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.

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

US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a deal Wednesday meant to end the Middle East war, causing it to go into effect two days earlier than originally envisioned, with Tehran agreeing to dilute its enriched uranium in return for large-scale economic relief. Magid takes us through the points of primary concern for Israel, including its right of self-defense against Hezbollah attacks.

In a lengthy press conference at the G7 summit in France yesterday, Trump claimed Iran should be allowed to keep some of its ballistic missiles. He also repeatedly castigated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including stating he is less justified in criticizing the memorandum of understanding that Trump signed with Iran because the Israeli premier purportedly pulled out of a joint operation to kill top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020. We hear other sharp criticisms of Netanyahu, including accusations of disproportionate force.

In the second half of the program, Magid brings his exclusive scoop that the US is in talks with the Palestinian Authority about boosting what has been a strained bilateral relationship, as Washington seeks Ramallah’s cooperation to advance its landmark policy initiatives in the region. And who is chaperoning the reforms DC is seeking? Enter Saudi Arabia.

And finally, Magid explains how former UK prime minister Tony Blair is taking on a larger role in the Board of Peace, where he will be tasked with managing the various mechanisms that are meant to oversee the postwar management of Gaza.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US, Iran sign war-ending deal, which enters into effect 2 days earlier than planned

‘Shall not develop nuclear weapons’: The 14-point memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran

As deal takes force, Trump says ‘it’s okay’ for Iran to have some ballistic missiles

Trump suggests Israel in no place to criticize Iran deal since it backed out of 2020 strike on Soleimani

US weighs boosting ties with PA as it seeks to advance Gaza plan and Abraham Accords

Tony Blair takes on larger role as US-led Board of Peace struggles to advance Gaza plan

Gaza mediators glum on chances for breakthrough before Israeli elections in the fall

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

During the course of the G7 summit of global leaders in France on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that Syria should replace Israel in the fight against Lebanon’s Hezbollah. He argued that the Jewish state’s war on the Iran-backed terror group has been too prolonged and indiscriminate, adding that Israel would have been “blown off the face of the earth” if not for him. Horovitz unpacks the multilayered concerns plaguing Israel in the wake of Trump's statements.

The US-Iran memorandum of understanding, expected to be signed at an in-person gathering on Friday, reportedly provides for a full cessation of hostilities by Iran, the United States and their allies — including in Lebanon, where Israel has been battling Tehran’s proxy Hezbollah. This comes as Israel and Lebanon are nearing a US-mediated lasting ceasefire agreement, according to a Tuesday report. If the IDF were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, are Lebanese forces really strong enough to face Hezbollah?

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed on Tuesday to have “abolished” components of the 1997 Hebron agreement that gave the Palestinian municipal council of Hebron authority over planning, zoning and construction in the H2 zone of the West Bank city, where the Jewish settlement of Hebron is located along with the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Can this effort be isolated from the looming elections? Horovitz weighs in on this and the current ultra-Orthodox move in the Knesset to pass Basic Law: Torah Study.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump: Israel’s war on Hezbollah is too long, too deadly; Syria should fight the group instead

US-Iran deal said set to halt regional hostilities, including in Lebanon, lift blockade

Israel-Lebanon talks said close to yielding lasting ceasefire deal

Smotrich says he’s ‘abolished Hebron agreement,’ given Israel more power in flashpoint city

Netanyahu denounces ‘police state’ trial as his cross-examination ends after over a year

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Iran and the US will start a new round of negotiations on Friday in Switzerland to reach a final agreement, after the official start of an interim agreement that day, Iran’s foreign minister says. This announcement comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a rare press conference last night, outlining his narrative of Israel's stance in Lebanon following the memorandum of understanding.

Israel was sidelined entirely throughout the negotiating process, a fact that was highlighted when Netanyahu informed a reporter that Israel does not yet know the details of the deal, which is to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday after a digital signing on Sunday night. Berman unpicks this knotty issue.

US Vice President JD Vance and a pair of top officials in Trump’s administration shed some light on how the deal will be implemented and what it contains. Berman discusses how their version differs from the narrative being pushed out by Iran.

And finally, after Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar opened Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem on Monday -- the eighth top-level diplomatic mission in the capital -- Berman assesses Israel's standing on the global diplomatic stage.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Netanyahu avoids criticizing US-Iran deal, claims war’s main goals have been achieved

Ministers say Israel won’t be bound by Iran deal, as opposition castigates Netanyahu’s ‘absolute failure’

US says Trump, Vance and Iran’s Ghalibaf ‘digitally’ signed Iran deal on Sunday

Visiting Somaliland president opens embassy in Jerusalem

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Monday that the Israeli military will remain in southern Lebanon and warned that if Iran strikes, it will be hit “with full force,” promising that Israel will resist any pressure after the US and Iran agreed a deal to end the war that also reportedly includes a commitment to end hostilities in Lebanon. We hear about where the IDF is currently holding in southern Lebanon and the strike on Beirut that almost derailed the Iran-US memorandum of understanding last night.

Late last week, senior Hezbollah commander Ali Mussa Daqduq, mastermind of a January 2007 attack that killed five US troops in Iraq, was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced Sunday. Who was this terror architect and what else was he responsible for?

The IDF seeks to erect, for the first time, a permanent post in an area meant to be fully controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The post is set to be built in the northern West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp. What is the purpose of this first permanent post in Area A?

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Israel vows to stay in south Lebanon; if Iran strikes, we’ll hit it ‘with full force’

IDF says over 70 Hezbollah sites hit as troops advance near south Lebanon’s Nabatieh

Israel braces for Iranian missile fire after strike on Hezbollah target in Beirut

IDF says it killed key Hezbollah official responsible for deadly 2007 attack on US troops

As IDF prepares to build post in Jenin, 2 soldiers hurt, 1 seriously, in blast

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that the framework for a peace deal with Iran that would end the months-long conflict was scheduled to be signed on Sunday and that the key Strait of Hormuz waterway would then be immediately “open to all.” Iran has denied the signing will take place so soon. Berman breaks down what could be part of any potential deal and assesses the feasibility of it being signed soon.

As fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in south Lebanon continues, the government has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to avoid actions that could endanger the emerging deal between the US and Iran, Kan news reported Friday. Berman explores how else Israel is being restrained in light of the ongoing negotiations with Iran -- and how any deal may cement those fetters.

Some international media is discussing the theory that Israel will soon turn its gaze to Syria -- where it holds a buffer zone -- and fight a proxy war there with Turkey -- which also holds territory. Berman weighs in.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump says US-Iran deal to be signed Sunday, contradicting Tehran

Government reported to restrain IDF action in Lebanon to avoid derailing US-Iran talks

Iran MOU would cap self-defeating ceasefire for Trump, marks huge problem for Israel

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yitzhak Ledee filmed and edited this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

The duo sat down to record early this week during the confluence of three major events: Iran again struck Israel, the Tonys were awarded, and RUSH played in Los Angeles.

Movie maven Hoffman gives us the Jangles from the awards recognizing the best Broadway productions during the 2025–26 season and follows up with all that is Jewish about RUSH.

The main feature this week is Joseph Cedar's 2007 "Beaufort," which became all too relevant again when the IDF recaptured the medieval castle early last week.

Set in 2000, the blockbuster Israeli film depicts the (then) final week of the IDF's occupation of the famed UNESCO site in southern Lebanon. In the grisly Oscar-nominated movie, we meet -- and lose -- soldier after soldier who are stuck on the besieged rock.

As it hits all too close to home for mother-of-soldiers Borschel-Dan, she decides to grade the film according to two scales. Let's hear who gave it an "oy," "meh" or the prized "not bad" this week on The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Israel Democracy Institute senior fellow Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler.

Shwartz Altshuler, the head of the IDI's Democracy in the Digital Age Program, weighs in on the nefarious ways in which AI is being used to manipulate hearts and minds -- from elections to smear campaigns.

She breaks down in practical terms how AI is now able to flood the public sphere with noise and confusion. We discuss the ripple effects of increased reliance on chatbots versus Google-type searches and how information can easily be poisoned by bad actors.

The technology law and policy expert gives an overview of the potential possibilities for regulation -- and the chaotic Wild West reality we're living in.

Turning to Israel's upcoming elections, we learn how the delegitimization of the results has already begun.

And so, this week, we ask Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, 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 edited by Ari Schlacht.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

Last week, Germany failed to secure a temporary seat on the powerful United Nations Security Council. There were several theories about the reason for Berlin's failure, but Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul offered a striking one — that it could be that Germany's support for Israel cost it the coveted seat.

Germany is indeed one of Israel's closest allies in the world, and has been for decades.

At the same time, the special relationship Israel enjoys with Berlin -- like its ties with other key allies -- has come under strain in the wars it has pursued in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. In August 2025, Germany announced a partial arms embargo on Israel over its decision to conquer Gaza City.

To discuss the roots and the state of the Germany-Israel relationship, German Ambassador Steffen Seibert joined the podcast, weeks before he wraps up his four-year tenure and returns to Berlin.

He rejects the idea that Germany's approach to Israel is guided by "Holocaust guilt." Instead, he says that the Shoah is a compass for Germany, which has the responsibility to learn the appropriate lessons from that dark period and let them guide its foreign policy.

Seibert stresses that the Germany-Israel relationship is also rooted in shared democratic values and common interests.

At the same time, he emphasizes that the special relationship exists within the pre-1967 borders, and that it sees Israel's presence in the West Bank as a violation of international law.

On the war in Gaza, Seibert calls Israel's military response "inevitable and logical." Still, he says, there are questions over "how it was fought, how long it was fought." Still, he says that Hamas bears the main responsibility for the plight of Gazans.

Seibert explains that Germany's decision not to intervene on Israel's behalf in the ICJ genocide case against Israel is a tactical move, as Berlin faces its own charges over its support for Israel: "It changes the assessment that we took at the beginning of the conflict. It's to do with the court case that we find ourselves in."

Turning to the Iran war, Seibert says the Israeli-US campaign was "definitely understandable," but that continued fighting won't achieve much, and that it is now time to turn military gains into a political arrangement.

Seibert, who learned Hebrew during his tenure, says that he is not sure what he will do next, but intends to continue spending time in Israel while he works to "reinvent" himself in the next phase of his career.

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

 

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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 reporter Luke Tress joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Following the arrest of defendant Mohammad Al-Saadi, who allegedly orchestrated a string of attacks on Jewish targets in Europe and the US on behalf of Iran, Tress tracks the details shared by the suspect, who spoke freely with investigators, emphasizing his use of social media to recruit operatives and noting that all Iranian proxies are related to one another.

Marking one year since the Colorado firebombing attack of a rally for Israeli hostages that killed one elderly woman, Tress explores patterns of support among anti-Israel groups for perpetrators of violent hate crimes.

After a bogus Miss Israel appeared at the Israel Day Parade in New York, Tress discovers that the Miss Universe franchise is now privately owned by a Florida enterprise and has little relation to Israel or Israeli culture.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

NY case sheds light on alleged Iran-linked terror campaign targeting Diaspora Jews

US anti-Zionist groups keep backing activists who are incarcerated for violence

Miss Israel says this year’s contest will be bogus, sparking break with organizers

For further reading:

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

IMAGE: New York correspondent Luke Tress joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing podcast.  (ToI/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.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The US military carried out strikes in Iran early Wednesday following the downing of an Apache helicopter that US President Donald Trump accused Iran of shooting down and vowed retaliation for. Schneider describes uncertainty in Israel this morning as US bases housed by its neighbors are being targeted.

During an interview about the Iran war with ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, Trump claimed Tuesday that it was an “open question” whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 76, wants to continue his political career, while a poll showed that over 60 percent of Israelis don’t want the longtime premier to run in the upcoming Knesset election. Schneider weighs in.

Legislation enshrining Torah study as a Basic Law is set to be brought to a vote today. The proposed law, backed by Haredi parties United Torah Judaism and Shas, would establish Torah study as a foundational national value and define long-term Torah study as “meaningful service” to the state, equivalent to army service, with implications for the rights and obligations of those engaged in it. What could this mean for the country?

Italian prosecutors have put Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir under investigation over the treatment of Gaza flotilla activists seen in a video he published last month. This comes as France has barred Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, four leaders of settler organizations and 21 violent settlers from entering the country, as several countries introduced fresh sanctions against settlers and organizations deemed to be responsible for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Even as the Israeli ministers brush off the sanctions, Schneider explains why this matters.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US strikes Iran after Trump vows retaliation for downing of US helicopter over Hormuz

Trump says Netanyahu may quit politics, as poll shows 61% of Israelis want him out

Italy investigating Ben Gvir for alleged torture, kidnapping over Gaza flotilla video

Smotrich banned from France as 4 countries introduce new sanctions against settler violence

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.