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Day 637 - John Spencer and Lazar Berman: Is the IDF winning in Gaza?
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
This week, we're joined by John Spencer, the chief of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, a research center dedicated to the study of war and warfare. Spencer is a retired Major in the US Army and is a leading expert in military operations in dense and subterranean urban areas.
Spencer reached out to us after we released a Friday Focus podcast, "10 truths about the Gaza war, 20 months in," based on Berman's in-depth analysis, "For now, victory is still within reach: 10 truths about the Gaza war, 20 months in."
Today's conversation is a meeting of the minds in which Berman and Spencer delve into the nuts and bolts of the war in Gaza so far.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: IDF forces operate in the Gaza Strip in this July 3, 2025, handout photo. (IDF)
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Day 636 - Will PM mark the war's end at the White House?
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 Israel is said to be hoping to finalize a comprehensive Gaza deal before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House next week, Magid discusses the details and complexities of the ongoing hostage negotiations, including a framework of a two-month truce in which 10 living hostages would be returned and the bodies of 18 deceased hostages.
Magid reports on the political implications of Netanyahu's upcoming visit to the White House next week, and the possibility of the two leaders celebrating the successful military campaign against Iran. He also notes that while a ceasefire is being negotiated for Gaza, Netanyahu's rhetoric still suggests an ongoing military campaign.
The humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza continues to be exacerbated by the conflict and Magid discusses the Ha'aretz report of excessive IDF fire at aid distribution sites, leading to an IDF investigation into potential war crimes.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump says Israel ‘agreed to necessary conditions to finalize’ 60-day Gaza ceasefire
Trump says he will be ‘very firm’ with Netanyahu on ending Gaza war
Netanyahu set to visit White House July 7 as US pushes for end to Gaza war
IDF confirms probe into killings near Gaza aid site, denies troops ordered to shoot civilians
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Mothers protesting the war in Gaza call on IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to end the war, holding posters that read: 'How do you dare to send our children to die?', 'We don't have children for a political war', 'Zamir, the soldiers are dying in vain.' (Credit Danor Aharon/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)
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Day 635 - How did an anti-Israel candidate win NYC's primary?
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.
New York reporter Luke Tress joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
US President Donald Trump threatens to arrest New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani should he win the mayoral elections in November, and Tress discusses the president's repeated comments about the anti-Zionist candidate and Mamdani's proposed plan to oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in New York City.
Tress offers an overall look at the trajectory of Mamdani's political ascent and his surprise upset of former New York governor Andrew Cuomo during last week's New York City Democratic party mayoral primary.
He discusses the likelihood of Mamdani winning the November general election in the mostly Democratic city, and how Mamdani's anti-Israel activism, a facet of his political life since his college days, will challenge New York City's Jewish dwellers, who comprise the world's largest Jewish population outside of Israel.
Tress examines Mamdani's opponents, including former governor Cuomo, who leaned into the Jewish vote, and current New York City mayor Eric Adams, who kicked off his independent candidacy after Mamdani won the primary.
He discusses the pro-Jewish initiatives rolled out by Adams during his mayorship and in recent months, and that Cuomo and Adams share a similar voter base in New York, an overwhelmingly Democratic city.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump threatens to arrest anti-Israel New York City mayoral candidate Mamdani
Jewish political organizers grapple with fallout from Mamdani’s NYC primary victory
Do Zohran Mamdani’s opponents have a path to defeating him in NYC mayoral election?
After NYC primary upset, anti-Israel activist Mamdani vows not to ‘abandon my beliefs’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani takes selfies with supporters after speaking at his primary election party, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
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Day 634 - Could Syria be next in joining the Abraham Accords?
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 Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will embark on his third trip to to Washington early next week to meet with US President Donald Trump. This comes alongside increased pressure to end the war in Gaza and perhaps the potential of a domino-type deal between Israel and regional players.
Berman speaks about reports that Israel and Syria are holding “advanced talks” on a bilateral agreement halting hostilities between the countries. Could this lead to Syria joining the Abraham Accords? And what position does this put Turkey in, even as its neighbor, Iran, just suffered a defeat at the hands of the US and Israel.
Israel’s military chief has advised cabinet ministers against ordering the Israel Defense Forces to expand operations in the Gaza Strip, over fears that doing so could significantly endanger the lives of hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave, according to Hebrew media accounts Monday. Berman speaks about the terrible decision that has faced Israel's political echelons for almost 21 months -- hostages or defeating Hamas -- and how Israeli soldiers in Gaza will likely increasingly be on Hamas's radar as long as no decision is taken.
At least 11 people in Gaza were killed yesterday in the area of a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution center, according to local Palestinian media outlets. Also Monday, the military admitted in a statement that it has killed several civilians near aid sites in recent weeks and said it has learned lessons that will avoid similar incidents in the future. Berman recently spoke with the head of GHF, Reverend Johnnie Moore Jr. He brings us highlights from their conversation.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Netanyahu set to visit White House July 7 as US pushes for end to Gaza war
Israel in ‘advanced talks’ for deal to end hostilities with Syria, says senior official
Israel says Hezbollah must disarm before any Lebanon peace talks can advance
Dozens said killed in Gaza; IDF admits it has killed several civilians near aid sites
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)
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Day 633 - Rioting settlers torch IDF facility meant to protect them
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 and settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Israeli settlers torched a multi-million-shekel security installation used to “thwart terror attacks and maintain security” in the Ramallah area of the West Bank overnight, according to the IDF. This came after a riot by settlers outside a military base in the West Bank, where, according to the IDF, settlers attacked security forces, sprayed mace and vandalized army vehicles. Sharon and Schneider delve deeply into the issue of settler violence and how it is being fostered -- and even potentially funded -- by members of the coalition.
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is now in Washington, DC, where he is expected to face pressure from the Trump administration during his meetings tomorrow in Washington to end the war in Gaza
It appears from statements made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday that he, too, is on board with winding down the Gaza war. Schneider explains which ministers are against ending the Gaza war and whether this coalition crisis in the making could lead to early elections.
Top security officials told judges presiding over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial in a closed-door meeting yesterday that Netanyahu must be released from his testimony for the week because there is an opportunity to change the face of the Middle East and for Israel to expand its circle of peace, including with Syria. Sharon discusses the mechanisms of canceling the trial for the week. Then, Schneider speaks about reports claiming that Syria would be willing to give up its claim to the Golan Heights in exchange for a peace agreement.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Settlers torch West Bank security site, riot against ‘traitor’ IDF officer; no arrests
PM: Iran war opened broad regional possibilities, ‘first we need to free the hostages’
Court agrees to cancel PM’s testimony this week after briefing by security chiefs
Report: Syria not demanding Golan Heights as part of deal with Israel
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: A West Bank security installation that was torched overnight by settlers on June 30, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 632 - After meeting goals in Israel-Iran war, IDF turns back to Gaza
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Friday night, throngs of rioting Israeli settlers attacked IDF soldiers at the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik near Ramallah, after the forces arrived there to prevent them from rampaging in the village. Six Israelis were arrested following the violence. According to Hebrew media reports, the Israeli assailants beat, choked and hurled rocks at the troops. Later, on Saturday, a police outpost was vandalized by settlers in what authorities said was an apparent act of revenge for the arrest of the six suspects accused in the nighttime attack. Fabian explains the rollout of the events.
This morning, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told CBS news that Iran likely will be able to begin to produce enriched uranium “in a matter of months,” despite damage to several nuclear facilities from US and Israeli attacks. But this is in contrast to what IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has reportedly told colleagues that Iran is no longer a nuclear threshold state following the Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear program. Fabian relays the army's assessment of the 12-day war and discusses whether the ceasefire will be similar to the November 27, 2024, ceasefire with Hezbollah.
This morning, the IDF re-issued a wide evacuation warning for Palestinians in the Gaza City and Jabalia areas in the northern Gaza Strip. This comes as Zamir said Friday that the military’s latest offensive in Gaza will soon “reach the lines” defined by the government, which would see the military assert control over 75% of the territory. We hear what is happening on the ground in Gaza.
Finally, one of the founders of Hamas, who was also one of the planners of its onslaught of October 7, 2023, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City on Friday night. We learn about Hakem al-Issa, who served as chief of staff at the “combat and administrative support division” in the Palestinian terror group’s military wing.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Settlers attack IDF soldiers, try to ram them amid riot in West Bank village; 6 detained
PM, defense chiefs condemn settler attack on soldiers; suspects try to torch police post
IDF chief believes Iran no longer a nuclear threshold state after Israeli, US strikes
34 Gazans said killed in IDF strikes; army issues evacuation warning after rocket fire
Gaza offensive will soon ‘reach the lines’ set by the government, says IDF chief
Veteran Hamas operative who helped plan Oct. 7 killed in Gaza City strike, IDF says
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: IDF soldiers operate in the northern Gaza Strip in this June 19, 2025, handout photo. (IDF)
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Day 631 - 'Tehran' director on how war inspiring Season 4
Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with Daniel Syrkin, director of the acclaimed TV series "Tehran."
Recorded on Monday amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, Syrkin discusses the impact of the current geopolitical events on the storytelling of "Tehran" and the challenges of producing a series that reflects the most recent realities of life in Iran.
The "Tehran" director shares insights from his background in military intelligence and how it shaped his understanding of the Iranian regime and the making of the series, created with Israel's Kan 11 and Apple TV.
He also discusses the cultural authenticity of the series, the emotional responses from Iranian actors to their Israeli costars and crew, even during the last 10 days of the conflict.
Syrkin notes that sometimes the only way for him to cope as an Israeli is by working on the show, and notes that whatever happens next, it will be reflected in the next season, Season 4.
And so this week, we ask Daniel Syrkin, what matters now.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: 'Tehran' director Daniel Syrkin with actor Niv Sultan from 'Tehran' (Credit: Tully Chen)
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Day 630 - Israel-Iran war's aftershocks for Russia and China
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
We're still sifting through the facts and figuring out the results of the 12-day Israel-Iran war. But after every earthquake, there are aftershocks. Today, we’ll look at how this war has far-reaching effects on countries such as Russia, China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
We begin the program by looking at China, which is hosting a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a China- and Russia-led regional security grouping. In attendance is Iran’s defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh. The conference is an attempt to build alternative international blocs to those backed by the United States, according to reporting on CNN. So, how does China fit in with the 12-day war?
Our next stop is Russia. The world learned again that Russian military tech is no match for a first-class air force like the IDF after it failed to repel the Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. Berman weighs in on Russia's nuanced approach to the Israel-Iran war and its cautious moves to not upset the Trump administration.
Reports of Iranians fleeing to bordering Turkey during the conflict were unsurprising, said Berman, since the NATO nation is a gateway to Europe. We hear how Turkey responded to the war.
Looking towards Saudi Arabia, US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff reiterated Wednesday his belief that additional countries will join the Abraham Accords, which normalized ties between Israel and several Muslim nations. We learn what would have to happen for this to occur and how there may be a softening on Israel's part following the recent conflict with Iran.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: (L-R) India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Kazakhstan's Defense Minister Dauren Kossanov, China's Defense Minister Dong Jun, Kyrgyzstan's Defense Minister Ruslan Mukambetov, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Russia's Defense Minister Andrei Belousov gather for a group photo during the Defense Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Qingdao, in eastern China's Shandong province on June 26, 2025. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
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Day 629 - Bromance blossoms as Trump sticks up for his friend Bibi
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 on Thursday demanded the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing criminal trial. Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases, facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Among other comments, Trump wrote, “It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu. THIS TRAVESTY OF ‘JUSTICE’ CAN NOT BE ALLOWED!” Magid weighs in.
Yesterday, it was announced that US and Iranian officials will hold nuclear talks next week, even as Tehran insisted it will not give up its nuclear program and the US has claimed the program was "obliterated." Magid breaks down some of the conflicting information and offers insight into what kind of deal may take shape following the Israel-Iran war.
Israel reportedly halted aid deliveries into Gaza after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that he ordered the military to present a plan within the next two days on how to keep Hamas from stealing humanitarian assistance. Magid tries to makes sense of what is reportedly taking place on the ground.
Families of hostages held in Gaza hope the ceasefire with Iran, which went into effect on Tuesday will mark a turning point — one that could lead to a truce with Hamas and finally bring their loved ones home. “Those who are capable of reaching a ceasefire with Iran can also put an end to the war in Gaza,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “Ending the operation in Iran without using it to return all the hostages would be a grave diplomatic failure.” Magid has some optimism for more talks and explains why.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump demands end to Netanyahu’s graft trial: ‘US saved Israel, now it’s going to save Bibi’
Trump says US will meet with Iran next week, asserts nuke deal ‘no longer necessary’
Hostage families hope Iran truce yields Gaza deal: ‘Hamas is at its weakest point’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 7, 2025. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)
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Day 628 - For Iranian regime, does survival equal victory?
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.
Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Over the 12 days of war, Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israel claimed the lives of 28 people — all but one of them civilians — and wounded over 3,000 people. More than 9,000 people in Israel have been displaced from their homes, dozens of which were damaged or destroyed by the Iranian attacks. We begin the program by discussing the mood in the country, even as Israelis woke to the news of seven soldiers killed in Gaza.
A preliminary US intelligence assessment has determined that US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have set back Tehran’s program by only a matter of months. Rettig Gur sifts through the pieces and tries to discern, did Israel meet its goals? Was there a victor here? And if so, who?
In a video statement on Tuesday summing up the war against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel “achieved a historic victory” that would “abide for generations” following the US-brokered ceasefire to end the 12-day conflict. Is this just pre-campaign-trail rhetoric?
And finally, we discuss why, in this potential window of opportunity, did the people of Iran not rise up and attempt to overthrow the oppressive regime.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
7 Israeli soldiers killed when armored vehicle hit by explosive in southern Gaza
American strikes only set Iran’s nuclear program back by months — US intel report
Netanyahu claims ‘historic victory,’ says ‘we sent Iran’s nuclear program down the drain’
Iran says 700 arrested for wartime ties with Israel; 3 alleged Mossad agents hanged
The Israel-Iran war by the numbers, after 12 days of fighting
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Iranians chant slogans and wave national flags as they celebrate a ceasefire between Iran and Israel at Enghlab Square in the capital Tehran on June 24, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
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Day 627 - Trump announces Israel-Iran ceasefire. Will it stick?
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Hours after Iran attempted to strike a US military base in Qatar in retaliation for the US strike on its nuclear sites, US President Donald Trump announced overnight Monday-Tuesday that Israel and Iran agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” which would bring about an end to the conflict. However, hours after both sides confirmed that the truce was taking effect, Iran shot another barrage at Israel -- the seventh of the morning. At recording time, Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the IDF to retaliate with force. A pre-ceasefire attack earlier Tuesday hit a Beersheba apartment building, killing four people.
We delve into the Iranian missile attack on a major US airbase in Qatar on Monday evening. Qatari and US officials said no casualties or injuries were sustained in the attack, and Iran reportedly warned Doha in advance, signaling its likely intent to avoid a further escalation. Qatar said Iran fired 19 missiles at the base, one of which hit. Berman weighs in.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli airstrikes targeted key assets and symbols of the Iranian regime in Tehran, including facilities belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Evin Prison for political prisoners, and the “Destruction of Israel” countdown clock. What was Israel attempting to accomplish here?
As a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was coming into effect, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said “the IDF fully met all of [the] objectives” it had set ahead of the war. But did it?
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum released a statement saying that ending the military operation against Iran without taking the opportunity to secure the release of the hostages held in Gaza would be a “grave diplomatic failure.” Berman explains why linking the Iran ceasefire with a Gaza ceasefire is highly unlikely.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump says Israel and Iran agreed to ‘complete and total ceasefire,’ ending '12 Day War’
Iran fires missiles at American base in Qatar in retaliation for US strikes; none hurt
In Tehran, IDF strikes IRGC sites, gate of Evin Prison, ‘Destruction of Israel’ clock
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: The remains of a ballistic missile fired from Iran into the Golan Heights, northern Israel, June 23, 2025. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)
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Day 626 - After sending the B-2s, Trump talks Iran regime change
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Horovitz notes that it isn't definitively clear how much damage has been wreaked on Iranian nuclear facilities by US and Israeli strikes in Iran. He refers to the term "obliteration," used by US President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, to describe the result of the American strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities early on Sunday, but stresses that the US military has only publicized an initial damage assessment to date. He discusses Trump's late Sunday remark about potential regime change in Iran -- issued after all his key officials stressed this was not America's goal.
Horovitz also comments on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pre-recorded press conference on Sunday evening, in which he vowed that Iran's ongoing fire on Israel would not become a war of attrition. He also looks at the prime minister's cryptic comments regarding the relative failure of Iranian drone attacks and the whereabouts of Iran's stockpiles of enriched uranium.
The conversation with Horovitz also touches on geopolitical dynamics, including Russia's relationship with Iran, and the routes followed by Israeli citizens trying to return home amidst the conflict.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
‘MIGA!’: Trump floats Tehran regime change as Iran’s proxies said prepping to hit US bases
Netanyahu: Israel very close to reaching goals in Iran, will avoid ‘war of attrition’
Iran, Russia set to hold talks as Tehran fumes at US over strikes
Aryeh Deri says October 7 ‘saved the nation of Israel,’ avoiding deadlier attack and exposing Iran
Despite travel warning, majority of returning Israelis do so via Jordan and Egypt
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: This handout satellite picture provided by Maxar Technologies and taken on June 22, 2025, shows Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), northeast of the city of Qom, after US strikes on the site. (Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies / AFP)
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Day 625 - US joins the Israel-Iran war, 'obliterating' 3 nuclear sites
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and US bureau chief Jacob Magid join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
US President Donald Trump announced early Sunday that the US had carried out a “successful attack” on the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites in Iran. We learn what was hit and Trump's warnings to Iran about either returning to the negotiating table, or else.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities early Sunday morning, thanking Trump for bringing “peace through strength.”
We discuss the options that are now on the table for Iran as well as the wider implications for the region as the Israel-Iran war continues.
Berman speaks about the potential realignment of regional axes with a severely weakened Iran.
And finally, Magid weighs in on whether the broader US population is on board with these attacks on Iran -- and why some may hesitate.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
US joins Israel’s war in Iran, bombs fortified Fordo site and other nuclear facilities
Full text of Trump’s speech following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities
Netanyahu hails US strikes on Iran: ‘First comes strength, then comes peace’
What to know about the Iranian nuclear sites that were hit by US strikes
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Illustrative: A B-2 Stealth Bomber flies somewhere over the state of Missouri, October 30, 2002. (TIM SLOAN / AFP)
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Day 624 - IDF head cautions no quick win in ongoing Israel-Iran war
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Overnight, an Israeli airstrike in Iran killed Saeed Izadi, the head of the Palestine Corps in the IRGC Quds Force, who funded and armed Hamas ahead of the terror group’s October 7 onslaught as part of a multi-front plan to destroy Israel. Fabian describes who he was and how central he was in drafting Iran's ultimate strategy to eliminate Israel.
Also hit last night was Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site for the second time since the start of the conflict, as Iran fired an overnight volley of five ballistic missiles at central Israel. The strike on the first day of the conflict destroyed several critical sections, including uranium conversion infrastructure and labs. Last night's strikes were intended to cause further damage to Iran’s nuclear program.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told Israelis yesterday that they must prepare for a “prolonged campaign” against Iran to “eliminate a threat of this magnitude,” indicating that a quick end to the campaign was unlikely. We ask Fabian to decipher this cryptic message from the head of the IDF even as US President Donald Trump told reports that Israel appears to be "winning."
Also yesterday, reporters were told that Israel is not running low on air defense interceptors amid its conflict with Iran, denying reporting that the IDF’s stockpile of interceptor missiles is being depleted. Fabian explains why this may still be the case.
Iran is not only firing traditional ballistic missiles at Israel: At least one ballistic missile launched by Iran at Israel in a barrage on Thursday morning was carrying a cluster bomb warhead, marking a dangerous new development. We speak about this type of missile, as well as Iran's drips-and-drabs retaliation to the continued Israeli strikes.
To close out, we review the stunning operation to eliminate Iran’s top military commanders early June 13 was code-named “Red Wedding” after the infamous scene in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series and “Game of Thrones” TV show, due to the almost fantastical way it was carried out. Fabian explains why.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
IRGC Palestinian division chief, an architect of Oct. 7, killed in overnight strike in Iran
IDF hits Isfahan nuclear site for 2nd time; Iran fires 5 missiles in overnight barrage
IDF chief warns Israelis must brace for ‘prolonged campaign’ against Iran
Denying reports, IDF indicates that it’s not running low on missile interceptors
Iranian missile with cluster warhead scattered bombs in central Israel, IDF says
Inspired by brutal TV scene, first strikes on Iran said code-named ‘Red Wedding’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Israeli soldiers and first responders check the damage caused to a building from an Iranian strike in Beit She'an on June 21, 2025. (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)
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Day 623 - How Israel stopped the bomb in 1981 and 2007
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
Israel has experience in attempting to stop a nuclear weapons program. Twice before striking Iran on June 13, 2025, Israel attempted to thwart two neighboring nations' nascent nuclear programs.
This week on the Friday Focus, we’re talking about the covert surprise 1981 Operation Opera in Iraq and the 2007 Israeli airstrike on Syria, called Operation Outside the Box or Operation Orchard.
Berman fills us in on the back story of both, and weighs in on how successful they were — of course, with an eye to the current Israel-Iran war and Israel’s goal to stop Iran from reaching a nuclear bomb.
We learn how Operation Opera, also known as Operation Babylon, took place under prime minister Menachem Begin on June 7, 1981, at 16:00 when 14 fighter jets departed from Etzion (Efrat) Airport in Israel. At approximately 17:30, they struck and destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq, and within about 90 seconds of bombing, they successfully completed their mission.
Berman speaks about the resultant "Begin Doctrine," which, since 1981, guides Israel in how it reacts to imminent threats of weapons of mass destruction.
We then turn to the second preemptive strike that Israel carried out to stop the bomb in 2007, under prime minister Ehud Olmert. Ten Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-15 fighter jets, along with F-16 fighters and electronic-warfare aircraft, bombed a Syrian radar site and took over Syrian air defenses, feeding them a false picture of empty skies.
We discuss the overriding themes of both operations and compare them with what is currently happening in the Israel-Iran war.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: The IDF pilots who participated in the Operation Opera bombing of Saddam Hussein's nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981. (Israel Defense Force archive)
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Day 622 - Iran hits Israeli hospital, will US join the fray?
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 early morning Iranian rocket attack that directly hit Beersheba's Soroka Medical Center and buildings in Ramat Gan and Holon, Magid discusses the likelihood of the US getting involved in the Israel-Iran conflict. He notes that the stance of US President Donald Trump regarding US involvement has shifted dramatically in recent days, moving from very unlikely to highly possible.
Magid also discusses how Republican support for Israel is divided on the issue of the US intervention in the Iranian conflict, with some Republican politicians making it clear that they support the steps that Israel has taken, while others are against the US getting involved in a conflict far from US soil.
As 85 trucks of humanitarian aid entered Gaza on Wednesday, Magid discusses the ongoing challenges of aid distribution being handled by the Israeli-US Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
He also talks about the latest offer for hostage negotiations, as Egypt offers to host representatives of Israel and Hamas in Sharm el-Sheikh, which is accessible for the Israeli team, given the closure of Israel's airports during the Iran conflict.
Israel believes that its strikes against Iran will help in talks with Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal, says Magid.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
‘Nobody knows what I’m going to do’: Trump won’t say whether he’ll strike Iran
Trump speaks with Netanyahu and advisers as he weighs strike on Iran
Trump demands Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender,’ says US won’t kill Khamenei ‘for now’
Netanyahu says Israel won’t rule out killing Khamenei: It would ‘end the conflict’
US embassy working on plans to evacuate citizens seeking to leave Israel
Egypt pushing to host hostage talks, but Israel holding off for now
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Smoke rises from where a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, June 19, 2025 (Credit: Dudu Greenspan/Flash90)
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Day 621 - How warfare is being rewritten over the skies of Tehran
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.
Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The Israel-Iran war continues with fewer missile barrages from Iran even as Israel continues to use innovative ways of using its technology to destroy nuclear and military infrastructure in Iran. We begin the episode by speaking about how Israel has tweaked its aerial missile capabilities, specifically its standoff munitions, to turn them into far-flying, guided ballistic missiles.
Rettig Gur speaks about the many, deep reasons why Russia did not want this Israel-Iran war to take place, including the notion that Israel has shown the lack of capabilities of Russian anti-aircraft tech as the IAF sails through Tehran airspace. We hear what else had Russian President Vladimir Putin concerned.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed words of support yesterday for Israel’s war against Iran, saying, “This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world. As Merz appers to be urging the United States to enter the fray, we also hear about France's support for Israel's military operations in Iran.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Israel will achieve goals in Iran within a week or two, including in Fordo, IDF says
The US bunker-buster bomb that could destroy Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility
Germany’s Merz threatens destruction of Iran’s nuclear program if it bucks talks
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Portraits of Iranian military generals and nuclear scientists, killed in Israel's June 13 attack are displayed above a road, as a plume of heavy smoke rises from an oil refinery in southern Tehran, after it was hit in an overnight Israeli strike, on June 15, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
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Day 620 - Israel rules Tehran skies. Is greater turbulence on the horizon?
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed fighting in separate incidents in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis on Monday. Cpt. Tal Movshovitz, 28, from Re’ut, was killed by an explosive device planted in a building.
Hours later, Staff Sgt. Naveh Leshem, 20, from Nokdim, was killed, and 10 other soldiers were wounded. Berman addresses the rumors of progress towards a negotiated deal to get the hostages out and a ceasefire in the Strip. What is happening in the war and what has changed?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday did not rule out plans to target Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Instead, he suggested that it would be a surefire way to “end the conflict” with the Islamic Republic. Berman updates us on other statements from the prime minister -- in English and Hebrew.
Downtown Tehran appears to be emptying out, with many shops closed, including in the city’s ancient Grand Bazaar, perhaps in light of US President Donald Trump’s impromptu evacuation call for the entire city of Tehran Monday night, citing what he said was the country’s rejection of a deal to curb nuclear weapons development, as the conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic appeared poised for further escalation. Berman explains what happened in the G7 and where the war could be turning.
French authorities erected black partition walls around Israeli company exhibits displaying offensive weapons systems at the Paris Air Show overnight Sunday, hours before the event opened at Le Bourget Airport. Berman weighs in, explaining the nuance of the situation -- and why this is hardly the first time Israel is singled out at this show.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
2 soldiers killed in Gaza; another mass casualty incident reported near GHF aid site
Netanyahu admits Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was Israeli initiative
Netanyahu says Israel won’t rule out killing Khamenei: It would ‘end the conflict’
Trump urges ‘everyone’ to flee Tehran, sparking speculation of widening conflict
Trump, G7 heads call for ‘de-escalation’ in Iran, but US president denies ceasefire bid
Paris Air Show closes off pavilions of Israeli companies displaying ‘offensive weapons’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Handout image of Israeli fighter jet lifting off to strike Iran, June 17, 2025. (IDF)
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Day 619 - Will Israeli strikes push Iran to end nuclear program?
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Over the past night, eight Israelis were killed and hundreds injured in Iranian barrages, with evenings and overnights now punctuated by missile strikes. Israelis have been staying close to protected spaces, and, until last night, almost every serious casualty had been outside a protected room or shelter.
Horovitz talks about Israel gaining air supremacy in Iran and the declared goals of the military campaign, which include averting the ballistic missile threat and damaging the Iranian nuclear program, but do not include bringing down the Iranian regime or targeting the country's political leadership... or completely destroying the nuclear program. Rather, the overt intention is to create an environment in which the regime decides its own interests require it to abandon and dismantle the entire program.
He notes that Israel has killed many Iranian commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and army, and key nuclear scientists, disrupting the regime's military command structure and hampering a potential breakout to the bomb.
Horovitz discusses whether the US could get involved, and notes comments by US President Donald Trump that express clear support for Israel but no intention to join the battle.
He says that Israel, which has made significant progress over the last few days, never asks other countries to fight its wars, but American involvement may be crucial in disabling Iran's best-protected nuclear facilities.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
8 killed, nearly 300 injured as Iranian ballistic missiles strike central Israel, Haifa
Devastation grows as Iran targets Israel’s civilian areas, despite interceptors and shelters
Israel kills Iranian intel chiefs, strikes deep inside Iran, opens ‘air corridor to Tehran’
IDF reiterates safe rooms still best option against Iran’s missiles, despite 2 fatalities
Trump said to veto Khamenei assassination; Netanyahu: Conflict may result in regime change
Trump says ‘it’s possible’ US will get involved in Iran-Israel conflict, while urging deal
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Israelis at scene where a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit and caused damage in Tel Aviv, June 16, 2025. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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Day 618 - How involved is the US in the Israel-Iran war - so far?
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Over the past night, 10 Israelis were killed and 200 injured in Iranian barrages, in addition to three killed the previous night and dozens injured, including seven IDF soldiers. Berman fills us in on the overnight strikes.
We turn to a discussion of Iran's military capabilities and what's known about its missile arsenal. And Borschel-Dan poses the to-date hypothetical question of Iran's naval fleet reaching Israel.
So far, American air defense systems and a Navy destroyer have helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran has launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and top military leaders. We hear how the US has used both ground-based Patriot missile defense systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defense systems that are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. A Navy destroyer in the eastern Mediterranean Sea also shot down Iranian missiles heading toward Israel, one official said. Berman weighs in on whether the US may step up its efforts and join Israel in the possible scenario of a ground offensive on Iranian soil.
To close out, Berman describes the daring Mossad operation in Iran that allowed Israel to launch the airstrikes. We hear that Israel spent years preparing for the operation against Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, including building a drone base inside Iran and smuggling precision weapons systems and commandos into the country.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
6 dead, including 2 children, in Iranian missile strike on Bat Yam apartment building
Devastation grows as Iran targets civilian areas, despite interceptors and shelters
4 Arab women – mother, 2 daughters and a sister-in-law – killed by Iranian missile near Haifa
US air defense systems, naval destroyer help down Iranian missiles fired at Israel
Trump: Iran will face American might ‘at levels never seen before’ if it attacks US
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Illustrative: US President Donald Trump gets out of a THAAD missile truck at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 15, 2019. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
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Day 617 - Haviv Rettig Gur on the existential Israel-Iran War
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 senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.
Since 3 am on Friday morning, Israel has been at war with Iran. We begin the program with a pause to look at how each of us sees this Israeli moment.
Rettig Gur weighs in on how this war with Iran was inevitable ever since Hamas's murderous onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and began the ongoing war in Gaza.
The IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir told Israel's political leaders in the past day that the campaign in Iran is essential to ensure "the existence of the Jewish people," according to Israel's Channel 12. "The operation in Iran is an operation to defend the existence of the Jewish people. History will not forgive us if we do not act now."
We discuss the tipping point of launching the operation and the international media's cynicism that it was begun in part as a ploy for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stay in power. A constant critic of Netanyahu, today, Rettig Gur applauds his courage in taking on Iran.
Finally, we hear Rettig Gur's thoughts on Netanyahu's hopes that the Iranian people will use this opportunity to shake off their shackles of oppression and overturn the regime.
And so this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur, what matters now.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, February 7, 2025, . (OFFICE OF THE IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER via AP)
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Day 616 - Israel strikes Iran to thwart 'imminent' nuclear bomb
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian and diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Overnight, Israel launched a major offensive against the Islamic Republic of Iran, striking nuclear sites, military facilities, missile bases and senior leadership. Fabian describes how new intelligence indicated that the military assessed Iran currently has enough enriched uranium to build 15 nuclear bombs — as well as its ballistic missile factories and its military capabilities.
We hear details about the "Rising Lion" mission, as well as Iran’s retaliation of 100 UAVs, as of recording time mid-morning Friday.
We also learn about the behind-the-scenes cooperation between the United States and Israel and how the world is responding to this preemptive strike so far, especially the Saudia Arabia.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
After years of preparation, Israel launches major offensive against Iran and its nuclear program
‘An immediate operational necessity’: Why Israel finally attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities
Explainer: The handful of facilities at the core of Iran’s nuclear program
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: An Israeli Air Force fighter jet departs for strikes in Iran, early June 13, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 615 - Will France declare Palestinian state to please Saudis?
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.
Magid offers the latest on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, with recent reports of staffers killed and perhaps taken captive by Hamas terrorists, as well as the possibility of some 25 Palestinians killed at one of the aid sites. Magid reviews the latest Hamas claims and GHF responses, discussing the confusion in this ongoing initiative.
As the French and Saudis host a UN conference next week advancing a two-state solution, Magid says there is speculation whether France will use it as an opportunity to declare a Palestinian state, making it the most prominent country in the West to do so, while remaining an ally of Israel. Magid says there is still much indecision about the unilateral step, which could interfere with the ongoing hostage negotiations and with concerns about how Israel would react.
Talks with Iran continue, with US President Donald Trump publicly criticizing the Iranian republic for not negotiating seriously. Magid looks at some of the serious steps being taken by the US to shield US personnel in the Middle East, possibly indicating that an attack is coming, either by the US or Israel.
Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent video statement about possible progress in hostage talks, which was dismissed by others, Magid notes that the recent phone conversation between Trump and Netanyahu points to the US president's intention that the war in Gaza needs to end, despite the Israeli government's interest in contining the military pressure in Gaza.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Gaza aid group says Hamas killed at least 5 local staffers, possibly abducted others
Palestinians say 25 killed near Gaza aid site; IDF says troops fired at threats
MBS attendance at 2-state confab to signal that France will recognize Palestinian state
US slams UN conference on Israel-Palestinian issue, warns of consequences
US begins evacuating Mideast embassies, army bases as Iran nuclear talks come to a head
Trump said to have told Netanyahu to end Gaza war, attacking Iran off limits for now
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: French President Emmanuel Macron, right, speaks with Saudi Arabia's Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud prior to a group photo at an EU-Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
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Day 614 - 1st IDF naval strike on Yemen leaves Houthis undeterred
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian and political reporter Tal Schneider join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Defense Minister Israel Katz agreed on Israel’s response to Hamas’s counter-offer to a US proposal for a hostage-ceasefire deal at their meeting yesterday, Army Radio reports. The response has been forwarded to mediators, the report says. Officials are now awaiting the terror group’s response, but in the meantime, fighting continues on the ground in Gaza. Fabian fills us in.
In a first, Israeli Navy missile boats on Tuesday morning launched strikes against infrastructure at the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida in western Yemen. Fabian explains the pros and cons of using the naval forces instead of the air force for similar future attacks.
The UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway said Tuesday that they would freeze assets and bar the entry of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for having “incited extremist violence” against Palestinians in the West Bank. Schneider weighs in on all the various diplomatic efforts on the table designed to pressure Israel to stop the Gaza war, including the upcoming conference in New York co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia on the topic of the two-state solution.
Leaders of opposition parties decided this morning to submit a private bill to dissolve the Knesset, starting the process of four votes that may -- or may not -- lead to new elections. Schneider dives into the thorny topic and explains the forces pulling strings behind the scenes.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Palestinians say 20 killed near aid site; IDF says troops fired at Gazans who posed threat
Israeli Navy carries out Yemen strikes for 1st time, targeting Houthi port
IDF shoots down Yemen missile; multiple interceptors launched as it breaks up
UK, Canada and 3 other nations sanction Ben Gvir and Smotrich over settler violence
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Illustrative: An LRAD missile is launched from the Sa’ar 6-class corvette INS Magen during a test in November 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 613 - Under Gaza hospital, IDF reveals Hamas HQ
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 Berman joins host Ariela Karmel for today's episode.
Berman discusses new developments in the ongoing Iran nuclear talks and daylight between US and Israeli leadership following a 40-minute phone call between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening, shortly after Iran announced that it would respond soon to Washington's latest proposal for a nuclear deal.
Berman also describes his recent tour in Gaza with the IDF, during which he entered Hamas tunnels underneath an EU-funded hospital where Hamas command sat, including commander Muhammad Sinwar who was killed there in an Israeli airstrike in May.
Hostages are believed to have also been held in the vast network of tunnels underneath the hospital, says Berman, noting that it is not clear who was held there or when but that forensic evidence pointing to the presence of hostages has been found.
Finally, Berman discusses a new report detailing a series of multimillion-dollar deals approved by Netanyahu between top Israeli defense companies and Qatar.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump speaks with Netanyahu, stresses US wants Iran deal ‘so there’s no destruction and death’
Here, beneath an EU-funded Gaza hospital, Hamas military chief Mohammed Sinwar met his end
Report: PM approved multimillion dollar deals between top Israeli defense companies and Qatar
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Troops from the IDF Golani Brigade guard the entrance to a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, June 8, 2025 (Lazar Berman/The Times of Israel)
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Day 612 - Can Shas bring down the coalition?
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Political correspondent Sam Sokol and archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
As Shas party leader Aryeh Deri threatens to leave the coalition, Sokol discusses the pressure being placed on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the ultra-Orthodox parties to wrangle Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein and the law he is writing regarding Haredi army enlistment.
There is intense anger in the ultra-Orthodox world over the issue, says Sokol, who also notes an act of arson in a Shas synagogue in Sunday, as the Shas party announced its intention to leave the coalition over its anger with Netanyahu regarding the Haredi draft bill.
Sokol notes that a political insider told him there's a relatively low chance of these pressures leading to new elections. Even if the current coalition is dissolved, there would still be up to five months of its ability to continue functioning and for the coalition parties to buy more time for themselves.
Tercatin discusses two sets of findings, one regarding the Bible. A pioneering new algorithm looks at the layers of oral traditions and writers of the Bible and its editors. The algorithm helps discern which words are used most often and the writing style, creating new methods of analyzing ancient writings and answering questions about the history they present.
She also looks at a radiocarbon dating study that was used to examine one of the Dead Sea scrolls, helping futher determine the timeframe when it was written, and whether the current scrolls are first copies or early editions.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Shas said planning to back Knesset dissolution over stymied draft-exemption bill
Shas spiritual leader: Edelstein’s soul is an abomination, shame he came to Israel
Haredi parties maintain pressure on PM after he claims ‘significant progress’ in talks
Outrage after arson attack on Jerusalem synagogue of top Shas party rabbi
Who wrote the Bible? A pioneering new algorithm may shatter scholarly certitude
New study revolutionizes Dead Sea Scrolls dating, might rewrite Israel’s history
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Shas party leader Aryeh Deri and spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef visit the scene of suspected arson and vandalism at a Jerusalem synagogue on June 8, 2025. (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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Day 611 - Booby traps, not combat: IDF's most lethal Gaza challenge
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Four more soldiers were declared dead on Friday morning after a booby trapped building exploded in the southern Gaza Strip. The slain soldiers were Sgt. First Class Tom Rotstein, Staff Sgt. Uri Yhonatan Cohen, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Chen Gross and Staff Sgt. Yoav Raver. Fabian weighs in on the challenges facing troops on the ground as Operation Gideon's Chariots continues.
The leader of a small Gaza terror group responsible for the October 7, 2023, abductions and eventual murders of several hostages -- including Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir -- was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City on Saturday, the military said. Another senior member was killed in a separate strike in the city. Fabian explains what the Mujahideen Brigades group is and other hostages who were murdered by it.
The body of slain hostage Nattapong Pinta, who Hamas-led terrorists abducted on October 7, 2023, was recovered in a joint Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet operation in the southern Gaza Strip, officials announced Saturday morning. This follows the recovery of two additional hostage bodies, Gadi Haggai and Judih Weinstein from the Khan Younis region. We learn how their whereabouts were determined.
The Israeli Navy is expected to block a high-profile activist mission sailing to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade, should the boat near Israel’s territorial waters in the coming days. Among the 12 activists on the ship are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, Irish “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham, and Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian European Parliament member. With the world's gaze on Israel, Fabian describes how the Navy may block the boat from reaching the Gaza shore.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
IDF names two other soldiers killed in booby-trapped Gaza building on Friday
4 IDF soldiers killed, 5 wounded after booby-trapped south Gaza building collapses
Gaza aid group says Hamas threats to staff kept distribution hubs closed on Saturday
Heads of terror group that abducted and murdered Bibas family killed by IDF
Body of Thai hostage Nattapong Pinta recovered by IDF from south Gaza’s Rafah
Activist aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg reaches Egypt’s coast as it heads for Gaza
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Golani troops operate in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip in this June 3, 2025, handout image from the IDF. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 610 - David Horovitz: Shedding light on war when the facts are dim
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 ToI editor David Horovitz.
How do you cover a war when no objective, proven journalists are allowed to report independently in the war zone?
And when one side of the conflict -- a terrorist regime -- floods international media with its narrative while the other side -- an attacked sovereign nation -- provides no narrative, guess which side's story makes front pages?
This week on What Matters Now, Horovitz lays out the challenges of penetrating the fog of this war within the constraints of an Israeli information vacuum.
"The hardest challenge for journalists, and it's certainly never been harder for us in the last 19-20 months, is to get the facts first... Getting to the facts has never been harder," said Horovitz.
And so this week, we ask ToI editor David Horovitz, what matters now.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Palestinians run following an Israeli strike in Gaza City, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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Day 609 - 10 truths about the Gaza war, 20 months in
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
Just back from reserve duty, Berman has written an in-depth look at the war in Gaza and the questions it raises in Israeli society.
For today's episode, we take a look at Berman's op-ed, "For now, victory is still within reach: 10 truths about the Gaza war, 20 months in," and discuss each point one by one.
In a free-flowing conversation, we hear Berman assess the war's successes and failures and learn about the burning existential issues that Israelis have yet to address.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: IDF troops of the Nahal Brigade operate in the Gaza Strip, in images released on June 5, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 608 - US and Israel against the world at the UN
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 has signed a proclamation banning travel from certain countries, citing national security concerns — and pointedly, the DIY flamethrower attack on Sunday in Boulder, Colorado. Magid explains which nations are -- and are not -- affected, and discusses the new ban on foreign students at Harvard University.
For the first time since Trump took office, the United Nations Security Council discussed and voted on a substantive resolution related to the war in Gaza. The resolution, which was vetoed by the United states, called for a ceasefire, release of the hostages and surge of humanitarian aid into the Strip. Magid weighs in on the significance of the vote.
Mediators are reportedly optimistic that Hamas will soon submit an updated hostage deal proposal that will be closer to what US special envoy Steve Witkoff presented last week, three sources familiar with the matter told Magid. But does this optimism have any grounds? What's changed?
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced that its aid distribution sites would again not open on Thursday morning to give time for the US- and Israeli-backed organization to carry out logistical work needed to accommodate larger crowds. We discuss this aid effort in the context of other, now suspended attempts, such as air drops from Jordan.
Israel decided to block a Saudi-led delegation from visiting the West Bank earlier this week. It would have been the first visit by a Saudi foreign minister since Israel took over the West Bank in 1967, and had been intended to boost the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority as a viable candidate to replace Hamas as the governing body of Gaza after the war. Magid adds nuance and context to this decision and its repercussions.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump bans travel from 12 countries, ties it to attack on Colorado Jewish rally
Trump moves to bar US entry to foreign students planning to study at Harvard
US vetoes UN Security Council resolution calling for Gaza ceasefire
Mediators optimistic Hamas will soon submit softened hostage deal proposal — sources
GHF says Gaza aid sites won’t reopen Thursday morning as planned, after one-day shutdown
Saudi official says Israel harmed normalization by blocking West Bank visit – report
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: US Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea (C) speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting to vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, at UN headquarters in New York City on June 4, 2025. (Leonardo Munoz / AFP)
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Day 607 - Iran balks, Spain reneges, Gaza aid closes for day
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and reporter Ariela Karmel join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
As hostage family members met with members of the Trump administration in the White House on Tuesday, Berman discusses the latest developments in the hostage negotiations, as Hamas continues to leverage the remaining living hostages for political gain while negotiators say Hamas must accept US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff's latest proposal.
He also looks at Iran's rejection of the nuclear deal proposal, after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the US proposal for a nuclear agreement went against the country’s national interest of continuing to enrich uranium. Berman notes that Iran wants a deal of some kind, particularly one that will protect them against future Israeli attacks, and is continuing to negotiate, with another round slated for this weekend.
Berman describes one of the aid sites in Gaza that was created by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and the complications of funneling Gazans into the space to receive their aid packages. He notes that the aid centers are closed today to fine-tune the process and prepare safe access routes after the IDF opened fire toward Palestinians who had approached troops after straying off a pre-approved path for reaching a Rafah distribution site.
Berman also looks at Spain and its decision to cancel another arms deal with Israel, spiking a $325 million system that would have been developed in Spain by Pap Tecnos, a subsidiary of Israel’s Rafael Advance Defense Systems. Berman discusses that Spain is a long-time critic of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and that it may be following other European countries with this step.
Karmel speaks about ongoing government settlement policies that incentivize Israelis to move to the West Bank due to rising housing costs inside Israel, and how that situation has been concretized by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government.
She also relates the launch of a book by released hostage Eli Sharabi, the first book by a former hostage, and his determination to keep living despite the personal tragedies he has experienced.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Senior Israeli official: Hamas ‘must understand it has to accept the Witkoff outline’
Key US consulting firm withdraws from American- and Israeli-backed Gaza aid agency
Israel punches back at UN chief for demanding probe into Gaza aid site shooting
Trump insists no enrichment in Iran deal after US said to offer limited nuke activity
Spain reneges on $325m purchase of anti-tank missiles from Israel’s Rafael
Is the government using the housing crisis to drive the settlement movement?
A book to wake up the world: Ex-hostage Eli Sharabi launches memoir of captivity and survival
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: The Al-Ansar Mosque in Gaza's Deir al-Balah after Israeli airstrikes, June 3, 2025. (Photo by Ali Hassan/Flash90)
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Day 606 - Anti-Israel extremist hits 12 in Colorado with DIY flamethrower
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.
New York reporter Luke Tress joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Twelve people were wounded Sunday in Boulder, Colorado — including at least one person in critical condition — when activists rallying for the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza were attacked by a man shouting “end Zionists,” who fired a makeshift flamethrower and threw firebombs at them. Tress updates us with what we know so far about the suspect, Mohammed Soliman, and his motives.
Tress compares Sunday's Boulder attack to the fatal shooting of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, less than two weeks ago. He reminds listeners of Jewish community leaders' warnings of potential copycat attacks on the horizon.
To close, we learn about a new facility from the Community Security Service, a nonprofit that trains volunteer synagogue guards throughout the US, the first in the US dedicated to training synagogue guards as American Jews build out an array of connected security measures amid a global surge in antisemitism.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Three IDF soldiers killed by roadside bomb in north Gaza’s Jabalia
With attacks in Washington and Colorado, the global intifada lands in America
Colorado suspect planned attack for a year, wanted to ‘kill all Zionist people’ — FBI
Trump pins Boulder attack on Biden border policy after suspect named as illegal alien
After deadly shooting, US Jewish security leaders urge vigilance amid threat of copycats
In first, US Jewish security outfit opens boot camp for volunteer synagogue guards
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Law enforcement officials investigate after an attack on the Pearl Street Mall Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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Day 605 - Ancient Bibles receive new homes for Torah holiday
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.
Religions reporter Rossella Tercatin joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Nearly two years after the ancient, nearly complete Codex Sassoon bible was first introduced at the Anu Museum, days before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, the book of Torah is inaugurated at the museum, in the presence of released hostage Agam Berger, in a moving, bittersweet ceremony, tells Tercatin. Another ancient bible, the Shem Tov bible, this one only 700 years old, was also inaugurated permanently at the National Library of Israel, both in time for the Shavuot holiday.
Tercatin also looks at the ongoing issues of conversion in Israel, following a meeting last week of the Knesset Aliyah Committee devoted to the topic of conversions on Tuesday, ahead of the Shavuot festival. Only about half of those who start the process to convert manage to complete the journey, and the Conversion Authority is currently formally without a director, leaving nobody can sign the official conversion certificates, complex matters that Tercatin discusses.
Steinberg talks about an art exhibit currently at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan, marking the 80th anniversary of the kibbutz's Shavuot ceremony, created by two pioneering kibbutz members in the 1940s to mark the agricultural and harvest aspects of the festival.
Finally, Tercatin discusses the Messianic community in Israel, and its connection to Yaron Lischinsky, the Israel Embassy staffer who was killed alongside his soon-to-be-fiance, Sarah Milgrim, on May 21 in an antisemitic attack at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Codex Sassoon, oldest near-complete Hebrew Bible, displayed in Israel after Oct. 7 delay
Ahead of Shavuot, thousands of converts remain unrecognized by state, stuck in limbo
Kibbutz marks 80 years of Shavuot song and dance with pioneering artworks
For Messianic Jews in Jerusalem, Yaron Lischinsky’s murder was a personal loss
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: The 'Codex Sassoon' bible is displayed at Sotheby's in New York on February 15, 2023. (Ed Jones/AFP)
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Day 604 - IDF moves one step closer to Jewish (state) space lasers
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The IDF confirmed last night that an Israeli airstrike earlier this month killed top Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar while he was in a tunnel underneath a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip. What information is the IDF basing the confirmation on?
The IDF claims that Hamas’s hold is slipping, along with its stronghold on food supplies. However, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation effort is being accused of wounding and even killing Gazans who are attempting to secure aid. Fabian weighs in on this increasingly murky endeavor.
A 19-year-old Defense Ministry civilian contractor, David Libi, was killed by an explosive device Thursday during Israel Defense Forces operations in the northern Gaza Strip. We learn why the IDF is employing Israeli civilians in the Strip.
The IDF carried out airstrikes on Friday near the coastal Syrian city of Latakia, saying its fighter jets targeted weapon depots used to store anti-ship missiles. It was Israel’s first reported strikes in Syria in nearly a month, but the IDF is not being forthcoming as to which terror group -- or state -- was the owner of the missiles.
Finally, we learned recently that the Israeli Air Force intercepted 35 drones launched by the Hezbollah terror group using a new laser interception system. The new system used during the fighting is a lower-powered version of the Iron Beam laser interceptor, which is set to be delivered to the Israel Defense Forces later this year. We hear about the IDF's beta-testing of the new system.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Following Netanyahu, IDF confirms Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar killed in May 13 strike
Israel claims Hamas losing control over Gaza civilians as GHF ramps up aid operations
IDF chief said to tell communities near Gaza he will ‘not let war drag on indefinitely’
Defense Ministry civilian contractor killed during IDF operations in northern Gaza
IDF says it targeted anti-ship missile depots near Syria’s Latakia; one said killed
IDF reveals it used laser system to intercept dozens of Hezbollah drones last year
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: A laser interception system deployed to northern Israel, in an undated photo published by the Defense Ministry on May 28, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 603 - Prof. Elie Podeh on the IDF disengaged from Gaza, 20 years ago
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 Hebrew University Prof. Elie Podeh.
Podeh, the Bamberger and Fuld professor in the History of the Muslim Peoples, recently published a research article, "Israel’s 2005 Disengagement from Gaza: A Multilateral Move Under Unilateral Façade."
In the article, we learn that while the Gaza Disengagement was a unilateral decision, it was carried out in partnership with the United States, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.
Among other revelations in the paper, we hear about the committees formed among the partners and their work on arrangements for border control, economic transition, and security cooperation. All elements were negotiated behind the scenes, especially under the guidance of American envoys and Egyptian mediators.
Podeh weighs in on prime minister Ariel Sharon's decision not to allow the PA to take credit for any part of the diplomatic cooperation and the question of whether delegitimizing the PA's authority in Gaza may have contributed to the Hamas takeover in 2007.
We speak about -- today, as the IDF is poised to retake the Gaza Strip, what the reasons were for the Disengagement 20 years ago -- and, in Podeh's opinion, why the Strip shouldn't be resettled by Israel.
And so this week, we ask Prof. Elie Podeh, what matters now.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Young settler prays during the disengagement in Neve Dekalim on August 18, 2005. (Nati Shohat/ Flash90)
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Day 602 - AJC head Ted Deutch: Calls for 'intifada' don't bring social justice
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. In this episode, American Jewish Committee head Ted Deutch fills in for Berman, who is on reserve duty.
On May 21, Sarah Milgrim and her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, were shot to death outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, where the victims had just attended an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee that focused in part on humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Both Milgrim and Lischinsky were employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington. Their alleged killer — a far-left activist from Chicago — shouted “Free Palestine” as he was arrested.
This week, the head of the AJC talks more about what type of coexistence event was held prior to the murders.
We discuss the rise in antisemitic violence across the Diaspora and what, in Deutsch’s opinion, can be done to counter it.
The former Florida congressman emphasizes the need for leaders around the world to condemn the surge in antisemitism and use nuanced language when speaking about the war in Gaza.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: A mourner lights a candle during a vigil for the victims of the Capital Jewish Museum shooting outside of the White House on May 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. Two Israeli Embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were gunned down after an event at the museum by a man shouting slogans in support for Palestine. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFP)
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Day 601 - Why Witkoff has a 'good feeling' about hostage negotiations
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 military reporter Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff says he has “some very good feelings” about the chances for reaching a temporary ceasefire that leads to a long-term resolution to the conflict in Gaza. Magid explains what could be on the table and why Witkoff is expressing optimism despite long-time Israeli and Hamas intransigence.
The Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said Wednesday it had successfully opened its second aid distribution center in southern Gaza, after the launch of its first site a day earlier descended into chaos when crowds stormed the facility. International media is reporting shootings and deaths at the first aid center this week. Magid attempts to make order of the chaos.
The United Arab Emirates rebuked Israel over this week’s Jerusalem Flag March, characterizing it as an “annual spectacle of unchecked violence and extremist provocation” and issuing a rare warning against Israel if Jerusalem doesn’t take “decisive steps” against the phenomenon. Magid explains why summoning of Israel's envoy -- only the second time the UAE has taken this measure -- is so significant even as several of Israel's allies are openly condemning the Jewish state.
US President Donald Trump confirms that he asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call last week not to take military action against Iran that could disrupt Washington’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with the Islamic Republic. Magid describes the differing accounts of the phone call.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Witkoff says US to issue new Gaza terms, has ‘very good feelings’ on reaching hostage deal
Gaza aid group opens 2nd distribution center, day after first site swarmed by crowds
UAE issues rare warning to Israel after summoning envoy over Jerusalem Flag March
Trump: I told Netanyahu striking Iran would be ‘very inappropriate,’ as deal is close
Report: Netanyahu-Trump phone call on Iran was marked by heated disagreements
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: US President Donald Trump invites US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff to respond to a question in the Oval Office of the White House on May 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP)
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Day 600 - A guided tour of the IDF's war of 7 fronts
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
On this 600th day since the Hamas onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, we do a zoomed-out update on all seven fronts of the war and where they stand today.
Fabian begins the program by updating us on new humanitarian aid operations in the Gaza Strip and chaos on Tuesday as Gazans temporarily overtook a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation disbursement center near Rafah.
We turn to the West Bank where Israeli forces raided foreign exchange stores in Ramallah and Nablus on Tuesday, accusing their parent company of “connections with terrorist organizations,” according to an army closure notice. Fabian delves into other -- as yet -- unrealized fears regarding the West Bank.
We reported this morning that Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have, in recent weeks, held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region between the two longtime foes. Fabian weighs in on the evolution of the over 19 months of war there.
Although there were early drones and missiles coming from Iran-backed militias in Iraq, recent news indicates negotiations to release Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Israeli-Russian researcher who was taken hostage in Iraq two years ago, are at advanced stages. For the past six months, the militias have not targeted Israel, explains Fabian.
However, even as we were recording today's episode, the Israel Air Force retaliated against the Iran-backed Houthis' relentless ballistic missiles and struck the Houthi-held Sanaa airport. Again.
Since November 27, 2024, there has been a negotiated ceasefire with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorist army. But all is not quiet and, as Fabian explains, Israel will likely remain in fighting form along the border -- permanently.
And finally, the great unknown: reports from The New York Times indicate that US officials are worried that Israel could decide to carry out strikes on Iran’s nuclear program without much warning. Fabian reviews what we know.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Gazans overrun Strip’s new aid center; operator says distribution has resumed
Israel launches anti-terror raids on West Bank money changers
Israel and Syria holding face-to-face meetings at border to calm tensions
Reports claim deal in works to free Israeli-Russian held hostage by Iraqi militia
Security cabinet approves plan for high-tech security barrier along Jordanian border
US officials concerned Israel may strike Iran nuke sites without much warning – NYT
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
Illustrative: Fighters from the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah train in southern Lebanon, May 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
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Day 599 - PM, AG and High Court edge closer to crisis
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon and health editor Diana Bletter join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
The controversy over the appointment of a Shin Bet chief continues, says Sharon, discussing the implications of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara's instructions to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he continues to disregard the instructions about appointing a new Shin Bet chief. Sharon reviews the potential for a constitutional crisis as the situation comes to a head.
Sharon also reviews some of the statements made by the attorney general and President of the Supreme Court Isaac Amit during Monday's Bar Association conference, as they both accused the government of quietly advancing far-reaching changes to Israel’s form of government.
Bletter speaks about several Israeli medical centers and how hospitals prepared for and responded to the needs of returning hostages in the earlier stages of the war and more recently. She discusses the particular care given to children and the expectation that hospitals will care for released hostages and their families for months and years to come.
The Druze community in Israel is in touch with and actively supports relatives in Syria, reports Bletter, with concerns over the future of Druze in Syria, given the new government in place. They're also questioning the strength of their own Druze identity in Israel.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
AG tells Netanyahu that choosing Zini to head Shin Bet ‘invalid and unlawful’
AG: ‘Not a warning, but reality – under cover of war, regime change has sped up greatly’
Netanyahu’s appointment of David Zini as Shin Bet chief is fraught with obstacles
Facing a hostage situation without precedent, Israeli hospitals innovate to rehabilitate
‘Maybe God put Druze in Israel to save the Druze there’: Minority fights for Syrian cousins
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: A billboard showing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, 'The judicial seamstress to the government! in Tel Aviv on December 6, 2024 (Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90)
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Day 598 - How the IDF plans to seize 75% of Gaza in 2 months
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Currently, the IDF holds about 40% of the Gaza Strip. In a briefing yesterday, Fabian learned that the new plan is to almost double those holdings within two months. As of yet, the groundwork is still being laid ahead of a massive ground operation with over 200 airstrikes carried out in the past 48 hours. Fabian explains the procedure the IDF uses to order civilian evacuations ahead of the planned influx of IDF soldiers on the ground.
The first distribution point operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation begins operations in the Strip today. This comes as its CEO Jake Wood resigned suddenly last night, saying it was “clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.” We hear how the mechanism is being implemented.
Israeli troops stationed at an army post near the Gaza border community of Kissufim on the morning of October 7, 2023, rushed to defend the kibbutz as Hamas terrorists began their terror onslaught. The forces, along with the kibbutz’s civil defense squad, managed to fight back against many of the terrorists, preventing them from rampaging throughout the entire community. Fabian takes us through the timeline of the battles from October 7-12, when the final terrorist was eliminated at the kibbutz.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Israel says Gaza aid starting distribution through controversial new mechanism
IDF aims to capture 75% of Gaza Strip in 2 months in new offensive against Hamas
IDF rushed to Kibbutz Kissufim as Hamas invaded, but some attackers stayed for days
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Troops of the Givati Brigade operate in the northern Gaza Strip, in a handout photo published May 26, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 597 - As IDF increases Gaza strikes,ex-hostages share fears
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 reports of nine children killed from one family by an Israeli strike, Magid discusses the recent toll on Gazan children and the need to carefully weigh statements from Gaza Health Ministry, and the international headlines about this loss.
Magid also reviews statements made this weekend by released hostages and families of hostage members regarding the frightening experiences of captives in Gaza during Israeli strikes, including a harrowing story of narrow escape to safety by recently released hostage Edan Alexander. The statements highlight the lack of certainty felt by hostages and their families as the IDF increases the intensity of fighting in Gaza. He also mentions recent comments made by Democrats party head Yair Golan and colleagues, and how Israelis are expressing similar feelings in polls about the ongoing war.
As Israel continues to manage the distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip following the 11-week blockade meant to squeeze Hamas, Magid discusses an American program that will handle the aid distribution, including non-food items and medicines.
He looks at the funding mechanisms and the distribution process, and whether this plan is close to operational.
Magid looks at comments made by Israel's Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, during a PragerU podcast, in which he criticizes the Israeli opposition, and relates to the charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, dismissing them out of hand and relating to topics that diplomats don't generally touch. Leiter also talks about implementing President Donald Trump's plan to relocate Gazans.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Gazans say 9 children of doctor couple killed in Israeli strike; IDF looking into report
IDF strikes on Hamas tunnel nearly killed Edan Alexander in his last month of captivity — report
Letter shows Israel may let humanitarian groups in Gaza stay in charge of non-food aid
Israeli envoy to US accuses Netanyahu’s political opponents of ‘blood libel’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Protestors at Begin Road in Tel Aviv on May 24, 2025, carry a large banner, 'Save the Hostages End the War' (Credit: Dana Reany/Israeli Pro-Democracy Movement)
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Day 596 - Haviv Rettig Gur on US President Trump's Mideast vision
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 ToI senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.
Last week, US President Donald Trump completed a four-day trip to the Middle East, his first official state visit of his second term.
He struck economic deals in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and, in lifting sanctions against Syria, made a bold move that could reboot the wartorn country.
On May 13, Trump delivered an almost hour-long speech at the Saudi-US Investment Forum at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that gives deep insight into his plan for the Middle East and beyond.
Rettig Gur examines this speech and explains its significance. We hear how it reflects Trump's diplomacy, which in many ways harkens back to an earlier style of US policy. And we hear how, while the speech only names Israel once, it is actually a leitmotif.
And so this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur, what matters now.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: US President Donald Trump speaks during the Saudi-US investment forum at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh on May 13, 2025. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)
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Day 595 - Why only 5% of Haredi men are showing up for the draft
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. This week, political correspondent Sam Sokol steps in for Berman.
This week, we learned that only 1,212, or five percent, of the 24,000 ultra-Orthodox men who have received initial draft notices since July 2024 have begun the enlistment process. Some 70,000-80,000 Haredi men are eligible to serve.
We also learned that despite constituting 14 percent of the working-age population, the ultra-Orthodox community generated only 4% of Israeli tax revenues in 2023, costing the government billions and adding thousands of shekels to the average non-Haredi worker’s annual tax burden, according to a new study by the Israel Democracy Institute.
Sokol has been rigorously covering the issue of universal conscription, also known as the Haredi or ultra-Orthodox draft, both in the halls of the Knesset and on the streets of Israel.
In this episode, we learn more about the diverse Haredi society and what motivates it. We talk about the history behind the exemptions, as well as the history of Haredim joining the coalition.
And finally, Sokol updates us on the slow legislative process to codify Haredi enlistment -- which may just topple the coalition.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Yeshiva students listen to a Torah lesson at the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem on August 16, 2018. (Aharon Krohn/Flash90)
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Day 594 - Shock after 2 Israel embassy staffers killed in DC
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Political correspondent Tal Schneider and legal reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Following the tragic shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, Schneider reviews what we know about the victims and the shooter, as well as security at public Jewish institutions in the US.
Schneider also discusses the implications of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Wednesday night press conference, his first with the Israeli press in at least six months. The prime minister discussed key issues, including the government's demand that Gazans be relocated in its ongoing negotiations for the hostages. Schneider points out that the hostage families strongly criticized the prime minister for his statements regarding the talks. Netanyahu was also taken to task for his mistaken remarks about one Gaza envelope kibbutz and what happened to the community on October 7, as well as his downplaying of the Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel on October 7, remarking that they were wearing flip-flops and weren't a heavily armed force.
Following Wednesday's High Court ruling that Netanyahu's firing of the Shin Bet chief was improper due to a conflict of interest, Sharon discusses the immediate implications of the ruling, commenting that the Shin Bet's independence is crucial for Israel's democratic governance and the government faces a potential constitutional crisis following the court's ruling.
This conversation can be viewed here:
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Two Israeli Embassy staffers killed in shooting attack at Washington, DC, Jewish Museum
Netanyahu sets implementation of Trump’s Gaza relocation plan as new condition for ending war
High Court rules Shin Bet head’s dismissal ‘unlawful’, PM had ‘conflict of interest’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
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Day 593 - The 'Rafah model': How the IDF is now operating in Gaza
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza over the past two days. Fabian describes the situations that led to the deaths of Staff Sgt. Danilo Mocanu, 20, and Sgt. Yosef Yehuda Chirak, 22.
Even as Israel has begun to allow humanitarian aid trucks into the Gaza Strip, the United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned that 14,000 babies in Gaza could die within 48 hours. Yesterday, the United Nations received permission from Israel for 93 aid trucks to enter the Gaza Strip, but questions remain over how it will get to the Gazans who need it -- and not be usurped by Hamas.
Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency said IDF strikes killed at least 19 people overnight, as Israel faces mounting international pressure over its military offensive. Dozens of others have been reported dead in unverifiable numbers in the past several days since the operation ramped up on Saturday. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned in a video statement on Tuesday that the IDF is prepared to capture more territory in the Gaza Strip if Hamas does not agree to release the remaining hostages it is keeping in captivity. We hear what appears to be the IDF's operational strategy during Operation Gideon's Chariots.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
IDF soldier killed in Strip; Hamas-linked agency raises day’s Gazan death toll to 91
Israel allows UN to bring 93 aid trucks into Gaza as international pressure mounts
Israel will seize more of Gaza if Hamas doesn’t free hostages, IDF chief warns
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: IDF troops operate in the Gaza Strip, in a handout photo published on May 11, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 592 - Fury as politician claims Israel kills Gazan babies 'as a hobby'
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 leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Canada issued a joint statement Monday condemning Israel’s handling of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and calling on the Jewish state to immediately halt military action in the enclave and allow in more aid, threatening “further concrete actions in response” if Jerusalem refuses. Likewise, an additional 19 countries issued a joint statement urging Israel to “allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately” after the partial lifting of its blockade on the territory. Horovitz describes what he says is a new, troubling sign in this round of global condemnations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his decision to allow limited humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip, saying that pressure on Israel had been “approaching a red line.” The step was necessary to press ahead with the expanded military offensive against Hamas, he said to his political allies, and had to begin despite the fact that IDF-secured distribution centers designed to keep the supplies out of the hands of the terror group were not yet ready. How has his coalition taken the news?
In comments that have roiled Israel, Yair Golan, head of the opposition party The Democrats, issued a scathing denunciation of the government and the war in Gaza, saying that Israel was killing children in Gaza “as a hobby.” Later attempting to fend off widespread criticism over his comment, The Democrats chairman praised IDF fighters as “heroes” fighting on behalf of a “corrupt” government. Horovitz weighs in on what may have brought Golan to make these explosive statements.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
UK, France, Canada warn of ‘concrete actions’ if Israel doesn’t halt war, boost aid
Five trucks of humanitarian aid enter Gaza, says Israel, ending two-month blockade
Netanyahu defends Gaza aid resumption, acknowledges step stemmed from allies’ pressure
‘Insanity’: Hawkish politicians and groups pillory Netanyahu for resuming aid to Gaza
Qatar PM says ‘fundamental differences’ between sides have stalled Doha ceasefire talks
Outrage as opposition party leader Golan says Israel ‘killing babies as a hobby’ in Gaza
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Leader of the Democrats party Yair Golan leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on May 19, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)
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Day 591 - PM orders immediate Gaza aid as talks falter
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.
Dozens of airstrikes were reported overnight and IDF spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, in a press statement from the Gaza border, says five divisions are now operating inside the Strip in the new offensive aimed at defeating Hamas. The ramped-up operation and Israel’s apparent determination have caused renewed determination to strike a deal. But the real question is which deal and whether the sides will bend at all. Magid fills us in.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the immediate resumption of “basic” humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday evening. Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March to try to pressure Hamas into freeing Israeli hostages. We learn about the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and when it will be up and running.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Netanyahu orders immediate renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza, under heavy US pressure
US said pushing 2-month ceasefire deal for 9-10 hostages; Hamas denies this is agreed
Witkoff told mediators US not planning to force Israel to end Gaza war, officials say
New aid group: We’ll start Gaza operations by June; Israel to lift blockade in interim
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: A Palestinian man stands next to a truck carrying UNICEF aid supplies outside a shopping mall in Gaza City on May 12, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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Day 590 - New day rises? IDF launches massive Gaza op
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
A new round of negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal between Hamas and Israel began in Qatar on Saturday after the Israeli military launched its new expanded offensive in the Gaza Strip, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” that will seek to “seize strategic areas” of the Hamas-run Strip. Fabian describes the slow rollout of the operation so far and how many more troops have entered Gaza as of Sunday morning.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis say they fired two ballistic missiles at Israel early Sunday morning. This comes after Israeli fighter jets carried out a wave of airstrikes in Yemen on Friday afternoon, targeting two Houthi-controlled ports in the west of the country, and threatened to kill the terror group’s leader. We discuss the growing realization that the terrorist group is undeterred by IAF strikes and whether Israel will take another tack soon.
The Israel Defense Force said Saturday that it killed a Hezbollah commander in a drone strike in Lebanon. The operative, who was targeted on a road near Mazraat Jemjim — some 30 kilometers from the Israeli border — in the Tyre District, was the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in the Beaufort Castle area, the military said. Fabian updates us on who he was and what he was allegedly up to.
To end the program, we discuss Israel's participation in last night's Eurovision final and Yuval Raphael's second-place finish. Israel's 2025 contestant, who survived the Nova festival massacre on October 7, 2023, won the popular vote, but was less warmly received by the jury. Fabian gives some reasons why.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
IDF launches major new Gaza op, ‘seizing’ key areas; Palestinians: Dozens killed in strikes
Israel, Hamas say Gaza talks renewed after IDF initiates major new offensive
IDF pounds Houthi ports in Yemen, threatens to kill leader, after missile, drone attacks
IDF says it killed Hezbollah commander in drone strike in southern Lebanon
Israel’s Yuval Raphael tops Eurovision public vote, finishes in 2nd place as Austria wins
Israel’s Yuval Raphael feels she’s ‘won at life’ after coming second at Eurovision
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: A Palestinian boy looks at a house destroyed in Israeli strikes in al-Saftawi area west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on May 18, 2025. (Bashar TALEB / AFP)
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Day 589 - Israel at the Eurovision: Politics, protests and camp
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 Eurovision mega-fan Tal Dahan, straight from Basel.
Dahan is a volunteer reporter with the Hebrew-language EuroMix website, which has been the number one source for Israelis about the Eurovision for decades.
This year marks Israel's 47th time participating in the Eurovision, a song contest that was established 69 years ago to unite Europe through music.
We are recording just after the first semi-final and ahead of Israel's participation in the second semi-final on Thursday night. It is expected that Israel's candidate, Yuval Raphael, will make it to the finals on Saturday night with her song, "New Day Will Rise."
Dahan talks about the betting favorites going into Saturday's final and also discusses the politics of the competition.
And so this week, we ask Tal Dahan, what matters now.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
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Day 588 - What's behind the huge surge in female fighters in the IDF?
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. This week, political correspondent Tal Schneider steps in for Berman.
Unforgettable images of the Caracal's female tank unit crushing Hamas terrorists infiltrating southern Israel on October 7, 2023, brought home the realization that not only are women serving in the IDF, they're as eager -- and able -- to fight as their brothers in arms.
Scheider describes a recent Knesset committee that discussed the phenomenon of the IDF's growing number of women warriors, which now make up almost 21 percent of all fighting forces.
We review the history of battles to have female fighters in the IDF -- including several benchmark Supreme Court cases which paved the way for the next generation.
Schneider, who has spent the past several months researching the contribution these women warriors made on October 7, talks about where the army stands today -- and what is on the horizon for other fighting units being opened up to women.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Mix-gender Caracal battalion troops at the end of their basic training. (IDF)
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Day 587 - Trump embraces his 'strongest' Mideast partner. It's not Israel
Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.
US President Donald Trump is still in the region and is visiting the United Arab Emirates today. After landmark deals in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, we discuss what may come out of the UAE trip — and the entire trip’s resonance for Israel, including Trump’s new relationship with Syria.
We begin by discussing a half-hour meetup in Riyadh with Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Trump announced the US was lifting sanctions on the country the previous day and urged Syria to join the Abraham Accords normalizing relations with Israel. It was the first encounter between leaders of the countries in 25 years. We hear how Israel views this budding relationship.
In Qatar, Trump signed an agreement with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani that will “generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion,” the White House said. The announcement came as negotiations kicked off in Doha over a potential hostage-ceasefire deal with the Hamas terror group. Horovitz describes how Israel was not apart of the Trump visit, yet Israeli representatives are currently in the country in a renewed US push to negotiate an end to the war.
To end the program, we speak about Israel’s approaching participation in tonight’s Eurovision semifinal. Horovitz describes the antipathy already experienced by Yuval Raphael, Israel’s 2025 contestant, who survived the Nova festival massacre on October 7, 2023.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Woman en route to hospital to give birth killed in West Bank terror shooting
Hailing Syria, arming Saudis, dealing with Iran and Houthis, Trump relegates Israeli concerns
Trump puts an American First, and Israel rejoices
Trump urges Syria’s Sharaa to join Abraham Accords, praises him as ‘attractive, tough guy’
Hostage talks kick off in Doha, but PM’s insistence on not ending war curbs optimism
Trump, in Qatar, announces ‘record’ deals with Gulf State for US planes, drone tech
Trump says Israel is not sidelined by his Gulf trip: ‘This is very good for Israel’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: US President Donald Trump speaks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before posing for a family picture with Gulf leaders during a gathering of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh on May 14, 2025. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
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Day 586 - Famine in Gaza? UN-linked group admits data not strong
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 reporter Jeremy Sharon and news editor Amy Spiro join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Yesterday, the United Nations-linked Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) organization said in a “Special Snapshot” briefing that “the Gaza Strip is still confronted with a critical risk of famine,” and that “the entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with half a million people [one in five] facing starvation.” Israel has accused IPC of a “lack of transparency” with regards to the source of its data, and it said the IPC’s Special Snapshot failed to take into account “the massive volume of aid, especially food, that entered Gaza during the ceasefire.” Sharon weighs in.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Tuesday ordered the military to begin sending conscription orders to all draft-age members of the ultra-Orthodox community at the start of the next recruitment cycle in July. How much authority does she have and will anything change?
President Isaac Herzog on Monday became the first foreign leader to be hosted by new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, just six days after he took the helm of Germany’s government, with Berlin and Jerusalem marking 60 years of strong diplomatic ties. Spiro was there and reports back.
Singers from 37 countries are now in Basel, Switzerland, for the annual Eurovision Song Contest this week. We learn about Israel's candidate Yuval Raphael and some of the challenges she faces.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Food security NGO warns of ‘critical’ famine risk in Gaza; Israel says study ‘flawed’
Attorney general urges conscription of all draft-age Haredim starting this summer
In Berlin, Herzog lauds 60 years of German-Israel ties, even as Gaza war casts shadow
Eurovision kicking off in Basel with glitz, schmaltz and little love for Israel
Israel’s Yuval Raphael and her team met by protests, threat as Eurovision week kicks off
After surviving Nova, Israel’s Eurovision hopeful is ready to ‘give my dreams a chance’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Palestinians line up to get a ration of hot food from a charity kitchen set up at the Islamic University campus in Gaza City on May 12, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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Day 585 - Caged and tortured in Gaza, Edan Alexander returns home
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Released hostage Edan Alexander is back in his family's embrace in Israel and is recovering from his 584 days in Hamas captivity. We hear what we know so far about Alexander's health and the conditions in which he was kept.
A few hours after the final living US-Israeli hostage was released by his Hamas captors, the IDF says that its forces carried out a “targeted attack” on “key” Hamas fighters who were operating a command center in the Nasser Hospital compound in Khan Younis. Among those reported killed is Palestinian journalist Hassan Eslaiah, who on October 7 was freelancing for the Associated Press and invaded Israel with the terrorists and photographed them entering Kibbutz Nir Oz, where dozens of civilians were massacred. Was he the target of the airstrike?
Nour Bitawi, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative who Israeli authorities say was planning imminent terror attacks, was killed by troops Friday in the West Bank city of Nablus. Fabian explains who Bitawi was and how significant this mission could be.
The Mossad spy agency and the Israel Defense Forces recovered the remains of Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman, who went missing in the First Lebanon War’s battle of Sultan Yacoub in 1982. The battle, nearly 43 years ago, claimed the lives of 21 Israeli servicemen, and more than 30 were injured during it. Feldman, a tank soldier, went missing during the battle along with Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz and Sgt. First Class Zachary Baumel. Baumel’s remains were recovered and returned to Israel in 2019.
Fabian describes how the body of Feldman was recently recovered from “the heart of Syria” in a special operation.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander freed from Hamas captivity, reunites with family
IDF says it razed major tunnel in Rafah after Hamas operatives provided location
IDF says terrorists near defeat in Rafah, fighting now limited to one neighborhood
IDF says ‘most wanted West Bank terror operative’ killed in Nablus operation
Body of soldier Zvi Feldman, missing for 43 years, recovered from Syria by Mossad, IDF
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Released hostage soldier Staff Sgt. Edan Alexander, center, arrives at an IDF base near Re'im, May 12, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 584 - Backstory behind US hostage Edan Alexander's release
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.
Hamas has stated that in an “act of good faith,” it will release the final living US-Israeli hostage, Edan Alexander, today as US President Donald Trump begins to make his way to his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Magid talks about his exclusive look into how the negotiations were carried out.
US envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff reportedly said during conversations with hostages' families that “Israel is prolonging the war, even though we do not see where further progress can be made.” This harsh statement came as the US made a separate peace agreement with the Iran-backed Houthis and is directly negotiating with Iran for a nuclear deal Israel is not supporting. Is Israel losing the backing of its closest ally?
Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday is also set to include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Syria’s interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Arabic media reported Sunday. Magid weighs in on how likely this meeting is to take place and what Trump is trying to accomplish in his Mideast trip.
Iran and the United States wrapped up nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday with no apparent breakthrough in a standoff over uranium enrichment, but with both sides confirming plans for future negotiations. We discuss how Trump's Mideast trip may or may not influence future rounds of talks.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Hamas set to free US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander Monday in goodwill gesture to Trump
Backchannel helped secure release of American-Israeli hostage, sources tell ToI
Witkoff said to tell hostage families Israel pointlessly extending war, US urging deal
Trump’s meeting with Saudi ruler said set to include leaders of PA, Lebanon, Syria
Tehran says 4th round of nuclear talks difficult, while US ‘encouraged’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Varda Ben Baruch holds an image of her grandson, hostage Edan Alexander, in Jerusalem on October 25, 2023. (Yuri CORTEZ / AFP)
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Day 583 - Is coalition really in danger over Haredi draft bill?
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Political reporter Sam Sokol and reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The Knesset came back from spring break last week and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox coalition partners have been pushing for the passage of legislation enshrining military exemptions for their community, after the High Court ruled in June last year that the dispensations, in place for decades, were illegal since they were not based in law. The legislation has long been held up in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, whose chairman, Yuli Edelstein (Likud), has pledged that he will “only produce a real conscription law that will significantly increase the IDF’s conscription base.” Sokol unpacks this complicated situation.
Surkes reports on Magen 48, an initiative to train civil defense teams at 66 localities within the Gaza border area — including the city of Sderot — and raise their skill set to that of IDF fighters.
We then learn about "She-Rise," a program that teaches women in the western Negev how to leverage their skills and create change in their communities.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
‘The final deadline’: Could the IDF conscription crisis bring down Netanyahu’s government?
After October 7, IDF said to increase penalties for deserters, but not draft dodgers
Edelstein urges ‘real solution’ as work set to begin on revising Haredi draft bill
IDF joins forces with NGO to turn community security teams into lean fighting machines
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Haredi Jews protest and clash with police during a protest against the drafting of ultra-Orthodox Jews to the Israeli army, Jerusalem, May 5, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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Day 582 - Her son was killed by Hamas. Why she still believes in coexistence
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 Elana Kaminka, peace activist and bereaved mother.
On October 7, 2023, Elana's firstborn son, Lt. Yannai Kaminka, 20, a commander in the Home Front Command, was killed battling against Hamas at the Zikim IDF training base. His efforts and those of his fellow officers there saved the lives of almost 100 recruits, as charted in a recently released IDF probe into the failures on and leading up to October 7.
In a frank and open discussion about what it means to choose a path of peace after losing her first child to terrorists bent on destroying her nation, Kaminka speaks with The Times of Israel just after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down in refusing to hold a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 disasters.
Kaminka made aliya from California as a lone soldier at age 18 and later married Eyal with whom she had four children. Prior to October 7, she was already active in groups committed to fostering empathetic, respectful and nuanced dialogue. After losing her son, she redoubled her efforts to promote engagement between Israeli Jews and Palestinians -- and to protest the Netanyahu government, which she holds accountable for her son's death.
She is an active member of Tag Meir and the Parents Circle Families Forum and speaks tirelessly about the need to counter extremism and develop empathy and compassion among all levels of Israeli society.
While advocating for a future of dignity and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike in the Land of Israel, she is also a mother of three additional children, including her son who was conscripted to a paramedics unit a mere six weeks following his older brother's death.
And so this week, we ask Elana Kaminka, what matters now.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
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Day 581 - The 'forever' Gaza War: Past, present & potential future
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
Tens of thousands of IDF reservists are again being called up — Berman among them — and Israel appears to be standing at a crossroads in the Gaza War.
In the first half of our program, we discuss Israel's strategy of conducting conflicts through a fighting force that is largely made up of reserve forces. Berman charts earlier wars and discusses the major takeaways from them.
We then turn to the present war and discuss its rollout, pauses, surprises (beepers, anyone?) and successes.
Berman discusses why it is imperative to end this war quickly -- for both Israelis and Palestinians.
At this liminal moment, we take a look at the past, present and future of the operations in the Gaza Strip.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Undated image of IDF forces in the Gaza Strip. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 580 - IDF poised to begin phase two of its plan to defeat Hamas
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
According to the Hamas health ministry, two IDF airstrikes early Wednesday hit the Karama School in Tuffah, a suburb of Gaza City, killing 15. Later in the day, an Israeli strike near a restaurant and market in the city killed at least 33 people, including women and children. Fabian reports on these two incidents and assesses where the IDF is currently heading in Gaza based on statements from IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir yesterday.
A Hamas commander was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern coastal Lebanese city of Sidon early Wednesday morning. What was Khaled Ahmad al-Ahmad responsible for?
Three Israeli soldiers were wounded in two attacks carried out by Palestinians in the northern and southern West Bank on Wednesday afternoon. Even as the fighting in Gaza is ramping up, we learn that the concentration of forces are still largely in the West Bank.
As the army is searching for manpower, it apparently has no lack of woman power. Women still cannot enlist into all fighting units, but where they can, they’re showing up in record numbers. Fabian talks about this and a new rededicated unit -- where women can serve -- aimed at fighting drones along the northern border.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Hamas-run authorities say at least 48 killed in series of IDF strikes in Gaza
Hamas, Hezbollah commanders killed in IDF strikes in Lebanon
3 soldiers wounded, 2 seriously, in West Bank attacks
Ultra-Orthodox incensed as IDF chief orders boost in community’s conscription
IDF sees continued surge in female combat recruits amid Gaza war
Revived air defense battalion to aim new weapons at drone threat in north
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Soldiers stand near an Israeli army mobile canon at a position by Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, on May 6, 2025. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)
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Day 579 - Trump cuts deal with Houthis, but not for Israel
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Following US President Donald Trump's announcement of a US truce with the Houthis, Magid discusses Jerusalem's surprise over that turn of events, given the ongoing Houthi attacks on Israel, including the Sunday morning attack that hit near Ben Gurion International Airport.
Magid explores Israel's new plan for distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza to prevent Hamas from diverting resources and getting the food into Gazans' hands. The plan includes working with humanitarian organizations and private US contractors and will allow some 60 trucks into Gaza daily through one border crossing. Food packages will be given directly to approved representatives of Palestinian families.
Trump is expected in the Middle East next week but isn't including a stop in Israel. Magid examines how hostage families are viewing the trip as a possible opportunity to bring the remaining hostages home. Families have also expressed concern over recent statements from the US president, as well as Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over conflicting numbers of living hostages.
Finally, Magid discusses a downgrading of US ties with the Palestinian Authority, with the elimination of the US Security Coordinator role, which helps bolster security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It's part of the broader reorganization of the State Department by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The conversation can also be viewed here:
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump announces US truce with Houthis, who say their strikes on Israel will continue
IDF planning major shift in Gaza aid delivery in bid to thwart Hamas diversion
US hostage families see Trump’s May trip to region as chance for loved ones’ return
US plans to eliminate security post tasked with bolstering Israel-PA security ties
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Family members and representatives of the 59 remaining hostages stand in front of the Knesset on May 5, 2025, to state that the Israeli public agrees that victory cannot be achieved without returning the hostages (Courtesy Hostages Family Forum)
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Day 578 - Israeli jets strike Yemen port in effort to stop the Houthis
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Horovitz discusses the Israeli Air Force missile attack on the Yemen port, in response to the Houthi missile that hit Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning, and the ongoing bafflement about how to handle the challenge presented by the Iran-backed Houthis, and one that isn't going to fade.
He discusses the mood in the country as thousands of reservists are called up again to fight in Gaza, as polls show that two-thirds of Israelis would be prepared to stop fighting to bring the remaining hostages home. Horovitz notes that the language used by the government and army are subtle with an unclear plan in Gaza and an unpredictable US administration.
Horovitz also offers a brief look at the latest regarding the cabinet decision against a state commission probing October 7, as the attorney general had suggested. He notes that there is domestic concern on the part of the public who want to be sure that a disaster of that scope will never happen again and the concern that Israel will be able to defend itself internationally with the proper scrutiny into what took place on that day.
Finally, Horovitz comments on remarks made by US Mideast envoy Steve Witfkoff at an Israel Independence Day event at the US Embassy in Washington, DC, and his clear message that Israel needs to be united despite all the pressures from the outside and inside.
IMAGE: An Israeli reservist kissing his wife and child goodbye as he leaves for reserve duty, in Jerusalem, May 5, 2025. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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Day 577 - IDF prepares to conquer and occupy Gaza
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Late last night, Israel approved a plan to significantly broaden the military offensive against the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip. The plan provides for the “conquering of Gaza” and retaining the territory. One voice was heard above all in warning, that of Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who reportedly warned ministers that this could endanger the hostages held there. Fabian debriefs us on what he knows about this plan and what else is happening on the ground in Gaza.
Yesterday morning, a Houthi ballistic missile struck the Ben Gurion Airport compound. Fabian explains the initial conclusions about the failure and discusses Israel's anti-missile array, including a Patriot air-defense system that will be refurbished and sent to Ukraine.
Finally, we learn conclusions from the IDF's probe into the October 7, 2023, battles at Zikim Beach and hear that a squad of Israeli soldiers stationed near the border with the Gaza Strip abandoned civilians sheltering on the beach as Hamas terrorists invaded the coast.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
IDF planning major shift in Gaza aid delivery in bid to thwart Hamas diversion
UN humanitarian agency rejects new Israeli plan for Gaza aid deliveries
Netanyahu threatens Houthis, and Iran, as cabinet convenes after missile hits airport
Patriot air-defense system based in Israel to be refurbished, sent to Ukraine – NYT
Most foreign airlines halt flights to Tel Aviv after Houthi missile hits airport
In ‘massive failure,’ troops abandoned civilians at Zikim Beach on Oct. 7, IDF probe finds
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Troops operating in the Gaza Strip in an undated photo released for publication on May 4, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 576 - Houthi missile hits Ben Gurion Airport
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and environment reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Earlier this morning, a Houthi ballistic missile struck inside the area of Ben Gurion Airport after the Israel Defense Forces failed to intercept it. Landings and takeoffs were halted before the projectile struck. Magen David Adom says six people were physically hurt in the Houthi missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport. Berman explains how the biggest blow may have been to Israel's reputation.
Two IDF soldiers -- Cpt. Noam Ravid, 23 from Sha’arei Tikva and Staff Sgt. Yaly Seror, 20, from Omer -- were killed and two were wounded in an explosion in a booby-trapped tunnel shaft in southern Gaza’s Rafah Saturday, the military announced. This terrible announcement comes after we heard last night that the military will resume mass call-ups of reserves for more intensive operations in Gaza. Berman weighs in on whether Israel is gearing up for "the" big operation in Gaza, or whether that will be on hold until after US President Donald Trump's visit to the region.
The Israel Defense Forces said its fighter jets had carried out a wave of airstrikes in Syria late Friday, less than a day after Israel attacked near the presidential palace in Damascus, amid Israeli warnings to Syria’s new Islamist rulers not to harm their country’s Druze minority following deadly sectarian clashes. Also, on Saturday, the IDF said troops were “deployed to southern Syria and prepared to prevent hostile forces from entering the area and Druze villages.” This comes as an Israeli Air Force helicopter ferried humanitarian aid to the Sweida area of southern Syria and retrieved wounded Druze. Berman gives insight into Israel's activities.
The Fire and Rescue Service said Thursday evening that firefighters had gained control of the conflagrations that had ravaged the Jerusalem hills for close to 30 hours. The announcement came hours after roads and train lines were reopened and evacuees from the area were permitted to return to their homes. Surkes describes the factors that led to this massive outbreak and why lessons definitely have yet to be learned.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Houthi missile hits grounds of Ben Gurion Airport after interception fails; 6 injured
Two IDF soldiers killed, two wounded in blast in booby-trapped Rafah tunnel
IDF calls up tens of thousands of reservists ahead of expanded Gaza offensive
IDF strikes military targets across Syria, says troops deployed to protect Druze
PM: Qatar ‘playing both sides’; Doha: He’s trying to justify crimes against civilians
Israeli chopper ferried aid to Druze in southern Syria, 70 km from border — source
Government accused of failing to take fire threat seriously despite years of warnings
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Israeli security forces at the site where a missile fired from Yemen hit an area of Ben Gurion Airport, May 4, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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Day 575 - Behind the scenes at ToI's Those We Have Lost project
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 coordinator of The Times of Israel's Those We Have Lost project, Amy Spiro, for this special episode in honor of Israel's Memorial Day to Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror.
We explain about the genesis of our Those We Have Lost project, and how we aim to tell the stories of individuals slain in Hamas's brutal attack on October 7, 2023. The first entry was written on October 11, 2023, when the number of the murdered was still unclear and funerals were held around the clock.
Today, with 1,100 individual entries covering almost every single person killed by Hamas, our Those We Have Lost project paints a picture of each of their lives and the ongoing ripple effects of their deaths.
Spiro speaks to the challenges she's faced -- including the mundane issue of how to write names in Latin letters -- and where she draws her information from.
The Those We Have Lost project works to ensure that despite the massive scale of the loss, no one is forgotten. On behalf of The Times of Israel, Borschel-Dan urges listeners to visit the project's home page this week and keep the fallen's memories alive.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
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Day 574 - Genesis of Israel's hostage policy
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
This week, we look at Israel's long history of hostage release negotiations and how the price per captive has become increasingly inflated over the decades.
To begin our discussion, Berman gives a brief survey of some traditional Jewish sources dealing with the subject, including the Bible, Mishna and the Rambam's writings.
We then turn to 1950s Israel and hear a survey of hostage and POW situations -- and how many prisoners Israel released to free its citizens.
Finally, we discuss the deal which released Gilad Shalit -- and saw 1,027 Palestinian security prisoners again walk free, including Hamas October 7 mastermind, Yihye Sinwar.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Illustrative image of now-dead Hamas head Yachye Sinwar at a rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day), in Gaza City, April 15, 2023. (Atia Mohammed/Flash90)
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Day 573 - Ben-Gurion's anguish upon the founding of Israel
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode on Israel's Independence Day.
Today, we will step back in time and attempt to get into prime minister David Ben-Gurion’s state of mind as the Jewish state is declared in 1948. We speak about the divided nation -- even as it was fighting for its mere survival against enemies on all fronts.
To understand how Ben-Gurion was thinking on that fateful May 14, 1948, we turn to two newly released images of his handwritten diary, which reveal the first prime minister’s anxieties as the newly born country headed to war against invading Arab neighbors.
We then discuss how a mere few weeks after the Declaration of Independence, one of the most painful episodes in Israeli history occurred -- the Altalena Affair. Rettig Gur explains this social turning point.
Finally, Rettig Gur expounds on the current Israeli moment and compares it to the prescient anxiety felt by Ben-Gurion and the profound test of leadership he faced so soon after the founding of the state.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Cartoon illustrating Israelis' first election, January 25, 1948. (AP Photo/H. E. Munhall)
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Day 572 - IDF commanders who sacrificed themselves to save recruits
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode on Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror.
Since February, the IDF has begun releasing a series of probes into the disasters on and leading up to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre of some 1,200 and 250 hostages taken to Gaza.
Today, we look at the recent reports on the battles at the Zikim IDF base -- notable for the bravery of its commanders in saving their recruits -- and two smaller communities, Nir Yitzhak and Ein Hashlosha.
Despite being vastly outnumbered, Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak’s well-armed civil defense squad fought off dozens of Hamas-led terrorists, largely preventing them from rampaging through the community on October 7.
This is in stark opposition to what happened at Ein Hashlosha, another community in the Gaza Envelope. Fabian fills us in.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Commanders battled terrorists, saving 100 rookies at Zikim training base on Oct. 7
Outgunned, outnumbered Ein Hashlosha security team failed to resist Oct. 7 onslaught
Nir Yitzhak security team resisted terrorists on Oct. 7, preventing murderous rampage
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode here:
IMAGE: Cpt. Or Moses was killed on the Zikim base on October 7, 2023. (IDF)
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Day 571 - Fake news may be muddying hostage talks
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 and political correspondent Sam Sokol join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
As an Israeli official states that Qatar isn't being helpful in the hostage talks and an Arab official tells The Times of Israel that reports are being manufactured by Israeli officials looking to harm the negotiations, Magid offers a deeper look. We hear about the last few days of the talks and the government's desire for victory in Gaza, which could lead Israel into a deeper, more extensive battle against Hamas.
Magid reports on a conversation he had with Republican lawmaker Rep. Marlin Stutzman, one of the first US lawmakers to meet Syria's new Islamist leader, President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Stutzman cautions against Israel's interest in dividing the fledgling government into several autonomous regions and the Syrian president's vehement opposition to that idea.
Several top aides to former US president Joe Biden commented in a TV interview on several aspects of Israeli relations with the US during the Biden administration, including a missed opportunity to reach a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia last year. Magid fills us in.
Sokol speaks about a demonstration of Haredi protestors outside one of two IDF recruitment centers on Monday, where ultra-Orthodox men harassed conscripts to the new ultra-Orthodox brigade.
He discusses the IDF's inability to recruit 4,8000 Haredi men during the 2024-2025 draft cycle, given the lack of consensus in the ultra-Orthodox community, while Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Likud MK Yuli Edelstein is determined to finalize the draft of a law regulating ultra-Orthodox enlistment.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Arab source: To shield Netanyahu, Israel leaking false claim Qatar sabotaged talks
GOP lawmaker cautions Israel against ‘dividing’ Syria, after meeting with Sharaa
Biden officials vent frustrations in dealing with Netanyahu, decry missed chance of Saudi deal
‘Zionists are not Jews’: Haredi extremists harass recruits from their community at IDF centers
IDF won’t meet 2024-2025 Haredi conscription targets, official tells Knesset defense committee
Edelstein says Knesset close to drafting new enlistment law, won’t accept ultimatums
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
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Day 570 - IDF reservist killed in Gaza as family marched at Auschwitz
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian and culture editor Jessica Steinberg join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Fabian was in the Gaza Strip last week at the Morag Corridor. He compares this trip to previous IDF embeds and describes what he saw. We learn about the very intense fighting in the Strip and hear about the incidents in which three servicemen recently lost their lives: Master Sgt. (res.) Asaf Cafri, Cpt. Ido Voloch and Sgt. Neta Yitzhak Kahane, of the Border Police’s Yamas covert unit.
For only the third time since a ceasefire in Lebanon went into effect in November 2024, the IDF carried out an attack in the Beirut area. We learn what the IDF was targeting and what this means for the ceasefire.
Some 12,000 people led by Holocaust survivors and an Israeli delegation of released hostages, hostages’ family members, and bereaved families marched Thursday from Auschwitz to the Birkenau camp for the 2025 March of the Living, with the horrors of the murder of six million Jews mingling with the plight of the captives in Gaza. Steinberg was on the ground with them and reports back.
To end the program, we hear about a rally staged Sunday night by the families of the “Beautiful 6,” six hostages murdered by Hamas terrorists in Gaza at the end of August last year. The six hostages killed by their captors in Gaza were Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Or Danino and Alex Lubanov. We hear about an evening of song, prayer and calls for unity.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
As troops advance in south Gaza, IDF says it’s seeing cracks emerge in Hamas’s rule
IDF reservist killed, three wounded during fighting in northern Gaza
Soldier and cop killed in Gaza City fighting, as IDF prepares to ramp up offensive
IDF strikes Hezbollah missile warehouse in Beirut, kills operative in south Lebanon
At Auschwitz, Oct. 7 survivors and freed hostages sing ‘Hatikvah’
Former hostages, survivors and the bereaved walk together in March of the Living
Hostage families join Holocaust survivors ahead of 2nd Auschwitz march since 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 the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Asaf Cafri (left), an IDF reservist who was killed in Gaza on April 25, 2025 and his great-grandmother, Holocuast survivor Magda Baratz, pictured in a billboard set up in Rishon LeZion in honor of Holocaust Remembrace Day, the day before his death. (Oren Dai/Rishon LeZion Municipality)
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Day 569 - Legal wrangles at ICC, shark attack in Hadera
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Following Israel's procedural victory at the International Criminal Court, in which the Jewish state argued it could challenge the court's jurisdiction to try Israeli citizens for war crimes, Sharon examines the basis for the jurisdiction reasoning and what it could mean going forward regarding the arrest warrants issued last year for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
Sharon also discusses the potential for a constitutional crisis following the allegations made in writing to the High Court by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar against Netanyahu. Now that Bar has backed up his initial claims with documentation and evidence in his affidavit to the High Court, Sharon says it will be far harder for the court to avoid ruling on the substantive issues of the case, potentially bringing the government and judiciary into direct conflict.
A highly unusual shark attack in which an Israeli man was mauled to death brought visitors to the beach where it happened, reports Surkes, despite police attempts to keep people away. Surkes discusses the environmental changes that have affected shark behavior along the Israeli coast.
Surkes also discusses her visit to the southern city of Ofakim and the neighborhood that was most heavily attacked on October 7, 2023, and how the small city has reacted, with community efforts to draw together in healing and unity.
This conversation can also be viewed here:
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
ICC Appeals Chamber rules lower court must hear Israel’s challenge to jurisdiction
Bar’s allegations against Netanyahu have raised the risk of a constitutional crisis
Diver missing, feared dead, after rare shark attack off the coast of Hadera
Seasonal fish mortality draws sharks to central beach, alarming bathers
A scarred Ofakim neighborhood grows into a community after October 7
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE:
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Following Israel's procedural victory at the International Criminal Court, in which the Jewish state argued it could challenge the court's jurisdiction to try Israeli citizens for war crimes, Sharon examines the basis for the jurisdiction reasoning and what it could mean going forward regarding the arrest warrants issued last year for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
Sharon also discusses the potential for a constitutional crisis following the allegations made in writing to the High Court by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar against Netanyahu. Now that Bar has backed up his initial claims with documentation and evidence in his affidavit to the High Court, Sharon says it will be far harder for the court to avoid ruling on the substantive issues of the case, potentially bringing the government and judiciary into direct conflict.
A highly unusual shark attack in which an Israeli man was mauled to death brought visitors to the beach where it happened, reports Surkes, despite police attempts to keep people away. Surkes discusses the environmental changes that have affected shark behavior along the Israeli coast.
Surkes also discusses her visit to the southern city of Ofakim and the neighborhood that was most heavily attacked on October 7, 2023, and how the small city has reacted, with community efforts to draw together in healing and unity.
This conversation can also be viewed here:
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
ICC Appeals Chamber rules lower court must hear Israel’s challenge to jurisdiction
Bar’s allegations against Netanyahu have raised the risk of a constitutional crisis
Diver missing, feared dead, after rare shark attack off the coast of Hadera
Seasonal fish mortality draws sharks to central beach, alarming bathers
A scarred Ofakim neighborhood grows into a community after October 7
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Israelis on the beach in Hadera on April 26, 2025, where a man was attacked and killed by a shark during Passover (Photo by Yossi Zamir/Flash90)
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Day 568: Prof. Manuela Consonni on how women resisted the Nazis
Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Prof. Manuela Consonni, director of Hebrew University's Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism.
Consonni, a leading scholar of Holocaust memory, gender, and post-war European culture, decided to mark Yom Hashoah, Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, with an exhibition at the Mount Scopus campus called, "Faces of Women's Resistance."
The exhibition looks at how women -- Jewish and non-Jewish -- resisted the Nazi regime. Like men, many were fighters, partisans and rescuers, but also the sheer survival of their family was put on the shoulders of many mothers.
We discuss definitions of resistance and what means were available to women during the Nazi regime.
And finally, we delve into the use of Holocaust language when discussing the hostages kept by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
So this week, we ask Prof. Manuela Consonni, what matters now?
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Two young women who managed to survive over a year in the concentration camp at Belsen, Germany, are shown, April 30, 1945. (AP Photo)
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Day 567: Why MKs praying on Temple Mount doesn't shift status quo
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
Over the Passover holiday, some 6,315 Jews visited the Temple Mount, a 37% rise over last year. Among them, Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot, where he participated in a prayer service and prostrated himself on the ground in worship — activities that are nominally prohibited for Jews at the flashpoint holy site.
Sukkot hailed the “tremendous change” since he was arrested for the same act 14 years ago.
Meanwhile, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees the Israel Police, which enforces law and security on the Mount, boasted that a shift in the unwritten status quo that governs the site was a result of his policies. He was up on the mount earlier in the month.
In a statement, Ben Gvir said, “I’m happy to see that MK Zvi Sukkot, like many thousands, is prostrating himself and praying at the Temple Mount.. What wasn’t done for 30 years is being done on my watch, and I’m glad to have the honor, by the grace of God, to lead this huge change.”
So this week, Berman delves into whether this is such a "huge change" and how we arrived at the current precarious balance.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Jewish visitors walk protected by Israeli security forces at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, also known as the Temple Mount complex to Jews, in Jerusalem on April 9, 2023, during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, also coinciding with the Jewish Passover holiday. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
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Day 566 - Calling Hamas 'sons of dogs,' Abbas steps up condemnations
Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.
To commemorate Yom Hashoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, October 7 survivors, released hostages and hostage family members toured Auschwitz yesterday ahead of the start of the March of the Living today. Likewise, we hear what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog said last night at the official state ceremony at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
During a speech at the opening of the PLO Central Council meeting last week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called Hamas “sons of dogs” and told the terror group to release hostages it is holding in order to eliminate what he said was Israel’s pretext to continue its war in Gaza. Magid weighs in with his view on the motivations for these statements.
The father of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander on Tuesday urged the Trump administration to return its hostage envoy Adam Boehler to the negotiation effort, arguing that the latter’s direct talks with Hamas last month were the closest his son had come to being released from captivity in Gaza. Magid spoke with Adi Alexander and reports back.
A man was killed in a shark attack off the coast of Hadera, police confirmed Wednesday, after human remains were positively identified by forensics experts. The victim was named as 45-year-old Barak Tzach, a father of four from the central city of Petah Tikva. Borschel-Dan explains why the sharks are gathering and urges the public not to swim with or feed them.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
Hamas claims it won’t develop weapons, dig tunnels during long-term truce with Israel
Abbas tells ‘sons of dogs’ Hamas to free hostages, remove Israel’s ‘excuses’ for Gaza war
Father of American-Israeli hostage urges Boehler’s return to negotiating table
Police confirm man killed in shark attack; victim named as Barak Tzach, 45
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during the 32nd Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council session in Ramallah on April 23, 2025. (Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
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Day 565 - Why pope's final Gaza statements won't heal rift with Israel
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke via phone on Tuesday with US President Donald Trump. Following the conversation, the American leader said that the pair “are on the same side of every issue.” So what were the issues discussed?
Hamas is expected to soon propose a new ceasefire framework for Gaza as its representatives arrive in Cairo. Hamas is reportedly pushing for a five-year truce and accepting the previous Egyptian idea of a technocratic council to rule the Strip. What else may be involved?
Pope Francis died on Monday, a day after making a public appearance at Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. In his final message, he included a segment about the war in Gaza, saying, “I express my closeness to the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel, and to all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. ... I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!” Berman weighs in on whether this may help ease the uncomfortable relationship Israel has had with the pope since the war in Gaza was launched by the Hamas-led massacre on October 7.
Among the candidates to replace Pope Francis at the upcoming conclave, one name familiar to many Israeli officials stands out — Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The Italian priest has lived in Israel for over three decades, and is a fluent Hebrew speaker. Berman explains how this dark horse candidate may have a chance.
After presenting his letter of credence to President Isaac Herzog on Monday, Washington’s new ambassador Mike Huckabee accused Iran of seeking to destroy Israel and the United States. We hear why this may be music to official Israel's ears.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump after call with Netanyahu: ‘We’re on the same side of every issue’
Report: Hamas to propose new ceasefire framework including release of hostages in one phase, five-year truce
Hamas delegation heads for Cairo as Egypt takes mediation lead in hostage talks
Pope Francis cared deeply about Holy Land, Jews, but left ‘sour taste’ after Oct. 7
Latin patriarch of Jerusalem among candidates to replace Pope Francis
Presenting credentials to Herzog, Huckabee says Iran seeks to destroy Israel, then US
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Pope Francis stands at Israel's West Bank security barrier on his way to a mass in Manger Square in Bethlehem, May 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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Day 564 - Politics heat up over Shin Bet chief statement
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Political correspondent Sam Sokol and archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Sokol delves into comments made by leaders of the Knesset’s opposition parties, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of placing Israel in existential danger, after Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar alleged that the premier demanded his loyalty. Sokol notes that the opposition is exploring legal avenues against Netanyahu's actions, as political rhetoric in Israel becomes increasingly heated.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made it clear in an interview Monday morning that the hostages are not the priority of the government, which Sokol calls a clarifying statement of the coalition government, bringing tremendous criticism from hostage families and one ultra-Orthodox member of the coalition.
Following the death of Pope Francis, Tercatin shares insights on the Jewish community in Rome, its relationship with the late pope and the community's deep historical connection to the Vatican.
She also reports on archaeological findings related to the production of biblical purple dye, confirming an industrial-scale production of purple dye that took place in the region several thousand years ago.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
Opposition leaders say Netanyahu’s conduct, as described by Bar, endangers Israel
Smotrich slammed for willingness to ‘sacrifice’ hostages
Smotrich says returning hostages ‘not the most important thing,’ sparking fierce backlash
For Rome’s Jews, ties with ailing pope are personal. And increasingly complicated
Made from snails and fit for kings: First biblical-era dye factory found on Israel’s coast
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: A protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in support of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, as a protestor carries a sign that says, 'Save the country from itself,' at Habima Square, April 21, 2025 (Photo by Avshalom Sassoni//Flash90)
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Day 563 - IDF: Killing of 15 Gaza medics didn't breach code of ethics
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces announced the dismissal of the deputy commander of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit over the March 23 incident in which 15 medics were killed after his forces opened fire on a convoy of ambulances and emergency vehicles in southern Gaza’s Rafah. Fabian explains the findings of a high-level IDF probe.
The Lebanese army announced Sunday that it had foiled a planned rocket attack from Lebanon at Israel for the first time since a November ceasefire cut short a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. We learn about what steps the Lebanese Armed Forces are currently taking to fulfill the terms of the ceasefire.
On Saturday, for the first time since the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Strip on March 18, a soldier was killed inside the Strip. The deadly incident took place during work to clear the area close to the border of Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels, as part of efforts to expand Israel’s buffer zone — which now comprises over 30 percent of the Strip. Fabian discusses the IDF's recent activities ahead of his IDF embed to the Morag Corridor today. We learn about the IDF's Bedouin tracker units and hear about an attempt from several Israeli civilians to enter the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
Admitting ‘errors,’ IDF fires officer over killing of 15 rescue workers in Gaza’s Rafah
In first since ceasefire, Lebanese army says it foiled rocket attack on Israel
Israeli soldier killed in Hamas attack, in first since collapse of Gaza ceasefire
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Mourners gather around the bodies of 8 Red Crescent emergency responders, recovered in Rafah a week after an Israeli attack, as they are transported for burial from a hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana,File)
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Day 562 - Hostage families in anguish as PM says no deal
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement Saturday night detailing his refusal to negotiate a deal that ends the war to free the hostages, Horovitz discusses the anguish of the hostage families and their growing concern over the government's plans. He explores the prime minister's stance on the war with Hamas as well as Netanyahu's detailed reasoning amid the growing skepticism and dismay about Netanyahu's motivations regarding the war.
As the US and Iran head into more nuclear talks on Wednesday, following another round in Italy on Saturday, Horovitz considers the implications of the talks, and the role of special envoy Steve Witkoff in the negotiations, and the concerns about Israel's security.
Finally, Horovitz takes a brief look at the latest spat in Qatargate, as lawyers for the one of the main suspects goes up against a spokesperson for the prime minister, and how the entire scandal connects back to the forced resignation of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
Please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
Netanyahu: Won’t surrender to Hamas by ending war to get back hostages; can’t trick Hamas either
Israeli soldier killed in Hamas attack, in first since collapse of Gaza ceasefire
After Rome talks, Tehran says Iran and US ‘to start designing framework’ for nuclear deal
In public spat, lawyers for Qatargate suspect accuse Netanyahu spokesman of ‘hysteria’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Sylvia Cunio, mother of hostages and brothers David and Ariel Cunio, at the Gaza border near Kibbutz Nir Oz calling for her sons and the other hostages to be freed in one phase. (Credit Tanya Zion-Waldoks/Israeli Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)
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Day 561: A 1973 exodus from Egypt
Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Mitch Ginsburg, a producer at the Israel Story podcast.
Ginsburg, a former military reporter for The Times of Israel, brings us a special episode from Israel's flagship podcast series, called The Hebrew Hobbit: A Passover Special.
In it, Ginsburg charts the tale of a number of Israeli POWs who took upon themselves the unlikely task of translating JRR Tolkien's "The Hobbit" while imprisoned together in an Egyptian jail.
In a vivid soundscape, Ginsburg brings a 360-degree account of life before, during and after their detention -- for the soldiers and those they left behind.
This Passover holiday, we hear the improbable story of a group of Israeli men who formed a mini-kibbutz in the heart of an enemy country's prison and what happened after their exodus from Egypt.
So this week, we ask Israel Story's Mitch Ginsburg, what matters now?
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: An undated photo of the POW group who together translated 'The Hobbit' into Hebrew prior to their release from an Egyptian prison in November 1973. (courtesy)
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Day 560 - Israeli scientists resurrect biblical date palm
Welcome to a bonus episode of The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. In today's episode, environment reporter Sue Surkes makes a guest appearance, stepping in for Berman.
This is a week of spring holidays, and so we are dedicating the program to some of the biblical flora of the Land of Israel.
In honor of Easter, which is celebrated by much of Christendom on Sunday, we begin with a date palm that was brought back from the dead and a plant that resurrects itself.
In 2008, Dr. Elaine Solowey germinated a 1,900-year-old date palm seed that took the name Methuselah after the long-lived biblical character. She has since gone on to revive several more ancient seeds, including females that bear fruit. Surkes tells the story of Solowey's amazing success -- and describes how the dates taste.
Next, we hear about the Rose of Jericho, which was named for the biblical city of Jericho that constantly rose from its ashes -- and still stands today. It's an extraordinary story of a plant surviving in the harshest of circumstances.
We then turn to a tree that is called the Christ-thorn jujube (shezaf). Traditionally, this type of tree was used to create the thorny crown that Jesus wore on his last journey down the Via Dolorosa.
Surkes then speaks about the olive tree -- both the last few remaining "wild" variety located near Atlit, and the cultivated variety. She turns to Psalm 128 to show how being acquainted with the flora of the Land of Israel gives a deeper meaning to the text.
And finally, we speculate on the Garden of Eden's "forbidden fruit." Was it an apple? Or maybe a fig?
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Dates harvested from 'Hannah,' the first female palm tree germinated from 2,000 year-old seeds discovered in the Judean desert, are displayed in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel, on September 27, 2021. (Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)
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Day 559 - Hostage talks continue, as US and Iran keep speaking
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 Berman joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Following a phone meeting of the security cabinet, Berman discusses that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was involved in the conversation that included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite efforts to fire the Shin Bet chief.
Hamas officials have said they will not accept any partial deals and still demand an end to the war, with some of the terrorist group's reactions appearing to react to protests in Israeli society, says Berman. He also speaks about criticism regarding top hostage negotiator Ron Dermer, with remarks from both the Qataris and hostage families about Dermer, a close advisor to Netanyahu.
With the latest headlines about ongoing talks between Iran and the US, Berman expresses concern about Israel's position. He discusses chief negotiator Steve Witkoff, who doesn't have much background in Iran or the nuclear program but has Trump's ear and is a skilled negotiator. Berman notes that Netanyahu can't undermine Trump in this potential Iran deal, but the final result may not be as good for Israel.
Please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
Hamas said to reject Israeli proposal that it disarm as part of 6-week ceasefire
Hostage talks said to have lost ‘momentum’ since Dermer took over negotiating team
Iran wants to drag out talks, Trump wants a deal now. Neither is good for Israel
Trump waved off planned Israeli attack on Iran to pursue negotiated nuclear deal — NYT
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Outside the home of chief hostage negotiator Ron Dermer in Jerusalem on his birthday, protestors call on him to light up hope instead of blowing out candles (Credit Adar Eyal/Israeli Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)
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Day 558 - US moves Iran nuclear redline, inching closer to Israel
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
On Saturday, US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “briefly spoke” together in Oman to kick off nuclear talks in what marks the first time the two nations have spoken directly to each other since the Obama administration. We learn about the US's evolving "redline" and the Trump administration's expected timeline.
Hamas has reportedly turned down an Israeli offer for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza, which demanded the group to disarm. Magid weighs in on the stalled process, including what he's hearing from one of the Arab negotiators.
The Palestinian Authority has formally invited the Trump administration to certify that Ramallah’s reform of its controversial welfare system viewed as incentivizing terror is being implemented, a US official and a PA official revealed to Magid on Friday. Magid explains the provisions of the Taylor Force Act, a 2018 congressional legislation that barred US economic aid that directly benefits the PA, and how the PA is attempting to comply.
Please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
In swift reversal, Witkoff says any nuclear deal must ‘eliminate’ Iran’s enrichment, weaponization
Trump says he expects to make a decision on Iran’s nuclear program ‘very quickly’
Gaza hostage talks still stalled, official says, amid reports of incremental progress
Hamas said to reject Israeli proposal that it disarm as part of 6-week ceasefire
Hostage’s father to PM: How do you plan on freeing last captive without ending war?
PA invites US to verify that controversial prisoner payment system no longer in place
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: A handout picture released by Iran's Atomic Energy Organization on November 4, 2019, shows the atomic enrichment facilities Natanz nuclear research center, some 300 kilometres south of capital Tehran. (HO / Atomic Energy Organization of Iran / AFP)
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Day 557 - Tariffs, tech brain drain and manna from Sicily
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.
Tech editor Sharon Wrobel and archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
The setting of a 17% tariff on Israel by the US appears to be paused for the moment, as Wrobel discusses. Israel thought it could receive a reduction on the tariff, the main worry is the indirect impact and talk of a recession in Israel's tiny market and the instability and uncertainty that could cause. There are ongoing negotiations with efforts to protect Israeli companies and concerns over exposure to machinations in global markets and the value of Israeli savings.
Over 8,000 tech employees have left Israel in recent months and Israel was downgraded in the global ranking of top 50 wealthiest cities as millionaires and tech workers relocated, following first the judicial overhaul and then the ongoing war and hostage situation. Wrobel discusses the biggest concern in that shift, given the high-tech sector's payment of taxes, and its effect on the state and the Israeli economy.
Tercatin discusses research at the Academy of the Hebrew Language, looking at how Hebrew accents developed across different communities and millennia, and the role of cultural heritage in preserving those language differences.
She also talks about a Sicilian farmer who is part of a centuries-old ritual to harvest a sweet, white sap from the bark of ash trees, a syrup known as manna. Tercatin describes the process and the substance, following an interview with the 75-year-old Sicilian farmer on the eve of the holiday of Passover, when Jews across the world commemorate the Exodus from Egypt, and when they ate manna in the desert.
This conversation can also be viewed here:
Please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
Demand for state-backed insurance soars as Israeli exporters fear Trump tariff chaos
War spurs brain drain, outflow of Israeli high-tech employees, report finds
Tel Aviv drops in global ranking of top 50 wealthiest cities as millionaires decamp
Research center works to save myriad Hebrew dialects shaped by millennia of wandering
In this Sicilian town, manna is a heavenly delicacy with deep roots
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: A boy looks at shipping containers in Haifa's port , Israel, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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Day 556 - With Rafah encircled, IDF preps to empty Gazan city
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Yesterday, the family of Edan Alexander approved the publication of a Hamas propaganda video released Saturday, which showed signs of life from the US-Israeli hostage soldier who has been held by the terror group since he was kidnapped on October 7, 2023. Born in Tel Aviv, Alexander grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey. He returned to Israel to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces after graduating from high school in 2022. Fabian fills us in and we hear a segment of the video.
This morning, we learned that over 1,600 former IDF paratroopers and infantry soldiers signed a letter demanding the government reach a deal to bring the hostages home, even if it means ending the war. We discuss this latest appeal, which adds to a growing wave of public pressure to end the ongoing war following similar letters from IDF reservist doctors, the Talpiot program, former 8200 intelligence unit members, ex-Mossad members, navy reservists, and reservist air force personnel. We focus on the air force letter, which has brought the most media attention, and hear what steps -- if any -- the IDF is taking to stem this tide.
The Israel Defense Forces announced at noon Saturday that it had completed the capture of the Morag Corridor in the southern Gaza Strip, cutting off the city of Rafah from Khan Younis. Fabian explains how this is part of a greater plan to widen the new border buffer zone.
Yesterday, the Israeli military carried out an airstrike on a hospital in Gaza City, after telling staff and patients to evacuate ahead of the overnight attack, one of a series of strikes that Israel said were targeting Hamas operational centers. No casualties were reported in the hospital strike, with Israel issuing a warning to evacuate the facility before the attack. We learn where civilians are meant to go during such airstrikes, and in general.
Air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen early on Sunday evening. The Houthis claimed to have fired two missiles in the attack, one targeting the Sdot Micha Airbase — where, according to foreign reports, Israel holds nuclear-capable Jericho missiles — and the other aimed at Ben Gurion Airport. Fabian weighs in.
On Friday, the IDF confirmed that it participated in a just-completed annual aerial exercise hosted by Greece, which this year included the participation of Qatar -- along with 11 other countries. We ask Fabian how significant this joint exercise is.
Please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates.
For further reading:
‘Why am I not home?’ Edan Alexander’s family okays publication of Hamas propaganda video
Over 250 ex-Mossad members, 3 former chiefs urge hostage deal even if it ends war
IAF to dismiss reservists who signed letter demanding prioritization of hostages over war
IDF says it hit a Hamas command center embedded in Gaza City hospital
IDF fully surrounds Rafah as Katz warns Gazans of ‘final moment to remove Hamas’
IDF says Houthi missile intercepted; shrapnel falls in West Bank
In first, Israeli Air Force participates with Qatar in aerial exercises hosted by Greece
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Troops of the Givati Brigade operate in Gaza, in a handout photo issued on April 9, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Day 555 - Israeli art in a post-October 7 world
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.
We begin today's program by discussing Israeli art in a post-October 7 world. Steinberg brings us several examples, starting with Design Museum Holon latest exhibit, “Heroines.” Steinberg explains how this show examines how fashion design provided a sense of hope during dark times.
Our next stop is the spiral surroundings of the Bat Yam Museum of Art, which are hosting artist Ester Schneider in her first solo museum exhibit, “Hoshana,” which showcases her installations, paintings and watercolors. Steinberg sets the scene.
Sofie Berzon Mackie, Kibbutz Be’eri’s art gallery director and curator, has lived and worked in more than one temporary home since the Hamas onslaught on October 7, 2023, decimated her home and community. Steinberg shares how the Be’eri gallery, an art institution cherished on the kibbutz since 1986, was torched by Hamas terrorists, leaving nothing untouched. She explains where the art -- and curator -- are now.
Finally, we turn to how hostage parents have prepared themselves for another Passover seder without their children who are still in bondage. One example is Viki Cohen, whose son Nimrod Cohen was a soldier taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. Viki has recently released a children’s Haggadah for Passover, adding illustrations of the hostages — those still in captivity, those who were freed and those who were killed — and symbols and signs of their lives. We hear more.
For further reading:
Fashion exhibit looks at design as symbol of hope during World War II
Artist calls for salvation in show at Bat Yam museum
Be’eri artist and gallery director finds clarity in temporary home, art and family
Hostages’ families yearn and mourn in new Passover Haggadahs
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: From 'Heroines,' an exhibit about fashion design during wartime at the Holon Design Museum, from April 2025 (Credit Elad Sarig)
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Day 554 - Hostage mom Idit Ohel: Let our captives go!
Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host arts and culture editor Jessica Steinberg speaking with Idit Ohel, mother of hostage Alon Ohel.
Ohel talks about her son, who was taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, from the Nova music festival.
Ohel discusses what she knows about the injuries sustained by Alon on October 7, including shrapnel in his eye, and she firmly demands that he receive medical attention.
She says she deeply believes that despite his injuries and captivity, he is surviving and will continue to do so until he's released home.
She explains what she's heard from released hostages Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Eliya Cohen, who were kept captive with Alon, and we hear how Alon endures, playing imaginary piano on his chest as a musician, whistling favorite songs and talking about his family.
Ohel says that her son, like her, has always meditated, and she assumes he is still doing so as one of the many methods that has allowed him to survive so many months underground.
She discusses what it's like to mark another Passover without her son, and the need for the entire country and Jewish nation to rally behind the remaining hostages, in order to push the government toward an extension of the hostage deal.
So this week, we ask hostage mother Idit Ohel, what matters now?
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Idit Ohel, mother of hostage Alon Ohel, speaks during a rally calling for the release of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, March 8, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
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Day 553 - IDF Oct. 7 probes reveal heroism amid terror
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. In today's episode, military reporter Emanuel Fabian makes a guest appearance, stepping in for Berman.
We take a deep look into the IDF probes into the failures leading up to and on October 7 by first taking a step back and discussing the goals of the investigations and their overall general findings.
We then dive into a cluster of probes that were released in the past week, including the investigations into Kibbutz Nirim, the city of Sderot, Kibbutz Re'im and the Supernova open-air music festival.
At the Nova festival alone, some 380 out of 3,500 people attending the party were slaughtered by Hamas and another 44 were taken hostage to Gaza. On this second Passover since the onslaught, 17 of those taken from the Nova party are still in captivity, including 11 living and six declared dead.
In a very tough, at times graphic conversation, Fabian guides us through a handful of the dozens of battles on October 7, 2023.
For further reading:
Troops fended off 1st wave of terrorists at Nirim, but IDF left kibbutz vulnerable
1,000 troops were in Sderot on Oct. 7, when they were urgently needed elsewhere, probe finds
IDF okayed Nova music festival, but didn’t inform troops deployed at border, probe finds
Civil defense squad, cops battled 100 terrorists in Re’im before IDF arrived, probe finds
From our archives:
Camera in hand, partygoer captures escape from rave where Hamas killed 260 Israelis
Thousands flee rocket and gunfire at all-night desert ‘Nature Party’; dozens missing
Daily Briefing Mar. 4: Day 515 – Devastating IDF Oct. 7 probes depict years of misconceptions
The Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Israeli soldiers drive by the Supernova rave party site, where almost 380 were killed, near Kibbutz Re'im, close to the Gaza Strip border fence, on October 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
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Day 552 - US plans talks with Iran in push for diplomacy
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
With nuclear talks between the US and Iran planned for Saturday, Horovitz discusses the implications of the upcoming talks and how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to be surprised by Trump's announcement of the diplomatic approach. He reviews past diplomatic efforts with Iran, and the role in the talks taken by Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, as well as Israel's role in potential military responses.
There are still 59 Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity in Gaza, and Horovitz talks about how Trump, perhaps uncharacteristically, gently and patiently hosted three freed hostages at an event this week, as the US president appears to be trying to grapple with the reality of what he's been told about the brutality of Hamas.
Horovitz also discusses the headline about the Israeli Air Force decision to
dismiss Air Force reservists who signed a controversial letter, appealing for the hostages over a return to a military campaign against Hamas.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
This conversation can also be viewed here:For further reading:
IAF to dismiss reservists who signed letter demanding prioritization of hostages over war
Trump: Israel would ‘be the leader’ of strike on Iran if nuclear talks fall apart
‘We owe our lives to you’: Former Gaza hostages implore Trump to help free the rest
Attacked online by PM’s backers, ex-hostage hits back: ‘Wish death upon Hamas, not me’
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: US President Donald Trump greets Israeli hostages who were released from Gaza, during the National Republican Congressional Committee's (NRCC) "President's Dinner" at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC on April 8, 2025. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)
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Day 551 - After chaos in court, a stay on Shin Bet head's dismissal
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 reporter Jeremy Sharon joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The High Court of Justice issued an interim injunction on Tuesday stating that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar must remain in office until further notice and giving the government and the attorney general until April 20 to reach a compromise over the legal dispute surrounding the unprecedented vote last month to fire him. Sharon sets the scene in -- and out -- of the courtroom yesterday.
Thirty-one percent of Israelis, including 36% of Jews, believe the government should disregard the High Court of Justice if it reverses the dismissal of Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, according to a poll published by the Israel Democracy Institute on Tuesday. In light of this dangerous moment, Justice Noam Sohlberg, despite his skepticism of the government’s position, was the first to suggest a compromise, proposing the government and the attorney general refer the matter to the advisory committee. Sharon explains.
And finally, Sharon brings us a story about how Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strock participated in a ceremony last week in which 19 all-terrain vehicles paid for with state funds were granted to illegal settlement farming outposts in the South Hebron Hills region, for "security purposes."
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
After chaotic hearing, High Court rules Netanyahu can’t fire Shin Bet chief Bar for now
Court seeks to avert constitutional crisis in Ronen Bar hearing, while upholding law
Netanyahu’s office says High Court ruling on Bar ‘puzzling,’ amid calls to ignore it
Poll: 31% of public says government should ignore court on Shin Bet head’s ouster
Government gifts state-financed ATVs to illegal settlement outposts for security
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Demonstrators protest against Supreme Court President Isaac Amit outside a court hearing on petitions against the firing of Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, April 8, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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Day 550 - Surprises for PM Netanyahu during DC trip
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 Berman joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Berman discusses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Hungary, followed by his unexpected stop in the US. Netanyahu was welcomed warmly by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. A call between Orban, Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump during the visit led the Israeli prime minister to accept the last-minute invite to head to the US for a meeting in the Oval Office.
Berman says Trump surprised Netanyahu with several statements, including his announcement about high-level talks this Saturday between US and Iran, the existing tariffs on Israel and unexpectedly effusive comments and praise from Trump for Turkey's Erdogan.
The matter of the 59 remaining hostages in Gaza did not dominate the conversation, although it was discussed, says Berman.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
After softball visit to Hungary, Netanyahu strikes out in DC meeting with Trump
Stressing ‘billions’ in aid, Trump refuses to commit to removing tariffs on Israel
Trump suggests he can mediate between Israel and Turkey on Syria
Hosting PM, Trump announces direct nuke talks with Iran; Tehran: Indirect dialogue only
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: President Donald Trump, left, greets Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Day 549 - With PM in DC, Hamas official tells ToI it is ready to end war
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump at 1 p.m. local time at the White House. The two leaders are expected to discuss the new tariffs Trump imposed on Israel, efforts to roll back Iran and its proxy network and hostage talks with Hamas. Taking each point in turn, Magid fill us in on what to look out for from this spontaneous trip and what Netanyahu hopes to accomplish.
Hamas is prepared to release all of the remaining hostages at once in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, a senior Palestinian official familiar with the ongoing truce talks told Magid last week. Magid was approached by a Hamas figure who resides outside of Gaza, who wants Israelis to know that amid Israel’s longstanding rejection of this type of trade, Hamas is still prepared to release a number of hostages as part of a renewed temporary ceasefire. We hear more.
The Hebrew name of a spotted orange butterfly has been changed to honor murdered hostage Ariel Bibas by the Academy of the Hebrew Language, the Bibas family announced Friday. The academy last week officially informed the family, and on Thursday hand-delivered a letter addressed to Bibas’s father, Yarden — who was also taken hostage but released in February under a ceasefire deal — of the final decision to rename Melitaea ornata (eastern knapweed fritillary). Using one of the biblical names of Jerusalem, Ariel, the name of the butterfly was replaced in Hebrew from Kitmit Yerushalayim (Orange Jerusalem) to Kitmit Ariel (Orange Ariel) in honor of the four-year-old. Borschel-Dan explains the back story behind this change.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Netanyahu lands in Washington for hastily arranged talks on Trump’s tariffs, Gaza war
Netanyahu to meet Trump in DC on Monday, will discuss tariffs, hostages, Iran, Turkey, ICC
Dermer and Witkoff to join Netanyahu-Trump meetings in Washington
Hamas ready to free all hostages at once for end to war — Palestinian official
Butterfly renamed in honor of murdered hostage Ariel Bibas
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Illustrative: A Palestinian man stands on debris in a heavily damaged building following an overnight Israeli airstrike on Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on April 7, 2025. (Eyad BABA / AFP)
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Day 548 - IDF claims 6 Gaza medics buried in shallow grave were Hamas
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The Saudi Al-Hadath channel reports that the US has transferred a second THAAD battery to Israel amid rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear program. The battery was apparently delivered yesterday.
We hear what the THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, is an advanced anti-missile system, has recently been used for.
Yesterday, Hamas released a propaganda video that shows hostages Bar Kupershtein and Maxim Herkin, in the first sign of life from both of them since they were abducted by terrorists on October 7, 2023. We hear the broad-strokes contents of the video.
The Israel Defense Forces has detailed the initial findings from its investigation into the killing of 14 rescue workers in southern Gaza’s Rafah on March 23, when soldiers opened fire on a convoy of ambulances after mistakenly identifying it as a threat and buried their bodies. The military said it identified six medics as Hamas operatives. Fabian explains the findings and highlights still unanswered questions.
The IDF released footage from the entry of the 36th Division into the so-called Morag Corridor, located between southern Gaza’s Rafah and Khan Younis, last week. It marks the first time since the beginning of the war that ground troops are operating in the area. On Thursday, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told reporters that the IDF has entered a “new phase” in its fighting. What is this new phase that Defrin is referring to?
Hassan Farhat, who had headed Hamas’s forces in the western sector of Lebanon, was killed in an airstrike on an apartment building in Sidon. Likewise, the IDF and Shin Bet on Friday said a terror operative who oversaw the kidnapping and likely was also involved in the murder of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza. We learn about these two Hamas terrorists and Fabian connects the Sidon strike to an earlier strike on a Hezbollah operative in Beirut.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
US said to transfer 2nd THAAD missile battery to Israel as Iran nuclear tensions rise
Hamas hostage video shows Maxim Herkin and Bar Kupershtein, in first signs of life
IDF shares initial details from Gaza ambulance probe, says troops told UN of burial site
Gazans flee expanding strikes in north, south as IDF says fighting entering ‘new stage’
Hamas says it won’t move hostages to safety, Israel responsible for their lives
IDF widens ground operation in northern Gaza, kills top Hamas official in Lebanon
IDF says it killed terrorist who led Bibas abduction, was likely involved in their murders
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Bodies of Palestinian first responders who were killed March 23, 2025, in Israeli military fire on ambulances lie at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on March 30, 2025. (AFP)
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Day 547 - Author Dara Horn: Why Jews are the eternal scapegoat
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Today we bring you an episode of 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 author and scholar Dara Horn.
Horn is the author of novels and non-fiction, including “People Love Dead Jews,” “Eternal Life,” “A Guide for the Perplexed,” and now her first book for young readers, “One Little Goat.”
A graphic novel, "One Little Goat," was dreamed up by a young Horn and written decades later alongside the uniquely grungy illustrations of Theo Ellsworth.
The program's first half delves into the book's trippy storyline and how she arrived at it. As Horn remarks on her website, "'One Little Goat' is a quirky, dryly funny, Passover-themed graphic novel, featuring a lost matzah, a never-ending seder, and a time-traveling talking goat."
In the second half of the program, we hear some about the ideas Horn proposed in her bestselling work, "People Love Dead Jews," and she speaks about her new education initiative, Mosaic Persuasion, which is bent on teaching American schoolchildren about real, living Jews, and Jewish culture.
We hear about how the Hamas massacre of some 1,200 in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has -- and has not -- shifted American discourse. And Horn points out the Jews' driving counter-culture DNA that has been passed down from generation to generation, much like the rituals of the Passover seder.
And so, this week, we ask author Dara Horn, what matters now?
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Dara Horn (Michael Priest)
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Day 546 - Israeli flags fly in Budapest for PM's ICC-snubbing visit
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing, which is followed a full installment of The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, the Friday Focus.
Qatar on Thursday denied funding a disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Egypt’s role in negotiations to free Israelis held hostage in Gaza, amid a swirling Israeli investigation around the Gulf state’s links to two of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aides. Berman weighs in on why he's unconvinced.
Yesterday, the courts extended the remand of Eli Feldstein and Jonatan Urich, the two aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who are key suspects in the ongoing Qatargate probe. The two men are suspected of having taken money from Qatar to spread pro-Qatari messaging to reporters while in the prime minister’s employ. We hear what further developments we saw yesterday in the investigation.
Berman, who accompanied the prime minister to Budapest, describes the reception the Israeli delegation was met with and then speaks about Hungary's announcement that it was leaving the International Criminal Court.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
For further reading:
Qatar denies paying to spread media narrative undermining Egypt’s role in hostage talks
Detention of key Qatargate suspects extended till Friday, as judge criticizes media leaks
Freed Jerusalem Post editor decries arrest, says he got ‘no benefits’ from Qatar trip
Netanyahu, in Budapest, lauds Orban’s withdrawal from ‘corrupt, rotten’ ICC
Hungary announces withdrawal from ICC as Netanyahu arrives for state visit
IMAGE: An Israeli flag is raised on the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, with the Buda Castle in Budapest in the background on April 2, 2025, as preparations are under way for the visit of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)
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Day 545 - IDF conducts deepest ground op into Syria to date
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The provincial government in southern Syria’s Daraa says nine civilians were killed and several were injured in Israeli bombardment following an “Israeli incursion.” Soldiers operated on the ground in what is possibly the deepest into Syria that Israeli forces have advanced thus far. Fabian weighs in.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that advancing IDF forces were carving out a new security corridor across southern Gaza as Israel seeks to pile pressure on Hamas to free the hostages. Fabian explains the strategy behind the new “Morag Corridor,” named after an Israeli settlement that stood in the area before it was evacuated during Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, and compares the number of forces on the ground in the Strip with that of troops at the height of the war.
On Wednesday, hundreds of Palestinians rallied in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, chanting “Hamas out” and “Enough death,” in renewed protests against the terror group. Residents were angered by new Israeli military evacuation orders, which the military said followed rocket salvos by terror groups from the area. We hear how the IDF is responding to the increase in rockets -- and who is claiming blame for them.
Fifteen emergency and aid workers from the Red Crescent, the United Nations and the Hamas-linked Palestinian Civil Defense have been recovered from a grave in the sand in the south of the Gaza Strip, UN officials said on Monday. The IDF acknowledged Friday that it had fired on ambulances and fire engines, saying it had identified them as “suspicious vehicles.” Investigations are ongoing, but Fabian lays out what we currently understand from the IDF.
Yesterday, Fabian toured an IDF post in Lebanon, on the edge of Markaba, which overlooks the Israeli border community of Margaliot. It is one of five strategic positions where the IDF has remained after a February deadline to withdraw from Lebanon, as part of an ongoing ceasefire that began in November. We learn what Fabian saw -- and what Defense Minister Israel Katz had to say about how long troops will be stationed there.
This conversation can also be viewed here:
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
For further reading:
IDF says several gunmen ‘eliminated’ after firing on troops in southern Syria
IDF strikes hit ‘remaining military capacities’ at Syrian airbases
Netanyahu says IDF carving new corridor across Gaza to cut off Rafah, pressure Hamas
Hamas threatens protesters, as new mass rallies against terror group held in Gaza
UN says 15 Gaza medics killed by IDF found in mass grave; IDF: We targeted terrorists
In Lebanon, Katz says troops to stay ‘without time limit’ to defend border communities
Katz says offensive aimed at seizing ‘extensive territory,’ as IDF pounds south Gaza
ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: Israeli soldiers on the border between Syria and northern Israel, March 14, 2025. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
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Day 544 - Ex-hostages speak their minds about IDF in Gaza
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Released hostage Amit Soussana is honored by the US State Department as a Woman of Courage and is the only one of eight women honored to speak at the event. Magid notes that she uses the platform to speak about the remaining hostages and the need to return to negotiations, something echoed by former hostage Yarden Bibas and his focus on US President Donald Trump in his CBS interview with "60 Minutes." Magid speaks about the freed hostages who feel comfortable making their opinions clear, and their concerns about the intensification of military pressure and the current impasse in hostage negotiations.
The spontaneous, sporadic protests in Gaza against Hamas are the first in years, according to Magid, as people take a huge risk calling for an end to war in Gaza. A 22-year-old protester was tortured and killed, says Magid, who follows several Palestinian activists on social media who are planning more protests in the coming days. Magid notes that it would be best if Israel did not comment on them, leaving the movement as real, genuine protests against Hamas that could help impact the terror group as it approaches the ongoing hostage talks.
This conversation can also be viewed here:
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
For further reading:
Ex-hostage Amit Soussana receives US’s International Woman of Courage Award
Yarden Bibas to 60 Minutes: Only Trump can convince Netanyahu, Hamas to renew ceasefire-hostage deal
Gazan man murdered by Hamas after joining protests against terror group, family says
Gazan clan executes alleged Hamas operative who killed one of their relatives
IMAGE: Former hostage Amit Soussana, left, holds her hands over her heart while being applauded after speaking during the International Women of Courage awards ceremony, next to Henriette Da, of Burkina Faso, Georgiana Pascu, of Romania, Major Velena Iga, of Papua New Guinea, and first lady Melania Trump, at the award ceremony, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the State Department in Washington. S (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Day 543 - PM questioned on Qatargate; proof of biblical Armageddon?
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 reporter Jeremy Sharon and archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused police of holding two aides “hostage” after they were arrested over their alleged engagement in illicit ties with Qatar while working for the premier, who interrupted his ongoing corruption trial to provide testimony in the controversial Qatargate investigation. Sharon delves into the latest developments.
The High Court of Justice ruled unanimously on Thursday that Israel has taken a variety of steps to provide for the humanitarian needs of Gaza’s civilian population during the current war with Hamas, and that there was no cause for the court to order the government and the army to take any additional action. We hear why this ruling is important in the context of other accusations against Israel on the international stage.
The IDF issued a statement on Monday night announcing that it had disciplined several officers and troops for vandalizing Palestinian property in Jinba after an investigation it conducted into the incident. Villagers claim that troops had stood by while the settler extremists attacked residents and prevented a Red Crescent ambulance from evacuating the wounded. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir went to Jinba himself to investigate the incident on Sunday, as did Sharon. He reports back.
Almost one in four US adults who were raised Jewish no longer identify as such, a new report by the prominent Pew Research Center released on Wednesday has shown. The report focuses on the phenomenon of “switching religions” around the world, and it is based on data obtained by polling almost 37,000 Americans and over 41,000 individuals in 35 other countries, including Israel. Tercatin gives highlights.
For the first time, a team of Israeli archaeologists has uncovered ancient artifacts at northern Israel’s “Armageddon” site that might offer proof of an epic battle documented in the books of Kings II and Chronicles between a king of Judah and an Egyptian pharaoh. We hear how the old adage "an army marches on its stomach" may give us insight into this historical battle.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
For further reading:
Netanyahu says his two aides ‘being held hostage’ in Qatargate ‘witch hunt’
High Court says petitioners ‘not even close’ to showing Israel starving Gazan civilians
‘There’s no justice’: Palestinian villagers reel after brutal settler, IDF rampage
Pew Research Center survey: A quarter of US adults raised Jewish no longer identify as Jews
Archaeologists find first evidence of epic biblical battle at ‘Armageddon’
IMAGE: People protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
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Day 542 - IDF tells Gazans to leave Rafah, Trump threatens Iran
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz and reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
As the IDF warns Gazans to leave Rafah in southern Gaza, saying the military is returning to fight to eliminate terrorist capabilities as part of its military pressure to bring about a hostage deal, Horovitz reviews the situation in the Gaza Strip. He discusses the ongoing divide in Israeli society over how to bring the remaining hostages home, whether through military pressure or negotiations.
Horovitz also looks at the CBS "60 Minutes" interview with released hostages, including freed captive Yarden Bibas, who pointedly called for US President Donald Trump to help bring about a return to negotiations.
As Trump threatens Iran with strikes if it doesn't return to nuclear talks, Horovitz talks about the rise in rhetoric between the two nations.
Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the hardest-hit collectives on October 7 is working to remember its dead and find solutions for its future, and Surkes discusses a book written by one of its residents about the challenges facing the kibbutz that had been privatized years before the Hamas terror attack. She also describes a recently installed memorial for those killed on the kibbutz on October 7.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
For further reading:
IDF tells Gazans to flee entire Rafah area in largest evacuation since fighting resumed
Yarden Bibas to 60 Minutes: Only Trump can convince Netanyahu, Hamas to renew ceasefire-hostage deal
Trump threatens ‘there will be bombing’ if Iran fails to make deal on nukes
‘A murder in every corner’: 60-year resident writes book on Kfar Aza challenges post-Oct. 7
Kfar Aza Oct. 7 memorial forms unforeseen stop on trail envisioned by murdered Ofir Libstein
IMAGE: Palestinians attend Eid prayers in Khan Yuni in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)
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Day 541 - Israel adds pressure on Hamas to advance negotiations
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The Israeli military said Saturday evening it had expanded its ground offensive in the southern Gaza Strip to expand a buffer zone along the borders of the Strip, the IDF said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this morning that the security cabinet last night voted to increase pressure on Hamas. This comes as mediation efforts are stepping up. Berman explains where negotiations stand now -- and why.
Last week, Gazans took to the streets in protest against the Hamas regime throughout the Gaza Strip. This morning we learned that Hamas operatives kidnapped, tortured and executed a 22-year-old Palestinian man, Oday Nasser Al Rabay, who participated in last week’s wave of protests, according to his family. This comes as we learn of a June 2023 document from the Defense Ministry unit that oversees the Gaza Strip which recommended a potential long-term truce (hudna) with Hamas. Berman delves into what this document says about Israel's "conception" of Hamas capabilities.
Hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators rallied in Istanbul Saturday calling for democracy to be defended after the arrest of mayor Ekrem Imamoglu which sparked Turkey’s worst street unrest in over a decade. Berman examines the Israel-Turkey relationship -- or lack thereof -- since October 7, 2023.
Syria’s new transitional government was sworn in Saturday, nearly four months after the Assad family was removed from power and as the new authorities in Damascus work to bring back stability to the war-torn country. While the 23-member Cabinet is religiously and ethnically mixed, Israel sees itself as a defender of Syria's minorities, says Berman.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
For further reading:
Israel confirms it received new Gaza truce proposal from mediators, made counteroffer
IDF expands ground op in southern Gaza, pushing further into Rafah
In disturbing Hamas video, distraught hostage Elkana Bohbot shouts and begs for release
Gazan man murdered by Hamas after joining protests against terror group, family says
Report: A June 2023 Defense Ministry document proposed near-sovereignty for Hamas in Gaza
Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, gather at Istanbul rally to protest against Erdogan
Syria swears in new transitional government four months after ousting Assad
IMAGE: Palestinians buy clothes in a shop next to a destroyed apartment building in preparation for Eid al-Fitr celebrations at Al-Rimal neighborhood in the center of Gaza City, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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Day 540 - Jonathan Dekel-Chen: US feels like hostages’ only beacon
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Today's we're bringing you an episode of What Matters Now, our weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World. This installment is hosted by arts and culture editor Jessica Steinberg, who is speaking with Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of released hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen.
Dekel-Chen, a dual Israeli-American citizen, was a vocal and visible hostage parent throughout the months of his son’s captivity. Sagui Dekel-Chen was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, while his pregnant wife and two young daughters hid in their safe room.
Dekel-Chen discusses the relief he and the family experienced upon seeing his son released home to Israel, the challenges that Sagui, the family and the Nir Oz community still face, and the sense of rebirth that Sagui feels post-captivity.
For 496 days, Sagui didn’t know the fate of his nuclear family, as well as what happened to extended members of his family and friends.
Dekel-Chen also reflects on the sense of abandonment felt by many hostage families from the Israeli government throughout the months of the war, and particularly now, since the army returned to fighting in Gaza, leaving 59 hostages still in captivity.
He speaks about the tremendous support he and other hostage families received from the US government, both from the Biden and Trump administrations, and his surprise to learn that American Jewish organizations didn’t band together to support the hostage families.
So this week, we ask history professor Jonathan Dekel-Chen, what matters now?
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Freed hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen with his father Jonathan aboard an IDF helicopter en route to the hospital soon after his release from 498 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza, February 15, 2025 (IDF)
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Day 539 - Huckabee: Judge my actions, not my Judea and Samaria stance
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 Daily Briefing, which will be followed by a full episode of ToI's newest podcast series, the Friday Focus with Lazar Berman.
An Egyptian proposal to end renewed fighting in Gaza would see five living hostages released on the first day of the restored ceasefire, with another five living hostages released every 7-10 days, two foreign diplomats with knowledge of the details told The Times of Israel on Wednesday. Magid delves into what else is being reported about this proposal, one of several on the table right now.
One well-connected US analyst of the Middle East told Magid this week that the current Israeli government has all but foreclosed any chance for a normalization deal. We hear what Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI) who regularly speaks to Saudi and other regional officials, has to say -- and what the Saudis are potentially planning in the meantime.
US President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, tried to present a more moderate stance on Israel and the West Bank -- or Judea and Samaria, as he calls the contested land -- and urged lawmakers at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday to judge him based on his ability to represent the new administration. Magid weighs in.
In the Friday Focus, Berman illuminates the ongoing prejudice against Israel's Christians, who make up almost 2% of the country's population.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Egyptian plan would free 5 living hostages on day one, with releases every 7-10 days
Playing down normalization prospects, US analyst says Saudis feel Israel ‘looking backward’
Mike Huckabee downplays pro-settler views at confirmation hearing to be envoy to Israel
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: Then-Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., takes questions from the media, prior to laying a brick at a new housing complex in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, August 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)
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Day 538 - Knesset passes judicial selection law, what now?
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing.
Following the early morning passage of the highly controversial law that greatly increases political power and influence over the judicial appointments process in Israel, Horovitz discusses details of the measure, and the fact that it will only come into effect in the next Knesset, meaning after Israel’s next general elections, currently scheduled for October 2026.
Horovitz discusses why this measure is being taken now by the coalition government, and how the opposition parties and Israeli society are reacting to this measure that has been in the making since the right-wing government was elected into office in November 2022.
There have been waves of protests over the last ten days, with rallies calling for the return of the hostages and anti-government demonstrations in Jerusalem, and Horovitz looks at what's being said in those gatherings and if they have any effect on current politics.
He also speaks about the continuing protests in Gaza, reportedly against Hamas, although the terror group claims that the Gazans are protesting Israel's return to IDF strikes.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Knesset passes law greatly boosting political control over appointment of judges
‘Democracy isn’t in danger,’ Netanyahu tells Knesset in tirade against ‘deep state’
Happening now: The smooth, malevolent unraveling of Israel’s vulnerable democracy
Thousands protest outside Knesset ahead of final votes on controversial judicial bill
Hundreds in Gaza join rare protests against Hamas rule, call for an end to the war
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ministers in the Knesset plenum during a vote on a bill to remake Israel's judicial appointments process, March 27, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
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