inspires grieving US Jewish leaders
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
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IMAGE: A Palestinian flag flies outside the United Nations' highest court, rear, during historic hearings in The Hague, Netherlands, February 21, 2024, into the legality of Israel's 57-year occupation of the West Bank and east Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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Wed, 21 Feb 2024 - 855 - Day 137 - Ceasefire's many meanings at UN Security Council vote
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.
Today is Day 137 of the war. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode in our Jerusalem offices.
The United Nations Security Council has scheduled a vote at 10 a.m. local time in New York (5 p.m. in Israel) for a resolution pushed by Arab nations demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the United States has proposed a rival draft of the resolution that would underscore the body’s “support for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable, based on the formula of all hostages being released.” Horovitz delves into the nuance behind uses of the term "ceasefire" by world leaders.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid submitted a new version of a draft law under which those who evade military or civil service will no longer be eligible for state funding. While there are signs that even members of the coalition are against the current legislation lengthening IDF regular and reserve service, will this new bill move forward?
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara reportedly cautioned against a proposal by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to impose age limitations on Arab Israelis who wish to pray at the Al-Aqsa compound atop the Temple Mount during Ramadan, saying that such a step would likely face legal obstacles. Horovitz speculates on rumors that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also on board with restricting Arab citizens' freedom of worship.
On Monday, the IDF released what it said was recently discovered footage showing mother Shiri Bibas and her two very young red-headed children surrounded by gunmen in the Gaza Strip hours after they were abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7. Horovitz tells us what we know of the family's fate.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.Discussed articles include:
US proposes Security Council resolution backing temporary ceasefire to stymie Rafah push
Arabs push UN vote on immediate Gaza humanitarian ceasefire despite surefire US veto
Lapid advances bill to enlist ultra-Orthodox, demanding they share IDF burden
AG said to oppose broad Ramadan limits on Temple Mount access for Arab Israelis
IDF finds video of Bibas family in Gaza, ‘very concerned’ for mother, youngest hostages
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: File - The United Nations Security Council meets to discuss the situation in the Middle East at UN headquarters in New York on January 23, 2024. (Charly Triballeau / AFP)
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Tue, 20 Feb 2024 - 854 - Day 136 - Is Israel ready to fight a war in the north?
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.
Today is Day 136 of the war. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.
Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in front of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem. On Saturday night, Berman also attended a press conference in Jerusalem with the prime minister. Was the messaging the same or different in the two events?
On Sunday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva compared Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza to the Holocaust, saying Israel was committing “genocide” against Palestinian civilians in the Strip and saying the only historical equivalent was “when Hitler decided to kill the Jews.” He made these remarks in front of an African Union summit. How did the setting played into his statements?
The Palestinian Authority is may hold unity talks with Hamas in Moscow on February 26, PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Sunday. What is Russia’s interest in holding this summit?
Netanyahu sided on Sunday with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Sunday, endorsing restrictions on Arab Israelis’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount during Ramadan. How will Hamas weaponize the optics of Israeli citizens being restricted from the holy site?
And finally, Berman gives in-depth analysis into why Israel is not ready to fight another front in the north, and what factors need to change to allow it.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Addressing US Jewish leaders on Gaza war, PM says: ‘We have to finish the job’
Netanyahu: Those telling us not to enter Rafah are essentially saying ‘lose the war’
Israel livid as Brazil’s Lula says Israel like ‘Hitler,’ committing genocide in Gaza
Calling for ‘Palestinian unity,’ PA premier urges Hamas to attend Moscow meet
Reports: Siding with Ben Gvir, PM plans to limit Arab Israeli Al-Aqsa access on Ramadan
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Israeli reserve soldiers from the Nachal brigade take part in a military drill in the Golan Heights, northern Israel, February 13, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)
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Mon, 19 Feb 2024 - 853 - Day 135 - Exodus into Egypt: Where will civilians in Rafah go?
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.
Today is Day 135 of the war. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.
While the world is watching to see if Israel will launch a Rafah operation, two Hamas battalions still stand in central Gaza and may be higher in the IDF's priorities. Fabian weighs in on apparent preparations.
Since Thursday, the IDF has been operating in a hospital in Khan Younis. What has the IDF told of its operations there?
On Friday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant publicly revealed the identities of 12 UNRWA staff members who Israel says “actively participated” in the Hamas-led October 7 onslaught on southern Israel. We’re also hearing that some 30 more were involved. What does Fabian know?
Egypt has reportedly been preparing an area at the Gaza border that could accommodate Palestinians in case an Israeli military offensive into Rafah prompts an exodus across the frontier. Sources described this as a contingency move. So what is plan A?
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that the southern town of Beit Lif is undergoing Israeli artillery shelling. Also today, the IDF said it carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah positions in the south Lebanon’s village of Yaroun. We hear what is the impetus of these strikes.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Israel reveals 12 UNRWA staffers it says took part in Oct. 7, says 30 more assisted
What Matters Now to Haviv Rettig Gur: UNRWA’s problem isn’t the terrorists in its ranks
Troops raid Gaza hospital in hunt for remains of hostages, nab dozens of terror suspects
Senior Hezbollah commander and deputy killed in targeted IDF strike in south Lebanon
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
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IMAGE: Internally displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip shelter near the border fence with Egypt in Rafah, January 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)
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Sun, 18 Feb 2024 - 852 - Day 134 - How US sanctions on Jewish extremists may start cascade
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.
Today is Day 134 of the war. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden appeared to caution Israel against launching an operation in Rafah while hostage negotiations were ongoing, in his administration’s latest warning over an Israeli offensive in the southern Gaza city. What does this mean?
Is US President Joe Biden distancing himself from Israel, as the war in Gaza progresses through its fifth month with no immediate end in sight? Magid weighs in.
A corporation owned by a settlement municipality signed a contract with one of the Israelis who has been sanctioned by Washington, which could put the government body at risk of being cut off from the US financial system. We hear about this complicated situation.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Biden says doesn’t expect Israel to launch Rafah operation as hostage talks continue
Biden’s foul-mouthed opinion of Netanyahu a bad $#%! sign, but Israel support endures
Contract signed with sanctioned Israeli exposes settler municipality to US sanctions
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
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IMAGE: Screen capture from the Givechak website of the crowd funding campaign for Yinon Levi, the founder of the illegal Meitarim Farm West Bank outpost after he was put on a US sanctions list. (Screen capture, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
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Sat, 17 Feb 2024 - 851 - Day 133 - PM 'categorically' rejects an imposed Palestinian state
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.
Today is Day 133 of the war. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and culture editor Jessica Steinberg join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Amid growing tensions between the two leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden again spoke by phone for 40 minutes Thursday evening, talking about the hostages taken during the October 7 onslaught, Rafah and the next stage in the fight against Hamas, and touched on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. After the call, Netanyahu released a statement in the middle of the night insisting that Israel will not be pressured into accepting a Palestinian state. Schneider weighs in on why he felt the need to release this statement.
On Wednesday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out sending an Israeli delegation for further hostage negotiations in Cairo. He apparently made this decision without consulting the war cabinet. Has there been any political blowback from Netanyahu taking this unilateral decision?
As the fear for their loved ones' safety grows, the hostages’ families are ramping up their efforts to bring global attention to their plight. Steinberg delves into some of the recent campaigns.
Schneider conducted a special project and turned to all 120 members of Knesset to hear their thoughts on the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription. Did she find anything surprising?
Steinberg recently returned from the east coast of the United States where she spoke to numerous Jewish communities. What was her sense of how the Israel-Hamas war is affecting them?
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Netanyahu and Biden speak as divides sharpen on Palestinian state, Rafah operation
Hoping to jar world leaders, hostage’s cousin rebuilds captivity in virtual reality
‘What if they were your children?’: Families demand cabinet return to Cairo talks
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen during a discussion and a vote on the state budget at the assembly hall of the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, February 7, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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Fri, 16 Feb 2024 - 850 - Day 132 - Rumors swirl over 'firm timeline' for Palestinian state
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.
Today is Day 132 of the war. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan in the Jerusalem office for today's episode.
Yesterday, Germany and France expressed opposition to a planned Israeli offensive on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah. At the same time, Spain and Ireland asked the European Union to “urgently” examine whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations in Gaza under an accord linking rights to trade ties.
After Netanyahu called off Israel’s participation in the Cairo hostage negotiations, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to move forward on a deal with Israel to save the Gaza Strip from Israel’s military offensive. Why is Abbas speaking up now?
Israel has released initial indications that the IDF intends to set up coastal tent camps to which civilians will be evacuated from Rafah; other plans include moving civilians from Rafah to Khan Younis once the major fighting in that area has been completed. We hear more.
Today The Washington Post published an in-depth article about a “timeline for a Palestinian state,” which would include "the withdrawal of many, if not all, settler communities on the West Bank; a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem; the reconstruction of Gaza; and security and governance arrangements for a combined West Bank and Gaza.” What does Horovitz make of this?
Yesterday, Horovitz wrote in an op-ed, "The war in Gaza is far from over. The potential for war in the north is growing day by day." In this tit-for-tat conflict across the border, what would potentially be Israel's redline?
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Sooner or later, the IDF will enter Rafah. It may have to fight on northern border, too
Spain, Ireland ask EU to probe if Israel violating human rights in Gaza
PM vetoes further Cairo negotiations on hostages; war cabinet reportedly not consulted
Germany, France fear ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ in Rafah; PM vows to press ahead
US, Arab allies reportedly set to propose Palestinian statehood plan within weeks
Abbas urges Hamas to seal agreement with Israel now to head off another ‘Nakba’
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrators display signs while marching during a protest held to call for a cease fire in the war in Gaza, February 11, 2024, in Braintree, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
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Thu, 15 Feb 2024 - 849 - Day 131 - Central bank wants action after Moody's downgrade
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.
Today is Day 131 of the war. Tech editor Sharon Wrobel and health reporter Renee Ghert-Zand join host Jessica Steinberg.
Wrobel speaks about strong reactions from the central bank and Israeli business leaders who are calling on the government to rethink its spending after Moody’s rating agency lowered Israel’s credit rating on Friday.
Ghert-Zand discusses images of medications found in an IDF video of a major Hamas tunnel, and whether those may have been given to hostages known to have been kept in that tunnel.
Wrobel describes a new overland route being used without fanfare by Israeli importers through Saudi Arabia and Jordan, as they try to avoid the Yemeni Houthi attacks on the Red Sea.
Ghert-Zand talks about a newly released book about Jewish weddings around the world, with varying customs and traditions.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Central bank chief appeals to government to take action after Moody’s downgrade
After Moody’s downgrade, government urged to rethink wartime budget priorities
Footage shows medication packages in Gaza tunnel where hostages were held
Houthi bypass: Quietly, goods forge overland path to Israel via Saudi Arabia, Jordan
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron attends Knesset Finance Committee meeting on January 30, 2024 (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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Wed, 14 Feb 2024 - 848 - Day 130 - Deep, deep under the Red Sea, a new threat looms
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.
Today is Day 130 of the war. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and legal affairs reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode.
Deep under the Red Sea there are undersea cables that provide the internet and communications to many part of Asia, East Africa and the Middle East. Now, apparently these cables are a target by the Houthis. Goren fills us in.
France has delivered a written proposal to Beirut aimed at ending hostilities with Israel and settling the disputed Lebanon-Israel frontier that calls for Hezbollah and other groups to withdraw 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border. Goren explains the pluses and minuses for both sides.
Yesterday, two Palestinians were shot and injured, and a pair of vehicles and a home were torched during violent settler attacks in the northern West Bank. In a later incident in the nearby village of Huwara, a truck belonging to a Palestinian was also set alight by settlers. Sharon fills us in on an uptick of settler violence since October 7.
Preparations for nationwide municipal elections are in full swing ahead of election day on February 27, but 12 municipal authorities will not vote on that date since their inhabitants have been evacuated due to the current conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah. We hear about the arrangements for soldiers, as well as other security concerns.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
France proposes Israel-Lebanon truce deal pushing Hezbollah 10 km from border
Settlers reportedly shoot two Palestinians, torch cars in latest West Bank attacks
With ballot boxes for troops in Gaza, Israel readies for local elections in wartime
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: File - Houthi fighters march during a rally of support for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against the US strikes on Yemen outside Sanaa on January 22, 2024. (AP Photo)
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Tue, 13 Feb 2024 - 847 - Day 129 - Daring hostage rescue brings hope to war-torn nation
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.
Today is Day 129 of the war. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode.
In a complex overnight operation, Israeli special forces rescued two hostages from Hamas captivity in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip early Monday, marking the first successful extraction of captives held by the terror group in months. The released hostages are Fernando Simon Marman, 61, and Norberto Louis Har, 70, who were abducted with Marman’s two sisters and niece. We hear about their status and the mission.
Berman weighs in on whether this rescue mission could influence any hostage negotiations?
We hear about Berman's in-depth look at the tangled knot that is the Rafah operation and how the US-Israel relationship may be fraying.
We hear about how the Super Bowl was used as a platform by Israel and pro-Israel organizations to attempt to win over the hearts and minds of Americans.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
IDF rescues 2 hostages from south Gaza’s Rafah in daring nighttime operation
Mossad, Shin Bet chiefs reportedly to hold Cairo hostage talks if Hamas eases demands
Biden tells Netanyahu: Don’t press into Rafah without ‘credible’ plan for civilians
Netanyahu: US response to attack like Oct. 7 would be ‘at least as strong’ as Israel’s
Key to toppling Hamas, Rafah now a far bigger challenge for Israel than it needed to be
Super Bowl ad on antisemitism features ‘I Have A Dream’ speechwriter Clarence Jones
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Louis Har (L) and Fernando Marman reuniting with their loved ones, at Sheba Medical Center, February 12, 2024 (IDF Spokesperson)
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Mon, 12 Feb 2024 - 846 - Day 128 - Who knew? Deep under UNRWA's Gaza HQ, a Hamas data hub
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.
Today is Day 128 of the war. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode.
A subterranean data center — complete with an electrical room, industrial battery power banks and living quarters for Hamas terrorists operating the computer servers — was discovered beneath the Gaza Strip headquarters of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees, the controversial aid organization known commonly as UNRWA. Is it possible the NGO was kept in the dark?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the IDF to evacuate the 1.3 million Palestinian population currently sheltering in Rafah, the next goal in the IDF's ongoing ground campaign. Where are they meant to go?
For two days in a row, huge barrages of rockets came from Lebanon late last week. . What were these strikes in retaliation to?
The IDF has presented its investigation into the death of hostage Yossi Sharabi in the Gaza Strip to his family. We hear conclusions and also information regarding two other hostages.
A Bedouin Israeli who crossed into the Gaza Strip in 2016 and joined the Hamas terror group has been indicted after IDF troops detained him in December as he was trying to cross back into Israel, the Justice Ministry revealed on Friday. Fabian fills us in.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Directly beneath UNRWA’s Gaza headquarters, IDF uncovers top secret Hamas data center
UNRWA head says agency was in dark about Hamas center under Gaza HQ; Israel: ‘You knew’
IDF reveals Gaza tunnel, previously used by Hamas officials, with cell for hostages
PM says IDF must operate in Rafah, but will let civilians evacuate first
Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets at northern towns, 2nd such barrage in as many days
Top Hamas official in Lebanon survives alleged Israeli strike; 3 others killed
IDF: Hostage Yossi Sharabi was likely killed as a result of IDF strike
Bedouin Israeli who joined Hamas in Gaza in 2016 arrested trying to return to Israel
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Check out the previous Daily Briefing episode:
https://omny.fm/shows/the-daily-briefing/day-127-is-time-running-out-for-us-support-for-gaz
IMAGE: A subterranean Hamas data center underneath UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City, February 8, 2024. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)
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Sun, 11 Feb 2024 - 845 - Day 127 - Is time running out for US support for Gaza operation?
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.
Today is Day 127 of the war. Editor David Horovitz and US bureau chief Jacob Magid join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode.
US President Joe Biden said that the conduct of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza was “over the top.” Horovitz puts this statement into the context of others from US officials in recent weeks.
On Thursday, Biden issued a memorandum requiring allies who receive military aid from the US to provide “credible and reliable written assurances” of their adherence to international law including international human rights law. Magid explains why this new policy is targeting Israel, but was also written with Israel's "blessing."
In statements today, Saudi Arabia and Egypt warned Israel against carrying on with a massive push into Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold in the Strip, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. Horovitz weighs in on the extremely complicated military and diplomatic operations on the horizon.
Despite international calls to defund and shut down UNRWA, replacing the UN’s relief agency for Palestinian refugees in the middle of the Israel-Hamas war would all but end in a humanitarian disaster, according to Andrea De Domenico, who heads the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian territories. What else did Magid learn?
Senior Israeli security officials held a covert meeting with their counterparts from the Palestinian Authority in Tel Aviv this week to discuss efforts to calm tensions in the West Bank and boost its economy ahead of Ramadan. Magid tells us more.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
White House clarifies Biden spoke of Israel when he said Gaza response ‘over the top’
Biden sets new conditions for US military aid amid calls to limit support for Israel
PM says IDF must operate in Rafah, but will let civilians evacuate first
Netanyahu said to believe Israel has 1 month to finish Rafah operation amid global ire
US proposals to fund other agencies instead of UNRWA not viable — senior aid official
Israel talks steps to help West Bank economy in covert meeting with PA officials
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: President Joe Biden walks to board Marine One at the White House in Washington, February 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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Sat, 10 Feb 2024 - 844 - Day 126 - As IDF aims to extend draft time, will Haredim join?
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.
Today is Day 126 of the war. Environmental correspondent Sue Surkes and Arab affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani join host Jessica Steinberg.
Surkes discusses the ongoing issue of the ultra-Orthodox community serving in the IDF, particularly as the IDF looks to extend conscription time for enlisted soldiers and reservists as it prepares for a long war in Gaza.
She also looks at expectations for the rain-fed crops in the south, where wheat and barley are grown and farmers are concerned about irrigation, even after two weeks of steady rain.
Pacchiani talks about a US non-profit organization that is interviewing regular Gazans who are trying to survive the Hamas onslaught and fear for their lives.
He also mentions an US-based Iranian-born artist who is creating murals about the Israel-Iranian relationship and putting them up around the country.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
After the October 7 cataclysm, has the Haredi attitude to serving in the IDF changed?
Winter showers boost wheat crop, but water worries continue to stalk farmers
In Israel, Iranian artist unveils Oct. 7-themed mural honoring Persian-Jewish ties
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Haredi Jews visit Israeli soldiers to show their support as they deploy at a position near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 11, 2023. (Menahem Kahana/AFP)
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Fri, 09 Feb 2024 - 843 - Day 125 - 'Dehumanization' accusations and 'delusional' demands
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.
Today is Day 125 of the war. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Three press conferences were held Wednesday night with differing messages. We begin by looking at strong statements made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said among other things, "Israelis were dehumanized in the most horrific way on October 7th. The hostages have been dehumanized every day since. But that cannot be a license to dehumanize others."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's press conference was in response to a Hamas "ceasefire" proposal, which he called, “delusional.” He stated that Israel is “within touching distance of absolute victory,” and that Hamas’s defeat will be the “victory of the entire free world.”
And finally, five women released from captivity in Gaza during a weeklong truce in late November made an emotional plea, calling on the government to do everything necessary to secure the release of the remaining 136 hostages, saying only that would represent an “absolute victory” for Israel.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Israel cannot use Oct. 7 as ‘license to dehumanize others,’ Blinken warns in Tel Aviv
Don’t ‘dehumanize others’: Full text of presser from Blinken’s 7th wartime Israel visit
PM: Absolute victory within reach; surrender to Hamas demands would bring disaster
Released hostages tell PM: Only saving remaining captives will be ‘absolute victory’
With IDF hamstrung and Hamas scenting a way out, Netanyahu dodges strategic decisions
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas'sonslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Image: File - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken give a press statement after their meeting at the Prime Minister Office in Jerusalem, on January 30, 2023. (Yoav Ari Dudkevitch/POOL)
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Thu, 08 Feb 2024 - 842 - Day 124 - After 4 months, Hamas makes an offer Israel can refuse
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.
Today is Day 124 of the war. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and health reporter Renee Ghert-Zand join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
In response to a proposal sent last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators that was backed by the United States and Israel, Hamas has proposed a three-phase ceasefire plan that lead to an end to the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly declared that the war will not end without total victory over Hamas. We hear about the plan and how Israel may respond.
Weeks after medicine was delivered to the Gaza Strip for hostages held in Gaza, the countries involved in the complex operation still do not know whether the drugs eventually reached the captives. What is being done and by whom to discover what happened?
Argentinian President Javier Milei landed in Israel yesterday to much fanfare and made a bombshell announcement of moving the embassy to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. What else is on his schedule?
New research indicates that a quarter of Israelis are experiencing dreams so scary and vivid that they are waking us up in the middle of the night. What else did Ghert-Zand learn from Dr. Udi Bonshtein, chief psychologist at Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya?
This war has seen dozens of war widows, many of whom are pregnant. Ahead of Family Day in Israel on Friday, Ghert-Zand looked into a new support organization.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Hamas proposes 3-stage 135-day truce and hostage deal, leading to war’s end – reports
France seeking ‘verifiable proof’ that medicines reached hostages in Gaza
In first bilateral visit, Argentina’s Milei says he will move embassy to Jerusalem
Trying to get a good night’s sleep has been a nightmare for many Israelis since Oct. 7
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, gestures on stage during a rally in Gaza City, on May 24, 2021. (Mahmud Hams/ AFP/ File)
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Wed, 07 Feb 2024 - 841 - Day 123 - Political acrimony may thwart PM's 'total victory' vow
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.
Today is Day 123 of the war. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and education reporter Gavriel Fiske join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to fly to Egypt today as part of a Middle East crisis tour seeking a new truce and “an enduring end” to the Israel-Hamas war. However, a political campaign against any deal is getting huge pushback from within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid reiterated his offer to enter the government to replace the ultranationalist wing to secure backing for a deal to free hostages still captive in Gaza. Goren explains why this isn't a realistic option for Netanyahu.
At the same time, rumors of increasingly strained relations between the prime minister and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are increasingly disturbing. Goren describes why.
The Israel Defense Forces will hold an early recruitment round in March of some 1,300 Israelis currently enrolled in pre-army, yeshiva, and community service programs. A new grassroots protest movement of mostly mothers is speaking out against the lack of parity between the secular and religious conscripts being called up. Fiske tells us more.
Out of some 360,000 reservists called up to the war by the IDF, an estimated 100,000 were enrolled in one of Israel’s major universities — accounting for around 30 percent of all students enrolled for the current academic year. Now that many are released from service, how are they reintegrating?
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Netanyahu pressured on hostage deal, as Ben Gvir, Smotrich lash out at US
IDF confirms 1,300 to be recruited early from pre-army programs
Released IDF reservists head back to school, but not everything is a matter of course
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING:The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 28, 2023. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP, File)
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Tue, 06 Feb 2024
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