The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

As the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon continues to basically hold, this morning, Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said he will leave Tehran for Damascus to deliver a message of support for Syria’s government and armed forces after a lightning advance by rebels. Berman breaks down the Syrian rebellion, part two, and the potential spillover ramifications for Israel.

Iran sees the days-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as a chance to rebuild the Lebanon-based terror organization, as well as its welfare and political wings. Berman weighs in.

The Hamas terror group on Saturday released a propaganda video showing signs of life from hostage Edan Alexander, 20, in the first video of its kind in months. Also yesterday, Hamas said it was open to discussing “all ideas and proposals,” a senior official from the Palestinian terror group told AFP, as representatives arrived in Cairo on Saturday for talks with Egyptian negotiators on a possible hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza. We hear about other remarks of this nature and what they may signify.

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

Discussed articles include:

Syrian military says dozens of soldiers killed in major Islamist attack on Aleppo

Iran ‘firmly supports’ Assad as top envoy travels to Damascus after rebel attacks

Iran sees ceasefire as a chance to take stock and rebuild Hezbollah – report

Hamas says open to ‘all ideas and proposals’ ahead of hostage-truce talks in Cairo

In Hamas propaganda video, hostage Edan Alexander pleads with Trump to push for 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: Anti-government fighters pose for a picture on a tank on the road leading to Maaret al-Numan in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on November 30, 2024. (Muhammad Haj Kadour / AFP)

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

Times of Israel blogger Tuvia Book joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's bonus What Matters Now episode.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan.

Tuvia Book was honorably discharged as a combat medic in the Israel Defense Forces following the 2006 Second Lebanon War. Like most Israeli reservists, however, he stashed a uniform in his basement, "just in case."

That emergency occurred on October 7, 2023, when Book, learning of the Hamas murderous onslaught on southern Israel, pulled out that uniform and, hearing a rumor that some units based in the south were lacking combat medics, packed his car and drove. He arrived, without enlistment papers and no longer registered in the draconian IDF bureaucracy.

He was accepted into the Palmar Asaf Medical Extraction Unit and fought his way back into the IDF system.

Book, who in "real life" is a Times of Israel blogger, a tour guide, author and Jewish educator," has served in the reserves for the past 12 out of 14 months of war.

At the end of November, the Medical Corps reported that some 5,300 wounded soldiers had been treated amid the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip and another 700 in Lebanon.

Book describes his unique reservists unit, and how a combination of speed, professionalism and technology is resulting in a vastly lower case fatality rate — the proportion of wounded who end up dying -- than in any previous war.

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

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: Reservist Tuvia Book, a combat medic in the Palmar Asaf Medical Extraction Unit, on a Gazan beach, 2024. (courtesy)

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

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

As of this morning, Lebanese residents are still prohibited from moving south to a line of villages and their surroundings until further notice. We talk about what Israeli soldiers are currently doing in Lebanon to enforce the fragile ceasefire.

A series of Israeli strikes on border crossings between Lebanon and Syria just before a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect Wednesday morning were intended to set back the terror group’s smuggling efforts, while driving home as a stark warning to Damascus that Israel will take severe action to prevent attempts to rearm Hezbollah with Iranian weapons via Syrian territory. Fabian discusses the large-scale smuggling efforts.

The IDF published a summary of its activities against Hezbollah in the past 14 months, including the capture of some 12,000 explosive devices and drones; 13,000 rockets, launchers, and anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems; and 121,000 pieces of communications equipment and computers. How degraded is Hezbollah as a fighting force?

The Shin Bet recently foiled an attempt by Iran to smuggle large amounts of advanced weapons, including rockets, to terror operatives in the West Bank for use in attacks on Israeli targets, the security agency revealed Wednesday. Fabian updates us on this foiled attempt and how widespread such efforts may be.

According to a report in The New York Times, Hamas is displaying increased flexibility in long-stalled talks for an elusive ceasefire and hostage deal in the Gaza Strip, and may agree to the Israel Defense Forces temporarily remaining on the enclave’s border with Egypt. Fabian explains how strategic this position is, especially to prevent any rearmament of Hamas.

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

Discussed articles include:

As fresh truce holds, IDF says over 12,500 Hezbollah targets hit in 14 months of war

PM threatens ‘intensive war’ if truce breached, as restrictions end in much of Israel

IDF strikes Hezbollah rocket depot, launch sites after identifying truce violations

Israel warns Syria of ‘direct price’ to pay if it helps Hezbollah rearm

Israel says it nabbed large trove of Iranian arms destined for West Bank attack

Increasingly flexible Hamas said open to temporary IDF presence at Gaza-Egypt border

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: Displaced Lebanese returning to their homes inspect the damage in the southern Lebanese village of Tair Debba on November 28, 2024. (Mahmoud Zayyat / AFP)

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

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

Yesterday, as the fragile ceasefire began IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari clarified the IDF’s role in its implementation in a press conference and said any Hezbollah violation of the ceasefire agreement “will be answered with fire.” At the same time, many in Israel wonder why a permanent buffer zone wasn't included in the deal, something US envoy Amos Hochstein called a “fantasy.” Magid tells us more.

A US official confirmed to Magid yesterday that the Biden administration is advancing a $680 million weapon package to Israel. Could the package be tied to the claim by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US has been delaying weapon shipments to Israel?

US President Joe Biden is launching a renewed drive for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal now that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a truce in Lebanon, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday, saying, “President Biden intends to begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors in the region.” We discuss the new inclusion of Turkey in the list of potential negotiators.

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

Discussed articles include:

US envoy dismisses ‘fantasy’ of deal that would include IDF buffer zone in Lebanon

IDF warns Lebanon truce violations ‘will be answered with fire’; troops shoot at suspects

US confirms $680m arms sale to Israel, but says it was in works pre-Lebanon deal

Arab mediators: Netanyahu stalling, wrongly thinks Trump will deliver better Gaza 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: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators take part in a rally to condemn the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, at Hagia Sophia Square in Istanbul, on August 3, 2024. (Kemal Aslan/ AFP)

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

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

The ceasefire agreement took effect at 4 am local time and IDF troops are still positioned in some areas of southern Lebanon. The militaries in Israel and Lebanon have warned Lebanese civilians against returning to villages where soldiers are still deployed for now. We discuss how fragile this calm is.

Horovitz outlines what was included in the agreement and what was left out, including a buffer zone, which residents of the north consider crucial.

We compare and contrast how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden spoke about the ceasefire when announcing it to the world yesterday.

A snap television poll on Tuesday evening found Israelis divided over the framework for a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Among supporters of Netanyahu’s governing coalition, just 20% said they supported the ceasefire deal, while 45% said they opposed it and 35% said they didn’t know. We hear potential reasons why Netanyahu pushed for the ceasefire at this time.

Israeli, Palestinian and American sources and officials believe the loss of Hezbollah support may push the Gazan terror group to soften its demands, breaking a prolonged deadlock in the negotiations. What could change?

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

Discussed articles include:

Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire comes into effect, halting nearly 14 months of fighting

‘Peace is possible’: Announcing Lebanon truce, US insists this time will be different

20% of coalition voters back Lebanon truce, vs. 50% of opposition voters, poll finds

Officials hope Lebanon truce will isolate Hamas, pave way to deal 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.

IMAGE: A driver holds up portraits of Hezbollah's slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine as people return to Beirut’s southern suburbs on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (Ibrahim Amro/ AFP)

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IMAGE: An Israeli soldier stands guard behind sandbags in Kibbutz Hanita near Israel's border with Lebanon, November 24, 2024. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

After initial approval of the US-backed ceasefire proposal with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now working on how to present it to the public. Berman discusses the reported contours of the deal -- and whether Iran will be on board.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid has presented a plan for a regional commission in Riyadh to, among other goals, end the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza. Part of his plan involves the release of the hostages and a six-month truce, during which an Emirati-Egyptian-Moroccan-PA force would enter Gaza and take over the distribution of humanitarian aid and rebuilding. What are the chances of its success?

A new Channel 12 investigation claims Netanyahu received detailed intelligence in 2014 about Hamas’s plans to invade Israel and on a number of occasions rejected proposals to preemptively assassinate Hamas leaders. Berman weighs in.

Rabbi Zvi Kogan, 28, vanished in Dubai on Thursday, where he ran a kosher grocery store, and his body was discovered yesterday. We hear updates.

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

Discussed articles include:

Israel said to agree in principle to Lebanon ceasefire offer, though some issues remain

Lapid presents wide-ranging peace initiative starting with truces in Gaza and Lebanon

Netanyahu for years declined to kill terror chiefs, downplayed Hamas threat — report

United Arab Emirates arrests three suspects in murder of Chabad rabbi Zvi Kogan

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: View of a house hit from missiles fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Metula, on the Israeli border with Lebanon, November 20, 2024. (David Cohen/Flash90)

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

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

Fabian was in Lebanon last week, where troops have pushed into the “second line of villages,” about 4-5 miles from the border. He describes what he saw and speaks about a briefing he had with a senior Israeli defense official, who told reporters Thursday that there is a substantial chance of Israel reaching a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.

Five Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7 onslaught were killed in a recent airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday, noting that two were commanders who led the massacre and kidnapping of civilians from the Mefalsim area during the brutal attack. Fabian updates us on what is going on inside Gaza right now, even as winter rains are approaching.

This morning, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he will not approve the promotion of two officers from the IDF Southern Command until their role in the failures of October 7 are investigated. This comes after IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi announced a new round of senior appointments in the military, including 11 new brigadier generals and four new colonels, as well as six brigadier generals and 19 colonels who are moving to new positions at the same rank. We discuss several of the new appointments and some of the pressures on Katz.

Emirati authorities have found the body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an emissary to Abu Dhabi’s Chabad chapter missing since Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement Sunday. This is a developing story, but Fabian describes what we know so far.

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

Discussed articles include:

Aiming to enable return of displaced Israelis, IDF pushes deeper into south Lebanon

Woman lightly wounded as Hezbollah fires rockets and drones at center, north

Defense official says major chance for Lebanon truce after US envoy visits for talks

IDF says it killed five Hamas terrorists who led Mefalsim area massacres on Oct. 7

Body of slain Chabad rabbi found in UAE; Israel condemns ‘antisemitic act of terror’

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: Lt. Col. Roi Katz, a battalion commander in the 188th Armored Brigade in southern Lebanon, November 20, 2024. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

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

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

In a speech today in Istanbul, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised the “courageous decision” of the International Criminal Court to seek the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The ICC issued the warrants against the Israeli leaders and Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif on Thursday on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza conflict. We discuss how this as a new line in the sand for Israel-supporting countries.

Yesterday, new Defense Minister Israel Katz announced an end to administrative detention orders for West Bank settlers. Almost on the heels of this announcement, several dozen Jewish extremists in Hebron for an annual pilgrimage tried to attack the head of the IDF Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth. Five were arrested. Horovitz weighs in on this announcement and other unsettling news regarding settlers this week.

In a highly unusual move, the State Prosecutor’s Office on Friday published a rebuttal to allegations that it has been selectively enforcing the law concerning leaked intelligence information with the grave charges it has brought against Eli Feldstein, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and an unnamed IDF reservist, in relation to the leak of a stolen, classified document to German newspaper Bild. A second PMO spokesman, Jonathan Urich, was questioned by the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit for a second time on Wednesday as part of the probe. Horovitz discusses the prosecutor's unusual move to publish a Q&A on the case and raises other outstanding questions surrounding it.

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

Discussed articles include:

UK indicates it could arrest Netanyahu on ICC warrant, as Hungary invites him to visit

Analysts warn ICC arrest warrants could pave way to future arms embargoes on Israel

Defense minister declares end to administrative detention against West Bank settlers

Several dozen Jewish extremists in Hebron try to attack IDF’s top West Bank commander

Troops smuggled settler leader into Gaza to survey settlement options – report

State prosecution posts rare rebuttal of ‘misinformation’ relating to PMO intel leak case

Report: Netanyahu adviser Urich questioned for second time in document leak case

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: Undated photo of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands. (Oliver de la Haye/iStock)

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

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

Magid first discusses the legal bombshell of the International Criminal Court's decision Thursday to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The prime minister has stated that he won't comply, but Magid points out that there are countries abroad that would comply and whose recognition matters to Israel.

Magid also looks at the recent Senate vote, in which more Democrats supported efforts to withhold aid against Israel, and he points out that several Democrats who are not usually part of that progressive camp also voted for it.

He talks about the UN Security Council measure calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the US veto because the measure did not couple the truce with the immediate release of all remaining hostages.

Finally, Magid turns to Netanyahu aide Eli Feldstein who may face a life term for allegedly transferring information to the German Bild newspaper, to skew the public debate over the hostage negotiations at a time when the public was turning against Netanyahu and his government.

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

Discussed articles include:

US ‘fundamentally rejects’ ICC warrants, says it’s working with Israel on next steps

World split over Netanyahu, Gallant arrest warrants, as some in EU vow to uphold them

Israel breathes small sigh of relief after most US Senate Democrats back arms transfers

Senate motions blocking arms sales to Israel fail, but pick up Democrat support

US vetoes Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN as it didn’t condition truce on hostages’ release

Netanyahu aide charged with harming state security in leaked document case, could face life term

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 in the Knesset on November 13, 2024 (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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

Legal reporter Jeremy Sharon and environment reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Last night, some 150 right-wing activists rally outside the Tel Aviv home of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to demand her ouster. These protesters arrived after roughly twice as many people began protesting in support of the attorney general. Baharav-Miara has frequently clashed with members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, and disagreements have increased amid ongoing investigations into the premier’s staff. Sharon explains what the most recent controversies include.

Surkes returned earlier this week from Baku, Azerbaijan, where she attended a large chunk of the annual United Nations COP (Conference of the Parties) confab — better known as COP29. It kicked off on November 11 and will end on Friday. We discuss what the conference is meant to accomplish versus the cognitive dissonance she found on the ground.

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

Discussed articles include:

Ministers rage at ‘anarchist’ AG, with one implying she’s trying to ‘kill’ Netanyahu

Cabinet okays forced retirement for government legal advisers, ignoring AG criticism

Labor minister agrees to court-proposed compromise on Haredi daycare subsidies

At the third UN climate confab to be held in a petrostate, fact and fantasy collide

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: Activists participate in a demonstration for transforming food systems at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, November 19, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

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

Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The UN Security Council is slated to vote on a resolution demanding “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza. This time, there is also the demand for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.” Rettig Gur weighs in on what the chances are of its passage — and whether it is of any significance.

After a meeting with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, Special Envoy Amos Hochstein said, “I came back [to Lebanon] because we have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end,” adding that gaps between the sides had been “significantly narrowed” in the talks Tuesday. Berri said the “situation is good in principle,” though some unresolved technical details remain. Why aren't we hearing such optimism from Israel?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited an Israeli military position in the Gaza Strip and reiterated an offer to lavishly pay Gazans who turn over Israeli hostages, upping the reward to $5 million for each captive, after previously suggesting Israel would pay “several million” for their recovery. Rettig Gur dives into what else the premier was setting out to accomplish.

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

Discussed articles include:

UNSC to vote on resolution demanding immediate Gaza ceasefire, freeing of hostages

US envoy says Lebanon ceasefire ‘within grasp’ as soldier killed in drone strike

Touring Gaza, PM vows Hamas won’t return to power, offers $5 million for hostages

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 visits the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip on November 19, 2024. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)

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

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Horovitz reviews Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's critical comments about US President Joe Biden that he made during a Knesset speech on Monday. The prime minister sometimes strayed from his prepared remarks and commented more widely on Israel's retaliative attacks against Iran and the ongoing war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

He also discusses Netanyahu's remarks about the leaks from his office over the course of the last year of the war and refers to the prime minister's fury over being probed for illegal activities.

Finally, Horovitz talks about Netanyahu's comments regarding the remaining hostages and the fraught aspects of the internal negotiations, on a day when hostage family members and supporters were kicked out of the Knesset gallery.

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

Discussed articles include:

Lebanese official says Hezbollah agrees to US ceasefire proposal with ‘comments’

Netanyahu says Biden’s counsel throughout the war was repeatedly off-mark

Eli Feldstein, Netanyahu aide jailed in leaks case, placed under suicide watch

Hostage families barred from showing videos of loved ones in Knesset committee meeting

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: Hostage families hold up photos of their loved ones in the gallery of the Knesset on November 18, 2024. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg FLASH90)

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

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

US envoy Amos Hochstein will travel to the Lebanese capital Beirut tomorrow for talks on a ceasefire between the Hezbollah terror group and Israel. We’ll hear Berman's assessment of the chances of success in these talks.

Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted an emergency meeting on efforts to free hostages held in Gaza with a select group of ministers and the top security brass, who had reportedly planned to tell the forum that agreeing to end the war with Hamas was the only way to reach a deal to free the captives. Berman describes a few "wild card" ideas that could potentially force some movement in the negotiations.

Even as senior members of Hamas’s leadership abroad left Qatar last week for Turkey, President Isaac Herzog reportedly canceled his planned visit to the United Nations COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, because Turkey refused to allow the Israeli state airplane, Wing of Zion, to fly though its airspace. We speak about how unusual it is for Turkey to deny passage to a figure of Herzog's stature.

Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts released Sunday from an upcoming new book ahead of the pontiff’s jubilee year. It’s the first time that Francis has openly urged an investigation of genocide allegations over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. How seriously should Israel take these comments in light of the some 1.3 billion baptized Catholics around the world?

Senator John Thune said Sunday that the US must pass legislation threatening the International Criminal Court with sanctions if it seeks arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other Israeli officials, noting that the House has already passed sanctions legislation on a bipartisan basis. With the clock ticking at the ICC, could these efforts have an effect?

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

Discussed articles include:

Hezbollah media chief killed in IDF strike on central Beirut

Stance on ending war must soften for hostage deal, security chiefs said to tell PM

Hamas officials booted by Qatar last week, now hosted in Turkey, diplomat says

Herzog canceled trip to climate confab because Turkey barred him from airspace — report

Pope calls for probe into whether Israel is committing ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Incoming Senate majority leader threatens ICC with sanctions over case against Israelis

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: Pope Francis delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, November 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

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

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

A barrage of some 20 rockets was launched from Lebanon at the Western Galilee and Haifa Bay area just ahead of this conversation. Yesterday also saw some 80 rockets fired at the same areas. At the same time, the IDF has reportedly removed roadblocks on the northern border which were to prevent civilians from driving on roads that were exposed to anti-tank missile fire from Lebanon. Is this a sign that northern residents may soon return home?

This morning, the IDF has issued additional evacuation orders for four more buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs ahead of a second wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah assets. We hear what is happening with this increased daytime strikes and learn about how Hezbollah fights differently from Hamas on the ground.

In recent weeks, the turnout rate in the reservist units currently fighting in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip has varied between 75% and 85%, according to defense sources. But today, some 7,000 enlistment orders to ultra-Orthodox Israelis will begin to be delivered and, as Fabian reported last week, we’ve already seen some signs that this year already represents a larger turnout than years past. Fabian weighs in.

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

Discussed articles include:

IDF said to remove roadblocks near northern border ahead of possible return of displaced residents

Soldier killed in Lebanon as IDF pounds Hezbollah; rocket hits Haifa synagogue

Reservist killed in northern Gaza Strip; hostage holders said incommunicado

Sharp drop seen in reservist response rate due to burnout amid long war

Angering coalition ally, new Defense Minister Katz okays 7,000 more Haredi draft orders

IDF sees increase in draft of Haredi troops, but is still far off from goals

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: Damage caused to vehicles and buildings from a missile fired from Lebanon on November 16, 2024, in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, photographed on November 17, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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

Today, we bring you a special conversation held this week between three women bearing the name Rachel in honor of the traditional annual observance of the death of the biblical Rachel: ToI blogger Rachel Sharansky Danziger, war widow Rachel Goldberg and bereaved mother Rachel Goldberg-Polin.

Rachel Goldberg and Rachel Goldberg-Polin share a name, a neighborhood, and a history. Rachel Goldberg’s father was Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s teacher at one time, and her husband, Rav Avi Goldberg, taught Rachel’s son Hersh. Tragically, they now share the intolerable pain of loss.

Rachel’s son, Hersh Goldberg Polin, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, from the Nova music festival. Rachel and her husband Jon advocated relentlessly for his release and continue to ask the world to push for the release of the remaining 101 hostages in Gaza. Hersh was murdered in Gaza in late August with five other hostages. Rachel’s husband, Rav Avi Goldberg, served in the reserves for over 250 days since October 7, before falling in battle in Lebanon three weeks ago.

As part of the ongoing efforts to continue Rav Avi’s legacy and efforts (including his dream of building a shul for his community, Beorcha), Rabbi David Ansbacher, Rav Avi’s brother-in-law, invited Rachel and Rachel to come together in honor of the anniversary of the death of Rachel the matriarch and share their experiences and insights.

This conversation was facilitated by a third Rachel – Beorcha member and Times of Israel blogger Rachel Sharansky Danziger. The conversation, titled "Rachel weeping for her children," is available on video online and is now generously shared by Beorcha here in podcast form.

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

Discussed articles include:

Rachel Goldberg-Polin -- Limping toward the light: A letter from me in this moment

Rachel Sharansky Danziger -- Rabbi Avi Goldberg: A man who lit up the world

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: L-R: Bereaved mother Rachel Goldberg Polin and war widow Rachel Goldberg. (Youtube screenshot)

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

Arab affairs correspondent Gianluca Pacchiani and reporter Diana Bletter join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Pacchiani offers a brief update regarding the latest in the US-brokered ceasefire proposal to Hezbollah in Lebanon, as Bletter speaks about the randomness of rockets that kill and cause damage in the north, including Jewish and Arab towns and villages.

Pacchiani discusses the latest lineup of Hamas leadership in Gaza, with most of the leaders located out of the country and one possibly still in Gaza, and how they control the ongoing war from afar.

He also looks at reactions from European leaders regarding Palestinian educational textbooks that radicalize younger generations.

Finally, Bletter talks about scientific research from Tel Aviv University that could help in fighting cancerous tumors.

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

Discussed articles include:

Though ham-handed, report on Gazan anger at Hamas appears to reflect waning support

As calls to deradicalize Palestinian textbooks get louder, some urge a broader focus

‘History repeats itself’ as South Lebanon Army veteran, Israeli killed side-by-side

In Arab town where 2 were killed by Hezbollah rockets, leaders demand shelters

Annual festival includes an oud ode to a Jewish Tunisian diva

Israeli researchers identify protein that stops immune cells from attacking tumors

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: In Kiryat Ata, northern Israel, where a missile fired from Lebanon hit and caused damage on November 11, 2024 (Photo by Flash90)

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

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

Six Israeli soldiers were killed in a clash with Hezbollah forces, the IDF announced Wednesday, as Israeli troops pushed deeper into southern Lebanon amid an intensification of violence, even as officials expressed cautious optimism on ceasefire talks. It was one of the heaviest single-day losses in the operation that began in late September against Hezbollah. Horovitz updates on efforts to reach a ceasefire in the north and the key player not included in the talks.

Tzachi Braverman, who serves as chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is being questioned under caution today by the police’s Lahav 443 serious crimes unit. We hear more about the two -- or three -- issues under investigation with links to the Prime Minister's Office.

Authorities in Paris announced that more than 4,000 police officers and 1,600 stadium staff would be deployed for the game and only French and Israeli flags will be allowed inside the stadium. Horovitz weighs in to why accusations that what happened in Amsterdam was mere soccer hooliganism just missed the mark.

On Wednesday, the Jerusalem District Court rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a 10-week delay to the start of his testimony in his criminal trial, saying that he already had five months to prepare.

And finally, we discuss Israeli media's complicated relationship with the military censor and the censor's sometimes baffling rulings.

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

Discussed articles include:

6 Israeli soldiers killed in fighting with Hezbollah as IDF pushes deeper into Lebanon

Court extends by one day remand of key suspect in PMO secret documents leak case

Paris protesters target pro-Israel, far-right linked gala ahead of tense soccer match

Court rejects Netanyahu’s request to delay testimony in criminal trial

The ultra-divisive Netanyahu and the consequences for an Israel fighting for 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.

IMAGE: A man flashes a portrait of slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in front of the rubble of a building at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

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

Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel acknowledged during a press briefing on Tuesday that Israel implemented some — but not all — of the steps demanded by the US in an October 13 letter giving Jerusalem a month to act or risk being deemed out of compliance with US law, which bars offensive weapons from being transferred to countries that block aid from reaching civilians. We hear what Israel did accomplish and why the US may have overlooked some shortcomings.

In a flurry of announcements, President-elect Donald Trump said he had chosen former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel, and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align US foreign policy more closely with Israel’s interests as it wages wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. We hear what Rettig Gur sees taking shape in terms of Trump's predicted approach to Israel.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich paid a visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the Israeli communities hit the worst in Hamas’s onslaught of October 7, 2023, and met families of local hostages as well as former captives. It is Smotrich’s first visit to Nir Oz, more than 13 months after Palestinian terrorists rampaged there, killing or kidnapping 117 out of its 400 residents. There are still 29 hostages from Nir Oz held captive in Gaza. Why now?

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

Discussed articles include:

US says it won’t withhold weapons to Israel, as deadline to address aid crisis passes

Trump taps Fox News host who said US must ‘stand by strong ally’ Israel to head Pentagon

US slams Smotrich’s vow to annex parts of West Bank following Trump’s win

In first, Smotrich visits Oct. 7-ravaged Nir Oz, says he feels ‘responsibility, guilt’

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 the official Jordanian news agency Petra shows an airdrop of humanitarian and relief aid to the southern Gaza Strip carried out by members of the Jordanian army on November 12, 2024. (PETRA News Agency / AFP)

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

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

Magid looks at why it was announced following the US election that Qatar is leaving its negotiating role in the Israel-Hamas hostage talks, the back-and-forth of its decision-making process and whether the US or Qatar were making this decision.

Magid discusses the positive report from a phone call between President-elect Donald Trump and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and the help Trump has received from his daughter's father-in-law, Lebanese billionaire, Massad Boulos, with regard to Arab voters in the US.

Magid looks at recent messaging from Trump aides warning giddy right-wing Israeli ministers that their hopes to annex West Bank settlements during a Trump administration would only be under the right conditions and may never happen.

Magid reviews some of the names bandied about for Trump's cabinet, the battle between the more isolationist members and neo-Conservatives, the ousting of former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who both served during the previous Trump administration.

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

Discussed articles include:

Diplomat says Qatar quitting Gaza mediation role, Hamas to be booted from country

At US behest, Qatar has ordered Hamas to leave Doha — Biden officials

PA says Trump, in phone call with Abbas, vowed he ‘will work to stop the war’

Ex-Trump aides warn Israeli ministers not to assume he’ll back annexation in 2nd term

IMAGE: An IDF soldier passes by a sign that displays a photo of US President-elect Donald Trump that reads "Congratulations! Trump, make Israel great!" two days after the US election, in Jerusalem, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

President-elect Donald Trump has told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wants the war in Lebanon to end before his inauguration and has also signaled to the Biden administration that it needs to step up efforts to shut down the Gaza front. How could ceasefire negotiations be affected now that Qatar has stepped away from the negotiator role?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President-elect Donald Trump see “eye-to-eye” on the Iranian threat, the premier said in a video statement on Sunday, also revealing that he and Trump had spoken three times since the latter’s American presidential election triumph last week. Berman weighs in.

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer secretly visited Russia last week, Army Radio reported Sunday, in what appeared to be part of Israel’s efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon where it is battling the terror group Hezbollah. Why Russia?

Dutch police arrested dozens of anti-Israel demonstrators on Sunday, after they defied a temporary ban on protests, imposed after mass violence against Israeli tourists following a Thursday night soccer game in Amsterdam. On Thursday, Israeli officials said 10 people were injured in the overnight violence by local Arab and Muslim gangs against Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans. Hundreds more Israelis huddled in their hotels for hours, fearing they could be attacked. Berman describes what he sees is Israel's responsibility in such situations.

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

Discussed articles include:

Diplomat says Qatar quitting Gaza mediation role, Hamas to be booted from country

Trump looms over Saudi-hosted meeting of Arab, Muslim leaders on Mideast war

Netanyahu says he and Trump see ‘eye to eye’ on Iran after holding 3 calls within days

Top Netanyahu confidant visited Russia last week amid Lebanon ceasefire efforts — report

Dutch police arrest dozens who defy protest ban after antisemitic riots in Amsterdam

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 troops operating in southern Lebanon in this picture released for publication on November 11, 2024 (Israel Defense Forces)

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

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

As the war continues on the ground in Gaza and in Lebanon, we learn how the IDF is overtly taking credit for strikes inside Syria -- and why.

US president-elect Donald Trump has informed the Biden administration that he expects to see progress in the efforts to obtain a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and his advisors claim he would like the Gaza war wrapped up by the time he takes office in January. Fabian weighs in on whether the IDF is in a position to pull back right now -- without Hamas or Hezbollah simply filling the vacuum.

New Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday, who conveyed a “sharp” message to his new Israeli counterpart during their first phone conversation, to the effect that Israel risks jeopardizing the ongoing provision of US weaponry for the Gaza war if it does not credibly show that it has improved the supply and distribution of aid to Gazan noncombatants. We hear about new IDF efforts to introduce more aid into the Strip and discuss Katz's challenges in taking on his new role.

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

Discussed articles include:

Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets at Israel as IDF pounds Lebanon, Syria targets

US warplanes hit Houthis’ advanced weapons storage facilities in Yemen strikes

Israel rejects ‘biased’ warning of famine in Gaza, says aid trucks enter war-torn towns

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: People inspect a bridge allegedly damaged in an Israeli strike near the Syrian village of Tall al-Nabi Mando, in the countryside of Qusayr on October 28, 2024. (Louai Beshara / AFP)

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

Today, we bring you a bonus episode of What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World.

This week, we hand the mic over to Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute and an author, thinker and writer for The Times of Israel and many other outlets.

Recently, Klein Halevi shared with us his longtime interest in interviewing Rabbi Irving Yitz Greenberg, whom he called one of this generation's most important Jewish theologians.

Greenberg has been a central figure in the creation of a post-Holocaust Jewish identity and in establishing Holocaust commemoration projects like the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. He is a leader in inter-denominational Jewish pluralism and in Jewish-Christian interfaith dialogue.

Now, at age 91, Greenberg has published his magnum opus, “The Triumph of Life,” which, according to Klein Halevi, offers a brilliant and original argument for a new understanding of Judaism.

So this week, we ask both Yossi Klein Halevi and Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, what matters now.

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

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: Left to right: Author Yossi Klein Halevi. (Shalom Hartman Institute); Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg. (Courtesy)

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

Political correspondent Sam Sokol and reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Sokol discusses this week's surprise dismissal of former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, it's effect on the Likud party and the government coalition as well as the prime minister's continued efforts to appease his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners, regarding the draft evasion bill.

Surkes talks about her visit down south to several Gaza border communities that are trying to rebuild their homes and structures and replace equipment but are hampered by the holdup in compensation funds from the government.

Sokol looks at a series of government bills aimed at fighting terror, including deporting terrorists' relatives, cutting welfare benefits for convicted terrorists and firing teachers who identify with terror.

Surkes talks about climate confab COP29 beginning next week with the Israeli delegation attending under heightened security efforts.

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

Discussed articles include:

Likud clamps down on dissent over Haredi draft bills after Gallant pushed out

In new coalition deal with Likud, Sa’ar relinquishes right to oppose Haredi draft bills

MKs push bill to create new intelligence oversight body under Netanyahu

Despite constitutional concerns, Knesset passes law on deporting terrorists’ relatives

Lawmakers advance bills cutting welfare benefits for convicted terrorists

Knesset passes law allowing government to fire teachers it asserts identify with terror

Buzzed but never drunk: Research shows Oriental hornets defy alcohol’s effects

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 plenum session on the appointment of Israel Katz as Defense Minister and Gideon Sa'ar as Foreign Minister at the assembly hall of the Knesset  on November 8, 2024. (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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

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

In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election on Tuesday, two settler leaders called for Israel to annex the West Bank, describing the development as a new opportunity to expand Israeli sovereignty to the disputed territory. The demand was also backed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. We discuss Israeli perceptions of a new Trump term in comparison to his actions during his previous presidency.

In light of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s ouster on Tuesday evening, Horovitz discusses the new constellation of Israel Katz as defense minister and Gideon Sa’ar as foreign minister and what this means for the increasingly strong push to conscript Haredi men.

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

Discussed articles include:

Two very different comebacks

79% of US Jews voted for Harris, according to largest preliminary exit poll

GOP spokesperson says Trump wants Israel’s wars to end soon, with decisive victory

Two settlement leaders, Ben Gvir call to annex West Bank after Trump victory

In new coalition deal with Likud, Sa’ar relinquishes right to oppose Haredi draft bills

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 billboard that displays a photo of US President-elect Donald Trump and reads 'Congratulations! Trump, make Israel great' is projected a day after the US election, in Tel Aviv, Israel, November 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

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

US bureau chief Jacob Magid and political correspondent Tal Schneider join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Schneider discusses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unexpected Tuesday evening dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during the US elections. She examines the presumed political reasons for the dismissal, given Gallant's support for an ultra-Orthodox draft, the issue that has shaken the current government coalition.

Magid looks at the US administration's reactions to the dismissal, which came as a surprise. The initial US reaction was measured, while Magid's follow-up interview with a US official conveyed the administration's dismay and the belief that the prime minister is looking out for his own political survival.

Schneider talks about her conversations with Jewish voters in Philadelphia prior to Election Day, most of them Democrats, while Magid reports from Dearborn, Michigan, where many Arab voters appeared to be voting for Trump because of their disappointment with US President Joe Biden regarding the war in Gaza.

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

Discussed articles include:

Netanyahu fires Gallant, says disagreements, lack of mutual trust helped the enemy

Gallant, after he’s fired, warns Israel is abandoning captives, risks ‘mark of Cain’

US caught off guard, ‘concerned’ by defense minister’s ouster on Election Day

Jewish regent at U of Michigan says Trump not the answer to anti-Israel campus unrest

IMAGE: 'Gallant Night 2' (referring to the intense demonstrations when Gallant was first fired in March 2023) protests at Tel Aviv's Begin Gate on November 5, 2024 (Credit: Roni Shapiro)

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

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

Today is election day in the United States and yesterday, the Israel Democracy Institute released a poll of some 750 Israelis — Jews and Arabs — and asked, “In terms of Israel’s interests, which of the two candidates for the US presidency would be better?” Horovitz weighs in on the response and some of the factors that went into the responses.

The IDF will be sending out another 7,000 draft orders to members of the ultra-Orthodox community next week and as of this morning, we are hearing that the coalition may have lost the votes it needs to pass the controversial so-called Daycare Law being pushed by the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party to preserve subsidies for Haredi draft-evaders. We hear which politicians are dissenting and what this symbolizes.

Investigators suspect that the theft of classified intelligence documents from Israel Defense Forces databases and the transfer of those files to people in the Prime Minister’s Office was “systematic,” and the publication of one such document in foreign media is a source of “ongoing” danger to the lives of both soldiers and hostages in Gaza. Horovitz updates us on new details of the continuing investigation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly ordered that a “solution” be found for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s “adversarial” relationship with his government, as ministers railed against her office and called for her ouster Monday. We learn how this comment was somewhat pulled back by the prime minister and why.

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

Discussed articles include:

Poll: Some 65% of Israelis believe Trump victory would be best for Israel

Senior Likud MK says he won’t back daycare subsidies bill for Haredi draft-evaders

Theft of sensitive IDF intel, transfer to ‘people at PMO’ was ‘systematic’ – report

Netanyahu demands ‘solution’ to ‘adversarial’ AG as ministers call for her ouster

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 Haredi man looks at Israeli soldiers gathered at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, March 14, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

This morning, the Foreign Ministry officially informed the United Nations that Israel is withdrawing from the 1967 agreement recognizing the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA after the Knesset passed legislation to severely limit the operations of the agency in Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. We hear about practical implications.

A round of talks between Hamas and Fatah officials in Cairo ended with an agreement to establish a technocratic committee composed of independent Palestinian figures to manage the Gaza Strip, according to an unnamed Hamas source quoted by the Qatari-owned paper Al-Araby al-Jadeed. Berman weighs in on the chances of this agreement coming to fruition.

Eli Feldstein, a spokesperson working with the Prime Minister’s Office, is accused of divulging top-secret information with national security implications to European media outlets, according to a ruling published Sunday evening by Rishon Lezion Magistrate Court head Menahem Mizrahi. The names of three other suspects remain gagged by the court, but it confirmed that they were connected to the defense establishment. Berman examines what we know about the case and how serious the charges are.

Touring the northern border on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that whether via a negotiated settlement or military force, Israel will achieve the conditions it needs to restore security to the area and keep the Hezbollah terror group at bay. Relatedly, we’re hearing that Iran’s president said a potential ceasefire between Israel and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah “could affect the intensity” of Tehran’s threatened attack. Could this added pressure see a ceasefire agreement solidify?

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

Discussed articles include:

Israel informs UN that 1967 agreement recognizing UNRWA is void

PM spokesman Eli Feldstein suspected of leaking intel that may have hurt hostage efforts

Visiting border, PM vows to restore security in north ‘with or without an agreement’

Iran said planning to use more powerful weapons in next attack on 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: Illustrative: Released hostages and their family members seen after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, outside the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, August 23, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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

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

Top Hamas official Izz al-Din Kassab was killed Friday in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet announced. Kasab was one of the last remaining members of Hamas’s political bureau, where he served as head of national relations. Fabian weighs in on how functional Hamas is as an entity in the Gaza Strip right now.

Attack drones have emerged as one of the most potent threats to Israel’s home front since the beginning of the year. Yesterday, an Israel Air Force attack helicopter was filmed intercepting a Hezbollah drone in the Binyamina area, south of Haifa, after the drone set off sirens in area communities. Fabian speaks about how the IDF is adjusting how it takes down drones as the war progresses.

Israeli naval commandos captured a Hezbollah official in a raid in northern Lebanon late Friday, the military confirmed on Saturday night, marking an unusual operation both in its nature and location deep inside the country. We hear about the daring mission and what its goals were.

A reprisal attack from Iran is still on the horizon. We hear what preparations the IDF is taking.

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

Discussed articles include:

Three soldiers killed in north Gaza; IDF says 900 terror operatives dead in Jabalia op

IDF says it killed one of the last remaining Hamas politburo members still in Gaza

130 rockets, 10 drones fired at Israel Saturday; helicopter downs drone south of Haifa

Israeli commandos nab top Hezbollah naval operative in north Lebanon raid

Khamenei threatens Israel and US with ‘a crushing response’ to Israel’s airstrikes

US said to warn Iran it won’t be able to restrain Israel if Tehran attacks again

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 building, left, in Batroun, northern Lebanon, November 2, 2024, where a Hezbollah ship captain was taken away by IDF commandos who landed on a coast north of Beirut. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

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

Today, we bring you a bonus episode of What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World. This episode features host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with ToI senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.

The United States is electing its next president on November 5 and according to a poll published this week, Israelis massively favor Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris.

So ahead of next week’s results, we take a closer look at exactly how Israelis are polling, which candidate they favor — and some reasons why. We also learn how the current polling matches previous surveys of Israelis ahead of past US elections and who was actually elected in the end.

We also hear from Rettig Gur, who has been touring Jewish communities over the past week, what concerns he’s gathered about both candidates from the American Jews he’s spoken with.

And finally, we look at the recently published AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey of Americans which, among other things, drills down into the US population’s partisan divide on all things Israel and the Middle East.

So this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur, what matters now?

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

Discussed articles include:

Poll shows Israelis massively favor Trump over Harris in US election

Poll: Democrats, Republicans split on Israel’s responsibility for war’s escalation

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 combination of pictures shows US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (L) speaking during a Get Out the Vote rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on October 30, 2024; and former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaking at a campaign rally at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on October 29, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP)

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

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

Magid discusses the latest ceasefire negotiations and the US administration's decision to first pursue calm in Lebanon, given the signals received from Hezbollah and the hope that a ceasefire could then spread to Gaza. He also offers an update on the ceasefire and hostage negotiations regarding Gaza, and the complications resulting from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's death, which has left a gap in the terrorist group's leadership.

Magid talks about statements made by former US president Donald Trump regarding Gaza if he wins next week's election and comments made by Trump running mate JD Vance regarding US interests vis a vis Iran.

Finally, Magid discusses the deadly IDF strike in Gaza that reportedly killed more than 90 people, including 20 children, and what that could mean regarding the US 30-day deadline for Israel about aid and continued American security assistance.

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

Discussed articles include:

Inverting its approach, US pursues calm in Lebanon that will then spread to Gaza

In warning, Qatar and Egypt tell US hostage talks complicated by killing of Sinwar

Trump told Netanyahu he wants Gaza war over by time he enters office — sources

Vance: US and Israeli interests won’t always overlap; we don’t want war with Iran

US presses Israel to explain ‘horrific’ Gaza strike in which over 20 kids said killed

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: U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein leaves after attending a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Yesterday, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he was striving for a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group within the coming days, after a hopeful conversation with US special envoy Amos Hochstein and as reports emerged with details of a US-backed ceasefire proposal. We discuss a leaked draft of the deal and also Berman relays a sense of the Lebanese Armed Forces and their ability to control Hezbollah.

The IDF said yesterday that it is launching a new eastern regional division, a decision made following an examination of the military’s “operational needs and defense capabilities in the area, in accordance with the planning of the IDF’s force build-up." We hear what would be the new division’s purview and how ultra-Orthodox soldiers could be a strategic bolstering force.

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

Discussed articles include:

Lebanese PM says hoping for ceasefire in coming days; US-drafted truce deal leaks

US mediators jet to Israel for talks on 60-day truce with Hezbollah

New Hezbollah chief threatens Netanyahu, but opens door for ceasefire in first speech

IDF announces formation of new division to defend Israel’s border with Jordan

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 protest in Tel Aviv, calling for equal military service, March 14, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

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

Political correspondent Sam Sokol joins host Jessica Steinberg on today's episode.

Sokol discusses the fiery start of the Knesset fall session this week, as young women dressed to resemble hostage Naama Levy and her bloodstained clothing and hands when she was taken captive on October 7, were in attendance at the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, along with many members of hostage families.

He reports on the fierce arguments in the Knesset plenum, as opposition leader Yair Lapid took Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to task, and a screaming match between several lawmakers before a vote on a bill that would allow the government to deport the family members of terrorists who are Israeli citizens. 

Sokol also reviews the Knesset vote on the UNRWA bill that would bar the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees and their descendants from operating in Israel, and a bill barring new foreign consulates in Jerusalem, also aimed at preventing consular offices that serve Palestinians.

Finally, Sokol turns to the draft law, and how one ultra-Orthodox party backed down from its threat to overthrow the budget over the IDF exemption bill.

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

Discussed articles include:

With blood-red hands, Gaza hostage supporters make their mark on the opening of Knesset

Following stormy debate, lawmakers advance measure to deport terrorists’ relatives

Knesset approves laws barring UNRWA from Israel, limiting it in Gaza and West Bank

Knesset passes law banning establishment of new foreign consulates in Jerusalem

Ministers back bill denying the PA a path to petition the High Court of Justice

Ultra-Orthodox party backs down from threat to tank budget over IDF exemption bill

Netanyahu says Israel’s strikes on Iran destroyed ‘industrial factories of death’

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: Shira Albag, mother of hostage Liri Albag, far left, with other hostage family members and supporters sit on floor of Knesset on October 28, 2024 holding signs that read, 'This is how they urinate in the tunnels,' referring to the bottles full of urine found in the Gaza tunnels (Courtesy Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Two bills overwhelmingly passed through final votes last night, which ban UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory and bar Israeli authorities from any contact with the agency. We discuss how Israel or the international community will fill the vacuum this would leave in Gaza even as condemnations pour in.

Senior Israeli officials told Ynet this morning that there is progress on an agreement to end the fighting in Lebanon. Berman explains what appears to be on the table, including enforcement of the resolution, with Hezbollah prevented from having a presence near the border.

We’re hearing various reports of varied hostage release deals. But yesterday Mossad chief David Barnea returned to Israel on Monday from a 24-hour trip to Qatar to discuss proposals for a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu projected pessimism over the restarted negotiations. Berman weighs in.

Finally, we were told yesterday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a fiery address at the opening of the Knesset winter legislative session that Israel hit key Iranian sites hard in its airstrikes on Saturday. We hear Berman's thoughts.

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

Discussed articles include:

Knesset approves laws barring UNRWA from Israel, limiting it in Gaza and West Bank

US urges Israel to rethink anti-UNRWA laws, warning millions at risk of ‘catastrophe’

PM ‘not certain’ negotiations can progress as Mossad chief returns from Qatar talks

Netanyahu says Israel’s strikes on Iran destroyed ‘industrial factories of death’

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 Palestinian woman walks past a damaged wall bearing the UNRWA logo at a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 28, 2024. (Eyad Baba / AFP)

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

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today’s episode.

The United Nations Security Council is expected to meet today to debate Israel’s strikes on Iran. Horovitz discusses how Saturday’s strikes were received by Israel’s international supporters — and detractors.

Almost immediately following reports of Israel’s strikes on Iran, Israeli politicians began criticizing their limited nature. Horovitz weighs in on the thin tightrope Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walks to appease his international and coalition partners.

Due to “security concerns,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet will not meet in the Prime Minister’s Office or IDF headquarters. We hear what may have motivated this decision and how it was received.

Yesterday, official Israel marked the Hebrew date to commemorate the Hamas onslaught on southern Israel and the massacre of 1,200 people, which sparked the ongoing war. Horovitz was at the site of the Nova outdoor music festival on Simhat Torah and shared his observations.

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

Discussed articles include:

Israel’s strike on Iran was ‘historic,’ but it’s not ‘the end’ of anything

Iran says it had advance notice of IDF strikes; UN Security Council to meet Monday

IDF chief on Israel’s attack in Iran: ‘We have the ability to do much more’

Gallant said to tell Netanyahu management of war directionless, goals need updating

Afula’s largest high school marks official day of mourning with somber yet hopeful ceremony

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: Commuters drive past a billboard bearing pictures of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Joe Biden in Vali-Asr Square in Tehran on October 27, 2024. (Atta Kenare / AFP)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

This morning, according to initial reports of a truck-ramming incident being classified as a suspected terror attack near the Glilot Army Base, 35 victims have been taken to hospitals, including six in serious condition, five in moderate condition, 20 who are lightly hurt, and another four suffering acute anxiety, according to Magen David Adom. Fabian updates us on what we know so far.

We speak about new information being gleaned about Israel's strikes on Iran, following our in-depth conversation yesterday for the Daily Briefing.

Israel has suffered heavy losses in or on the border with southern Lebanon over the past several days, with 13 soldiers and two civilians being killed. Fabian brings us perspective from the over year-long campaign.

Yesterday, much of northern Israel received an earthquake alert after the IDF blew up a tunnel complex that included a full-on Hezbollah base in southern Lebanon. Fabian visited the site last week in the dead of night and gives us a full report.

We turn to Gaza, where three Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed Friday during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip’s Jabaliya as the military pushed ahead with an offensive in the neighborhood, including taking control of the area’s last functioning hospital in pursuit of Hamas operatives. We discuss what we know about the humanitarian zone and whether it is likely in the near future that Gazans may be able to return to the Strip's cities.

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

Discussed articles include:

Iran said ‘alarmed’ as IDF cripples its missile production, disables key air defenses

Four IDF reservists killed, 14 wounded in battle with Hezbollah in south Lebanon

2 killed, 7 hurt as Hezbollah rocket hits minimarket in northern town of Majd al-Krum

Hezbollah bombards north with rockets and drones as IDF targets launchers in Lebanon

Under a Lebanese border village, IDF finds huge Hezbollah base primed for invasion

3 soldiers killed in north Gaza as troops raid hospital in pursuit of Hamas operatives

IDF says it struck Hamas command center in Gaza City, expands ‘humanitarian zone’

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: Soldiers are seen in a Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon, late October 21, 2024. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Early this morning, Israel launched Days of Repentance, its long-awaited retaliatory strike against Iran, almost a month after the Islamic Republic’s October 1 massive barrage of some 200 ballistic missiles.

Fabian explains the timeline and goals of the Israeli Air Force’s targeting of strategic military sites near Teheran and other parts of Iran in several waves of operations.

The Iranian Air Force reportedly has only a few dozen working strike aircraft, including Russian jets and aging US models acquired before the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. We hear about Iran’s aerial defense and offense capabilities ahead of a potential escalation between Iran and Israel.

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

Discussed articles include:

IDF launches strikes on military sites throughout Iran, weeks after missile attack

What Iran and Israel would wield in any long-range air 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: Illustrative: An Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft flies over Haifa on September 24, 2024. (Jack Guez / AFP)

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

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

Magid discusses Mossad chief David Barnea heading to Doha again for hostage negotiations, as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahyu's recent meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The negotiations are the first in two months, and follow the death last week of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

He also talks about the effects of a possible Donald Trump win in the upcoming US election, a victory that would offer Netanyahu more leeway in maintaining his hardline government and in the ongoing war in Gaza, but there is also a possible clash as Trump keeps saying, "End the war very quickly."

Magid reviews the latest proposal for getting aid into Gaza through an Israeli-American businessman who hopes his company will be chosen for the subcontracting job, with a plan for constructing gated communities in Gaza run by outside security forces.

Magid reviews the October 31 deadline for renewing the bank agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, a process that involves Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

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

Discussed articles include:

Mossad chief heads to Qatar Sunday to try to restart Gaza talks; Hamas team in Cairo

Blinken pushes Israel to publicly say it’s not aiming to besiege north Gaza; PM demurs

If Trump wins, Israeli officials fear clash over inability to quickly end Gaza war

As Israel weighs subcontracting Gaza aid delivery, a philanthropist makes his pitch

US official: PA has met Israeli requirements for Smotrich to extend banking 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: Demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages outside the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on October 24, 2024. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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

In this special Simhat Torah holiday episode, host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaks with Rabbi Avi Poupko, who is currently serving in reserve duty as part of the IDF rabbinate along the northern border.

Simhat Torah is an annual celebration of the completion -- and restarting -- of the Shabbat Torah-reading cycle. Usually a day of joyous prayer, singing and dancing, the observance of this holiday is forever intertwined with last year's Hamas massacre of 1,200 and the hostage-taking of another 251 to Gaza.

Poupko talks about observing the Sukkot holiday while listening to rocket fire overhead and gives historical context to how Jews have always adapted to tragedy and carried on "doing Jewish."

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

Discussed articles include:

How Israeli Jews face the Simhat Torah holiday, forever marred by Oct. 7 massacre

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: A Jewish man carries a Torah scroll during Simhat Torah celebrations at Rabin Square, Tel Aviv, on October 21, 2019. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

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

Reporters Sue Surkes and Diana Bletter join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Surkes discusses the funerals of Druze commander Ehsan Daqsa, one of the most senior officers killed in Gaza, and Elishai Young, 19, a combat soldier from the Hebrew Israelites community in Dimona, both members of minority populations in Israel that grapple with societal acceptance yet gave their lives to Israel.

Bletter speaks about recent scientific research that looks at the effects of alcohol intake as opposed to psychedelics on Nova survivors suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from the rave massacre on October 7.

She also talks about a visit to Klil, a northern hippie hamlet that isn't connected to the country's electricity grid, and therefore doesn't hear sirens warning of incoming rocket attacks.

Surkes reviews her report on planned budget cuts to the Agriculture Ministry, even as the ministry had plans to invest in Israel's food security, as war has exposed need for food independence without reliance on imports.

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

Discussed articles include:

Druze IDF colonel Ehsan Daqsa, slain in Gaza, remembered as a ‘natural leader’

Death of soldier reopens debate about citizenship for non-Jewish Hebrew Israelites

Study: Nova survivors who drank alcohol before Hamas attack more likely to suffer PTSD

An off-the-grid hippie hamlet in Israel’s north struggles for survival under rocket fire

Plans to ensure food security threatened by Treasury bid to slash agriculture funds

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 funeral of Colonel Ehsan Daqsa in Druze community Daliyat al-Karmel on October 21, 2024 (Photo by Michael Giladi/Flash90)

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

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan in ToI's Jerusalem office for today's episode.

Yesterday, prosecutors announced that seven Israeli citizens were arrested last month on suspicion of spying for Iran for as long as two years, carrying out hundreds of tasks at the behest of the Islamic Republic. This morning, another Iranian espionage case was announced in which seven East Jerusalem residents have been arrested on suspicion of planning attacks in Israel, including the assassination of an Israeli nuclear scientist and a mayor in central Israel. Horovitz discusses these incidents and other similar Iranian efforts.

The IDFs on Monday declassified intelligence on the Hezbollah terror group’s finance hub, including a bunker hidden underneath a hospital in south Beirut that it said contains hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold. We observe the way this cynical use of a hospital played out in international media.

The Israel Aviation Authority briefly halted and then resumed takeoffs at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport yesterday around the time in which the IDF said that helicopters and fighter jets intercepted and shot down five drones over the Mediterranean Sea, before they entered Israeli airspace. Horovitz speaks about Israel's increased isolation during this time of war.

Almost a week after the elimination of Hamas head Yahya Sinwar, Horovitz weighs in on leaders' predictions that this is a turning point in the war.

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

Discussed articles include:

Seven Jewish Israelis arrested for spying for Iran on security figures, IDF bases

Air Force pounds Hezbollah’s Beirut stronghold after civilians told to evacuate area

IDF: Hezbollah hiding $500 million in gold, cash in bunker under Beirut hospital

Ben Gurion briefly halts takeoffs as drones downed over sea; rocket lands near Tel Aviv

British Airways suspends all Israel flights until March 2025 amid escalation fears

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: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei listens to a speaker in a meeting in Tehran, Iran, October 2, 2024. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan in ToI's Jerusalem office for today's episode.

The commander of the Israel Defense Force’s 401st Armored Brigade, Col. Ehsan Daqsa, was killed during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday. We hear about Daqsa, 41, from the Druze town of Daliyat al-Karmel, who was one of the most senior officers to have been killed in the fighting in Gaza.

Yesterday, Fabian spent several hours in Rafah, where he was debriefed by Col. Sivan Bloch -- the head of Bislamach, the School for Infantry Corps Professions and Squad Commanders -- who stressed that the elimination of Yahya Sinwar by a patrol under his command was “not a stroke of luck.” We hear why.

The IDF said jets hit dozens of sites overnight that are linked to an organization that funds the Hezbollah terror group in Beirut and south Lebanon. We learn about the strikes' targets: branches of an unlicensed gray-market bank seen as one of the group’s main sources of cash.

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

Discussed articles include:

Commander of IDF’s 401st Armored Brigade killed in battle in northern Gaza

At site of Sinwar’s slaying, IDF commander says incident was ‘not a fluke’

Blasts rock Beirut as Israeli sorties target financial group helping fund Hezbollah

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 house where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by troops, in southern Gaza’s Rafah, October 20, 2024. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan in ToI's Jerusalem office for today's episode.

The elimination of Hamas’s most dominant figure could open a small window of opportunity to achieve Israel’s elusive war aims, none of which have yet been secured, believe senior world figures, however, on Friday, Hamas released a statement saying the 101 hostages still held in Gaza would not be freed until the war ends and Israel fully withdraws from the enclave. Berman discusses this weighty moment.

In mid-March, US officials told the Politico news site that US President Joe Biden would consider limiting future military aid to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went ahead with an offensive against Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, which eventually occurred in May. Does this vindication of the Rafah operation affect the diplomatic balance between the US and Israel in any way?

Israel’s military chief said Friday that at least 1,500 Hezbollah operatives are believed to have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the conflict there. According to IDF chief Herzi Halevi, Hezbollah forces are often surrendering. Berman describes Iran's role in an attempt at diplomacy, as well as the differences between the Hamas and Hezbollah fighting forces.

Two gunmen claimed by the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan breached the border from Jordan into Israel Friday morning, south of the Dead Sea. They were killed shortly after crossing the border by troops who scrambled to intercept them, in a clash that also injured two soldiers. Should we expect more attacks from this direction now?

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

Discussed articles include:

PM sees opportunity in Sinwar’s death. Does that mean escalation in fighting or a deal?

Confirming Sinwar’s death, Hamas insists hostages won’t be freed unless war ends

After Sinwar killing, Netanyahu sees vindication in his Rafah approach

IDF says Hezbollah toll at 1,500; Lebanese PM: A lesson to stay out of regional conflicts

IDF troops kill two gunmen who breached Jordanian border; 2 soldiers injured

Keen to avoid all-out war after attacking Israel, Iran tries both diplomacy and threats

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 woman holds a Palestinian flag, with the image of the Dome of Rock on it, during an anti-Israel protest to honor Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on Wednesday, in Istanbul, Turkey, Octember 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

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

Today, we bring you a bonus episode of What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World hosted by deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan.

This week we speak with the editors of a new prayerbook -- "Az Nashir - We Will Sing Again: Women’s Prayers for Our Time of Need" --  written by women, for women, in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel.

The anthology was compiled and edited by Shira Lankin Sheps, Anne Gordon and Rachel Sharansky Danziger, and it was published by The Layers Press, an imprint of The SHVILLI Center.

The three editors join Borschel-Dan in The Times of Israel's Jerusalem office this week and explain their impetus to tackle such an ambitious project and the decisions they made while putting it together, such as the inclusion of "visual prayer" -- 30 colorful illustrations by female artists.

According to the editors, the Hebrew-English tome is a prayer book companion that emulates a long tradition of Jewish women writing prayers, supplications and liturgical poems in their own mother tongues.

So this week, we ask Shira Lankin Sheps, Anne Gordon and Rachel Sharansky Danziger what matters 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: The editors of 'Az Nashir - We Will Sing Again: Women’s Prayers for Our Time of Need,' (from left to right): Anne Gordon, Rachel Sharansky Danziger and Shira Lankin Sheps. (courtesy): 

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

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg on today's podcast.

Magid discusses the different methods used to identify Sinwar's body and what can be seen about Sinwar in the drone footage taken at the scene just prior to the strike that killed him.

He reviews some of the reactions from the Biden administration, including calls made to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and various leaders in Qatar and Egypt in the hopes that Sinwar's death can shift the dynamic in the stalled hostage negotiations.

Magid talks about who could be the new Hamas leader with Sinwar gone and how extreme or hardline some of those successors could be compared to the Hamas leader killed in Gaza by IDF troops on Wednesday.

Magid also discusses the possibility of a more dialed-back response to the Iran attack on Israel on October 1, and looks at Israel letting aid into northern Gaza, with shipments from Jordan and other crossings reopened to allow aid to flow in more easily, after threats from the US administration to withhold arms deliveries.

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

Discussed articles include:

World leaders welcome Sinwar’s death, hope it will precipitate hostage deal, end to war

Oct. 17: Footage shows Sinwar hurling stick at IDF drone moments before he was killed

Israel lets 50 aid trucks into northern Gaza after US threat to curb arms deliveries

US gives Israel 30 days to address Gaza aid crisis, threatens to curb weapons supply

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 carry the body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar from the building where he was killed in Rafah, Gaza on October 17, 2024. (Courtesy)

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

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's special report.

Tonight, Israel announced that IDF troops had killed Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Wednesday in a firefight in Rafah, in southern Gaza.

Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 Hamas invasion and slaughter in southern Israel, was shot dead along with two other terrorists by a force from the 828th Bislamach Brigade.

The terror chief became leader of Hamas after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran blast in July, when he was selected by Hamas’s 50-strong Shura Council, a consultative body composed of officials elected by Hamas members in four chapters: Gaza, the West Bank, the diaspora and security prisoners in Israeli jails.

Horovitz describes what we currently know about Sinwar's killing and the identification of his remains. We learn how Israeli top leadership is responding to Sinwar's death and whether this could be a turning point in the war with Hamas.

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

Discussed articles include:

Hamas leader and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar killed by IDF troops in Gaza

Yahya Sinwar: Radical Islamist ideologue utterly committed to Israel’s destruction

Full text of Netanyahu’s address after killing of Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar

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: Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, gestures on stage during a rally in Gaza City, on May 24, 2021. (Mahmud Hams/ AFP/ File)

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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, for the Sukkot holiday, we are bringing you a special extended episode from our partner podcast, Israel Story.

Israel Story writes:

This is an episode we never wanted to air. One that marks a year of war and a year of pain. A year since a day of ghastly violence, which led us into a nightmare that still has no end in sight.

A year has passed, but the trauma is still fresh. With all that has gone on since October 7, 2023, we haven’t really had time, or opportunity, to pause. So our commemorative episode today is an attempt to step back and reflect. It’s not a news hour, and doesn’t follow the roller-coaster of events we’ve experienced since October 7th. Instead, it’s a collage of the dozens and dozens of people we’ve heard from throughout the year, alongside others whose episodes haven't aired yet.

It will, we hope, offer an emotional journey, and paint a picture of what it has been like to be here this year.

May the year ahead be a quieter and calmer one. A year with less pain and suffering and more peace and hope. May the hostages return home, and may we all know better days to come. Amen.

The end song is B'Shana Haba'ah ("In the Next Year") by Shiri Maimon. (Licensed by Israel Story through Acum.)

Produced in partnership with The Times of Israel.

Subscribe to Israel Story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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.

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

Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

In a letter to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, obtained by our US bureau chief Jacob Magid on Tuesday, the White House warned Israel it has one month to implement significant improvements to the humanitarian situation in Gaza or jeopardize the continued supply of US weapons, noting that humanitarian assistance entering the Strip has plummeted in recent months.

Rettig Gur weighs in on how serious the US is on its demands and how this jibes with the announcement this week that it is deploying the THAAD missile defense system, along with some 100 US soldiers, to Israeli soil.

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

Discussed articles include:

US gives Israel 30 days to address Gaza aid crisis, threatens to curb weapons supply

Israel faces potential shortage of interceptor missiles — 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.

IMAGE: Children sift through waste at a landfill in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 15, 2024. (Bashar Taleb / AFP)

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

Political correspondent Sam Sokol and Arab Affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani join host Jessica Steinberg in today's episode.

Sokol discusses the government decision to set another memorial day for October 7 by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, held a few days after the holiday of Simhat Torah, the Hebrew date for October 7. Regev went ahead with a plan to memorialize fallen soldiers and civilians killed, in two separate events and will not have any bereaved family members at the events.

He also looks at the plans laid out by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to raise taxes, cut ministries and tax certain savings funds in order to continue funding the ongoing war.

Pacchiani looks at UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon since 1978, but lacking any real ability to stave off Hezbollah in the region.

He also talks about IDF efforts to dismantle Iranian weapons labs in Syria, including a daring mission in September, but one that needs to be happen more broadly in order to curb Hezbollah.

Finally, Pacchiani talks about his ongoing conversations with an Iranian dissident, and Iranian concerns over the impending Israeli attack, in response to the October 1 launch of missiles from Iran.

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

Discussed articles include:

No representative of Oct. 7 bereaved families asked to speak at 2nd government ceremony

Government sets second national day of mourning for October 7

Treasury proposes tax hikes for lowest earners, benefit cuts to fund war

The force that isn’t keeping the peace in Lebanon: 4 scenarios for the future of UNIFIL

A dissident in Iran awaits Israeli reprisal: ‘There’s a very real fear of all-out 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: Transportation Minister Miri Regev attends ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of the October 7 massacre, at Ben Gurion International Airport, October 7, 2024. (Photo by Flash90)

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

Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode.

Four IDF soldiers were killed and 58 others were wounded by a Hezbollah drone strike on a military base near Binyamina in north-central Israel last night. Forty-one soldiers of the 58 soldiers wounded in a Hezbollah drone strike on an army training base last night remain hospitalized, with eight in serious or critical condition, medical officials said this morning. Goren takes us through what happened in the strike and why it was so deadly.

The Pentagon on Sunday confirmed that Washington will send an advanced air defense battery to Israel to protect the country in case of an Iranian reaction to an expected Israeli reprisal attack, along with American soldiers to operate it, as Tehran appeared to threaten the US troops to be stationed in the region. Goren takes us through the brief history of US deployment in Israel and what makes this American bear hug so unique.

The Tekuma Authority, tasked with rehabilitating the Gaza border communities overrun by Hamas terrorists a year ago, will spend NIS 6.4 billion ($1.7 billion) during 2024, equivalent to 90 percent of the budget approved by the government, according to its first six-month report, covering April to September. While the budget is large, Surkes explains that parts are already being held up.

Ahead of Rosh Hashana, a holiday associated with eating honey, Surkes visited Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, some 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) south of Ashkelon, where the majority of Israel's honey is produced. She reports back.

To end with, we hear about an 18-month pilot project to test the effectiveness and popularity of eco-toilets at the IDF’s Nitzanim training base in southern Israel.

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

Discussed articles include:

Four soldiers killed, seven seriously hurt in Hezbollah drone strike on military base

US confirms it’s sending missile defense battery, 100 troops to operate it, to Israel

Tekuma Administration reports spending NIS 6.4b on Gaza border reconstruction this year

Despite the war, no shortage of honey for Jewish New Year

Army cleans up its act with eco-toilets

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 Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi talks to soldiers at a Golani base in northern Israel after a deadly Hezbollah drone attack on October 14, 2024 (Israel Defense Forces)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Hezbollah rocket fire continues to rain on Israel’s north as the IDF warns southern Lebanon residents not to return to their homes among ongoing air strikes and ground operations. In the last 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force has struck around 200 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and deeper into the country. We speak about weapons caches that were presumably stashed for an October 7-like invasion and other news from the conflict on the north.

There are reports IDF tanks have reached the outskirts of Gaza City among a renewed IDF push in the northern Gaza Strip. Over the past day in the Gaza Strip, the 162nd Division continued fighting in Jabaliya in northern Gaza. Berman explains the current fighting and puts it into a larger context.

There are reports that the US is considering sending Israel an advanced anti-ballistic missile defense system operated by American troops to protect the country in case of an Iranian reaction to an expected Israeli reprisal attack. Berman discusses how the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) air defense batteries would beef up Israel’s ability to fend off ballistic missiles and what it would mean to have US soldiers stationed in Israel at this time.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant accused Hezbollah of using UNIFIL posts as cover in his conversation last night with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin, according to the Israeli readout, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu releasing similar statements today. Who makes up the forces of UNIFIL? 

On Thursday, the IDF for the first time brought Israeli journalists into a village in southern Lebanon. Berman suggests this is a clear indication that it feels it has asserted operational control over the area. We hear about his time in Lebanon.

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

Discussed articles include:

Security chiefs: Israel will stop terror groups reestablishing presence near Lebanon border

US may send Israel THAAD missile defense, as Iran seeks to ward off Israeli retaliation

40 countries contributing to UN’s Lebanon peacekeeping force condemn ‘attacks’

Finally on the offensive, IDF’s 91st Division slices through Hezbollah’s front lines

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: Destroyed buildings at a commercial street that was hit October 12, 2024, by Israeli airstrikes, are seen in Nabatiyeh town, south Lebanon, October 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

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

Today, we bring you a bonus episode of What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World hosted by deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan.

Shortly after October 7, when the murderous Hamas onslaught on southern Israel sparked the war in Gaza, Israel was pulled into defending itself and fighting Iran or its proxies on seven fronts: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the West Bank and, of course, Iran.

But there is an eighth front that has emerged and is no less pernicious: the battle for public opinion and legitimacy.

Since war broke out, Israel advocate Aviva Klompas has used her robust social media platforms to provide a counter to the onslaught of anti-Israel hate.

As co-founder and CEO of Boundless, Aviva says she aims to reshape Israel education and confront antisemitism head-on. This war is affording her a great opportunity. We speak about this advocacy work and her new book, “Stand-Up Nation.”

So this week we ask Aviva Klompas, what matters 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: Author and Israel advocate Aviva Klompas. (Zev Fisher)

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

It’s been one year since October 7, 2023. To honor this day, we’ve produced "October’s Wake," a podcast mini-series, exclusively for ToI Community members.

In this first episode, host Amanda Borschel-Dan brings together editor David Horovitz, senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur and diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman to answer your questions on the major issues from all fronts of the war — both in Israel and abroad.

We zoom out and discuss how Israelis live with the knowledge that their homeland was invaded, and whether rallies in support of hostage families have helped torpedo a release deal. We hear whether Israel has a grand vision and possible ways to end the cycle of Iranian proxy warfare. And finally, we learn, what, if anything, gives these journalists hope.

To hear the other two episodes, "October’s Wake: The waging of war" and "October’s Wake: The political quagmire" please join The Times of Israel Community.

As a member of the ToI Community, you will have access to "October’s Wake" and other exclusive content that enable critical discussions about the future of Israel and its people. Your support helps us continue delivering quality journalism and insightful content.

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

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

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

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

Magid reviews the nearly one-hour-long call held between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden on Wednesday, about Israel's plans to attack Iran, although that was only discussed briefly. He discusses the US "walking away" from its initial push for a 21-day ceasefire with Hezbollah, and US support of IDF raids into Lebanon.

Magid looks at the clear frustrations the US administration has with Netanyahu, the continuing lack of a ceasefire and negotiations, and the blame game with the Israeli leader as well as Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

He also discusses comments made by former Biden aide Andrew Miller about how Israel approaches military actions in civilian areas, how the US administration had to change its approach in influencing Israel and the ongoing war, and the need to plan for the day after in Gaza.

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

Discussed articles include:

One year since Oct. 7, US resigned to limits of its influence over Netanyahu

US official: Sinwar likely alive in Gaza tunnel ‘with hostages in his vicinity’

Ex-Biden aide claims Israel has more tolerance for causing civilian casualties than US

Biden and Netanyahu hold ‘direct and productive’ call in wake of Iranian attack

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

IMAGE: This combination image shows, from left; President Joe Biden, on March 12, 2020, in Wilmington, Del., and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Oct. 28, 2023, in Tel Aviv, Israel. (AP Photo, File)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

According to a Channel 12 news report on Tuesday night, the United States and Arab states have launched covert talks with Iran for a comprehensive ceasefire aimed at calming all war fronts at once. Berman discusses what influence Iran may still have with its proxies.

Ahead of the planned phone call between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, the apparently unease between the two leaders was writ large in headlines about an upcoming book by US journalist Bob Woodward. They haven’t spoken for over 50 days and last night the Defense Ministry on Tuesday informed the Pentagon that it is postponing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s planned trip to the United States -- reportedly because the two leaders have not yet spoken. Berman weighs in.

Netanyahu seemed to confirm on Tuesday evening that Israel had successfully assassinated projected new Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine, who was targeted in an airstrike in Beirut last Thursday, and claimed Israel has also killed the next in line for the job, however the IDF’s follow up statement was much less conclusive. Berman parses this out.

During a press conference in Jerusalem on Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot doubled down on French President Emmanuel Macron’s call last week for a partial arms embargo on Israel. Berman gives context and historical background to this new statement.

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

Discussed articles include:

Hezbollah rains rockets on Haifa as deputy leader claims capabilities intact

US and Arab states reportedly in talks with Iran for ceasefire on all war fronts

Netanyahu and Biden expected to hold call on Iran Wednesday after weeks of silence

Biden said to call Netanyahu ‘a f**king liar’ after Israeli troops entered Rafah

Netanyahu: Israel killed ‘Nasrallah’s replacement, and his replacement’s replacement’

Gallant’s trip to US delayed, reportedly after Netanyahu sets last-minute obstacles

French FM backs Macron’s calls for arms ban, argues it’s for Israel’s security

Macron speaks with Netanyahu, but doesn’t retract his call for arms embargo

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

IMAGE: IDF forces on the ground in southern Lebanon, October 9, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

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

Editor David Horovitz and culture editor Jessica Steinberg join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

The UN special coordinator for Lebanon and the head of the peacekeeping force deployed along the border with Israel said this morning that a negotiated solution is the only way to restore stability. They added that Hezbollah’s attacks starting on October 8, 2023, were in violation of the UN Security Council resolution that ended the 34-day Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006. Horovitz weighs in on whether Israel currently believes the path of diplomacy is still viable.

This morning, former prime minister Naftali Bennett called for Israel to strike the Iranian nuclear program which, he said, “casts a dark shadow over our futures,” amid reports military or intelligence targets could be hit in response to Tehran’s ballistic missile attack last week. Horovitz explores Bennett's motivations and discusses the current window of opportunity. 

Steinberg reports on yesterday's commemoration ceremonies and discusses what the "alternative" and "official" productions show about Israeli society and its healing process. 

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

Discussed articles include:

On anniversary of start of Hezbollah attacks on Israel, UN officials call for diplomatic solution

Bennett urges Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear program: ‘A one-time window of opportunity’

At separate memorials, families demand accountability as PM touts Israeli ‘strength’

‘We will rise from the ruins’: A bereaved audience pays homage on Oct. 7 anniversary

Still under fire, Israel remembers Oct. 7 victims while grappling with ongoing nightmare

Paramedic Amit Mann, 22: Sacrificed herself to protect patients

Guy Illouz, 26: Soundman for Hayehudim with ‘a huge heart’

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

IMAGE: Kibbutz Beeri residents take part in a march and a ceremony marking one year since Hamas's October 7 massacre in Kibbutz Beeri and other locations in southern Israel, October 7, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Incoming rocket sirens sounded in central Israel following rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. The alerts are activated in some areas of Tel Aviv, as well as Holon, Rishon Lezion, Bat Yam, and other central towns. At the same time, the IDF said it thwarted a large barrage of rockets Hamas planned to launch at Israel this morning on the anniversary of the October 7 massacre. We hear what came out of the Strip this morning.

Yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces said that troops had encircled Jabaliya amid a new ground operation targeting efforts by Hamas to reestablish itself in northern Gaza. Fabian speaks of other new developments in the Strip.

Five people were wounded in Haifa on Sunday when Israel’s air defenses failed to intercept a barrage of five rockets launched from Lebanon, allowing at least one rocket to strike a busy urban area. What do we know about the air defense failure?

The IDF announced that its 91st “Galilee” Regional Division began ground operations last night in southern Lebanon, joining two other divisions already operating there against Hezbollah. We hear about the ground operation and the airstrikes being conducted in tandem.

A Border Police officer was killed and at least 10 others were wounded when a terrorist opened fire in the Beersheba bus station on Sunday afternoon. The victim was identified as Sgt. Shira Suslik, 19, a Border Police officer from Beersheba. Fabian talks about the site of the attack and its history.

As the country marked one year since the onset of the war on October 7, 2023, the Israel Defense Forces on Monday published new data on its operations in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Lebanon, from the number of rockets fired at Israel to the number of sites struck by the Israeli Air Force. Fabian brings highlights.

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

Discussed articles include:

IDF launches new ground op in north Gaza’s Jabaliya to foil Hamas efforts to regroup

IDF preparing for possible long-range rocket attacks from Gaza on Oct. 7 anniversary

Five injured in Haifa after air defenses fail to intercept Hezbollah rocket barrage

Border cop killed, 10 wounded in terror shooting attack at Beersheba central bus station

IDF says hostage Idan Shtivi was declared dead based on new intelligence

A year of war: IDF data shows 728 troops killed, over 26,000 rockets fired at 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 Ben Wallick.

IMAGE: Israelis hold hands at Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv, next to photographs of Israelis killed in the October 7 massacre, on the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack, October 7, 2024. (Tomer Neubergi/Flash90)

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

Political correspondent Sam Sokol and legal affairs reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Jessica Steinberg on today's episode.

Sokol discusses the latest brouhaha with Transportation Minister Miri Regev, as reservists called up for duty over the holiday lacked public transportation during the Rosh Hashanah holiday, a year into the ongoing war.

Sokol also reviews the first week at work for Minister without Portfolio Gideon Sa'ar, once the prime minister's foe on the right, now part of his inner circle.

Sharon looks at the latest with Justice Minister Yariv Levin, as he endeavors to drag out the appointment of a left-leaning Supreme Court president by imposing candidacies on all standing justices.

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

Discussed articles include:

Shutdown of public transport hampers reservists called up over long holiday weekend

Israel seeks to reverse EU’s advice to avoid its skies as foreign carriers nix flights

As he officially rejoins government, Sa’ar blasts opposition for ‘living in Oct. 6’

Vogelman retires as Supreme Court president in shadow of severe judiciary-gov’t clash

Judiciary adviser: Levin’s tactic to delay Supreme Court president vote ‘ridiculous’

10 Supreme Court justices seek to retract their imposed candidacies for president

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

IMAGE: Israeli soldiers near Israel's northern border with Lebanon on October 2, 2024 (Photo by Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

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

Those We Have Lost project coordinator Amy Spiro joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Today, we’re dedicating the daily podcast’s time to stories of civilians and soldiers who have fallen since October 7. We’ve each chosen 9 individuals to focus on and we’ll explain why they moved us.

We also hear updates from Spiro on how many of the over 1,600 individuals who were killed on or after October 7 during this war with Hamas and Hezbollah that we have been able to write memorials for.

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

Discussed articles include:

Cpt. Alina Pravosudova, 23: ‘Gingit’ loved ballet, volunteered for MDA

Staff Sgt. Omri Peretz, 20: Squad commander ‘surrounded by friends’

Sujith Nissanka, 48: Dedicated Sri Lankan carer slain with his patient

Mayana and Noah Hershkovitz, 65 & 68: Couple shared a love of art

Sivan Shaarbany, 21: Curly-haired partygoer who loved salt & pepper

Alon Toledano, 54: Sensitive man who aimed to help others

Ilan Fiorentino, 38: Kibbutz security chief who was a ‘200% dad’

Ronen Daichman, 49: Physics teacher was ‘the coolest guy in the school’

Chief Supt. Martin Kyzmickas, 46: Cop who had ‘warrior blood’

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: Family and friends of Israeli soldier Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster attend his funeral at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on October 2, 2024. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

The IDF is calling on Lebanese civilians in 37 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately, and head north of the Awali River. The overnight heavy airstrikes in Beirut targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters, according to the IDF. We begin with the tragic incidents in which 6 members of the elite Egoz unit, two Golani soldiers and one paratrooper were killed inside Lebanon.

As rocket sirens continue to sound all along Israel’s north, some 100 Hezbollah operatives have been killed during Israeli operations in southern Lebanon in the past day, according to IDF assessments. Fabian fills us in about the potential targeting of former Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah’s successor and other operations in the north.

The head of a Hamas terror network in Tulkarem, along with several other operatives, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the West Bank this evening. According to the military, the airstrike carried out by a fighter jet in Tulkarem targeted Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, a top Hamas commander in Tulkarem who was planning a terror attack “in the immediate time frame.” Fabian weighs in.

Senior Hamas official Rawhi Mushtaha, the de facto prime minister of the Gaza Strip, was killed in an Israeli strike several months ago, as well as two other high ranking Hamas operatives, the IDF and Shin Bet said Thursday. Likewise, the security forces said in a statement Thursday that they had killed Aziz Salha, a Palestinian man infamous for his role in the lynching of two Israeli soldiers in Ramallah in 2000, in an airstrike in Gaza. Fabian explains who these men were and how significant.

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

Discussed articles include:

Nasrallah’s presumed successor said to be target of heavy Israeli strike in Beirut

Officer killed in Lebanon; strike hits Hezbollah commander behind rocket attack on kids

In first fatalities of Lebanon ground op, 8 IDF soldiers killed in battles with Hezbollah

At least 18 said killed in Tulkarem airstrike on head of local Hamas terror network

IDF says it killed Hamas de facto PM – Sinwar’s right-hand man – in strike 3 months ago

Palestinian infamous for 2000 lynching of soldiers in Ramallah killed in Gaza strike

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

IMAGE: Troops of the 188th Armored Brigade are seen operating in southern Lebanon, in handout image published October 4, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

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

Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

For nearly a year, Israel has been forced to fight a war on seven fronts: against Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza; Hezbollah in Lebanon; the Houthis in Yemen; various Iran-backed militias in Iraq, and also in Syria; against Iranian efforts to arm Palestinian militants in the West Bank; and against Iran itself, which first attacked Israel in April and then again on Tuesday night.

Rettig Gur examines how Israel has moved to a more offensive position this week, and how far it may go before the United States's bear hug becomes a restraint.

And to close out this holiday episode, Rettig Gur speaks about what makes the Jewish New Year different from every other major holiday.

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

Discussed articles include:

Biden: US opposes Israel hitting Iran nuclear sites, response should be ‘proportional’

A nervous Iran wanted to restore old regional order, but Israel is on the offensive

Iranian regime’s missile assault underlines that Israel, with US, must expedite its demise

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 Podwaves.

IMAGE: Israelis stand on top of the remains of an Iranian missile in the Negev desert near Arad, on October 2, 2024, in the aftermath of an Iranian missile attack on Israel. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP)

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

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz, US bureau chief Jacob Magid and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Jessica Steinberg on today's episode.

Horovitz, Magid and Fabian discuss Tuesday evening's Iranian attack on Israel, as Iran launched 181 missiles at Israel, sending millions of Israelis into sealed rooms and bomb shelters on the eve of the three-day Rosh Hashanah holiday.

Israel's Air Force, along with the US and Jordan, intercepted most of the projectiles, showing close coordination and alliance, said Magid. The US also vowed severe consequences for Iran, stressing the US-Israel coordination, without efforts to hold back Israel.

Fabian updates the latest in the front with Lebanon, including Tuesday's discovery that the IDF has been conducting small raids into Lebanon since last October, with special forces operating for a day or three to four days at a time, uncovering Hezbollah sites and tunnels, weapons depots, thwarting Hezbollah intentions to conduct another kind of October 7 attack.

Fabian comments that now the IDF has an entire division operating in Lebanon for a much larger scale operation but with similar goals, including the army's intention to demolish Hezbollah tunnels.

Horovitz remarks that Iran insisted on portraying the Tuesday night missile attack as a great success. He notes that Israel has changed course dramatically in the last two and a half weeks, beginning with the pager attack not yet officially claimed by Israel, and the elimination of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and other leadership, all showing a different course by Israel and the expectation that Israel will hit back hard at Iran, with US support.

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

Discussed articles include:

Iran fires 181 missiles at Israel; PM: They made a ‘big mistake’ and ‘will pay for it’

Shrapnel from Iranian missile kills Palestinian man near Jericho

US: We will help Israel exact ‘severe consequences’ from Iran for missile attack

Seven people killed in shooting, stabbing terror attack in Jaffa

IDF: Hezbollah was ready to invade en masse after Oct. 7; we covertly raided 1,000 sites

IDF says strike kills head of Hezbollah unit charged with smuggling arms from Iran

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 Podwaves.

IMAGE: Israelis take cover inside a bomb shelter at Ben Gurion airport as a siren alert is sounded in Tel Aviv, October 1, 2024 (Photo by Dor Pazuelo/Flash90)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode from the Jerusalem office.

The IDF announced the launch of limited raids into southern Lebanon late on Monday night against Hezbollah forces and infrastructure positioned along Israel’s northern border. We discuss the strategy here and whether this is a formal declaration of war even as the IDF’s 98th Division, an elite formation of paratrooper and commando units, conducted an overnight ground operation.

Yesterday, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the Lebanese government is ready to fully implement a UN resolution that had aimed to end Hezbollah’s armed presence south of the Litani River. We ask, what does it mean for Israel to have a weak state on its border and is it time for the west to bolster it?

The Biden administration appears to express its support for the raids that the IDF began conducting late Monday night during a call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Berman weighs in.

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

Discussed articles include:

IDF announces launch of limited ground raids on Hezbollah sites across Lebanon border

Israel says ‘next phase’ beginning in Lebanon, amid global pleas against a ground op

Lebanese PM says willing to deploy army south of Litani River, fully implement UN resolution

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

IMAGE: Israeli soldiers work on tanks in a staging area in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border, October 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode from the Jerusalem office.

Yesterday, the Israeli Air Force launched airstrikes Sunday against infrastructure in western Yemen that the military said was used by the Houthis, in a response to recent ballistic missile attacks on the Jewish state carried out by the Iran-backed group. Fabian explains how logistically complicated this mission is, what was struck and the messaging top Israeli officials released following the strikes.

At least three terror operatives were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut apartment building after midnight on Monday, the first such raid in the heart of the Lebanese capital since the outbreak of the war in Gaza last year. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said three of its fighters were killed in the strike. Likewise, the Palestinian terror group Hamas said that its leader in Lebanon, Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, was killed in an Israeli strike in the south of the country. We hear about these strikes, as well as the Saturday strike that killed senior Hezbollah official Nabil Qaouk.

The body of Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah was recovered from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, alongside some 20 other top Hezbollah operatives. Fabian names those who have been identified and explains how resonant this strike was to the terror group's organizational structure.

The Israel Defense Forces may have begun or is about to begin small operations across the Lebanon border to take out nearby Hezbollah positions, according to two US reports. This is not yet the approved ground incursion, says Fabian, which is not off the table.

And finally, we learn about targeted airstrikes on two former schools in the Gaza Strip, as well as a kilometer-long tunnel that was discovered and destroyed.

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

Discussed articles include:

Dozens of Israeli planes strike port, power plants in Yemen after Houthi missile attacks

IDF intercepts ballistic missile that Houthis claim aimed at PM’s plane at Ben Gurion

Hamas leader, PFLP fighters killed in strikes on southern Lebanon, central Beirut

IDF kills another senior Hezbollah official in Beirut; fresh barrages target north

Nasrallah’s body retrieved from ruins as IDF names 20 more terrorists killed in blast

IDF may have already begun small raids on Hezbollah in south Lebanon – reports

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

IMAGE: A large fire and plume of smoke is visible in the port city of Hodeida, Yemen, September 29, 2024, after Israeli strikes on the Houthi-controlled city. (AP Photo)

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

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode from the Jerusalem office.

Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first public comments since a massive Israeli airstrike killed Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in his southern Beirut headquarters on Friday. We hear about how the Israeli leader framed the decision and his view of its repercussions. We compare those remarks to Netanyahu's statements at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, just prior to the strike.

We discuss how Nasrallah was in many ways became the "archetypical" enemy of Israel. Is it possible that his assassination could reshape the balance of power in the region?

Finally, we hear if this strike could shift Israelis' perceptions of their own army's competence as the country prepares to mark the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas massacre of 1,200 and abduction of 251 hostages to the Gaza Strip.

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

Discussed articles include:

Touting Nasrallah killing, Netanyahu warns Iran: Israel can reach anywhere

In blistering UN speech, Netanyahu says Israel seeks peace but will fight until victory

Israel knew of Nasrallah’s location for months, some ministers opposed hit — reports

Killing of Nasrallah shows the IDF reasserting primacy, gradually restoring public trust

Nasrallah’s elimination is a direct blow to Iran, and a revival of Israeli deterrence

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

IMAGE: A portrait of Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah hangs on a street in Baghdad on September 29, 2024, after Iraq officially declared a three-day national mourning period following Israel's killing of the Lebanese leader. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP)

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

Today, we bring you a bonus episode of What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World. This episode features host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with best-selling author Dr. Micah Goodman in a conversation recorded on September 25, 2024, ahead of the IDF's targetted assassination of Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah. 

Best-selling author Goodman revisits a theory he discussed with Borschel-Dan on October 9, mere days after Hamas infiltrated Israel’s south and slaughtered 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages to Gaza. We hear about Goodman’s idea of the “zero-sum game” that Israel must play to restore deterrence and maintain legitimacy and its results so far.

Now, a year into this ongoing war, we learn how the Israeli narrative of the war is shifting away from perceiving it through the prism of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Today, two other narratives are increasingly gaining steam: One states that October 7 was the opening salvo to a regional war and the other zooms out even further and places it in the context of a realignment of the global axis.

We hear how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “right” in warning against Iran, but his coalition just may obstruct efforts to solve the conflict once and for all.

“We need new politics in order to defeat Iran,” said Goodman.

So this week, we ask Dr. Micah Goodman, 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: Philosopher and public intellectual Dr. Micah Goodman. (Yonit Schiller)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

The Israeli Air Force carried out massive targeted airstrikes in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Friday evening, with the military saying it had struck Hezbollah’s main headquarters. This morning, the IDF confirmed Nasrallah’s death and later Hezbollah also announced the targeted assassination of its leader. We hear about the timeline of the strike, as well as others who may have been killed alongside Nasrallah.

Since the strike on Friday, rockets have continued to be shot from Lebanon over the border. Fabian speaks about their inefficient guidance systems and what this may indicate.

On Thursday, the chief of the Israeli Air Force, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar said that preventing all weapon transfers from Iran to Hezbollah is now a top priority. We hear about the efforts to prevent Hezbollah's rearmament as well as the potential for a ground incursion into Lebanon.

The Israel Defense Forces assessed on Friday that Hamas has been largely defeated militarily in the entire Gaza Strip, and it is now effectively a guerrilla terror group that will take some more time to dismantle. Fabian breaks this down.

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

Discussed articles include:

IDF says Hezbollah terror chief Nasrallah, other top commanders killed in Beirut strike

Israel targets Nasrallah in bombing of Hezbollah HQ; increasingly believes it killed him

Hassan Nasrallah: Terror chief made Hezbollah a regional force, ignored Israeli warnings

Official: With strike on Nasrallah, Israel hopes to avoid ground-op in Lebanon

IAF chief: Preventing all weapon transfers from Iran to Hezbollah now a top priority

IDF assesses Hamas defeated militarily in all of Gaza, is now a guerrilla terror group

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

IMAGE: Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, speaks during a ceremony in Beirut on July 24, 1994. (AP Photo/Ahmed Azakir, File)

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

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

Magid reviews the breakdown of the proposed 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the air, flying to the US to speak at the UN General Assembly after his far-right government partners threatened to bolt the coalition.

He also discusses the speech given by US President Joe Biden at the UN General Assembly earlier in the week, specifically his comments about the Middle East and the need to work on global alliances, as well as an emphasis on the October 7 atrocities, making a point of the horrors of that day and of the continuing war.

Magid also relates to Biden's possible plans during his lame duck period following the November elections and before the January inauguration and the steps his administration wants to take regarding a two-state solution.

US, frustrated, says ceasefire plan rejected by Netanyahu had been coordinated with him

At UNGA, Biden describes horrors of Oct. 7 and Gaza war, urging sides to accept deal

US officials weighing steps Biden could take to preserve two-states after election

Abbas, in UN speech, blasts Israeli ‘genocide’ in Gaza, sets out 12-point ‘day after’ plan

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

Discussed articles include:

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: Palestinian supporters march with a cutout depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu near the United Nations headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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

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

The United States, France, and some of their allies called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah while also expressing support for a truce in Gaza, according to a joint statement of the countries released by the White House Wednesday following an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Lebanon. We begin by speaking about the apparent IDF achievements of the stepped-up airstrikes over the past week and then turn to the truce proposal and reactions to it.

Alongside the massacre of 1,200 and abduction of 251 hostages on October 7, Hamas head Yihya Sinwar attempted to launch a regional war. As such a war appears increasingly realistic, Borschel-Dan asks Horovitz if Israel is playing into Sinwar's hands.

We end today's episode by discussing this past year of journalism and how complicated responsible reporting is in this region. Horovitz explains some of the challenges facing news outlets and how some respected news sources are not rising to them.

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

Discussed articles include:

A fateful, devastating year; a little about ToI’s work; a thank you to ToI Community

US, France lead joint call for immediate 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah

Drone from Iraq hits Eilat port, causing damage and lightly injuring two

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: Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a meeting of the Security Council, September 25, 2024, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Hezbollah took responsibility for the missile attack on central Israel this morning, claiming to have targeted the Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv with a “Qader 1” ballistic missile in response to the pager and walkie-talkie explosions and the assassinations of top commanders in the terror group. Fabian analyzes the relatively restrained Hezbollah response even as Israel continues to target Hezbollah leadership and infrastructure.

Hezbollah confirmed that Ibrahim Qubaisi, the commander of the terror group’s rocket and missile division, was killed in an Israeli strike yesterday in Beirut. Who was he and how important of a target is he?

This morning, the IDF issued a message in Arabic to Lebanese civilians who have evacuated their homes due to the presence of Hezbollah weapons, warning them it is not yet safe to go back. And on Monday, Israel published what it said was evidence of these Hezbollah munitions being placed in homes. What was this proof the IDF published?

Several drones launched from Iraq overnight struck open areas in the northern Golan Heights and the Arava, according to the IDF. The Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq took responsibility. Fabian weighs in on when the IDF may respond more forcefully to these increasing attacks.

We close the program with a brief update on what is happening on the ground in Gaza as the war against Hamas continues.

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

Discussed articles include:

In first, Hezbollah fires missile at Tel Aviv area; no injuries as IDF intercepts it

IDF strike in Beirut kills Hezbollah missile chief, as rockets pummel Israel

Missile in the attic: IDF releases photos of Hezbollah munitions in Lebanese homes

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: Hezbollah members march during a funeral procession in the southern suburb of Beirut, September 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

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

Political correspondent Sam Sokol and health reporter Diana Bletter join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Sokol discusses latest with MK Gideon Sa'ar, who officially announced he would not consider replacing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant given the escalating situation in the north.

Sokol also looks at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's consideration of an IDF plan to lay siege in northern Gaza, and comments made by opposition members of the government regarding the current war situation in the north.

Bletter talks about how residents of the north have been handling the ongoing war, speaking with a regional council head, hospital directors and residents about the escalating rocket attacks, and how they're dealing with the daily realities.

She also discusses a therapeutic visit by Israeli alternative care practitioners to the Druze village of Majdal Shams, where a Hezbollah rocket attack recently wiped out 12 of their children and teens.

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

Discussed articles include:

Sa’ar abandons pursuit of defense minister role as Lebanon fighting escalates

PM says weighing plan for siege on Hamas in north Gaza; believes half of hostages alive

North under siege: Rockets cause hospitals to nix procedures, schools and beaches to close

Fear and uncertainty: As war escalates, northern residents feel there’s nowhere to go

A northern kibbutz on the edge of the evacuated zone is Israel’s new de facto border

Women travel to Majdal Shams to help mothers of children killed in Hezbollah attack

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 after an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon, as seen from Israel, September 23, 2024 (Photo by David Cohen/Flash90)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Since this morning, the Israeli Air Force has struck more than 300 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Berman discusses Hezbollah's strategies and capabilities to threaten the IDF on land, air and sea.

As it increasingly appears that Israel is on the brink of another war in Lebanon, Lazar gives insight into how the IDF has changed since the 2006 war and how this could shift the balance toward Israel's favor in another ground operation.

A drone launched at Israel by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq in the early hours of Monday morning was shot down by Israeli fighter jets, the sixth attack from Iraq within 24 hours. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq took responsibility for the incident, saying on Monday morning that the group had targeted an Israeli observation base in northern Israel with drones. What is the Islamic Resistance in Iraq?

Biden Administration officials in the past few days sent the draft text of a new hostage release-ceasefire proposal to Israel and, via Qatari and Egyptian mediators, to Hamas. What are the current proposals on the table and what are we hearing from Hamas?

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

Discussed articles include:

String of IDF successes might cause Nasrallah to back down, but won’t lead to victory

IDF launches over 300 strikes on Hezbollah after stark warnings to Lebanese civilians

Army says drone launched at Israel by Iran-backed militia in Iraq shot down by jets

Reports: Hamas chief incommunicado, Israel checking longshot possibility he’s dead

Israel offers to end war, let Sinwar leave if all hostages freed at once, Gaza disarmed

PM says weighing plan for siege on Hamas in north Gaza; believes half of hostages alive

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: Hezbollah fighters raise their fists and shout slogans during the funeral of their senior commander Ali Dibs who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Nabatiyeh town, south Lebanon, February 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

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

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

After a series of sharp escalations in the almost year-long tit-for-tat conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, some 2 million Israelis are in areas that are currently affected by Hezbollah rocket fire. This deeper Hezbollah retaliation comes after the IDF assassination of some dozen top commanders of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in the Friday strike in Beirut that killed Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah’s military operations. We begin the program by hearing how significant was Aqil and how much of a blow this mass assassination was.

We hear about the scope of Hezbollah's fighting force and learn about a new kind of missile being used in the deeper attacks today. Is the IDF prepping the ground for an incursion?

The IDF carried out an airstrike this morning and on Saturday against a group of Hamas operatives at command rooms embedded within former school in Gaza. With most of Gaza under IDF control, when will it move into the small pockets in central Gaza that have not yet been touched.

Two terrorists who likely murdered six Israeli hostages in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip last month were killed by Israeli troops, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Saturday. How did the IDF tie the terrorists to the hostages?

A Jewish Israeli civilian was arrested last month after he was allegedly recruited by Iran to advance an assassination plot of Israel’s prime minister, defense minister, or the head of the Shin Bet, authorities announced on Thursday. The suspect, named as 73-year-old Moti Maman from the southern city of Ashkelon, was indicted on Thursday, after which the Shin Bet revealed details of the investigation. What do we know?

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

Discussed articles include:

Hezbollah fires 100 rockets at north, wounding 3; teen killed in crash during siren

IDF confirms eliminating multiple top Hezbollah commanders in Friday’s Beirut strike

IDF says it struck Hamas operatives at inactive Gaza school; 21 reported killed

Army says it killed 2 Hamas terrorists who likely murdered 6 Israeli hostages in tunnel

Israeli Jew recruited by Iran in plot to kill Netanyahu, Gallant or Shin Bet head Bar

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 billows from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Zibqin on September 22, 2024. (Kawnat Haju / AFP)

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

Today, we bring you a bonus episode of What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World. This episode features host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with ToI senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.

Last week, three women were arrested after distributing flyers with six hostages’ faces in MK Yuli Edelstein’s synagogue in Herzliya, including a picture of him as a Prisoner of Zion alongside and the famous “Let My People Go” slogan used to support the refuseniks in the Soviet Union before being allowed to emigrate to Israel in 1987.

After a week of backlash to their arrests and his apparent support for them, Edelstein clarified that while he understands the hostage families’ protests, he does “not forgive people who turn the hostages into currency to promote goals that have nothing to do with them.”

At the same time, there already are efforts inside most — if not all — synagogues throughout Israel to release the hostages: the longstanding prayer for the release of hostages that is found in most standard prayerbooks.

Rettig Gur and Borschel-Dan discuss the two sides’ stances and question whether they are all that far apart on the issue of the hostages.

The two then turn to the question of whether or not Israel is basically experiencing an undeclared, low-burn regional war after a week in which a ballistic missile from the Yemenite Houthis reached Tel Aviv, a drone from Iraq was downed over the Sea of Galilee, along with the “usual” rockets from Gaza and Lebanon. Rettig Gur argues that even if Israel isn’t currently in a regional war, it’s time for one, but with one specific target.

And so this week we ask Haviv Rettig Gur, what matters now?

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

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: Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, center, meets with Iraqi community members during his visit to Basra, Iraq, September 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jourani)

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

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

Magid discusses the latest US administration comments regarding the uptick in Israeli strikes against Hezbollah, noting the carefully couched understanding of the escalation, given the continual Hezbollah missile attacks against Israel over the last year.

He also reviews comments made by US officials to the Wall Street Journal about the lack of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, and expectations that none would be forthcoming before the end of the Biden administration.

Magid then talks about two talks given by former President Donald Trump to two Jewish groups in the US, and Trump's stance that he is the only candidate who can save Israel from the destruction that he says would take place under a Kamala Harris administration.

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

Discussed articles include:

Blinken warns against ‘escalatory actions’ in Mideast, cites risk to Gaza deal

US: ‘Additional military ops’ not the best way to prevent Israel-Hezbollah escalation

US says it wasn’t involved in or tipped off about Hezbollah pager detonations

Senior US officials think Gaza ceasefire unlikely by end of Biden’s term — report

Trump: If I lose election, Jewish people will ‘have a lot to do with’ it

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 Secretary of State Antony Blinken exits a vehicle as he departs Egypt, taking off from Cairo, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, for meetings in Paris, France. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

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

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg on today's episode.

Horovitz discusses the latest escalation in the north, following two waves of Hezbollah device explosions this week, and the decision by the government and IDF to send more troops to the northern border.

He also describes the Shin Bet arrest of an older Israeli man, discovered to have traveled to Iran in a plot to kill the prime minister, defense minister or the head of the Shin Bet.

Horovitz reviews the Wednesday night Channel 12 report alleging that the prime minister had been working since December to torpedo a possible hostage deal for political reasons, and also delves into the collapse of the end-of-November hostage deal.

He also discusses why Netanyahu would want to swap his current defense minister, Yoav Gallant, during a war, for another political foe, MK Gideon Sa'ar, who has no specific defense background.

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

Discussed articles include:

Gallant says IDF diverting resources to northern border in ‘new phase’ of war

20 killed, 450 wounded as Lebanon hit by 2nd wave of Hezbollah device explosions

Hungary: Exploding pagers weren’t made here, linked firm acted as trade intermediary

Will the pager operation deter Hezbollah and Iran, and is Israel prepared for war if not?

Israeli recruited by Iran in plot to kill Netanyahu, Gallant or Shin Bet head Bar

Ex-defense minister Ya’alon was target of Hezbollah bomb attack in Tel Aviv last year

Report: Nov. truce collapsed because Hamas falsely claimed women set for release were dead

Netanyahu, don’t fire Gallant again: The first was a tragedy, the second could be worse

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 evacuates civilians injured by missile fired from Lebanon, in the Ramim Cliff area on September 19, 2024 (Photo by Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today’s episode.

Four IDF soldiers fell in the Gaza Strip yesterday: Cpt. Daniel Mimon Toaff, 23; Staff Sgt. Agam Naim, 20; Staff Sgt. Amit Bakri, 21; and Staff Sgt. Dotan Shimon, 21. We discuss how the death of Naim, a paramedic, marks the first female soldier to be killed in the ground offensive.

A massive attack against Hezbollah operatives that is being attributed to Israel saw the explosion of thousands of pagers yesterday a few hours after Israel announced an additional official war goal: getting displaced residents of the north back to their homes. Fabian fills us in on what we’re hearing from foreign reports and the possibility of retaliation.

The Shin Bet foiled a recent attempt by Hezbollah to assassinate a former senior Israeli security official using a remotely detonated explosive device, the security agency announced on Tuesday. Fabian explains how Hezbollah likely has recruits in Israel to carry out such attacks.

The Israeli military clarified on Sunday that there was no evacuation recommendation given for civilians in southern Lebanon, and that flyers dropped in the southern village of Wazzani calling on residents to leave had been distributed by a brigade commander without permission. How could this have happened?

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

Discussed articles include:

4 IDF troops killed, several hurt during fighting in southern Gaza’s Rafah

9 killed, almost 3,000 injured as vast wave of pager explosions strikes Hezbollah

Analysts say Mossad likely hid explosives in pagers before they reached Hezbollah

IDF urges vigilance as defense chiefs meet amid Hezbollah retaliation threat

Shin Bet says it foiled Hezbollah attempt to kill former top Israeli security official

After unauthorized flyers dropped, IDF says there’s no south Lebanon evacuation order

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: Lebanese first responders carry a man who was wounded after his handheld pager exploded in an attack blamed on Israel targeting Hezbollah, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, September 17, 2024. (AP Photo)

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

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

The security cabinet updated its official goals for the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza to include the objective of allowing residents of the north to return safely to their homes after being displaced by attacks by the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, the Prime Minister’s Office announced this morning. Does this change anything?

There are reports circulating right now about an emerging deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar. Sa’ar is reportedly expected to be appointed defense minister if Netanyahu fires current defense chief Yoav Gallant and other reports say the two have agreed to jointly choose a new IDF chief of staff. Could it be detrimental to the war to switch leadership now?

Four years ago, the Bahraini and Emirati foreign ministers stood on either side of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump to sign the Abraham Accords. Since then, the accords were slightly expanded to include Morocco. We hear how the war has affected the participating countries and whether the accords could be expanded again soon.

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

Discussed articles include:

Return of displaced northern residents to their homes becomes an official war goal

In deal to join cabinet, Sa’ar may get veto over judicial overhaul, choice of IDF chief

Four years on, Abraham Accords are strained by Gaza war — but prove resilient

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 scene where a Hezbollah missile fired from Lebanon hit a home in the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona, September 4, 2024. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

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

Political reporter Tal Schneider and reporter Gavriel Fiske join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

In a phone conversation overnight, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin the time for a diplomatic solution to clashes with Hezbollah on the northern border is passing. At the same time, US special envoy Amos Hochstein is set to meet with Israel’s leadership today in an attempt to avoid further escalation between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon. Schneider describes what could be on the table.

Three women who on Thursday distributed flyers on behalf of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza at the Ohel Moshe synagogue in Herzliya were arrested a day later for alleged breaking and entering. The flyers distributed last week featured the images of six hostages believed to be held captive in Gaza as well as an image of a young Likud MK Yuli Edelstein — who was a refusenik and prisoner of Zion before being allowed to emigrate to Israel in 1987 — with the words “Let my people go” across the top. Schneider puts the contentious arrests into perspective and describes Edelstein's response.

As the new school year approached, the Israel Democracy Institute's Education Policy Program, in collaboration with the IDI's Viterbi Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, conducted an online survey from August 21 to 27, 2024. Fiske delves into the poll, which looks at how Israelis think the war should be taught in schools.

Recent research by a team of Tel Aviv University archaeologists may upend the Masada legend by asserting that the Roman siege on the mountain fortress likely lasted just a few weeks and not years. We hear highlights of Fiske's conversation with the lead researcher, Dr. Guy Stiebel, a senior lecturer in Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archaeology and Near Eastern Cultures.

The Hecht Museum in Haifa officially returned a repaired 3,500-year-old ceramic jug to its accustomed place next to the museum entrance on Wednesday, after it had been accidentally shattered last month by a curious four-year-old visitor in a viral incident that made headlines all over the world. Fiske visited the museum last week.

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

Discussed articles include:

Months after bodies recovered, IDF says 3 hostages were killed as ‘byproduct’ of strike

Gallant tells US counterpart time passing for deal with Hezbollah, ‘direction is clear’

Edelstein’s synagogue denies calling police on women who distributed hostage flyers

Masada legend upended: ‘The Romans came, saw and conquered, quickly and brutally’

3,500-year-old jug smashed by 4-year-old is back on display — still not behind a barrier

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 Yiftah Brigade carry out a drill in northern Israel, in a handout photo published September 6, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

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

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

A surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen set off sirens across central Israel this morning. Fabian gives us an update.

A barrage of some 40 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Galilee Panhandle and Golan Heights this morning. We hear how these rockets are wreaking damage and how they compare to the missile shot by Yemen this morning.

On Saturday, the IDF called on Palestinians in parts of the northern Gaza city of Beit Lahiya to evacuate, after two rockets were fired from the area aimed at the southern coastal city of Ashkelon. The IDF in recent months has repeatedly issued evacuation orders for areas from which terrorists launched rockets at Israel, but that wasn’t always the case. What changed?

Fabian reports back from Rafah where he learned last week that the Hamas terror group’s Rafah Brigade has been decimated, at least 2,308 of its operatives have been killed by the Israel Defense Forces and over 13 kilometers (8 miles) worth of tunnels have been destroyed. What did he see on the ground?

According to a number of unconfirmed foreign reports last week, Israeli special forces carried out a raid on an Iranian weapons facility in Syria. The reports claim Israeli troops operated on the ground at Masyaf, which lies about 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Israel, only about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Syria’s western coastline. The IDF has not confirmed these reports, but Fabian describes what we are hearing.

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

Discussed articles include:

Ballistic missile fired from Yemen triggers sirens across central Israel

IDF orders evacuations in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya after rocket attack on Israel

IDF declares Hamas’s Rafah Brigade defeated; no active cross-border tunnels found

Reports: Israeli troops raided IRGC weapons facility in Syria, took equipment, documents

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IMAGE: Police near the remains of a ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthis from Yemen, near Moshav Kfar Daniel, September 15, 2024. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

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