The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The Israeli military said on Friday that it was ramping up its forces on all fronts ahead of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, which starts on Sunday evening and ends on Monday night. Fabian explains what this means in practice.

A Hamas commander who invaded Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught was killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip last week, the Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday, as Palestinian media reported several people killed in separate Israeli strikes across the enclave. We learn of additional targeted killings and reports of civilian fatalities alongside these strikes.

Southern Lebanon saw renewed tensions over the weekend, with two IDF soldiers wounded by a Hezbollah roadside bomb and Israeli and Lebanese troops facing off near the military’s buffer zone. Fabian compares the activity in Lebanon and Gaza.

Iran is rapidly advancing the reconstruction of a nuclear facility that was previously bombed by Israel, according to satellite images cited in a report Thursday by the Institute for Science and International Security. We hear Fabian's assessment of the likelihood of a third Israeli strike on the site.

A senior intelligence officer who is believed to have played a key role in the failures that led to the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught was formally dismissed from the military on Thursday, following months of deliberations over the matter. We hear why this still isn't exactly the end of the saga that includes pooh-poohing intel that could have prevented the massacre.

President Isaac Herzog said Saturday evening that he had granted a pardon to Elor Azaria, a former IDF soldier convicted of killing an incapacitated Palestinian attacker in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2016, after the military opposed giving the pardon. Fabian reminds us of the controversial case and explains how the IDF opposes the presidential pardon that expunges Azaria's criminal record.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Ahead of Yom Kippur, IDF bolsters forces on all fronts; Gaza crossing to close Sun-Mon

IDF says Oct. 7 invader killed in Gaza; strikes across Strip reportedly leave 5 dead

IDF says it struck Hezbollah sites after terror group’s bomb wounded 2 troops

Satellite images show Iran rapidly working to rebuild nuclear site bombed by Israel

Gaza Division intel officer on October 7 formally dismissed from the IDF

Herzog pardons soldier who killed incapacitated Palestinian stabber in 2016, against IDF position

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, we chew on the new documentary now in theaters, "You Had To Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way)."

As depicted in the delightful film, if you ever wondered how a whole parcel of comedy greats got their starts, it was in a Canadian production of "Godspell" in 1972 that was a resounding success at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre.

All stars aligned to bring together the constellation of Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin and Jayne Eastwood, with musical director Paul Shaffer. Ironically, the musical depicting Jesus and his disciples was heavily Jewish -- sometimes with comical results.

Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the head of Realign for Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse.

Before Alkhatib gives us an overview of the conditions on the ground right now in the Gaza Strip, he speaks to social media allegations that he is a "Zionist" or "pro-Israel stooge" because of his staunch anti-Hamas stance and willingness to engage with Israelis and Jews.

He speaks to how the "pro-Palestine industrial complex" marches in lockstep to condemn and blame Israel, giving two examples: the recent Haaretz report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned about the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel and the unreserved acceptance of the narrative portrayed in the new film "NAZA."

Alkhatib goes through the recent claims made against Netanyahu and explains how, in his assessment, there are other agendas at work by a variety of actors. Something doesn't add up, he says.

Turning to "NAZA" and its unprecedented 25-minute standing ovation, Alkhatib again turns the spotlight on the double standard the world employs when discussing Hamas versus Israel.

"Ironically, Israelis are believed when they criticize their government and their military and their people and their army, but Palestinians against Hamas in Gaza... they're not believed. They're called traitors, or they're silenced or they're viewed as inconvenient, by the same people that gave that long standing ovation," he says.

"It's enraging to me that Hamas is afforded the benefit of the doubt," he says, adding that residents of Gaza are likewise enraged that they remain held captive by a terrorist regime that is given a "pass" by the international community and pro-Palestine activists.

Finally, Alkhatib announces that his new short book, "Hamas and its Two Million Hostages" -- part memoir, part an attempt to explain how Hamas's stranglehold on the people in the Gaza Strip is only tightening -- will soon be translated into Hebrew. (Arabic is also in the plans.)

And so this week, we ask Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, 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 Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

Benny Gantz was in the headlines in Israel and often across the globe for the better part of two decades. He was the 20th IDF chief of staff during two major operations against Hamas, was opposition leader, served as defense minister, and for the eight months after October 7, was a senior member in the war cabinet.

His fortunes have changed, however, His party is polling well below the electoral threshold, and there are no signs that is about to change. Opposition figures are calling for Gantz to drop out, warning he will waste tens of thousands of votes that could prove decisive in replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But Gantz insists he is in the race for the long run. Gantz said that he doesn't owe anything to anyone except his own voters. He acknowledges that he won't be prime minister, but says that he can be the bridge between the camps in a broad Zionist unity government.

Everything is possible for Israel with a unity government, he said, while no problem can be addressed without one.

Netanyahu, he said, needs to be replaced. October 7 was his responsibility, said Gantz, and Netanyahu has also divided Israeli society.

He was fairly optimistic about Israel's operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, saying that Israel cannot allow radical forces to build up capabilities that could be used to attack Israel. Gantz stressed that Israel is not taking revenge in Gaza, but is securing its own future by working to defeat Hamas. Lazar Focus is available on all podcast platforms.

This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Following headlines worldwide and widespread anger in Israel over the allegations made in documentary film ‘NAZA’ about Israel's policies on civilian fatalities in the Gaza war, Magid reports that the Foreign Ministry has recommended to diplomats to dial down attacks on the Israeli filmmakers, assessing that ongoing furious Israeli denials are harming rather than helping.

While the next official round of talks between Israel and Lebanon is delayed to next month, Magid notes that a small meeting between the Israeli ambassador to the US and the Lebanese ambassador took place in Washington, with each party reporting that there hasn't been enough progress on either side, in terms of the Lebanese army disarming Hezbollah and Israel withdrawing from some parts of southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, a Lebanese official spoke with Magid -- although interviews with Israeli press are forbidden --  relaying the message that Lebanon does want to disarm Hezbollah and that Israel’s strikes in southern Lebanon have become too indiscriminate.

Magid also reports on the recent talks between the Houthis and the US regarding its seizure of a strategic stretch of the Red Sea coast, noting that engagement with the Iran-backed militia risks normalizing its status as an address for negotiation rather than an illegitimate actor.

After Vice President JD Vance stated in a podcast interview that US Mideast policy can't be subservient to Israel's needs, Magid discusses other aspects of the interview, including that Vance called Israel an important partner and that relationships with all US allies are based on US interests.

Finally, Magid reviews details from a leaked Board of Peace committee document summarizing 71 intended construction projects in Gaza, noting that it's all on hold because Israel hasn't agreed to the current disarmament plan.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Israeli government sends diplomats talking points to respond to ‘NAZA’ — report

Israeli, Lebanese envoys hold ‘positive’ meeting in Washington

Lebanese official to ToI: ‘Indiscriminate’ IDF strikes hinder Hezbollah disarmament

Vance: US cannot let its Mideast foreign policy be ‘subservient to Israel’

Houthis met US officials in Oman, promised not to hit American, Israeli ships — sources

Gaza-bound technocrats draw up 71 rebuilding projects, which hinge on Israeli approval

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ari Schlacht produced this episode.

IMAGE: US bureau chief Jacob Magid appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (AP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthis accused the rebels on Wednesday of targeting Islam’s holy city Mecca, sparking outrage across the Muslim world. The rebels immediately denied the accusation but did announce later in the day that they had shot down a Saudi fighter jet.

At the same time, the Houthis have captured more strategic islands in the southern Red Sea, strengthening their control of the major maritime shipping route Bab el-Mandeb, and putting more of an economic squeeze on the Saudis.

We learn how the military chiefs of Israel, the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt held a meeting in Germany last week about the war with Iran and regional tensions, according to the Axios news site. And we hear about how the recent Mecca Accords between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey are not bearing military fruit.

As the conflict deepens across the region, Berman weighs in on Saudi Arabia's requests for help from its allies and neighbors, and why, specifically, the United States appears to hope to stay out of it -- for now.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

‘Red line’: Houthis accused of targeting Mecca for first time in current flare-up

IDF chief met army heads of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, other Arab states to discuss Iran – report

What the closure of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could mean for oil flows

Houthis seize more key islands in Red Sea, launch attacks into Saudi Arabia

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Ariela Karmel joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Israel’s upcoming election officially took shape last week, as the last of 38 parties submitted their candidate slates for the October 27 vote. We learn about the last-minute drama and surprises.

Yesterday, the left-wing Democrat Party petitioned the Central Elections Committee to bar National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit slate from running. The party, led by Yair Golan, accused the right-wingers of undermining democracy, denying “the existence of the State of Israel as a democratic state,” and inciting racism. Karmel explains how this is expected political theater -- used by both sides of the aisle.

Karmel writes in a recent analysis that, "Reflecting a broad rightward shift among the Israeli electorate, Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot is winning voters on the right and leading in the polls by presenting a party that in many ways resembles the Likud of yesteryear." She speaks about Likud's attempts to brand  the Yashar head as a "leftist" -- and what this means in Israeli society.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Israel’s election takes shape as 38 parties submit slates, in battle between pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs

Finalizing slate, Netanyahu fills reserved Likud slots with allies, ideologues

Democrats seek to bar Otzma Yehudit from election as polls show continued deadlock

As parties lock in, Eisenkot plots path to power through heart of old Likud

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Israeli politicians assail the Israeli filmmakers behind documentary “NAZA,” about Israel’s alleged AI-assisted killing of civilians in Gaza, Fabian discusses the IDF's immediate response, accusing the filmmakers of making false and unverified claims.

Fabian reports on recent IDF strikes in Gaza that killed several well-known, senior Hamas commanders, and notes that these strikes receive less attention than they did in the past.

Fabian discusses two incidents in the West Bank over the weekend -- concerning an off-duty soldier who fired at Palestinians he said were throwing stones, and a soldier who shot and injured a Palestinian during a settler clash.

After the IDF blew up Hezbollah's underground facility beneath Lebanon's Ali Taher Ridge, Fabian details aspects of the complex, and explains why it took so long to carry out the operation.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Culture minister urges revoking citizenship of ‘NAZA’ film creators for ‘treason’

IDF says it killed two Hamas engineers in Gaza strike; 13 others reported injured

IDF kills commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade in southern Gaza airstrike

IDF soldier shoots, injures Palestinian who posed no apparent threat amid settler clash

Off-duty soldier suspended for firing at Palestinians in West Bank, says they threw stones

IDF blows up Hezbollah’s ‘strategic’ complex beneath south Lebanon’s Ali Taher Ridge

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Today, we're taking a break from the news and getting a sneak peek into Schneider's new Hebrew-language book, "Milchama Mishelahen" ("Israel's Women Warriors").

Recently published by Yediot Aharonoth, the book charts Israel's female fighters -- from the pre-state underground resistance movements to the landmark court case of Alice Miller, to today's combat soldiers.

Schneider describes how, immediately on October 7, 2023, she knew it was imperative to chronicle the s valor committed by groups of female soldiers -- often in the face of certain death. We hear how their sacrifice saved innumerable Israelis and turned the tide of a wave of Hamas terrorists in several locations.

However, there are still immense challenges to the integration of women into the combat forces. Schneider gives humorous -- and devastating -- examples of the cultural bias women face.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Check out the first chapter of Tal Schneider's new book (Hebrew)

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with the head of the Israel Democracy Institute, Yohanan Plesner.

As millions of Israeli voters will cast a fateful ballot on October 27, what are the top three issues driving them to the polls -- and why?

Plesner, a former member of Knesset for the now-defunct Kadima party, begins the program by explaining the purpose and goals of the IDI, which he calls a "think-and-do-tank."

We learn about the overabundance of parties that officially registered this week, the use of joint party "lists" to reduce wasted votes and how a politician's word may be somewhat flexible, leading to broken promises.

Even after a vote is cast, the challenges in setting up a stable coalition are immense. It is not at all clear that we're not about to head to another series of inconclusive elections, warns Plesner.

And so this week, we ask Yohanan Plesner 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 Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, we abandon all pretense of intellectuality and hunker down to watch the new Gal Gadot vehicle, "The Runner," now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The film is a fast-paced sprint through London, during which Gadot must arrive at a certain location to save her son, who is in an induced diabetic coma.

The plot seems simple, but the end carries a twist that got Borschel-Dan's husband thinking the whole week.

Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

Israel's relationship with the West, especially Europe, took an unhappy turn this week, as UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced that his country would be imposing widespread sanctions on Israel's settlements.

France and Canada said they would impose similar penalties, while other European countries called for EU measures against Israeli settlements.

The European Leadership Network, or ELNET, works to improve ties between Israel and Europe. Yossi Abravanel, ELNET Israel's deputy director, joined Lazar Focus to explain why countries are announcing sanctions now, and how Israel should respond.

According to Abravanel, domestic politics is the main driver of the decision to impose sanctions on Israeli settlements. He said that countries are willing to harm their own interests to appease anti-Israel voters, and that an advisor to the previous British prime minister Keir Starmer told him as much.

He said that Israel should not "go too far" in its response to the sanctions. Europe is Israel's largest trade partner, he stressed.

Israel must keep lines of communication with European countries open, and stress that Israel is a democracy fighting for shared values.

Encouragingly, Abravanel noted that opposition parties in many countries considered hostile to Israel, including in Spain, pledge that they will overturn anti-Israel moves by sitting left-wing governments.

He emphasized that Germany, which opposed the sanctions, works to protect Israel in the EU every day, and Israelis should recognize the lengths to which Germany goes for the Jewish state.

Lazar Focus is available on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Following this week's MEAD conference in Washington, DC, Magid reports on a conversation with a Board of Peace official who says that cooperation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Gaza was mostly positive, until the Israeli leader entered campaign mode and wants to avoid any notion that he is acquiescing to Hamas.

On the topic of Gaza, Magid discusses another Board of Peace matter: the stalled training of 283,000 Palestinian police, as Israel currently won't allow the vetted applicants to leave Gaza to train in Egypt.

Magid reports on a conversation at MEAD with the president of Somaliland, the self-declared republic that broke from Somalia in 1991 and which Israel recognized in December 2025, and the president's discussion about sending troops to Gaza.

On the topic of Gaza, Magid discusses another Board of Peace matter: the stalled training of 283,000 Palestinian police, as Israel currently won’t allow the vetted applicants to leave Gaza to train in Egypt.

Magid also reports on a conversation at MEAD with the president of Somaliland — the self-declared republic that broke from Somalia in 1991 and that Israel recognized in December 2025 — about sending troops to Gaza.

Following US President Donald Trump’s recent messaging regarding the United Kingdom’s far-reaching sanctions on the West Bank, Magid notes that the US leader said mildly that he wanted to discuss the matter further with Israel. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio notably did not condemn the British move, and said the US wants to see more stability in the West Bank.

Magid also discusses efforts in the Palestinian Authority to try and obtain a travel visa for President Mahmoud Abbas to speak at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York, after the US said it is planning to bar him due to its ongoing frustration with the PA.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Board of Peace official: We won’t have leverage over Netanyahu until after election

Israel barring recruits it vetted for Gaza police from leaving Strip for training

Trump, briefed in advance, didn’t ask UK to wait with settlement sanctions — official

PA submits US entry applications, testing plan to ban Abbas from UN confab — officials

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ari Schlacht produced this episode.

IMAGE: US bureau chief Jacob Magid appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (Courtesy)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Tuesday announced a ban on all dealings with West Bank settlements, as well as sweeping sanctions and a range of other punitive measures. His speech in the House of Commons featured Britain’s strongest-ever criticism of the settlement enterprise and Israel’s “unlawful occupation.” We delve into the various allegations leveled at Israel and how Miliband leverages his Jewish background to make them.

Some 10 days before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was personally warned by the leader of the United Arab Emirates that Hamas was planning a major offensive move against Israel, but he did not update Israeli security leaders and did nothing with the information, according to a report on Tuesday that was verified by our US bureau chief Jacob Magid. Why are these charges being made now?

Many in Israel heard booms last night as Iranian missiles were shot down over Jordan. This comes after the US military on Tuesday said it destroyed five oil tankers in Iran’s so-called shadow fleet following a pair of attempted Iranian ballistic missile attacks targeting an American warship the previous day. Berman updates us on the current status of the US-Iran war and speaks about how it is influencing Israel's neighborhood.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Denouncing ‘ethnic cleansing’ in West Bank, UK announces ban on all dealings with settlements

Full speech: Ed Miliband says entire occupation unlawful, slams ‘settler terrorists’ and Israeli government that indulges them

Trump, briefed in advance, didn’t ask UK to wait with settlement sanctions — official

Days before Oct. 7, UAE leader warned Netanyahu Hamas was planning war, but PM did nothing with info – report

US hits Iranian oil tankers after attempted missile attacks on American Navy

Touting improved ballistic missile, Iran vows preemptive action against threats

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US reporter Luke Tress joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

For the past several years, Tress has noted an uptick in hateful rhetoric and flyers that are attributing housing disputes in New York City to Israel or “Zionists.” The rhetoric appears to mark a growing new front in anti-Zionist activism in the city. We delve into a history of disputes between Jews and their neighbors, including about housing, and what makes this new iteration different.

Security spending for US Jewish communities has surpassed an estimated $1.05 billion per year, a new record, the Jewish Federations of North America said on Thursday. The 2025 average annual security expenditure for a Jewish institution was around $225,000, the federations said, adding that the total cost could be used to provide Jewish day school tuition to around 44,000 children. Tress explains what legislation Jewish leaders are now pushing US lawmakers to pass.

Tress reports on a group of non-Jewish Ukrainian university students who are studying Yiddish in a class at The Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, part of a new program between the university and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York City. What brings these young adults to this wacky extracurricular?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

In protests and politics, ‘Zionists’ are being blamed for NYC housing woes

US Jewish community security costs surpass $1 billion per year — study

War-weary Ukrainian students learn Yiddish to reclaim a Jewish past nearly erased at home

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Environmental reporter Sue Surkesjoins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.

We open by diving into the unprecedented shutdown of five of Israel’s six desalination plants last week. Surkes reports that the closures have exposed a growing strategic vulnerability: the country’s near-total dependence on large coastal facilities for drinking water.

Surkes explains that the plants, all along the southern Mediterranean coast, were forced offline by microalgae swept north by waves from the Nile Delta. While the majority of plants are back online, reduced output continues as of publication.

We pivot to focus on the pollution clogging up the Hebron Stream.  She explains how raw sewage, construction byproducts, and illegal dumping are contaminating the waterway and threatening one of the region’s important natural water sources. She also speaks about why efforts to address the issue have stalled thus far.

We close the episode with a brief survey of Israeli-led sustainable food science initiatives that have progressed over the summer, including Weizmann scientists on the path to creating food from air and Hebrew University researchers extracting milk proteins from safflower plants.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

News editor Ben Sales joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

After US Ambassador Mike Huckabee met with Palestinians on Saturday and called for severe consequences for violent settlers, Sales notes the American diplomat is trying to say two things, continuing his longtime support of the settlement enterprise in the West Bank alongside the need to deal with Jewish terrorists.

Sales then turns to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, questioning whether the upcoming election will be the first time the longtime leader will possibly lose, given that he has enemies among some of the new centrist parties who say they don't want to sit with him in any government.

Finally, Sales looks at the commonalities between Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and his friendship with anti-Israel podcaster Hasan Piker, and US Vice President JD Vance and his friendship with right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson, discussing the antisemitic similarities on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Huckabee, in West Bank, urges severe consequences for settler violence: ‘Terror is terror’

One-hit wonders keep saving Netanyahu. This time, he might be played out

El-Sayed and Vance call each other ‘evil,’ while both handling antisemitism the same way

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: News editor Ben Sales appears on the Daily Briefing with podcast host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

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Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This month marks the 60th anniversary of the pioneering sci-fi series, Star Trek. Expert in all things Trekky, Hoffman, when he's not schmoozing with Borschel-Dan, also hosts the STARLOG podcast and co-wrote The Star Trek Book of Friendship.

So this week, the duo nerd out on all things Jewish behind the beloved franchise -- Spock's famous hand gesture is adapted from the Priestly Blessing, in one notable example. Eventually, we laser in on two episodes that illustrate the show's ethos.

From the original Star Trek television series, Hoffman chose "The City on the Edge of Forever." We hear about how, when time-traveling to 1930s New York, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock faced a tough decision to stave off a potential global Nazi takeover.

And in Deep Space Nine's "In the Hands of the Prophets," we see how the program deals with themes of religious extremism versus science.

Let’s hear who gave this series an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt.

As antisemitism surges worldwide by some 900% over the past decade, Greenblatt explores how the 113-year-old organization's mission to protect Jews has -- and has not -- evolved to meet the new challenge.

In light of the drastic uptick in hate, Borschel-Dan jokes that the ADL commands more money than a very small sovereign state (she erroneously names Nauru) and asks if the organization has failed in its mission.

Greenblatt assures her that a $100 million annual budget is a drop in the bucket against well-oiled hate machines funded by petrol states and says the ADL, like all other Jewish organizations, is working to regain its footing in a post-October 7 world.

We learn how the foundational anti-hate body has had to make some tough choices and how it is increasingly leaning on AI to reinforce its human staff.

And so this week, we ask Jonathan Greenblatt 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 Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Amid the resumed US-Iran fighting, US President Donald Trump is playing down the potential for escalation, reports Magid, and telling Israel not to worry.

Additionally, Magid discusses the administration's attempts to pressure Iran with economic sanctions, a lengthy process that will impact pricing for Americans at the gas pump, and will also require cooperation from a range of countries with diverse interests, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and China.

The US issued slightly stronger condemnation than usual of West Bank settler violence, denouncing criminal violence and calling for investigations, arrests and prosecutions, but didn’t specifically mention settlers, or Israel, in its statement, notes Magid.

The US-backed Board of Peace called out Israel's continued strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza, Magid also reports, as the Israeli government appears to be waiting until after the October 27 elections to make any substantive policy shifts.

Magid also updates us on a Palestinian banking crisis, which was averted at the eleventh hour, with Israeli banks Discount and Hapoalim agreeing to continue providing correspondent banking services until January 1.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party is attempting to reconcile internal feuds ahead of planned Palestinian legislative elections at the end of November.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump: ‘Israel should not worry’ about latest Iran clashes, war will wind down soon

US issues harsher censure of ‘West Bank violence,’ without explicitly blaming Israel

Board of Peace envoy knocks Israel’s ‘unacceptable’ Gaza policy as disarmament plan stalls

Palestinian banking crisis averted, as Israeli bank delays plan to halt collaboration

Feuding Fatah officials meet as internal rifts risk poor showing in November election

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ari Schlacht produced this episode.

IMAGE: US bureau chief Jacob Magid appears on the Times of Israel Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (AP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

“Special forces” of the Shin Bet captured the commander of Hamas’s internal security apparatus in a “bold operation” in Gaza City on Tuesday morning, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the military, and the domestic security agency. It is the first time since the ceasefire that Israel is publicizing a raid deep inside the Gaza Strip. Fabian takes us through what we know.

The IDF on Tuesday dismissed a reservist commander who, along with his troops, was filmed in early August praying with settlers besieging the Palestinian village of Qusra, rather than removing them from their illegal outpost. Fabian reviews the timeline of the siege on the village and how the IDF is -- or is not -- dealing with the extremist settlers conducting it.

The commander of the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion on Sunday sentenced 16 of his troops to prison after they refused to enter an armored personnel carrier in the Gaza Strip for operational activity last week because a female paramedic was attached to the force. We discuss the evolving roles of women in the military and whether it could even function without female soldiers.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Israel confirms capturing Hamas internal security chief in Gaza City raid

IDF ousts reservist who prayed with besieging settlers; still no arrests for Qusra attack

16 Givati soldiers sent to prison for refusing to enter APC with female paramedic

Bar Kalifa tapped as top IDF West Bank officer, weeks after Katz announced move on TV

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

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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.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Ruling out a nuclear option, US President Donald Trump on Monday vowed a response to Iran’s overnight strikes on US forces in Jordan, as tensions again ramped up between the sides after a monthlong lull in fighting. Horovitz brings us up to speed with what is happening -- and not -- with the war right now.

Some 2.6 million students and preschoolers returned to school Tuesday morning at some 28,000 institutions around the country, as Israel marked the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year. Horovitz delves into some of the challenges the system faces and how critical it is to overhaul it.

Ra’am party head Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovitz — a Jewish, Zionist former police official, lawmaker and deputy minister — announced Monday evening that Segalovitz will run with Ra’am, an Arab party, in the October 27 election. We hear about the reasons for the merger as well as its immediate blowback.

Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, insinuated without evidence in an interview aired Monday that left-wing politician Yair Golan had advance notice of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught. Of course, this drew a furious response from Golan's Democrats Party, but could the Israeli public believe this conspiracy theory?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump vows response to Iranian strike on US troops in Jordan as tensions ratchet up

‘What a stupid question’: Trump rules out idea of nuking Iran amid renewed tensions

2.6 million students return to school amid teacher shortages, systemic challenges

In unprecedented move, Abbas and Segalovitz announce joint run, bringing Jewish lawmaker to Arab party’s slate

Full speech: Yoav Segalovitz joins Arab party Ra’am with hopes for ‘a shared future’

Breaking silence, Netanyahu decries ‘criminal violence’ after settlers again raid besieged village

Sara Netanyahu pushes conspiracy theory that left-wing leader Golan had advance knowledge of Oct. 7

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Sam Sokoljoins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

With a growing number of new splinter parties on the right and center-right, some of them founded by former Netanyahu allies, Sokol reviews the latest additions, noting that most of these third-bloc parties, not part of the coalition or opposition blocs, are polling below the electoral threshold as all jockey for position.

Sokol reports on the campaign of former IDF general Ofer Winter, who has placed himself firmly in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp even as he criticizes the Netanyahu government, but whose People of Israel party appears to be thriving at the cost of the Religious Zionism party of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Sokol also reports on a new Haredi party, The Charedi Public, founded by Beit Shemesh deputy mayor Moti Leitner, to challenge the preeminent ideologies in the ultra-Orthodox community and be more responsive to the needs and demands of the Haredi public.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

With only days left to submit slates, small parties are still jockeying for position

Netanyahu warns Winter’s party could ‘bring down’ his coalition, urges meeting

With debutant Winter poised to cannibalize his bloc, Netanyahu has reason to sweat

Winter launches nationalist ‘People of Israel’ party; Netanyahu warns it could doom the right

No slate, no HQ: Sharren Haskel wages an uphill fight to return to the Knesset

Launching campaign, new Haredi party slams ‘detachment, stupidity’ of existing factions

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

IMAGE: Political correspondent Sam Sokol appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

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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.

Health reporter Diana Bletter joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.

Following a recent reporting visit to Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, Bletter discusses the significant uptick in Druze applications for Israeli citizenship instead of permanent residency, a change due to the recent regime change in Syria.

Bletter turns to health issues, including the scientific risks of UV tanning. Bletter reports that the UV index has gone viral on social media in Israel and around the world, used as a guide for when people can achieve the best bronzing.

A new study conducted by scientists at Weizmann Institute of Science shows that the active ingredient in Viagra disrupts cancer cells' metastasis, notes Bletter.

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and edited by Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

Taking a break from pulling classics out of the vaults, this week's film, "Don't Say Good Luck," just dropped on Netflix.

Sunny Sandler stars as a 16-year-old theater kid, backed up by a cast including Melanie Lynskey, Max Greenfield, Stephanie Beatriz, Bebe Neuwirth, and Steve Buscemi.

Within minutes, it's clear that what could have been a superficial teen flick produced by Adam and Jackie Sandler is a relatable look at "the show going on" while a family member fights cancer. Notes Hoffman, that depth may be due in part to the involvement of director Julia Hart and co-producer/writer Jordan Horowitz -- both veteran filmmakers with proven hits.

However, it is Sunny Sandler who is the glowing glue of the movie, providing singing and acting chops rare in a 16-year-old.

Hoffman gives a bit of the backstory behind the movie's production and insight into the choice of "The Waitress" as the play within the film. Labeling it a "weeper," he qualifies that it's not really a downer, rather realistically portrays the family's dilemmas.

Borschel-Dan, who watched with two of her teenagers, realizes they are 100% the target audience for this intergenerational, Jewish-coded tale that is all too familiar.

Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with author Yossi Klein Halevi.

The Hartman Institute senior fellow, writer and thinker joins us in our Jerusalem studio for a probing conversation about Jewish extremism.

Klein Halevi is the author of the 1995 "Memoirs of a Jewish Extremist," based on his time spent as a disciple of far-right racist firebrand Meir Kahane. He is uniquely poised to delve into the psyche of the violent fringe terrorizing West Bank Palestinian and shaking members of the settler movement.

We discuss the throughline between the era that spawned Kahane and his followers and today's national traumas that are spurring extremists to believe Kahane was right all along.

Through Kahane's vanities and human frailties, Klein Halevi realized that the cult of personality was dangerous and unhealthy. We ask, what happens if adherents believe their racist violence is actually in the service of God?

Klein Halevi, optimistic that these youth can be awoken, sets out conditions that could, slowly, allow for their transformation.

And so this week, we ask Yossi Klein Halevi, 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 Yitzchak Ledee.

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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.

ToI founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

After Israel struck a military base in Syria, where Turkey was apparently ready to deploy forces, Horovitz reviews the ensuing diplomatic ruckus between Israel, Turkey and Syria, with a US envoy castigating Israel but the White House silent.

Following this week's meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump aide Jared Kushner regarding the Board of Peace plan for Gaza, Horovitz explains the shared goal but differing approaches of the US and Israel, and highlights the need to not only disarm Hamas but also drain its coffers.

Horovitz examines the results of Monday's Likud primary and the options still available for Netanyahu to parachute a few of his own selected candidates to high slots on the party's final Knesset slate. He also updates us on the emergence of yet another small party, and a renewed alliance between three established ones.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

‘Don’t’: Netanyahu says he warned Turkey before Israel struck Syrian base

PM, Kushner clashed over continued Israeli strikes on Oct. 7 terrorists — officials

Hamas must be drained of its money as well as its weapons

Arab-majority Hadash, Ta’al and Balad parties agree on joint run after striking deal

Hawkish ex-general Ofer Winter expected to launch new party next week, shaking up the right

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz appears on Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

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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.

Culture editor Jessica Steinberg joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Former hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen took to the stage last week to sing nine songs he composed in his head during 498 days of Hamas captivity in Gaza. Steinberg was there and sets the scene ahead of a broader discussion on what other creative efforts are produced by former hostages, now thrust into a strange celebrity status.

Director Avi Nesher’s latest film, “Our Loves,” will be screened at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival, featured in the Centrepiece program that highlights feature films from established directors. This piece of news, once unsurprising, is noteworthy during a de facto boycott of most Israeli artists around the world. Steinberg takes us into how some filmmakers and musicians, including Noga Erez, are handling this boycott.

To close the program, we hear about other new films on the horizon that cover the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel -- and its aftermath -- from several different angles.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Former hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen returns home to perform songs he composed in Hamas captivity

Avi Nesher’s Oct. 7 retelling, ‘Our Loves,’ to screen at Toronto Film Festival

Noga Erez and Ori Rousso share intimate details in new documentary ‘Noga’

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top aide Jared Kushner met with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in the Egyptian coastal city of El-Alamein on Sunday before meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem yesterday. We discuss the normalization of the US conducting direct talks with Hamas and a potential new way forward being floated by the Board of Peace.

As the 60-day memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has run out, in a wide-ranging phone interview with Fox News, US President Donald Trump said he had “no time schedule” for the conflict. Magid also delves into the visible mixed messaging between the president and Vice President J.D. Vance over the war's goals.

And finally, we turn to the ongoing saga taking place at the Palestinian village of Qusra, near Nablus. International media attention has been spotlighting the location for over a week after settlers began surrounding several new houses built on its outskirts, trapping residents inside in an apparent effort to force them out. The IDF’s actions — and inactions — have generated condemnation around the world.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Kushner meets Hamas chief in Egypt in push for Gaza disarmament; IDF continues strikes

Meeting with Kushner, PM doubles down on IDF remaining in Gaza until Hamas disarmed

Amid Israeli pushback, source reveals Board of Peace weighing new disarmament framework

Trump threatens to bomb Oman over its deal with Iran on Hormuz, as 60-day MOU expires

Palestinian-American raises US flag upon return to Qusra home besieged by settlers

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US reporter Luke Tress joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

A man disrupted Shabbat services and attacked a guard and a congregant at Central Synagogue in Manhattan on Friday night. The violent disturbance comes days after rabbis from a swath of Jewish denominations met with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, warning him that his repeated broadsides against the Jewish state were harmful to the Jewish community. Tress weighs in, explaining that Jews were targeted in 70% of all hate crimes in New York City in July.

On Thursday, Tress attended part of a course that Israeli first responders from Magen David Adom (MDA) taught to members of the US-based volunteer synagogue security group, the Community Security Service (CSS) to train them how to respond in mass casualty events. He reports back about this new, too-realistic threat.

In the second half of the program, we learn about an in-depth report Tress wrote about three recent federal US terrorism cases that investigated humanitarian crowdfunding campaigns out of, or relating to, Gaza. The cases highlight potential abuse of the loosely regulated platforms and the intersection of terror financing, social media and cryptocurrency.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Assailant disrupts Shabbat service at NYC synagogue, attacks congregant and guard

Jews targeted in 70% of all NYC hate crimes last month, NYPD data shows

Gazan sham charities’ crowdfunding funneled cash to alleged terrorists, US probes show

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.

After three IDF soldiers were struck and severely wounded by a Hezbollah drone in Lebanon on Friday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the unusual move of announcing the incident in English during Shabbat, Schneider says, to ensure the US administration understood the seriousness of the ceasefire violation.

Schneider looks ahead to Monday’s Likud feverishly contested primary, in which members of Netanyahu’s party will choose some, but not all, of Likud's Knesset slate.

The latest Zman Yisrael poll showed Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party opening a four-seat lead over Likud ahead of the October 27 general election, but the anti-Netanyahu Zionist bloc still not quite able to muster a Knesset majority. Eisenkot, she notes, might nonetheless aim to form a minority government.

Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Eisenkot opens up a lead on Netanyahu in new ToI poll, but both blocs shy of majority

Eisenkot vows ‘no compromise’ on IDF draft law, including for Haredim, if elected PM

MK Elazar Stern announces Yesh Atid exit ahead of likely run with Eisenkot

Report: Barkat co-led Likud effort to oust and replace Netanyahu after Oct. 7

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

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Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, we spend the entire episode on Haifa-born iconic animator Ralph Bakshi's 1977 sci-fi adventure, "Wizards."

Distributed by 20th Century-Fox, the loose premise sets the film about 5,000 years in the future, following a World War III that left Earth so full of radiation to split humanity into fairy-type creatures and mutants.

The majority of the raunchy ride builds up to a battle between twin brothers -- two wizards who represent magic or technology.

Definitely not a kids' flick, the animation is violent and emphasizes several female fairies' -- ahem -- assets.

Hoffman delves deeply into why this is a foundational film and explains the ongoing resonance of Bakshi's work. Borschel-Dan is much less impressed.

Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with CEO of Community Security Service Richard Priem.

While guarding his Dutch synagogue as a 17-year-old, Priem knew there were two places where Jews wouldn't experience antisemitism: Israel and the United States. Whereas in Europe, where Jews regularly must go through security checks and metal detectors before entering community events, he was sure the Jewish State and the Goldene Medina were different.

That "age of security" for US Jewry changed around the time of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting, he said.

This is where his NGO steps in: Founded in 2007, the not-for-profit aims to empower Jewish volunteers and strengthen their communal security toolboxes to prevent attacks and de-escalate situations as they arise.

As Priem, a former paratrooper in the IDF puts it, who better to preemptively ascertain something is amiss than the community regulars themselves?

In this episode, we hear real-life examples of how CSS volunteers saved lives. Later, Priem lays out a hypothetical plan to secure Borschel-Dan's upcoming speaking gig in Chicago.

We learn about the need for "digital hygiene" and how a force of thousands of volunteers -- and growing -- are allowing Jews to be loud and proud again.

And so this week, we ask Richard Priem, 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 Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

The US-Israeli war against Iran was initially about military capabilities -- Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missiles, its armed proxies -- but very quickly became a war about energy.

It was Iran's ability to choke global energy supplies that forced US President Donald Trump to effectively stop the war.

We also saw how central the flow of natural gas has been to the Ukraine war, as European countries scrambled to replace Russian gas to heat their homes and power their economies.

These complex challenges take place as the world tries to come up with a coherent climate policy, something it has struggled to do for decades.

Danish political scientist Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, is one of the world's most original thinkers on these issues.

"Energy is prosperity," he stressed.

Affordable, available energy has led to humanity's flourishing over the past two decades. Prosperity means you get less sick, you live longer, there is less child mortality, education is better, and you have more personal opportunities.

Global warming, he said, is a problem and will have mostly negative impacts. But we must ask ourselves whether we are pushing solutions that will end up doing more harm than the problem we are trying to solve.

The conversation, he stressed, must be based on what the UN climate panel actually says. It does not predict the demise of the human race. It does say it can cost 2-3% of global GDP by 2100, meaning it is a problem that needs addressing. But if your solution brings down GDP by 15%, then that is not the correct solution.

Climate innovation is the key, which is a low-cost way of getting green energy to be cheaper than fossil fuels.

For the foreseeable future, however, we are going to keep relying on fossil fuels. If current trends from 1971 remain the same, we are on track to get off fossil fuels in 1,000 years.

The point of public policy, he stressed, "is to leave the world better off in the future.

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

News editor Ben Sales joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

After Israelis ranked political violence as one of their top fears in a recent poll, Sales reports on the current state of political polarization in the country, ahead of the upcoming election.

Sales discusses the enduring legacy left by the Sbarro terrorist bombing that took place 25 years ago, and how perceptions have changed regarding that trauma following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

After moderate Democrat David Crowley beat liberal candidate Francesca Hong in the recent primaries for the Wisconsin governor's seat, Sales reviews the current election cycle, noting the win for staunchly left-wing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and whether these progressive ideas will take hold on the national stage in November.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Israelis are alarmed over the threat of political violence. Can it be averted?

25 years ago, the Sbarro bombing opened a wound in Israel that still hasn’t healed

Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan primary win is a watershed moment for anti-Israel Democrats

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

News editor Ben Sales appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg on August 13, 2026 (Flash 90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

If Israel truly implements the 15-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza -- ostensibly aimed at the disarmament of the Hamas terror group that staged the October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel -- then Israel is required to pull back to the "Yellow Line" that divides the Strip between IDF and Hamas control.

On today's episode, Magid asks: Which Yellow Line — the original one that left Israel in control of 53% of the Strip, or the newer one that gave Israel control of 60% to 70% of the territory? He's received several answers in a recent reporting trip to Washington, DC.

In a Hollywood-esque moment, during a recent flight from Turkey to the United Kingdom following the G7 summit, US President Donald Trump was taken off Air Force One and transferred in a catering truck to a military plane. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that this ploy was triggered after Israel told the United States about the Iranian assassination threat. Magid gives the play-by-play and describes who was left on the original, decoy flight.

The Israeli military on Tuesday denounced the “illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable” establishment of settler outposts inside Palestinian villages in the West Bank in recent days, but did not explain why it had not dismantled them or why, in a recent example, troops prayed with civilians rather than removing them from the area. Magid rolls out the situation at Qusra, south of Nablus, which is still playing out on Wednesday as senior military officials, including Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, are meeting with the Palestinian family under siege.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Board of Peace blurs Yellow Line as it wages uphill battle to advance Gaza plan

Israeli intel on Iranian plot said to have spurred decision to sneak Trump off Air Force One

IDF slams ‘reprehensible’ settler outposts in Palestinian villages, but doesn’t demolish them

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Reports circulated on Hebrew-language media last night that Israel suspects that two Arab states are plotting to attack Israel by lulling it into a false sense of security through fake diplomatic agreements. According to two separate reports published by the Kan public broadcaster and Channel 12, the two countries — neither of which is identified by name due to an Israeli censor-dictated blackout — would sign diplomatic agreements with Israel to “anesthetize” the Jewish state and remove any unwanted scrutiny while building up forces.

In light of these reports, we take a tour of Israel's borders and discuss IDF operations on each front at this time, from illegal civilian crossings into Syria and Lebanon to efforts to combat smuggling on the border with Egypt.

With a recent Board of Peace push to disarm Hamas, has the IDF stepped away from utilizing the "Nili" intelligence unit targeting Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel?

In Lebanon, we hear about how the first pilot IDF pullout is proceeding and whether the military is already planning similar steps. And finally, we learn about a new push to fortify the border with Jordan.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Hebrew reports claim two Arab states plotting to sign diplomatic deals with Israel to trick it as they plan for war

Three settlement activists illegally enter Syria overnight, are detained by IDF

Israel said to tell US it will keep targeting Oct. 7 terrorists as Gaza disarmament stalls

Israeli pause on strikes in Gaza suspends deadly hunt for October 7 terrorists

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel “rejects” the Board of Peace Gaza disarmament roadmap. At the same time, Israel has essentially paused strikes on the Strip and there are reports that the premier and defense minister okayed a pilot reconstruction project in Rafah. Berman tries to separate rhetoric from facts on the ground.

What is and is not in the defense pact that was signed last week by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, wedding Sunni Muslim US allies -- and is it even defensive in nature? Berman explains why Israel should not be alarmed by the declaration, what it may mean for the region and what role these countries in particular want to play in it.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington was “low-keying” its approach to Iran and only “semi-negotiating” with the Islamic Republic, as it suffers in dire economic straits. Could not acting really be the best play right now? Berman weighs in.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Netanyahu rejects Trump’s 15-point Gaza plan, insists he can stand up to US president

Board of Peace envoy says full execution of Gaza plan only ‘guarantee’ Oct. 7 won’t recur

Iran claims Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey deal shows ‘change in perception’ towards US

Trump says US ‘low-keying’ Iran conflict, giving economic pressure time to work

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today’s episode.

A record-setting wave of emigration from Israel continued in 2025, with nearly 50,000 Israelis leaving the country for more than 12 months. Stub describes how Israel’s prolonged military conflict and political tensions have contributed to elevated emigration that could threaten the country’s long-term strategic interests.

Next, Stub recounts the reinterring of Zionist visionary Theodore Herzl's grandparents, Rivka and Shimon Herzl, in a ceremony on Mount Herzl, exactly 77 years after Herzl himself was reburied there on August 5, 1949.

In the second half of our conversation, we look at the attractions of Carmei Gat, a growing city that Stub describes as Israel’s newest boomtown for English-speakers. Stub relates that the neighborhood is now home to more than 30,000 residents, and has become one of Israel’s fastest-growing destinations for national religious families seeking affordable housing.

Stub describes how the neighborhood was the first in the country to be designed using a comprehensive “umbrella agreement” model in which housing, shopping, schools, transportation and parks were all planned together. The model, which is designed to ensure that residential infrastructure is available as soon as residents start moving in, has, according to Stub, been greatly successful.

To close, Stub walks us through the planned renovations to Jerusalem's historic Mahane Yehuda Market, a proposed NIS 54 million ($17.8 million) upgrade scheduled to start in October 2027. We discuss how planners and businesses are navigating conflicting priorities involved in the remodeling.

 Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

We have two Jangles this week from our movie maven. In the first, we learn about just how Jewish the classic rock band Rush is, and how it was played up at its Madison Square Garden concerts this week.

In the second, we learn about Spider-Man's Jewish roots -- and the Member of the Tribe who is third billing in the new blockbuster.

The main feature this week is 1979's "The Frisco Kid," an extremely Jewish take on the Wild West starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford. We learn how both actors are Jewish according to Jewish law, but only Wilder claimed Judaism as part of his identity.

For legions of American Jews, "The Frisco Kid" held pride of place in their VHS libraries. From all-Yiddish scenes to a deadly fight for a Torah scroll, the film was an outlier in mainstream Hollywood. So how did it get made at all?

Hoffman fills us in on some of the backstory surrounding the making of the movie, as well as who was originally meant to play the goyische cowboy instead of Ford.

Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with leading economist Prof. Dan Ben-David.

Ben-David heads the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research and is a senior faculty member in the Department of Public Policy at Tel-Aviv University.

Before Israel heads to the ballot box on October 27, Ben-David is on a crusade to raise awareness of just how crucial these elections are to stave off an almost inevitable "spiral of collapse."

In economics, a "spiral of collapse occurs when a country starts to collapse economically; the first to leave are the most educated, the most skilled, the people with options, which means that there's a greater burden on those who remain," explains Ben-David. Right now, due to decades of sectoral politics, Israel is headed towards such a cliff, he feels.

But through careful planning and a complete overhaul of Israel's education system, the country can still bounce back. Ben-David explains how the Jewish state needs to create one unified core curriculum for all of its citizens -- and teach it well.

And so this week, we ask Dan Ben-David, 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 Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

On the three major fronts with which Israel is contending, there has been some progress on the diplomatic front -- with the caveat that not everyone believes that is a good thing. Lazar and Gabriella Jacobs look at the latest in each of the three theaters -- Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.

On Monday, President Donald Trump -- having called off a major joint strike with Israel -- said the US and Iran were in the midst of talks that could see the Strait of Hormuz fully reopened. Lazar argued that because of the November midterms and pressure from Gulf allies, Trump clearly doesn't want to go back to war, and Iran knows it. Tehran is not afraid of another major US campaign, and continues to raise its demands.

The diplomatic process in Lebanon is more promising. Israel and Lebanon met in Rome for the seventh round of direct talks this week. Though Lebanon wants Israel to pull its troops back more quickly, the US is not about to pressure Israel to do so. Despite a bloody week in southern Lebanon in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, as well as several Lebanese, the two sides still met.

At the same time, Lazar said, this process isn't about to disarm Hezbollah across the country. Major changes will need to take place within Lebanon for Hezbollah to decide that it has failed in its four-decade-long quest to destroy Israel through violence. 

The Trump Administration and Board of Peace are claiming progress in Gaza, as they convince Hamas to sign on to a new disarmament roadmap. Israel has not ratified it, and insists it will continue to confront active threats. Indeed, Israeli strikes early in the week clearly frustrated mediators. Still, Lazar noted, officials tell him that noticeable restraint from the IDF is helpful, and there is cautious optimism coming from the Board of Peace.

Gabriella asked if the three diplomatic processes are linked. Lazar explained that Iran has been trying to unify the fronts against Israel, and situate itself as the arbiter of what happens in Lebanon, and maybe someday, in Gaza. Israel has successfully de-linked the fronts, while stressing that if the Islamic Republic falls, Hezbollah and Hamas are likely to follow.

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

ToI founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As US-led talks between Lebanon and Israel end early in Rome, Horovitz discusses the desire on both sides to negotiate a deal amidst heavy condemnation from the still deadly potent Hezbollah terror group, which retains considerable support among portions of the Lebanese population.

Horovitz briefly weighs in on negotiations between Oman and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, noting the lack of US involvement in the talks, the apparently imminent deal essentially giving Iran control of the strait, and the ongoing failure to achieve any of the war's original goals, centrally as regards Iran's nuclear program.

With headlines regarding several new political alliances, particularly among former Likud politicians, Horovitz reviews some of the personalities and possible alliances ahead of the October election.

Horovitz also discusses aspects of his latest op-ed article, regarding the dismal state of education in Israel overall, and most especially in the ultra-Orthodox community, and the catastrophic consequences for Israel's future.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Israel-Lebanon talks kick off in Rome despite fierce Hezbollah opposition

Iran, Oman said nearing deal that will restore US truce, give Tehran some control over Hormuz

Ex-Likud ministers Erdan, Edelstein to launch new right-wing party on Thursday

Poll shows Ra’am winning 2 more seats if Yesh Atid MK Segalovitz joins the party

Rebel Likud MK Dan Illouz joins Yisrael Beytenu, touts its ‘national and liberal values’

Former Shas leader Yishai said to mull run with new Eisenkot-linked Haredi party

Why these elections are the last chance to save Israel from its ‘spiral of collapse’

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

In his first public comments on the matter, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel has not agreed to the Board of Peace’s Hamas disarmament plan, which was accepted by the terror group last week, and will not withdraw behind the Yellow Line until the terror group has laid down its arms. Fabian explains what the Yellow Line is and how it has shifted since the ceasefire began in October. 

An investigation by the Israel Defense Forces into last month’s deadly clash in the West Bank village of Tell has found that the hike by Israeli settlers in the area was not coordinated or approved by the army, and that officers did not respond to an ensuing clash with Palestinians with sufficient manpower. Fabian brings more conclusions and operational failures.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the army’s top officer in the West Bank, is “performing his duties well.” This is only news in light of Katz's comments on national TV the night before. Fabian unravels this knotty issue.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Netanyahu says Israel ‘didn’t agree’ to Board of Peace’s terms for disarming Hamas

After dissing IDF West Bank chief, announcing replacement on live TV, Katz now says he’s doing ‘well,’ isn’t ousted

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Iran rebuffs US President Donald Trump, insisting there are no ongoing talks between the two parties, Magid notes that the regime's denials have frustrated the US leader, while Iran doesn't seem deterred by the president's incendiary language.

Magid discusses the sense of anticipation among Board of Peace members about convincing Hamas to agree to its disarmament proposal. The Israeli government, however, is not on board with the plan. And it has continued to carry out strikes against Hamas, notably including terrorists who invaded on October 7, 2023, and those who abducted hostages -- which could sabotage the deal. Israel's objections to the deal, says Magid, has apparently led the board to accept a more gradual withdrawal for Israel from the ceasefire lines in Gaza.

In the second half of the podcast, Magid reviews the ongoing banking crisis in the Palestinian Authority, after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich signed a last-minute waiver that supports Israeli banks providing services crucial to keeping the West Bank economy afloat.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Board of Peace appears to shift terms for IDF pullback after meeting PM; Gaza airstrike reported

Trump: ‘Unbelievably duplicitous’ Iran begged for talks, now denies they’re happening

Israel acts to ease Palestinian banking crisis it helped create, but is it moving too late?

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ari Schlacht produced this episode.

IMAGE: US bureau chief Jacob Magid appears on the Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday night that negotiations with Iran would begin on Monday to finalize a deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz after he again called off a major attack on the Islamic Republic over the weekend. For its part, Iran denies any talks are set to take place.

Berman analyzes the current stalemate as Trump appears to adopt a "Saudi-first policy" in his approach to prosecuting the Iran war and the Israelis are left in the dark. What creative approaches could change the balance?

Board of Peace Gaza envoy Nickolay Mladenov on Sunday lamented continued Israeli strikes in Gaza that “have killed civilians and destroyed medical supplies that people depend on,” days after the body reached a disarmament deal with the Hamas terror organization that would also see Israel withdraw from the Strip. Why is official Israel still silent on the deal?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump says talks with Iran will start Monday on deal to reopen Hormuz

Board of Peace envoy laments recent Gaza strikes amid effort to implement Trump plan

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Mideast expert Ksenia Svetlova joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US President Donald Trump said late Saturday that he had called off a major attack on Iran after being assured by Tehran and other Middle East countries that a framework for a deal to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and “end the Iran nuclear threat” had been reached. Ahead of that announcement, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call with Trump in which he stressed the importance of talks and of preventing the conflict with Iran from widening.

Today, Svetlova delves into Saudi Arabia: What are its concerns during this current conflict with Iran, even as it must deal with the Houthis and their threats to block the Red Sea. She proposes that, despite assurances from Trump, the chances of normalization between the Jewish state and the Saudi kingdom are increasingly slim.

In the wake of the drone strike on a US-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, Svetlova assesses the willingness of Egypt to join the fray against Iran.

We take a look at the newly announced deal that would see Hamas eventually lay down its arms. How is it being received by the Arab world?

And finally, Svetlova speaks about senior Palestinian figure Mohammad Dahlan, who has stepped into the spotlight for helping broker the Hamas disarmament. Who is he and will we soon be hearing more about him in future leadership roles?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump says he and Israel have called off Iran attack after being assured deal is imminent

Saudis said to gear up for ground invasion against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen

Drone strikes US-owned gas tanker in Egyptian port, in possible expansion of Mideast war

Exiled Palestinian leader says Kushner told him Israel would halt Gaza strikes; deletes post

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ari Schlacht edited this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, the director of the Israel Democracy Institute's Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Shared Society and head of the Religion and State Program at the center.

Ahead of the upcoming October 27 elections, Israel is looking increasingly stratified, with each segment fighting for its own electorate and particularist needs.

In this week's conversation, we focus on two pivotal Israeli societies: the Religious Zionist and Haredi or ultra-Orthodox communities.

Ravitsky Tur-Paz, who earned two degrees from the Hebrew University's law school, has spent much of her professional life dealing with the question of how religion can coexist with modern civil society.

In the first half of the episode, we learn about the Religious Zionist community and how the party of the same name does -- or does not -- reflect it.

We delve into the settler movement and new patterns of extremist, violent behavior within it. How do these actions align with Jewish theology, or is a new theology being forged?

In the second half, we turn to the Haredi sector and learn about its own mosaic of communities.

Ravitsky Tur-Paz describes the growing resentment facing the society as it chooses to prevent the vast majority of its men from serving in the IDF and from participating in the workforce. We hear what demographic, security and financial concerns this lifestyle presents to Israel today, and in the near future.

And so this week, we ask Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, 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 Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

We have two Jangles this week. Borschel-Dan explains how Boy George released a reggae-inspired track, titled “Od Nirkod” in Hebrew, "We Will Dance Again," on his social media accounts on Monday. The duo chews this over.

Hoffman is still jazzed from a Phish show he had seen the previous night. He brings us a fascinating and statistically rare sound sample.

The main feature this week is Billy Wilder's 1944 "Double Indemnity," which is considered by many -- including our very own movie maven -- as one of the best pieces of film noir to date.

Wilder was born in 1906 in Sucha, Galicia, today's Poland, to a Jewish family. He moved as a boy to Vienna, eventually working as a journalist and screenwriter, and moved to Paris as the Nazis rose to power. By 1934, he had made his way to Hollywood and begun working on films.

Last week, Hoffman dared Borschel-Dan to find the Jewish themes of this week's film. Set in 1938, "Double Indemnity" probes the banality of evil even as Wilder's own family was being massacred in Nazi Europe.

Wilder won the first of his seven Oscars for the film, which stars Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and the Jewish actor Edward Goldenberg Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg).

Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his Board of Peace had reached an agreement on the “complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.”

We learn how this deal was brought to the table this week and who was behind it, as well as the expected rollout of Hamas laying down its weapons and potential reconstruction in Gaza.

Magid delves into what has actually been agreed by Hamas in the meantime -- and what its conditions for Israel are. At recording time, official Israel is still mum; however, murmurings of discontent and dissent are growing. What are Israel's claims?

Magid explains that the proposal would see Hamas gradually hand over its weapons to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the Board of Peace-overseen panel of Palestinian technocrats that is tasked with replacing the terror group in governing the Strip. Who could be other potential players in the Strip?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump: Board of Peace has reached agreement on ‘complete disarmament’ of Hamas

Trump will be ‘very disappointed’ if Israel obstructs his Gaza plan, US official warns

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

This week, we want to take a broad look at the direction of US foreign policy.

How does domestic politics affect America's ability to wage war? Is a moderate bump in gas prices enough to keep US President Donald Trump from achieving his goals against Iran? What changes after the midterms?

We also want to examine the nose-dive in support for Israel among Democrats, and the rise in antisemitism on the right wing of the Republican Party.

Prof. Victor Davis Hanson is one of the most prolific and well-known American historians. Trained as a classicist, he has written extensively on ancient and modern warfare. He also has unique insights into the currents driving US politics.

Hanson said that midterm elections often warp foreign policy. The incumbent party almost always loses, and with the Republicans holding a thin lead in the House of Representatives, they are in serious danger of losing the House. If that happens, said Hanson, Trump will face two years of impeachment hearings.

In addition, said Hanson, Americans are willing to support military action, but run out of patience quickly. "They don't mind the violence," he said. "They don't mind, to be frank, how many people you kill. They don't want to lose any Americans, but they want it short, and out of the Middle East especially."

Hanson pointed out that Democratic Socialists have only won a few elections in deep blue states thus far, and they are not the inevitable future of the Democratic Party. Both parties have had fringe outliers that damage their chances, only to have course corrections in subsequent cycles.

What is unique about the Democratic Socialists phenomenon, he says, is that it is combined with an Islamist element: "What unites them is they hate Western civilization. They hate capitalism, even though they do quite well by it. They hate Israel. And I'll be candid. I think they hate Jews as well."

He argued that on the right, the Republican Party and broader conservative movement are pushing back on their antisemitic fringe.

Vance, said Hanson, is "brilliant." He sees that Marco Rubio's star is rising and is trying to find a way to position himself as the party's frontrunner. Vance's way to do so, said Hanson, is to appeal to the disaffected working-class whites he grew up around.

On Iran, Hanson stressed that the people leading the regime are fanatics. What the US should do is create a transitional government in exile in a nearby Arab country and send frozen regime funds to that body.

"Sow the seeds of dissension and let it work like that," Hanson urged. "But I don't think we need to talk to them anymore. It's completely futile."

Overall, he said Israel is in a strong position diplomatically and militarily, while Iran is weaker than many realize. Russia and China are also slipping economically and demographically, while the US is squeezing them out of places like South America.

Hanson argued that prioritizing the Palestinian cause is a "Western elite fetish in Europe and the United States."

Finally, with one of the world's leading classics scholars on the show, how could we not discuss Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey? Hanson called it "a spectacularly produced film, special effects, and he encouraged people to take an interest in Homer. But "it's really not Homer's Odyssey. I would call it a diverse, equitable and inclusive Odyssey, a DEI Odyssey."

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

A drone hit a US-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta yesterday. No party has claimed responsibility, and authorities are continuing their investigations; however, two unnamed Iranian sources are quoted by The New York Times as heavily implying that Tehran was behind yesterday’s attack, marking the first targeting of that country in the current war.

As Iran flexes, Fabian describes the role of CENTCOM in the region and discusses recent cooperative strikes held by the US and Saudi Arabia. We explore the concept of Israeli air supremacy and learn what US assets are currently on Israeli soil -- and flying off of it.

Fabian updates on the Hezbollah drone that hit an Israeli armored bulldozer stationed in the IDF’s south Lebanon buffer zone overnight Tuesday, in violation of the ongoing truce. We next turn to Gaza, where the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday struck a mosque in Gaza City, saying Wednesday that it was one of several Hamas weapons depots in the central and northern Gaza Strip that it destroyed this week.

In the second half of the program, we turn to the case of an Israeli civilian who previously served in the military in a classified unit who has been arrested and charged with spying on behalf of Iran. Fabian touches on similar recent cases and explains that perhaps these would-be spies are not only in it for the money.

And finally, yesterday IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir again said that the military must expand its ranks and draft more ultra-Orthodox soldiers, as data showed an increase in Haredi enlistment over the past year. We learn about whether the new Haredi brigade is meeting expectations.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Drone strikes US-owned gas tanker in Egyptian port, in possible expansion of Mideast war

Hezbollah drone hits IDF bulldozer, violating Lebanon truce, IDF says, days ahead of talks

IDF strikes Gaza City mosque, claims it was used for weapons storage

‘I know a lot’: Veteran of secret IDF unit charged with spying for Iran

IDF chief tells Haredi commanders army must grow, as data shows uptick in enlistment

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House for his first in-person talks with US President Donald Trump since the Iran war began in February. Closed to the press, later statements about the meeting were laconic, with Israel describing it as “excellent” and “one of the best we’ve ever had,” and the White House calling the talks productive and positive.

Magid reviews what we know about the meetup and hypothesizes why the long-awaited talks were held in such an atypically subdued fashion.

We hear about overnight flare-ups in the Iran conflict after the regime targeted US forces in Jordan and the US and Saudi Arabia launched deadly strikes on Tehran-backed militias in Iraq, blaming them for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities. How close were the sides to resuming the memorandum of understanding -- and what may happen now?

Securing Saudi Arabia is the focus of our final item as well: Magid brings exclusive reporting on how Pakistani military chief Asim Munir leveraged a joint oil transport venture with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi to secure an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia under which Tehran agreed to halt attacks against the Gulf kingdom.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Netanyahu: Meeting with Trump was one of our best ever; White House: Productive, positive

Wary of perception that Israel driving war, Trump and Netanyahu opt to avoid optics altogether

‘He loved Israel’: Lindsey Graham eulogized by Trump and other dignitaries at DC funeral

US-Saudi strikes target Iraqi pro-Iran militias as IRGC renews attacks on US forces

Pakistan army chief leveraged private oil venture with IRGC head to shield Saudi Arabia

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump today in the White House, mediators believed they were close to a breakthrough that would revive the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran last month. Reportedly, decisions are to be made following the leaders' meetup. Horovitz explains why resurrecting the MOU is not necessarily a positive step for Israel's aims and discusses other points of friction between the two leaders.

Also on hand in Washington, DC, is Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who recently staged an attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea. What could Ukraine's flex mean for the balance of the conflict?

Last week, Andy Burnham officially became Britain’s new Labour prime minister, raising questions about how he will navigate policy on Israel and rising antisemitism in his country. Horovitz discusses how Burnham came to office, who has so far been appointed to his government and how they may influence UK-Israel relations.

And finally, we turn to Israel's upcoming October 27 election and reports last night that a new television poll showed Netanyahu neck and neck with his foremost challenger, former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, when respondents were asked who they would choose to lead the country. How do these polls affect public opinion -- and how we report on the run-up to elections?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Ahead of Netanyahu-Trump meeting, mediators believe US-Iran breakthrough near

At odds with Trump on Iran, Netanyahu heads to DC to seek agreement where he still can

Where does new UK premier Andy Burnham stand on Israel and antisemitism?

UK PM Burnham’s new solicitor general met with Hamas in 2010

10 clues on how new UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband could deal with Israel

Poll shows Eisenkot and Netanyahu neck and neck as public’s preferred PM

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

After several nights without US strikes on Iranian targets, Israeli leaders still estimate that US President Donald Trump could soon be compelled to step up military action, according to Israeli reports. The US military has continued to send significant forces to Israel, including dozens of warplanes, refueling planes, air defenses and munitions — a similar deployment to the one that took place just before the US-Israeli war against Iran was launched in late February, according to the Kan broadcaster.

At recording time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has boarded Israel's official Wing of Zion plane. Berman rolls out what he expects will be on the agenda for tomorrow's planned Trump-Netanyahu meetup.

Netanyahu is set to attend the funeral of the late Republican senator Lindsey Graham. Yesterday, reports surfaced based on unaired footage seen by The Wall Street Journalthat Netanyahu talked Graham out of convincing Trump to join Israel’s fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Berman shares other insights from the posthumously released excerpts from an upcoming documentary.

Yesterday, after a deadly Friday shootout was sparked when settlers illegally entered a Nablus-area village, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed at a cabinet meeting to expand farming outposts and operations against Palestinian “terrorist strongholds” in the West Bank. This promise was made soon after leaked reports were published of Netanyahu's March condemnation of extremist settler violence. How do these conflicting statements play on the international stage?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

As Trump pauses Iran strikes, Israel said to believe he’ll soon be forced to escalate

Netanyahu says he’ll fly to DC for Tuesday meet with Trump, Graham memorial service; Trump confirms visit

Netanyahu talked Graham out of lobbying Trump to join war on Hezbollah – report

Netanyahu vows expanded operations against West Bank ‘terrorist strongholds’

Report: Cabinet quietly okayed plan to curb settler violence; PM called phenomenon ‘cancer’

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.

We begin by reviewing Friday morning's gunfight in the northern West Bank village of Tell. A far-right hiking group of Israelis allegedly raided the town and a gunfight broke out between the Palestinian residents and Israeli hikers. Benayahu Mellet, a 32-year-old member of the neighboring Havat Gilad settlement’s civil security squad, was fatally shot by a Palestinian, along with Maj. Yuval Ezra, an IDF officer who had been dispatched to the scene. Four Palestinians were killed during the clash.

Jeremy Sharon walks us through the parties involved in the fight and gives an overview of the different narratives surrounding why the group of settlers was in the area. How was the conflict initiated?

From there we move on to discuss broader patterns in the West Bank since October 7, 2023. These include the rapid expansion of settlements in the area, and markedly higher rates of tensions and violence between Israeli and Palestinian residents.

Following the break, we hone in on how Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has taken steps to entrench the powerful Settlements Administration agency he established in 2023. Sharon explains how these changes will help to continue expanding the settlement enterprise, and how they will make it more difficult for a new government to undo those gains. We hear about a variety of other ways the current administration has financed and supported the expansion of the settler movement.

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the head of Realign for Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse.

Alkhatib gives us an overview of the conditions on the ground right now in the Gaza Strip. We learn about an uptick in diseases such as chicken pox due to extreme unsanitary conditions and lack of vaccinations. There are new efforts to allow residents to open bank accounts -- but where is the money to be found even as paper bills are so worn they are disintegrating?

Khalil al-Hayya has been elected to be the new leader of Hamas, the terror group announced Monday after months of speculation following a vote in the General Shura Council. We learn how, following the subjugation of protests in the Gaza Strip in late June, al-Hayya's annointing is another signal that the terror group is entrenching its ties with Iran and continuing consultations with Hezbollah. 

In the second half of the program, we discuss the intensity of support for Hamas in three population centers: the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan. Alkhatib's comment on the Palestinians living in the Hashemite Kingdom may surprise.

Finally, Alkhatib describes his new short book, "Hamas and its Two Million Hostages." Part memoir, part explainer, the work is an attempt to offer an approachable take on the past almost three years of war and how Hamas's stranglehold is only tightening on the people in the Strip.

And so this week, we ask Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, 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 Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, Hoffman starts the program with a unique dvar Torah, tying together the new blockbuster "The Odyssey" with James Joyce's "Ulysses" and antisemitism in Ireland. Goes well with white fish.

Then we turn to the main event: "Reading Lolita in Tehran," which was directed by Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis and is currently playing in select cinemas.

Labeled "a memoir in books," the film is based on the bestselling autobiography by author Azar Nafisi, published in 2003.

The film is divided into chapters based on famous literature, including "The Great Gatsby," "Daisy Miller," and "Pride and Prejudice." It stars Golshifteh Farahani (known from a Hoffman favorite, "Paterson"), Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Mina Kavani and Israeli mega-star entertainer Rita.

Let's hear who gave this film an "oy," "meh" or the prized "not bad" this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

Even for Israeli standards, it's been a pretty wild week in Israel's neighborhood.

The ceasefire war between the US and Iran continues to escalate. The threats from US President Donald Trump against Iran grow ever more bombastic, but there is a real feeling that he might carry out a significant attack soon that goes well beyond the limited strikes that we have seen over the past two weeks.

Of course, Iran is hitting back, primarily at Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, saying it is targeting US bases in those countries.

The Iran-backed Houthis struck two Saudi oil tankers, as that conflict begins to heat up. Houthi threats to the Bab al-Mandeb would mean the Iranian axis is closing the two waterways connecting the Middle East and Europe to Asian markets.

There was slightly better news to the north. After six rounds of direct talks and an agreement that envisions peace between Israel and Lebanon, Lebanese forces began moving into the first pilot zone vacated by Israeli forces.

Joined by Times of Israel colleague Nava Freiberg, Lazar made sense of the interconnected but distinct theaters that Israeli leaders and citizens are paying close attention to.

He explained what Iran is trying to do with its attack on Arab countries. It is determined to impose its reading of the MOU on the world, especially as it comes to control over the Strait of Hormuz.

That is why it hasn't hit Israel.

Iran knows that Israel, Lazar said, isn't about to run to Trump and ask him to give in to Iran's demands to get it stop firing. Instead, Israel would relish the opportunity to carry out some of the attacks that it had to call off in April, and would likely go well beyond what the Americans are doing.

It doesn't make sense for Israel to go out of its way to get involved either. For now, Iran is being degraded, it isn't getting economic relief, and Trump is becoming increasingly frustrated with his Iranian interlocutors.  Meanwhile, life is fairly normal in Israel, with flights returning to Ben Gurion Airport and citizens focusing on the election fight.

Lazar also shed light on alternative energy pathways being developed in the wake of Iranian threats to the Strait of Hormuz. Israel might have an opportunity to be key element of some of these plans, but it has to change the tenor of relations with some of its Arab partners.

Lazar explained why the Saudi-US nuclear deal is a problem for Israel. First of Israel, it shows that Israel is not being consulted by the White House on strategic decisions. In addition, it represents a potential proliferation risk, especially if the current regime in Riyadh is replaced.

Turning to Lebanon, Lazar said that progress on the first pilot zone is undoubtedly a positive step. Still, the Lebanese army is incapable of taking on Hezbollah at this stage, and a lot will have to happen before disarming Hezbollah is a likely outcome.

It will be important to help the Lebanese government show the public that negotiations with Israel achieve results, especially the return of some civilians to their homes.

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

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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.

News editor Ben Sales joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The Iran-backed Houthis struck two Saudi oil tankers on Thursday that they accused of violating a naval blockade imposed by the group. These attacks signal a potential new front in the US-Iran conflict, as the US military struck Iran for the 12th successive night and Iran lashed out at its neighbors.

Arguably related to stymying Iran and its ambitions, the United States and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday forged a new agreement that could potentially provide the kingdom with uranium enrichment capability for its civilian nuclear program. We hear why Israel is worried.

Overnight, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed its version of a massive defense policy bill, despite Democrats’ concerns about its huge price tag, the Iran war and a provision that would boost Pentagon ties to Israel. The NDAA includes several provisions that allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to US-Israel joint military projects. Sales explains the political considerations in voting for Israel aid right now.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday acknowledged that he cannot actually arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite his past pledges to do so. Most legal experts had come to that conclusion years ago. Why is this in the news right now?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Yemen’s Houthis hit tankers in Red Sea as US strikes Iran for 12th consecutive night

US confirms signing a nuclear cooperation pact with Saudi Arabia, to Israel’s alarm

Mamdani’s vision of NY as ‘a city of international law’ runs up against reality

Mamdani admits he lacks power to arrest Netanyahu, after repeated pledges to do so

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic reporter Nava Freiberg joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.

Following an 11th consecutive night of US strikes on Iran and Iranian strikes on its Gulf and Arab neighbors, Freiberg offers possible paths forward in the war.

Freiberg analyzes US President Donald Trump's claim Tuesday that the US will be striking Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain “probably pretty soon,” amid reports that Tehran has moved nuclear centrifuges, and possibly even enriched uranium, to the secretive underground enrichment site. Is this bombastic threat just part of Trump's strategy to keep Iran guessing or could the US be prepping a ground invasion?

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday, where Aoun declared that his country will permanently end hostilities with Israel. Freiberg comments on Trump's remark at the meeting that he is open to speaking directly with the Iran-backed terror group -- if Beirut asked -- after Aoun requested backing in his efforts to disarm Hezbollah.

In the second half, we move on to discuss Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which nine months ago was hailed as an end to the war in the Strip and the beginning of Gaza's reconstruction. Freiberg explains why the framework is only moving forward in “baby steps.”

The episode closes with a special visitor, Sarah Tuttle-Singer, curator of the Peoples of Israel project, who introduces us to her work and the project's goals.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Israeli intelligence has reportedly assessed that Iran has moved thousands of nuclear centrifuges into a site in the Natanz area known as Pickaxe Mountain, burying them deep underground and making them harder to target in aerial strikes. We hear from Fabian about the IDF's current assessment of Iran's capabilities.

Lebanese army troops began deploying in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh this morning after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, the Lebanese Armed Forces said in a statement, in line with a US-brokered plan for “pilot zones” in the south. We learn which areas are in the pilot program and the IDF's readiness to step back into the vacuum.

Hezbollah launched over 400 rockets from the Beaufort Ridge toward northern Israel during the current round of fighting, mainly at the border community of Metula, according to the IDF. Fabian visited a massive warren inside the mountain that the terrorists carved out over more than a decade. We get a sense of the scope of the underground base.

An analysis by Fabian has found that, despite the ceasefire, the IDF has in the past few months stepped up a large-scale retribution campaign with the avowed aim of hunting down and eliminating every single terrorist who took part in the October 7 massacre. Fabian unwinds the competing narratives surrounding these targeted killings.

After the Knesset voted to extend the mandatory military service period for males to 32 months, the chief of the IDF’s Personnel Directorate said Friday that the move did not replace the army’s immediate need for more troops. Fabian explains why.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Iran says it’s in ‘full-scale war’ with US as mediators said to proffer 10-day truce

Israeli intel said to show Iran has moved centrifuges to Natanz’s Pickaxe Mountain

US indicates Lebanese army deploying to ‘pilot zones,’ including one IDF will withdraw from

Beneath Beaufort’s strategic bulwark, a Hezbollah lair built to attack Israel is unearthed

Israel steps up campaign to kill all 5,000 Oct. 7 terrorists; 1,200 were killed on the day, 1,500 so far since

IDF says it killed terrorist who attacked Nova festival, abducted Inbar Haiman on Oct. 7

IDF manpower chief: Extension of service period doesn’t replace need for more troops

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US forces struck Iran for a ninth consecutive day on Monday as the number of confirmed American military deaths in the renewed fighting rose to three, and concerns grew over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which the Trump administration accused the Islamic Republic of seeking to control “as leverage against the world.”

Yesterday, Israel launched interceptors after fragments from Iranian missiles fired at Jordan’s southern city of Aqaba potentially threatened the nearby city of Eilat. We discuss why the Iranians are trying to keep Israel out of the fray and why US President Donald Trump has not asked the Jewish state to join in the fight.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is in Washington, DC, this week in the first trip to the US capital by a Lebanese head of state since Michel Sleiman was received by Barack Obama in 2009. Aoun is slated to meet with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. We learn what is on the agenda and why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not invited.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US strikes Iran for 9th night, confirms American servicemember killed in Iraq

IDF fires interceptors over Eilat as Iranian missiles target nearby Aqaba in Jordan

At meeting in DC, Rubio lauds Lebanon president’s ongoing push to disarm Hezbollah

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The Knesset voted early Friday morning to disband itself ahead of the October 27 election, heading into a recess after the coalition’s last-ditch blitz succeeded in passing a spate of controversial legislation into law.

Addressing the plenum, Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, called the 25th Knesset the “most challenging” in Israeli history, encompassing Israel's longest war and widespread social upheaval.

Schneider takes us back to the beginning of the Knesset session and explains which aspects of the judicial overhaul package have passed -- and what moves the Supreme Court has made to counter some of them.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Knesset officially disperses, after coalition completes its drastic legislative blitz

Coalition passes media overhaul law, giving government greater regulatory control

Coalition’s ‘legislative blitz’ is designed to shore-up, unshackle right-wing power

Coalition passes law gutting attorney general’s powers, removing key check on government

Iran said to tell Hezbollah, allies to prepare for wider conflict, which could rope in Israel

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with The Times of Israel's senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.

With the sudden death of US Sen. Lindsey Graham this week, Rettig Gur is asked to expound on the loss of this staunchly pro-Israel politician who was able to rally both sides of the aisle.

We then turn to the recent visits of two Democratic wannabe presidential candidates -- Rahm Emanuel, most recently the US ambassador to Japan, and US Rep. Ro Khanna.

We hear how both politicians came with distinct messages and very different goals.

And finally, as America turns 250, we learn about Anglo Jewry's inability to foresee the new phenomenon of antisemitism hitting the US's teeming shores. Does the vilification of Israel change their hypothetical plans for escape?

And so this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur 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 Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, Borschel-Dan begins the episode with her impressions of the United States after not having visited for eight years. We hear how American cottage cheese stacks up after all this time.

We devote the rest of the program to "Tuner," the first narrative full-length feature by young Canadian filmmaker Daniel Roher and co-written by Robert Ramsey. Roher's 2022 film "Navalny," about the Russian political prisoner Alexei Navalny, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film.

But "Tuner" is a huge departure for the 33-year-old filmmaker and Hoffman explains how he manages to punch high while keeping his budget low.

The plot surrounds a young piano tuner played by Leo Woodall who must make a quick buck after his mentor, played by Dustin Hoffman, falls on hard times. Tuner Niki White meets a team of thuggish Israelis, headed by Uri (Lior Raz), who exploit the tuner's highly sensitive hearing for nefarious means.

Let's hear who gave these this film an "oy," "meh" or the prized "not bad" this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

The ceasefire war between the US and Iran continues to expand.

Instead of making do with a wildly favorable memorandum of understanding signed by US President Donald Trump, Iranian leaders want more -- especially recognition of their control over the vital Strait of Hormuz.

Nicholas Carl, assistant director for the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project, said that the current fighting should be understood as the next stage in the US-Iran war -- namely, the Battle of Hormuz.

Carl noted that the US and Israel achieved extensive military success in their campaign against Iran's ballistic missiles, nuclear program, conventional forces, defense industry, and leadership. But that military success has not been translated into enduring strategic success.

"We haven't compelled the Iranians to accept a positive political outcome for us yet," said Carl. "They're still willing to fight."

The Iranians came dangerously close to imposing their will on Trump, and winning the war, he argued, as the president halted the campaign and signed an MOU that came under withering criticism even from his allies.

Iran is now trying to make its victory permanent, said Carl, and is working to press its advantage and end the war with its maximalist demands met.

Iran is seeking to destabilize energy markets sufficiently to convince Trump that ongoing war is too costly, both economically as well as politically, and that he should accept a permanent agreement that is even more advantageous to Iran.

If the war ends with Iran receiving significant financial relief and in formal control of Hormuz, he said, it will have won the war.

That would certainly contribute to regime stability, but it is impossible to predict how long it will last. Something must give, argued Carl -- either the regime or the people.

The regime might fall under ongoing cycles of mass protest. But it could also become even more repressive, turning into a Middle Eastern North Korea.

Alternatively, it might fracture into ethnic enclaves, much like Syria.

Carl said the reported Mossad plan to install former Iranian president Ahmadinejad as the leader of a new Iran is a bit far-fetched in terms of its chances for success.

On the US-Israel partnership, there are certainly new forces in American politics challenging the relationship, but both countries must recognize that they're stronger together against actors like Iran.

In the meantime, he said, the war between the US and Iran "is going to keep on going until one side has outlasted the other."

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

The US House on Wednesday defeated a vote to end Israel aid. Still, with nearly 50% of Democrats backing the measure, Magid notes the significance of the measure and the vote, which he says sends the message that Israel will not have the bipartisan support it used to have if it continues its current policies toward the Palestinians.

Magid reviews the recent visit of US lawmaker Ro Khanna to the West Bank, where he was briefly detained in a Palestinian village by Israeli settlers. Magid examines whether the incident was later amplified by Khanna or constitutes another case of settler violence.

He touches on the venting JD Vance did during a recent podcast hosted by Joe Rogan, in which the US vice president expressed frustration over an Israeli social media campaign that criticizes the Iran deal.

The latest round of Israel-Lebanon talks ended in Rome, and while the tone was positive, Magid tells us that it's unclear whether Israel will be withdrawing anytime soon from the two agreed-upon pilot zones in southern Lebanon. He opines that Israel's reluctance is probably tied to the upcoming elections and notes that the lack of progress is a sore spot for the Lebanese.

The Board of Peace is progressing with plans for Gaza, with its own set of pilot zones, says Magid, but those plans are still theoretical for now.

And he tells us that the Palestinian Authority has brought in an outside consultancy to vouch for progress in its reform of West Bank prisoner payments, in an attempt to prove that it is no longer incentivizing attacks on Israelis.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US House defeats amendment to end Israel aid, but nearly 50% of Democrats back measure 

US lawmaker detained by settlers says lack of punishment shows Israeli complicity 

‘Go to hell’: Vance lashes out at reported Israeli-backed online campaign smearing Iran MOU 

Lebanon talks in Rome wrap up without specific timeline for pledged IDF withdrawals 

Board of Peace plans launch of pilot Gaza housing project, but green light elusive 

PA says external audit proves payments incentivizing attacks on Israelis have ended 

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht. 

IMAGE: US bureau chief Jacob Magid appears on the Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

There are at least 19 US warships in the Arabian Sea, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship with more than 1,000 Marines aboard. This threat -- and US President Donald Trump's renewed blockade on the Strait of Hormuz -- is not deterring the Iranians' determined chokehold on the waterway. Berman delves into the logic behind Iran's moves.

Adding further nuance, we take a look at Iran's strikes on its Gulf neighbors and Jordan. What is being targeted and how is this conveying the regime's message?

Next, we turn to an unexpected escalation in the Gulf: The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport on Monday in response to airstrikes they blamed on Saudi Arabia that struck Sanaa International Airport earlier in the day. What is behind this flare-up?

And finally, Rome is host this week to a sixth round of talks between Israel and Lebanon. On the agenda is a pilot IDF pullout from specific locations in southern Lebanon. Berman raises the pluses and minuses of this plan.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US reimposes naval blockade as Trump threatens to ramp up strikes on Iran: ‘You better make a deal’

Iran’s strikes show its priority is flexing muscle on Hormuz, not dealing with Trump

After blocking Hormuz, Iran signals it could ramp up pressure and shut Red Sea gateway, too

In major escalation, Yemen’s Houthis target Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport

Trump said to urge Netanyahu to pull Israeli troops from Syria, Lebanon in recent call

Sixth round of Israel-Lebanon talks begins in Rome, with focus on IDF pullout ‘pilot’

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

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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.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The US launched strikes on Iran early Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump said Washington was “reinstating” a blockade on Iranian ports. Trump separately suggested the United States will act as "guardians" of the Strait of Hormuz and in return will charge ships for safe passage. With Iran lashing out against its Gulf neighbors and Jordan, has the war essentially restarted?

The New York Times reported Monday that Israel engaged in a multiyear effort to recruit and re-install as leader Iran’s former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In the report, citing US officials and sources with knowledge of the failed Israeli plot, we learn of a detailed plan that fell apart on February 28, even as the US and Israel attacked Iran and picked off its top leadership. Horovitz relates what we know so far.

As part of a legislative blitz ahead of its dissolution on Friday, the Knesset voted 63-52 on Monday to pass a deeply divisive Basic Law declaring Torah study a “foundational value” of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Horovitz delves into the problematic ripple effects of this law, other legislation catering to the Haredi community that is set to be passed this week, and the IDF chief of staff's rare public outcry against it.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US attacks Iran and Tehran retaliates across Middle East as both vie for control of strait

Trump resumes blockade of Iran’s ports, says US ‘guardian’ of Hormuz, will charge ‘20% on all cargo’

Report: Ahmadinejad met Mossad chief under Israeli plan to install him as Iran leader

Israel passes quasi-constitutional law declaring Torah study a foundational value

IDF chief denounces ‘inconceivable’ bill freezing ultra-Orthodox enlistment

Full text: IDF chief’s letter to Netanyahu, Katz against bill freezing Haredi enlistment

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Ariela Karmel joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

The Knesset is in the midst of a legislative blitz before parliament dissolves on July 17. Karmel notes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing to pass controversial bills important to the ultra-Orthodox and nationalist, right-wing parties in his coalition, to solidify his alliances ahead of October 27’s general election.

Karmel discusses the various bills likely to be passed into law, including a Basic Law on Torah study that would shield Haredi men from the army draft; the repeal of a kashrut reform that weakened the Orthodox rabbinate; and a bill to gut the powers of the attorney general. A bill to establish a politically appointed probe into the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion, which would give the coalition unilateral control over the commission to investigate its own conduct, may not be enacted due to time constraints.

Much of this legislation is vulnerable to constitutional challenges, reports Karmel, but there is no certainty that the coalition, if reelected, would abide by future High Court rulings, which, in turn, raises the question of whether the current government would concede if it loses on October 27.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Election date finalized for October 27, with government set to complete full term

Bill approved for final Knesset readings would freeze Haredi enlistment for at least 7 months

Bill to gut attorney general’s powers approved by Knesset committee for final readings

Coalition aims to pass raft of contentious bills in final week before Knesset dissolution

Netanyahu said seeking Haredi loyalty after election, but party leaders noncommittal

Knesset advances controversial bill for politically appointed Oct. 7 probe in 1st reading

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Political correspondent Ariela Karmel appears on today's Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The US military said it launched another round of strikes on Iran early Sunday, the third in recent days, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck a container ship traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and declared the waterway closed until further notice. Fabian speaks to what it may take for the IDF to rejoin the fight.

US Democratic lawmaker Ro Khanna said he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with US-made rifles during a West Bank visit late last week. Also making headlines, four Israeli settlers were detained for allegedly attacking a CNN media crew near the West Bank town of Sinjil on Saturday. After allegations of IDF inaction, Fabian reviews the military's role in defusing similar situations.

The Israel Defense Forces on Friday announced that three Hamas commanders were killed in airstrikes in Gaza, including one who raided the IDF’s Re’im base in southern Israel during the October 7, 2023, onslaught that sparked the subsequent war in the Strip. This comes amid an uptick in similar announcements of targeted killings of terrorists who participated in the massacre or held hostages in Gaza. Fabian tells us about the apparent trend.

Yesterday, a US military delegation met with Lebanon’s army in Beirut to discuss the implementation of Israel’s withdrawal from a “pilot zone” in southern Lebanon. We hear where and how it may take place.

And finally, to end the program, we learn about Pvt. Yaakov Zarihan, killed in action on April 20, 1948, during Israel’s War of Independence. He had been considered missing for 78 years, and last week it was announced that he was identified as buried in a mass grave in a kibbutz near Jerusalem.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US strikes Iran again, after IRGC attacks ship in Hormuz and declares strait closed

US Democrat Ro Khanna says he was detained by armed settlers during West Bank visit

4 settlers detained for alleged attack on CNN crew in West Bank town of Sinjil

Off-duty IDF soldier, two Israeli women extracted from West Bank’s Jericho

IDF kills three Hamas commanders, including Oct. 7 invader, in Gaza airstrikes

US military delegation visits Beirut to discuss IDF ‘pilot zone’ withdrawal

IDF troops to withdraw from Lebanon pilot zones in coming days, says US official

IDF says soldier missing since 1948 war determined to be buried near Jerusalem

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Deborah Gilboa, MD, an expert in resilience and navigating change.

The Pittsburgh-based family physician and author of "From Stressed to Resilient: The Guide to Handle More and Feel It Less" begins the program by defining what is -- and what is not -- resilience. We learn that it can be exercised and strengthened to be employed when we are presented with unexpected choices, positive or negative.

Gilboa, whose son served and was injured as a lone soldier in Gaza, shares how she personally found inner fortitude following his deployment in October 2023 and was able to be the mother he needed when called upon.

We also hear about Dr. G's Squirrel Hill community and its coping mechanisms in the wake of the October 27, 2018, shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, in which 11 people were killed by a white supremacist terrorist. We learn that the community's response to US President Donald Trump's visit lines up with resilience tactics, including drawing boundaries and uniting through tragedy.

Finally, Gilboa gives quick tips for how listeners may hack their own resilience muscle in times of stress.

And so, this week, we ask Dr. Deborah Gilboa what matters now.

What Matters Nowpodcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was edited by Yitzchak Ledee.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

A few short weeks ago, US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran that was widely panned, especially in Israel. The bizarre agreement met none of the US or Israel war aims, extracted no concessions from Iran, and even gave it effective control over the fighting in Lebanon.

Predictably, the MOU hasn't led to anything like peace. This week, Iran launched attacks on civilian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to US strikes, followed by Iran launching drones and rockets at Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

Is the Trump MOU dead? If it's not, how should Israel ensure that its goals are met, even if returning to war in the short term is not possible? And what does this mean for Israel's fight against Iranian proxies on its borders?

Dr. Eyal Hulata, a veteran of Israel's security services, served as National Security Adviser in the previous government under Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. As the figure who led Israel's inter-agency effort to confront the Iranian threat, Hulata is uniquely positioned to discuss Israel's long fight against the Islamic Republic.

He said that Israelis should be proud of the effectiveness and accomplishments of the two air campaigns against Iran, which pushed back the Iranian nuclear program significantly.

However, said Hulata, as long as the regime controls Iran, it will be almost impossible to solve the Iranian problem.

Even though the US and Iran failed to topple the regime, Hulata stressed that the country is being led by new figures, and it is too early to say whether they will be more hardline than their predecessors.

Regardless of the disappointing way the campaign ended, Hulata noted, what is important now is to look toward the next phase of the struggle against the Iranian threat. Iran's military and defense industry were badly degraded, but those achievements will be temporary if they are not followed up by ongoing pressure, sanctions, and intelligence operations.

Israeli intelligence must remain intensely focused on Iran's nuclear sites, he said, in order to detect any attempts to return to nuclear enrichment. Israel will have to respond to such a development, Hulata emphasized.

Ballistic missiles will continue to not only be a threat to Israel, but also to Iran's Arab neighbors. Israel must ensure that Iran's missile stockpile doesn't become too large for Israeli multi-layered air defenses, said Hulata.

Any deal reached between Trump and Iran, even if that is unlikely, must not give Iran anything they don't have right now, said Hulata. Iran has not been able to enrich uranium for over a year, he noted, and should not be given permission to do so in an agreement.

However, Iran will not make any concessions unless they are pressured into doing so, Hulata emphasized.

"We shouldn't buy into this narrative that they have won in this military conflict," said Hulata. "They've suffered unprecedented amounts of of of damage, direct losses and indirect losses. The only way that they can recover from this is through the waivers that an American president will give them in exchange for a negotiated agreement."

"This is why it is important that this negotiated agreement demands substantial outcomes," he continued. "Otherwise will be just kicking the can down the road and this will not be good in the long term."

Turning to Lebanon, Hulata said the agreement signed with Beirut is the right approach, though Israel should not give anything up that compromises its security. The Lebanese government understands the Hezbollah threat, he said, but lacks capacity. In order for it to succeed, Beirut needs to commit to pushing back militarily against Hezbollah, with the firm backing of international partners. At the same time, Iran's financial support for Hezbollah must be cut off.

On Syria, Hulata said that while Ahmed al-Sharaa is a jihadist, he shares the Israeli interest in reducing Iran's influence in Syria. At the same time, Turkish influence there is a serious problem, and Israel needs to keep a close eye on a growing threat from Ankara.

Hulata said that while Israel could have done much more to break Hamas rule in Gaza, its best move now is to stick with Trump's 20-point plan, while bringing in partners like the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

"Hamas is way weaker than it was before," Hulata said. "Hamas is disconnected from external lifelines of support. There is an ability to have a civilian rule in Gaza that would take power from Hamas and push it away."

That would take creating safe civilian areas in the Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza in order to create new conditions in Gaza.

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

Check out last week's Lazar Focus:

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

For the second straight day, the United States struck Iran late Wednesday and into early Thursday morning after hitting Iranian targets a day earlier in retaliation for attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Republic responded by attacking sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, but not yet Israel. Berman assesses the causes for the current flare-up and where things may go from here.

Although Israel did all it could to convince the White House not to provide Turkey with advanced military hardware that would drastically improve its air force, US President Donald Trump seems keen on pushing for Turkey's rejoining the F-35 program. Berman breaks down why the country was initially ejected from the program and what Israel's objections are.

During the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, Trump informed his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa that he had decided to remove the country from the US list of designated state sponsors of terrorism. During this same meetup, Trump touted his decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and spoke to Turkey's influence in Syria. Berman puts the pieces together.

Israel-Jordan relations are at a nadir as the Jewish state decided not to renew a 2021 "goodwill" agreement that would see Israel doubling its required water allotment to its parched neighbor. We learn how we got here -- and how the relationship could soon be improved.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US launches 2nd night of strikes against Iran, as Israel said bracing for war to restart

NATO summit and Trump’s support for F-35s sale boost Turkey’s standing, as slumping Israel sees clout erode

US to delist Syria as state sponsor of terror, in new boost to Sharaa

Parched Jordan fuming at Israeli refusal to renew expired water deal – report

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

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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.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Almost three weeks into the 60-day period in which the US and Iran are tasked with negotiating a final deal to end the war, the US military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday and revoked a license allowing the country to sell oil after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. Can this further pressure on an already fragile ceasefire spiral both sides back into war?

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would “certainly consider” selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, as he sat alongside his "good friend" Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. We hear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's caustic response.

The Knesset voted 59-0 on Monday to pass, in the first of three readings, controversial legislation establishing a politically appointed probe into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre. The legislation would give the government that was in power when the attacks took place the authority to unilaterally appoint the body investigating its own conduct. This is only one of several controversial pieces of legislation being pushed through in a last-minute drive from the current coalition. Horovitz weighs in.

Ahead of the Knesset’s expected dissolution next week and general elections in October, Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists party announced Tuesday it would join forces with former Blue and White MK Chili Tropper. We learn how this move -- as well as a newly announced party from longtime Likud MK Yuli Edelstein -- could shift coalition building blocks.

And finally, we hear Horovitz's commentary on last night's nail-biting World Cup match between Egypt and Argentina.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US strikes Iran, revokes oil sanctions waiver after attacks on tankers in Hormuz

Sitting alongside ‘friend’ Erdogan, Trump says he’ll ‘certainly consider’ F-35 sale to Turkey

Knesset advances controversial bill for politically appointed Oct. 7 probe in 1st reading

Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists teams up with ex-minister Chili Tropper ahead of election

Messi leads Argentina in stunning late 3-2 comeback to oust Egypt from World Cup

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

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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.

Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today’s episode.

We begin our conversation by diving into the Maccabiah Games, which are being held at venues across Israel through July 13. Zev Stub explains how, after last year's Maccabiah was postponed because of Israel's June 2025 war with Iran, the opening of the two-week competition carried an added sense of symbolism and significance.

We then examine Stub's reporting on the Israeli Chief Rabbinate's apparent decision on Thursday to authorize the liberal Tzohar Rabbinical Organization to issue kashrut certifications under Israeli law for the first time, following a High Court of Justice ruling last month requiring it to withdraw its refusal to recognize the group. Within hours, however, the decision was thrown into doubt, with senior officials saying the approval had not been properly authorized and therefore had no legal standing. Stub walks us through the competing claims and the possible outcomes.

In the second half of our discussion, Stub delivers a real estate snapshot of current trends in Israel's housing market. We analyze how the strong shekel, fluctuating interest rates and rising antisemitism worldwide are shaping buyer behavior.

To close, Stub takes us inside "Bat Sheba's Palace," a Caesarea property listed for an asking price of $210 million. With gold-plated fountains, imported stone and nearly 74,000 square feet (6,900 square meters) of interior space, the Versailles-inspired estate embodies a level of luxury once unimaginable in the Jewish state.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

A low-level constitutional crisis is brewing, Sharon says, as Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Justice Minister Yariv Levin both said they won't respect a High Court of Justice ruling regarding the Second Authority, the regulatory body for commercial broadcast media and the proposed sale of Channel 13.

Sharon reports that President Isaac Herzog and opposition leaders immediately warned that when the government refuses to heed certain High Court decisions, it paves the way for other, more severe situations, such as electoral interference, and ultimately threatens Israel's democracy.

Sharon reports on another recent High Court decision that could also have led to a constitutional crisis, as the deputy court president ruled that the government must redo the election for the state comptroller following a suspicion of violations of ballot secrecy in the previous round.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Government defiance of High Court paves way for future disregard of the law

In first, government vows to disobey High Court ruling, setting up constitutional crisis

High Court rules state comptroller election violated ballot secrecy, must be held again

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon appears on the Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

IDF clashes with Hezbollah in south Lebanon continue, reports Fabian, but on a more limited basis following the recently signed Beirut-Jerusalem framework, in comparison to previous iterations of ceasefires with the Iranian proxy terror group.

The IDF targeted and killed a Hamas chief of security in Gaza who commanded a terror cell that raided the Nahal Oz army base and kibbutz on October 7, 2023, notes Fabian. The cell seized the body of tank commander Daniel Perez and took hostage Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samar Talalka, who later escaped their captors and were accidentally killed in December 2023 by IDF troops in Gaza.

Fabian discusses a statement made by IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir at an assessment on Thursday in which, without citing it explicitly, he takes aim at the government's advancing a Basic Law that would prioritize ultra-Orthodox Torah study over the army's stated need for more personnel as it battles on several fronts.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

IDF says it killed armed Hezbollah operative after manhunt in southern Lebanon

IDF shells Hezbollah sites after soldier hurt in clash with gunman in south Lebanon

IDF says strike killed Hezbollah operative who emerged from tunnel in south Lebanon

IDF says it killed Hamas terrorist who abducted tank officer Daniel Perez, held hostages

After Basic Law exalting Torah study advances, IDF chief says soldiers must be prioritized

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian appears on the Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook.

Solomonov and Cook, the trailblazing chefs behind Philadelphia hospitality group CookNSolo Restaurants, are known champions of the Israeli culinary landscape, a history that began with their first restaurant, Zahav, which is considered their flagship and was established 17 years ago.

The James Beard Foundation award-winning restaurateurs speak about how they met as line cooks in Philadelphia, when they ran to a tiny Middle Eastern market to stock up on freekeh, silan and spices for their developing menu.

Solomonov, the son of a Bulgarian-Israeli father and American-Israeli mother, and Cook, the son of an American rabbi, speak about the Jewish and Israeli influences in their lives.

They discuss how Zahav came to be, in an unlikely corner of Philadelphia, an upscale version of an Israeli grill restaurant, eventually branching into additional restaurants and cafes in the city, in New York, and in Florida.

Their take on Israeli cuisine has been at the forefront of the American discovery of creamy hummus and tahini, roasted meats and fresh salads, a concept they discuss during the podcast.

Cook and Solomonov review the last two and a half years since the bloody October 7 Hamas onslaught and the concurrent wave of anti-Zionist sentiment, when it became much more challenging to run a chain of Israel-influenced restaurants.

With nearly 500 employees at their 18 restaurants, the pair say they feel proud to be an Israeli restaurant group, knowing that it is inspiring to some and a reason for others to express hate and vitriol.

Solomonov and Cook agree that they won't apologize for their identity, for their culture or community, and will continue to prepare and develop their dishes and restaurants to represent their roots.

What Matters Nowpodcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Celebrated restaurateurs and chefs Steve Cook (left) and Michael Solomonov (right) speak to What Matters Now host Jessica Steinberg for this week's podcast (Courtesy)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

Israelis and many Americans -- not to mention Gulf Arabs -- were stunned by the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Trump administration and the Iranians last month.

There was much to criticize in the MOU, but one of the most egregious elements was the inclusion of Lebanon in the ceasefire deal. Although neither Israel nor the Lebanese government were signatories to a deal between Washington and Tehran, it specifically mandated a halt to Israel's campaign against Hezbollah, Iran's most powerful proxy.

Then, last Friday, a reason for some hope.

As a beaming US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looked on, the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington signed an agreement envisioning peace between the neighbors and the staged disarming of Hezbollah by the Lebanese army.

Could this be the beginning of the end for Hezbollah, the tool of Iranian control of Lebanon? Can we expect a real peace deal that would see Israelis and Lebanese moving across the border?

Or is this another half-baked Trump agreement that will lead nowhere, and will allow Israel's enemies to rebuild and keep their weapons?

Hanin Ghaddar, a Shiite Lebanese scholar who grew up in southern Lebanon, says that even her community is sick of Hezbollah. The turn against the organization -- which claims to represent and protect the Shia -- began a decade ago, as they sided against anti-government protestors.

With the country in a deep economic crisis and political stalemate, the organization dragged the country into war on October 8, 2023, in support of Hamas. The majority of Shiites in Lebanon, said Ghaddar, are done with Hezbollah. "The resistance is dead as a solution to everything," she posited. There's no belief in the resistance anymore. Hezbollah is still there with its arms, and people relate to it because of the factor of fear, not loyalty."

Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into a war in support of Iran again this year. Lebanese citizens want Israel out, but see an agreement as the way to accomplish that goal.

Ghaddar offered the possibility that the notoriously ineffective Lebanese military is actually more capable than Hezbollah after the Shiite militia was severely degraded by years of war with Israel. However, to disarm Hezbollah, she said, the Lebanese army must be willing to engage in armed conflict if necessary, with the backing of the US, Europe and Saudi Arabia.

She made the point that while Israel's relationships with Arab countries are with their governments, the public continues to disdain the Jewish state. In Lebanon's case, the public wants an end to the conflict with Israel, while governments have been loath to act.

"Lebanese are ready," she said. "Lebanese are definitely ready for peace."

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US reporter Luke Tress joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As far-left, anti-Israel candidate Melat Kiros wins in the Colorado primaries, Tress discusses the emerging pattern of far-left candidates running on Israel issues and winning, first in New York and now in Colorado.

Tress also reviews last week’s New York primary winners, comparing Darialia Avila Chevalier with Kiros, both young doctoral students without legislative experience who beat long-term Democratic incumbents, creating a new model of outsiders sweeping the primaries.

Along similar lines, Tress reports on a video on social media that shows Scott Weiner, a left-wing Jewish and openly gay legislator from the San Francisco area who is a longtime supporter of the transgender community, being run out of a transgender march in the city.

Tress notes the wide swath of 700 rabbis who condemned New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's comments about AIPAC, when he called the lobbying group "monsters," including antisemitic tropes.

Finally, Tress discusses a New York City council law meant to protect the schools from protests as part of a broader plan to combat antisemitism, but was narrowed and watered down by a Mamdani veto.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Anti-Israel candidate wins Colorado primary, says she’s aiming to ‘end genocide in Palestine’

Mamdani-backed primary sweep further cements anti-Zionist politics in NYC

Over 700 rabbis denounce Mamdani’s AIPAC ‘monsters’ speech as ‘dangerous’ to Jews

NYC passes law to protect schools, but not colleges, after anti-Israel protests

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: New York reporter Luke Tress appears on the Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu engaged with the Hebrew media on the pro-government Channel 14 Tuesday night, Magid reports on the Israeli leader’s messaging and his description of improvements in the region, including the elimination of Hamas leaders and wider buffer zones in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. He also references the prime minister’s attempt at humor in an initial response to a question about how October 7, 2023, has changed him.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Qatar — ostensibly for talks with Iranian officials, according to US President Donald Trump, notes Magid — but will only be meeting with Qatari mediators to discuss further implementation of the memorandum of understanding with Iran, amid ongoing issues with control of the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s presence in Lebanon.

Magid briefly discusses the full text of the Israel-Lebanon deal, which features the establishment of pilot zones from which the IDF will be expected to withdraw, based on the Lebanese Armed Forces’ success in disarming Hezbollah.

The Board of Peace is further along in clarifying its plan for technocrats to take over the administration of Gaza, reports Magid, but there is still no timeline for entry.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Netanyahu: Pursuit of ‘total victory’ against Iran and its proxies ‘never ends’

Asked how he changed since October 7, Netanyahu jokes that he lost weight

US envoys in Qatar to meet mediators, but no direct talks with Iran set for coming days

‘Eventual IDF redeployment from Lebanon’: Full text of Israel-Lebanon deal security annex

Board of Peace finalizing plans for Gaza, but implementation timeline up in the air

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: US bureau chief Jacob Magid appears on the Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (YouTube screenshot)

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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.

News editor Ben Sales joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As the US-Iran deal progresses, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows he can’t mount the same kind of campaign he did 11 years ago against the 2015 Iran deal spearheaded by then-President Barack Obama, Sales discusses, noting that the Israeli leader can only operate behind the scenes this time around.

Sales reviews the three Democratic candidates who won the New York City Congressional primaries last week, two with virulently anti-Israel politics, and notes that support for Israel was once a unifying factor, but now opposition to Israel is a unifying factor in American politics.

As the 50th anniversary of the July 4, 1976 raid on Entebbe approaches, Sales reports on the release of a huge trove of archival material that relates salient details about the operation, including that it was not a foregone conclusion in the hours before it took place.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Netanyahu can’t run the playbook he used to fight the 2015 Iran deal — and Trump knows it

American pro-Israel activists may have just had their worst week ever

‘Zero hour is coming’: How Israel went from negotiating over hostages to the daring raid at Entebbe

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

IMAGE: Netanyahu speaking to Congress in 2015. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) 

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Ariela Karmel joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.

Karmel opens the episode with a look at what's expected to dominate the Knesset agenda this week. Lawmakers are set to hold marathon committee sessions to advance the coalition's controversial proposed Basic Law enshrining Torah study as a foundational value of the State of Israel, legislation promoted by the ultra-Orthodox parties as part of ongoing efforts to shield yeshiva students from military conscription.

She also walks us through other contentious bills making their way through the Knesset, including proposed changes to the attorney general's powers and a government's communications bill, which could have broad implications for broadcast and media independence, as the coalition pushes to advance key pieces of legislation before the summer recess.

In the second half of the episode, we turn to the political landscape ahead of Israel's October election. Karmel breaks down reports of a possible alliance between Benny Gantz's Blue and White party, Yoaz Hendel's Reservists party and political newcomer Dedy Simhi, explaining why significant issues between the parties remain unresolved.

We close by taking stock of the broader political field, discussing the status of several key figures, including Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as parties continue to weigh alliances and position themselves for the campaign ahead.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

After Israel and Lebanon signed a deal that includes a partial IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Fabian discusses the strikes against Hezbollah on Saturday and Israel's ability to continue acting against threats from the terrorist organization.

For now, Israel will remain in the security zone it established in southern Lebanon, reports Fabian, withdrawing from only two trial areas as part of the agreement.

Fabian notes that the deal's efficacy will depend on whether the Lebanese army will be able to exercise control over Hezbollah, which has already stated that it does not respect the deal.

An IDF strike killed another Hamas terrorist, the nephew of the terrorist organization's political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, reports Fabian, part of the ongoing Shin Bet effort to locate all Hamas members who took part in the bloody October 7, 2023 assault.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir utilized a televised cadet ceremony to make it clear that the army will not back down from a pilot program to bring women into the armored corps, says Fabian, given the need for more combat soldiers and the availability of women who want to serve in tank units.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

IDF says it struck terror operatives in south Lebanon, after framework deal announced

PM: Iran, Hezbollah to have ‘no role in Lebanon’ under deal, Israel can maintain security zone

IDF says strike killed Oct. 7 terrorist commander, nephew of ex-Hamas chief Haniyeh

IDF chief says military needs ‘every male and female combat soldier’

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht. 

IMAGE: Military correspondent Emanual Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing (AP/ Mohammed Zaatari)

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Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, Borschel-Dan starts the episode with important news: She finally finished "My Name Is Barbra," Barbra Streisand's much-discussed 900+-page autobiography.

Turning to the main event: Fifty years since the daring IDF rescue of over 100 hostages from Entebbe, Uganda, we dedicated this week's The Reel Schmooze to two movies, the 1977 feature film "Operation Thunderbolt" and the 2012 documentary, "Live or Die in Entebbe."

Shot with the help of the Israeli government only a year after the raid, "Operation Thunderbolt" presents a fictionalized account grounded in the realism of documentary footage of Israeli leaders, including then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and defense minister Shimon Peres.

Directed and co-written by Menachem Golan, it stars Israeli actor/singer Yehoram Gaon, who plays the head of the sayeret matkal unit, Yoni Netanyahu (the brother of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu). We hear about other key performances from Klaus Kinski and Sybil Danning playing the villainous German terrorists, as well as appearances from notable Israeli actors.

In the final segment of the program, we hear about a documentary that focuses on the family of one of the fallen hostages, Jean-Jacques Mimouni, a 19-year-old French-Israeli.

Let's hear who gave these two films an "oy," "meh" or the prized "not bad" this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: A cheering crowd at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport raises a member of the rescue squad which freed the hijack hostages from Uganda earlier in the day, July 4, 1976. In the background is the C-130 transport plane which took part in the raid. The rescuer's face is obscured for security reasons. (AP Photo/Pool)

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with celebrated writer Etgar Keret.

Etgar Keret, a leading voice in Israeli literature, with books published in over four dozen languages, talks about how his perception of writing has changed since the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught.

Using typical Keret metaphors and description, he explains the challenges of the times, how he once wrote about ethics and ideas and community, and finds that those more abstract ideas have evaporated.

Keret speaks at length about the disadvantages of being an Israeli artist in the public sphere, as audiences wait to hear something they don't like.

He also discusses social media in this time period and the shifts in the artist-audience relationship. Keret's Substack newsletter, Alphabet Soup, has become a more amenable space in which to share his short stories and ideas.

Keret, who teaches creative writing at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, now directs a new MFA program at the Jewish Theological Seminary and he speaks about his students and his desire to make a small but important change by leading the group of nascent writers.

What Matters Nowpodcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Acclaimed author Etgar Keret speaks to What Matters Now host Jessica Steinberg for this week's podcast (Courtesy)

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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.

ToI founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

With US President Donald Trump desperately attempting to end the war with Iran, Horovitz reviews the mixed messaging delivered by the US leader as he fawns over the Tehran regime's "nice, new" leaders and signs a "peace" deal that doesn't achieve any war goals but that he may think will keep alive his dream of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Horovitz notes that the US readiness to authorize an Iranian role in Lebanon is undermining the unique readiness of the Beirut government to work with Israel toward a diplomatic, long-term arrangement. Rather than disconnecting Iran from Hezbollah -- an explicit war goal -- the US is essentially partnering with Iran regarding Lebanon's future, dooming the Israel-Lebanon talks it is currently hosting in Washington, DC.

Our discussion moves on to Tuesday's New York City primaries, in which two virulently anti-Israel Democratic Socialists of America candidates and one progressive Democrat won elections against more established candidates, further bolstering Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his anti-Zionist politics in the rapidly changing city.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

In Trump’s delusions of peace with Iran and efforts to bully Israel, dark echoes of appeasement

Trump’s deal is a catastrophic capitulation to Iran’s aggressors, leaves Israel vulnerable and constrained

American pro-Israel activists may have just had their worst week ever

Mamdani-backed primary sweep further cements anti-Zionist politics in NYC

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

IMAGE: ToI founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg on today's Daily Briefing podcast (Nathan Howard/Pool Photo via AP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Following the first of three days of talks between Jerusalem and Beirut, Magid discusses the sharp critique issued by Israel's US Ambassador Yechiel Leiter regarding the connection being made between the Lebanon track and the US-Iran deal, and the notion that Iran is being allowed to demand a ceasefire in a separate country.

There is a battle of narratives in US President Donald Trump's administration over the US-Iran deal, notes Magid, extending into the Israel-Lebanon talks. US Vice President JD Vance, who is currently leading the US-Iran talks, supports having Hezbollah as part of the conversation regarding deconfliction in Lebanon and views it as the only way forward for the embattled country, reports Magid.

It appears that Secretary of State Marc Rubio, currently on a regional tour in the United Arab Emirates, isn't as supportive of the terms of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, says Magid -- or of Iranian influence in Lebanon -- and is keeping some distance, perhaps to protect his place as a possible Republican Party candidate for the 2028 presidential election.

Finally, Magid discusses Gaza's Board of Peace, as various members head to Cyprus for a retreat to figure out how to move forward while insisting that it will take time to make headway on Hamas disarmament and Gaza reconstruction.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

‘A train wreck’: As Jerusalem and Beirut hold talks, Israeli envoy pans linkage to US-Iran deal

Rubio: Iran will not be allowed to charge tolls in Strait of Hormuz under any final deal

Board of Peace members to ‘recalibrate’ at Cyprus resort after rocky first six months

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing podcast (ToI/Israeli Embassy)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Following an IDF press tour of a Hezbollah underground military base, Fabian describes the massive space created with Iranian planning and funds, used as a staging ground for car-sized UAV drones that can travel the length and width of Israel.

Fabian notes that the underground base is similar to what has been found in Iran, missile sites built into a mountain to hold and launch assets, and constructed during the last decade.

With Israel and Lebanon slated to start talks in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, Fabian discusses the IDF's positioning in Lebanon and the army's ceasefire limitations from acting against all but the most immediate threats.

Several Hamas terrorists in Gaza -- known to have been involved in taking hostages on October 7, 2023 -- were recently targeted and killed by IDF strikes. Fabian reports that while the operations violate the ongoing ceasefire, the IDF claims the terrorists were planning on carrying out strikes on Israeli forces.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

IDF captures Hezbollah drone factory and launch site hidden inside south Lebanon mountain

On eve of direct Jerusalem-Beirut talks, Israel vows to maintain presence in Lebanon

IDF: Oct. 7 terrorist who held Omer Shem Tov hostage killed in recent Gaza strike

IDF says it killed Hamas sniper who moonlighted as Al Jazeera cameraman

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing podcast (ToI/Emanuel Fabian)

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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.

Health reporter Diana Bletter joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.

Bletter joins us from her home near Nahariya after speaking with residents across Israel's north about life during an uneasy, on-again-off-again ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

She describes a region unable to move forward. Residents are exhausted after another disrupted school year, uncertain about what the coming months will bring, yet determined to remain in the communities they call home. She shares stories of hardship and resilience from communities living just kilometers from the Lebanese border.

Later in the episode, we move on to discuss a breakthrough in cancer therapy developed by scientists from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, who have engineered nanoparticles that treat aggressive “triple-negative” breast cancer tumors without chemotherapy or drugs.

 We conclude by diving into a revolutionary method of identifying life beyond Earth by analyzing the diversity of molecular groups, pioneered by Israeli researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Bletter explains how scientists plan to use this method on Eureka, an Israeli spacecraft concept currently in planning.

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and edited by Ari Schlacht.

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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.

News editor Ben Sales joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

A round of US-Iran negotiations on implementing the agreement to end the war was set to kick off in Switzerland today. US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly added a special session on Lebanon to their packed agenda.

The talks come after an Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed and 13 were wounded in southern Lebanon in an attack by the Hezbollah terror group early Saturday morning, and a four-man IDF tank crew was killed early Friday. The IDF said Saturday it “halted its fire” outside its declared “security zone” in southern Lebanon, but would continue operations within it. Sales discusses how Vance's personal opinion of Israel -- including harsh statements on Israel's supposed ingratitude to the Trump administration and an accusation that Israel tries to kill its way out of every problem -- could color the negotiations.

In the second half of the program, we ask, is it the end of a golden age of Jewish American travel to Israel? Is it because the sponsoring institutions have shifted away from thinking that an American Jew who has traveled to Israel is more likely to stay Jewishly involved, marry Jewish and support the Jewish state? And why, despite the offer of a free trip, are many fewer young adults coming? Sales weighs in.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US-Iran set for new talks; Trump threatens US tolls in Hormuz if deal not reached in 60 days

Vance slams Israeli ‘freakout’ over Iran deal, says Trump only world leader who still likes Israel

IDF soldier killed, 13 injured in overnight Hezbollah attack in southern Lebanon

Trump’s unfiltered commentary on Lebanon is leaving Israel with an impossible choice

Canceled flights, high prices: Is the golden age of American Jewish travel to Israel ending?

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

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Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, as Borschel-Dan continues to read Hoffman's recommendation -- "My Name Is Barbra," Barbra Streisand's verrrrry long biography -- we turn to an audience favorite, the 1972 screwball comedy, "What's Up, Doc?"

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, the film is a cleverly stylized updated homage to the golden era of Hollywood. It features Streisand playing a wacky vagabond and hunky Ryan O'Neal as a nerdy musicology prof, plus a slew of then-unknown Jewish stars, including Madeline Kahn. But the real star of the show is the 1970s fashions and cars.

Let's hear who gave it an "oy," "meh" or the prized "not bad" this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World.

This week, we hear from former prime minister Naftali Bennett in conversation with founding editor David Horovitz and political correspondent Tal Schneider.

Speaking with ToI on June 11 at the campaign headquarters of Together, the new, merged party he now leads with former prime minister Yair Lapid, Bennett said Israel is facing “an existential moment,” and warned that another term under the current government would leave the country without a functioning economy, society or international position.

“Another four years with this government, we won’t have an economy, we won’t have a society,” he charged. “The Haredi issue will just crash us all. We won’t have an international standing anywhere. We have to act now.”

And so, this week, we ask Naftali Bennett, what matters now.

For further reading:

Bennett to ToI: ‘We’re at an existential moment. Another four years with this government, we won’t have a society’

What Matters Nowpodcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was edited by Yitzchak Ledee.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett (ToI) / Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men scuffle with police during a protest against military recruitment and call for the release of detained draft resisters outside a military prison near Kfar Yona, Israel, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a deal Wednesday meant to end the Middle East war, causing it to go into effect two days earlier than originally envisioned, with Tehran agreeing to dilute its enriched uranium in return for large-scale economic relief. Magid takes us through the points of primary concern for Israel, including its right of self-defense against Hezbollah attacks.

In a lengthy press conference at the G7 summit in France yesterday, Trump claimed Iran should be allowed to keep some of its ballistic missiles. He also repeatedly castigated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including stating he is less justified in criticizing the memorandum of understanding that Trump signed with Iran because the Israeli premier purportedly pulled out of a joint operation to kill top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020. We hear other sharp criticisms of Netanyahu, including accusations of disproportionate force.

In the second half of the program, Magid brings his exclusive scoop that the US is in talks with the Palestinian Authority about boosting what has been a strained bilateral relationship, as Washington seeks Ramallah’s cooperation to advance its landmark policy initiatives in the region. And who is chaperoning the reforms DC is seeking? Enter Saudi Arabia.

And finally, Magid explains how former UK prime minister Tony Blair is taking on a larger role in the Board of Peace, where he will be tasked with managing the various mechanisms that are meant to oversee the postwar management of Gaza.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US, Iran sign war-ending deal, which enters into effect 2 days earlier than planned

‘Shall not develop nuclear weapons’: The 14-point memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran

As deal takes force, Trump says ‘it’s okay’ for Iran to have some ballistic missiles

Trump suggests Israel in no place to criticize Iran deal since it backed out of 2020 strike on Soleimani

US weighs boosting ties with PA as it seeks to advance Gaza plan and Abraham Accords

Tony Blair takes on larger role as US-led Board of Peace struggles to advance Gaza plan

Gaza mediators glum on chances for breakthrough before Israeli elections in the fall

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

During the course of the G7 summit of global leaders in France on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that Syria should replace Israel in the fight against Lebanon’s Hezbollah. He argued that the Jewish state’s war on the Iran-backed terror group has been too prolonged and indiscriminate, adding that Israel would have been “blown off the face of the earth” if not for him. Horovitz unpacks the multilayered concerns plaguing Israel in the wake of Trump's statements.

The US-Iran memorandum of understanding, expected to be signed at an in-person gathering on Friday, reportedly provides for a full cessation of hostilities by Iran, the United States and their allies — including in Lebanon, where Israel has been battling Tehran’s proxy Hezbollah. This comes as Israel and Lebanon are nearing a US-mediated lasting ceasefire agreement, according to a Tuesday report. If the IDF were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, are Lebanese forces really strong enough to face Hezbollah?

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed on Tuesday to have “abolished” components of the 1997 Hebron agreement that gave the Palestinian municipal council of Hebron authority over planning, zoning and construction in the H2 zone of the West Bank city, where the Jewish settlement of Hebron is located along with the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Can this effort be isolated from the looming elections? Horovitz weighs in on this and the current ultra-Orthodox move in the Knesset to pass Basic Law: Torah Study.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump: Israel’s war on Hezbollah is too long, too deadly; Syria should fight the group instead

US-Iran deal said set to halt regional hostilities, including in Lebanon, lift blockade

Israel-Lebanon talks said close to yielding lasting ceasefire deal

Smotrich says he’s ‘abolished Hebron agreement,’ given Israel more power in flashpoint city

Netanyahu denounces ‘police state’ trial as his cross-examination ends after over a year

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Bermanjoins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Iran and the US will start a new round of negotiations on Friday in Switzerland to reach a final agreement, after the official start of an interim agreement that day, Iran’s foreign minister says. This announcement comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a rare press conference last night, outlining his narrative of Israel's stance in Lebanon following the memorandum of understanding.

Israel was sidelined entirely throughout the negotiating process, a fact that was highlighted when Netanyahu informed a reporter that Israel does not yet know the details of the deal, which is to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday after a digital signing on Sunday night. Berman unpicks this knotty issue.

US Vice President JD Vance and a pair of top officials in Trump’s administration shed some light on how the deal will be implemented and what it contains. Berman discusses how their version differs from the narrative being pushed out by Iran.

And finally, after Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar opened Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem on Monday -- the eighth top-level diplomatic mission in the capital -- Berman assesses Israel's standing on the global diplomatic stage.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Netanyahu avoids criticizing US-Iran deal, claims war’s main goals have been achieved

Ministers say Israel won’t be bound by Iran deal, as opposition castigates Netanyahu’s ‘absolute failure’

US says Trump, Vance and Iran’s Ghalibaf ‘digitally’ signed Iran deal on Sunday

Visiting Somaliland president opens embassy in Jerusalem

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Monday that the Israeli military will remain in southern Lebanon and warned that if Iran strikes, it will be hit “with full force,” promising that Israel will resist any pressure after the US and Iran agreed a deal to end the war that also reportedly includes a commitment to end hostilities in Lebanon. We hear about where the IDF is currently holding in southern Lebanon and the strike on Beirut that almost derailed the Iran-US memorandum of understanding last night.

Late last week, senior Hezbollah commander Ali Mussa Daqduq, mastermind of a January 2007 attack that killed five US troops in Iraq, was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced Sunday. Who was this terror architect and what else was he responsible for?

The IDF seeks to erect, for the first time, a permanent post in an area meant to be fully controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The post is set to be built in the northern West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp. What is the purpose of this first permanent post in Area A?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Israel vows to stay in south Lebanon; if Iran strikes, we’ll hit it ‘with full force’

IDF says over 70 Hezbollah sites hit as troops advance near south Lebanon’s Nabatieh

Israel braces for Iranian missile fire after strike on Hezbollah target in Beirut

IDF says it killed key Hezbollah official responsible for deadly 2007 attack on US troops

As IDF prepares to build post in Jenin, 2 soldiers hurt, 1 seriously, in blast

Subscribe to The Timesof Israel Daily Briefing onApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

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