Day 368 - Israelis grieve an open wound in dueling ceremonies

Welcome to The 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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