Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Today is day 101 of the war. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for this one-on-one episode.
Berman was inside the Gaza Strip yesterday with a reserves parachute unit. We hear what he saw and get a sense of the morale of the troops and Berman's perspective on their preparedness to take on the vast tunnel network.
Hamas also runs a network of operatives in Europe commanded by terror leaders in Lebanon, Israel said Saturday as its intelligence agencies released new details on the Gaza-based organization’s attempts to attack Israeli and Jewish targets abroad. Berman weighs in.
For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Live blog January 15, 2024
Israel says it uncovered Hamas terror network planning attacks in Europe
Elderly woman and her son killed at home in Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
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IMAGE: FILE -  Israeli soldiers show the media an underground tunnel found underneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, November 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 101 - Deep inside Gaza, Hamas is still digging new shafts

Welcome to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing: Your update on what&rsquo;s important in Israel, the Middle East and The Jewish World.

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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 is day 245 of the war with Hamas. Host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaks with archaeologist Prof. Jodi Magness for today's bonus episode from our What Matters Now weekly podcast series.
This Wednesday, Israel marked Jerusalem Day, which celebrates the reunification of Jerusalem following the 1967 Six-Day War.
But the capital has a rich and fascinating history of rulership changes since its foundation circa 1000 BCE.
Magness just published her latest book, "Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades," through Oxford University Press. She stopped by The Times of Israel's Jerusalem offices to speak about the ancient eternal city's rulerships and populations throughout the eras.
“Jerusalem Through the Ages” is a 700-page weighty tome that delves into the city’s history through archaeological evidence and also texts, including the Bible and extra-biblical material such as the Egyptian Amarna Letters.
Magness is Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the author of 11 books, including "Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth," "Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit: Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus," and "The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls." From 2011 until 2023, Magness directed excavations at Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee and uncovered its breathtaking mosaics.
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: Prof. Jodi Magness in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, on April 11, 2022. (Amanda Borschel-Dan/The Times of Israel) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 246 - Archaeologist Jodi Magness on ever-changing, eternal Jerusalem

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
It is day 245 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress on July 24, top US lawmakers announced on Thursday. Will this truly be a bipartisan event?
Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan informed his US counterpart Linda Thomas-Greenfield yesterday that Jerusalem opposes the Security Council resolution being advanced by the Biden administration that expresses support for the hostage-ceasefire proposal Israel made last week. Why is Israel opposing an Israeli proposal?
The United States warned Thursday that Israel will see a "massive" negative impact if the Palestinian Authority collapses as Washington again pressed Israel to let revenue flow. Who is holding up the money and on what grounds?
The US State Department announced on Thursday sanctions against the Lions’ Den terror group that was established over two years ago in the northern West Bank. Why now?
In a new interview with ABC News, US President Joe Biden said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has listened to his warnings against a major military offensive in Rafah and that Biden believes Netanyahu supports the hostage deal Israel submitted last week. What else did you hear?
For more updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
‘Falling for Hamas tactics’: IDF names 9 terrorists killed in school strike, slams media
Netanyahu to defend ‘just war’ in July 24 speech to joint session of US Congress
Israel rejects Security Council resolution in support of its own hostage deal offer
US announces sanctions on largely dormant West Bank terror group Lions’ Den
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. 
IMAGE: Troops of the Givati Brigade operate in southern Gaza's Rafah, in a handout photo published June 6, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 245 - PM to visit DC in a month. Will Israel still be at war?

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
It is day 244 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan in our Jerusalem offices for today's episode.
A Saudi outlet reported this morning that Hamas officials rejected the Israeli-driven proposal for a hostage-ceasefire deal, claiming it was fundamentally different from the deal presented by US President Joe Biden. How credible should we consider this Saudi report?
An Israel Defense Forces reserve soldier was killed and 10 other people were wounded in a Hezbollah-claimed attack with explosive-laden drones on northern Israel on Wednesday. The IDF announced the death of the soldier on Thursday morning, naming him as Staff Sgt. (res.) Refael Kauders, 39, a father of five young children from Tzur Hadassah, just outside Jerusalem. Is the IDF prepared for an all-out war in the north?
Police arrested 18 suspects for violent offenses on Wednesday as clashes broke out during the Jerusalem Day Flag March, in which tens of thousands of mostly national religious Israelis marched through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City to celebrate the capital’s reunification in 1967. Horovitz addresses incendiary statements made by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and describes the scene at the march.
Yesterday a report by the FakeReporter organization and The New York Times was published alleging that the Israeli government has been waging a months-long campaign to covertly influence American lawmakers through AI-generated social media posts by fake users with the help of a $2million contract with an Israeli firm called Stoic. Horovitz weighs in on several of the disturbing aspects of this report.
For more updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Saudi report: Hamas rejects hostage-ceasefire deal proposal without clear guarantee war will end
Why Israel needs the hostage-ceasefire deal, and must be wary if Sinwar takes it
Reserve soldier killed, 10 hurt, in Hezbollah drone attack on northern town
Far-right violence, chants of ‘Death to Arabs,’ at Jerusalem Day Flag March in Old City
Ben Gvir boasts of letting Jews pray on Temple Mount; Netanyahu: Status quo unchanged
Diaspora Ministry funded fake social media posts to spread pro-Israel content — NYT
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The 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: Jewish men hold Israeli flags as they dance at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, during Jerusalem Day celebrations, June 5, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 244 - On Jerusalem Day, a celebratory march turns violent

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
It is day 243 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and political reporter Sam Sokol join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Berman discusses the diplomatic discussions between the various counterparts in the push for a hostage agreement, as the Biden administration pushes for a first phase of a deal, and waits for the first stages of agreement from Hamas via Qatar.
He notes that Israel has agreed to move forward on the deal, and that the government is doing more than he expected to get the hostages out. That said, Israel is insisting on toppling Hamas militarily, getting all hostages out and ensuring that Gaza will not be a future platform for terrorist attacks.
Berman also discusses Netanyahu's conversation with French prime minister Emmanuel Macron who reemphasized French support for Israel and the hostages.
Sokol looks at the reactions of far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich to the hostage talks, as they have threatened to bring down the government if Netanyahu signs what they consider a reckless deal.
He also notes that the ultra-Orthodox are in favor of the deal, given their long-time support of Netanyahu. The Haredi parties generally don't weigh in on security issues, given that their communities don't serve in the army.
Finally, Sokol offers a quick preview of the upcoming Jerusalem Day flag march into the Old City, an often controversial event particularly given the presence of Ben Gvir at the march.
For more updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
PM says Biden version of deal ‘incomplete’; US: It accurately reflects Israeli offer
Macron tells Netanyahu Gaza war must end, is mum on freeing hostages as condition
Biden’s ‘Israeli’ proposal for a hostage deal leaves key questions unanswered
Far-right ministers accuse Netanyahu of ‘whitewashing’ hostage deal, hiding details
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The 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 call for the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip outside Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, June 4, 2024. (Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 243 - Can Biden push Israel and Hamas to a hostage deal?

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
It is day 242 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and diaspora reporter Canaan Lidor join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Schneider discusses the IDF's discovery of four hostages pronounced dead in Gaza, including three octogenarian Kibbutz Oz founders Chaim Peri, Amiram Cooper and Yoram Metzger and Kibbutz Nirim's Nadav Popplewell, and how that finding enrages the hostage families in their push for a deal.
She also looks at the politics of the current hostage deal on the table, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walks a narrow line of trying to keep his coalition intact while honing to the requests of US President Joe Biden who wants to see a deal on the table.
Lidor talks about the presidential election in Mexico, won by candidate Claudia Sheinbaum, who describes herself as having Jewish roots, and what it could mean for Mexico and the US.
He also describes a recent conference of representatives of the Jewish communities of the European Union, who practiced tactics of fighting off antisemitic attacks and discussed at what point they will tell their communities to leave Europe.
For more updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Israel announces the deaths of four hostages in Hamas captivity
Protesters block Tel Aviv highway, urging hostage deal after 4 captives declared dead
Biden says Israel ready to advance deal, urges Qatari pressure on Hamas to agree
PM says Biden version of deal ‘incomplete’; US: It accurately reflects Israeli offer
Claudia Sheinbaum wins election to become Mexico’s 1st woman, 1st Jewish president
Quietly Jewish scientist poised to win Sunday’s Mexican presidential election
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
Subscribe to The 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: Protests on Tel Aviv's Begin Road on Monday night as hostage family members make desperate plea for a deal (Courtesy Gilad Furst) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 101 - Deep inside Gaza, Hamas is still digging new shafts

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