A Torah Thought for this week from our spiritual guide, Rabbi Yossi Madvig of Oswego, New York. For updates on hostage releases, see our social media and website IsraelDailyNews.org and send us your e-mail address at [email protected] for our Sunday newsletter. We are back with the podcast Monday following a short break.

Links to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠

Four Israeli hostages come home to Israel after a bizarre display on a Gazan stage; Israel is not ready to pull out of Lebanon. What’s going on there? & Palestinian prisoners prefer to stay in Israel over their freedom in Gaza. 

Israel Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.org

Israel Daily News Roundtable: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuld

Support our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-war

Links to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠

Music: Dublin Day; Ariella Zeitlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuerfyTW1IA

Three female Israeli hostages were released from Hamas captivity Sunday and four more are on their way Saturday. We have the rundown; Two Israeli top guns resign from their roles. Who’s up next? & Breaking News! Evidence is out that Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov who has been held hostage in Iraq is alive. Iraq’s Prime Minister is reportedly working to secure her release. Plus! Some uplifting news and a Torah thought. 

Israel Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.org

Israel Daily News Roundtable: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuld

Support our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-war

Links to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠

Music: Feelin Good with Nicole Raviv Live at the Tarab!

CREDITS: Musicians: Keys: Jonathan Haringman Trumpet: Avior Rokah Oud: Ohad Elkouby Venue: Tarab Bar, Tel Aviv Sound engineer: Daniel Teich Mixed by: Asher Parkes

After a chaotic 24 hours, a hostage deal is moving forward with the first day set to be Sunday. Hear everything you need to know about the hostage deal, a list of those who are set to be released and what’s coming up next for Israel and Hamas. The show ends with an eerie Torah thought for this week, which discusses the Hebrews leaving the Egyptian desert. This Shabbat, the Jewish people open the “Book of Names” or “Book of Exodus” creepily in line with the timing of the list of hostage names released.

Hospitals in Israel are bracing for the potential arrival of 33 hostages returning from the Gaza Strip, amid significant uncertainty about their physical and mental health; A Palestinian ex-Shin Bet informant was indicted on terrorism charges for the murder of an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor & Israeli airline Arkia will launch the only direct flights to New York other than El Al starting on February 8th. 

CREDITS: Musicians: Keys: Jonathan Haringman Trumpet: Avior Rokah Oud: Ohad Elkouby Venue: Tarab Bar, Tel Aviv Sound engineer: Daniel Teich Mixed by: Asher Parkes Filmed by: Matan Baranes Edited by: Hadar Chakron

Bedouin Israeli Yousef Al-Ziyadne was found dead in Gaza with traces of his son nearby; The High Court of Justice rules that starting in 2026, there will be no limit to the number of ultra-Orthodox men the Israel Defense Forces has the capacity to enlist; Israeli passport ranks as the 19th most powerful in the world &  A Torah thought by Rabbi Yossi Madvig of Oswego, New York. 

Three Israelis were killed and eight others were wounded in a terror attack in the northern West Bank Monday; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a stand-out interview which was recorded on camera for the New York Times & A Tel Aviv apartment building has become Israel’s first to install a solar energy storage system, meant to provide a backup power source in case of…. emergency. 

Finish out the holiday week with a Torah thought from Rabbi Yossi Madvig of Oswego, New York. Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Farms are suffering in Israel and while food rescue organization ‘Leket’ has primarily been working to get meals to those in need around the country, there’s a new need that CEO Joe Gitler and his team are working to achieve – hanging on to Israel’s farms.

This story was initially supposed to be a three-minute sponsored feature at the end of Thursday’s news podcast, but the discussion was so interesting, so newsworthy and so full of facts and figures that we wanted to present the entire interview. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

An IDF airstrike kills five staffers from the PIJ-affiliated Al-Quds Today TV station; The court convicts the first Israeli arrested for espionage during this war & An exclusive interview with Director/ Producer David Weprin for the new Matisyahu film “Song of Ascent” set to be released Monday night in the Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival. Get your free tickets for the Matisyahu film premiere in Jerusalem Dec. 30th at 9 pm!  

• ​Submit an e-mail to [email protected] for 2 free tickets or buy your Matisyahu film tickets: https://jer-cin.pres.global/order/37767?lang=en
• ​Israel Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.org
• ​Israel Daily News Roundtable: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuld
• ​Support our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-war
• ​Links to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠
• ​Music: One Day; Matisyahu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRmBChQjZPs