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.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As northern Israel was battered by a barrage of rockets from Hezbollah over the weekend, Schneider discusses ongoing criticism of the government for allowing the situation to continue, while noting that Israel's hands are tied; it can't disrupt US negotiations with Iran, and that regime controls Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Schneider also talks about Beaufort Castle, a strategic fortress in Lebanon last controlled by Israel in 2000 and now taken by the IDF once again.

The Knesset will vote Monday on whether to dissolve this government, and will choose one of several possible dates for elections in September or October, as Schneider reviews the options.

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

For further reading:

Soldier killed in Hezbollah drone strike in Lebanon; IDF captures strategic Beaufort Castle

Plurality of far-right voters oppose government with ultra-Orthodox parties — poll

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: Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Jessica Steinberg for Daily Briefing podcast (ToI)

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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.

This week, we learn that famed actress and chanteuse Barbra Streisand received an honorary Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Borschel-Dan, who is reading the artist's massive memoir, calls on all podcast fans to send in the names of their favorite Streisand films for a future episode.

We then turn to the monumentally Jewish movie, "A Serious Man," written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen in 2009.

Set in 1967 Minnesota, the film focuses on the Gopnik family: father Larry, mother Judith, kids Danny and Sarah, and uncle Arthur. On the surface, the middle-class family appears to be merrily rolling along, anticipating Danny's approaching bar mitzvah. And then everything falls apart and it becomes a very funny retelling of the Book of Job.

However, before the movie takes off, the audience is treated to a quote from the great rabbinic sage Rashi and is shown a Yiddish-only shtetl ghost story short -- just... because.

Stay tuned for our duo's thoughts on the much-recommended Coen brothers' film, "A Serious Man."

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 deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan, speaking with author and scholar Dara Horn.

Horn visited ToI's Jerusalem studio while on a break from this year’s International Writers Festival in Jerusalem, taking place May 25-28 at the city’s Mishkenot Sha’ananim cultural center

An author of novels and non-fiction, including “People Love Dead Jews,” “Eternal Life,” “A Guide for the Perplexed,” Horn's latest book -- her first for young readers -- is “One Little Goat.”

Her newest nonfiction work will be published by Simon & Schuster in September under the title, "The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Story for the Living."

We hear about how, after Horn published her bestselling work, "People Love Dead Jews," readers asked her for the solution to this problem. This week, she speaks about her new education initiative, Tell, which is bent on teaching American schoolchildren about real, living Jews, and Jewish culture.

To launch the wide-ranging conversation, Horn defines terms, explaining that Jews are not a religion, but a people with a religion. This difference, she states, is massive and must be internalized to understand the millennia of hate experienced by the Jewish people. 

Since the Hamas onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the resultant retaliatory war in Gaza, there has been an outsized focus on the trend of "non-Zionist" or "anti-Zionist" Jews. Who are these Jews -- and are they significant in the chronicles of Jewish history?

And so, this week, we ask author Dara Horn, 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 Yitzchak Ledee.

IMAGE: 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.

Will Orthodox middle-class life in America remain sustainable for future generations? Stub opens by discussing how and why Orthodox Jewish communities are financially drained. He explains how -- through a combination of private education, elite housing locations and larger households -- the cost of living is increasingly more than families can afford. He drives home that the challenge is not only how to remain financially afloat today and mentions how one possible solution to the growing issue in the US is immigration to Israel.

We discuss Stub's recent reporting on a related matter: With growing numbers of Diaspora Jews seeking a foothold in Israel, market players are rewriting the rules of real estate, reimagining community around rabbinic leadership, municipal planning and group purchasing models designed to meet their needs.

Stub also elucidates how, despite the attractions of moving to Israel, many American Jews harbor deep fears about exposing themselves to the challenges of life in Israeli society. Differences in language and cultural norms — from navigating bureaucracy to casual conversations— are frequent sources of anxiety that leave newcomers overwhelmed. He explains why this leads many American Jews to group together within Anglo-centric communities.

We close the episode with a brief teaser of what to expect from the upcoming Maccabiah Games in Israel. Despite concerns and cancellations from delegations from several countries following continued tensions with Iran, about 5,000 participants from more than 40 countries are still expected to compete in the two-week international competition that starts on June 30.

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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.

US President Donald Trump indicated during a Wednesday cabinet meeting that progress in talks with Iran on a deal to end the war had slowed, departing from his assertion at the start of the week that an agreement was nearly finalized.

On Thursday, Israelis awoke to the news that the US had struck Iranian targets for a second time this week for "defensive" purposes. Later in the morning, it was reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted an American base in retaliation for US strikes on the country’s south.

At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the IDF to broaden its activities against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Magid helps us unravel where things stand in the negotiations, even as the ceasefire appears to be evermore fragile and the chances for a deal increasingly remote.

Also during the Wednesday cabinet meeting, for the second time this week, the president suggested he may not sign a deal with Iran if neighboring Gulf countries do not normalize ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords. Magid explains how this stance could actually blow up in the face of the US.

In the second half of our program, we turn to the leadership vacuum in the Gaza Strip. Hamas on Wednesday confirmed the death of Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed head of the terror group’s military wing, who Israel killed in a strike in Gaza City. Whatever happened with last month's elections to appoint a new Hamas head?

And finally, we hear the scoop behind Shin Bet chief David Zini's meeting with the Palestinian Authority’s exiled former Gaza security chief Mohammed Dahlan during a recent visit to the United Arab Emirates.

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

For further reading:

Trump says US ‘not satisfied’ in talks with Iran, days after claiming deal imminent

Soldier killed in Hezbollah drone attack as Israel widens strikes on terror group

Hamas confirms death of military chief Mohammed Odeh; defiant funeral held in Gaza City

Shin Bet head met exiled PA Gaza security chief Dahlan in UAE — sources

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.

ToI founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As US President Donald Trump seeks to finalize an agreement with Iran that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz but won't limit the regime's ballistic missile program, thwart its nuclear ambitions or constrain its capacity to wage terrorism around the world, Horovitz discusses Israel’s absence from the negotiations and its need to assert its independent capacity to defend itself.

After National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir taunted hundreds of detainees from the latest flotilla and received only a light rebuke from Netanyahu, Horovitz recalls that the prime minister just a few years ago said that the hawkish Ben Gvir didn't represent Israel's values and would never have a seat in his government.

Ben Gvir is in charge of the prisons that New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has accused of carrying out the strategic sexual assault of Palestinian detainees. Israel, however outraged, will not end up suing the publication, Horovitz assesses, explaining why.

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

For further reading:

With Trump conflicted and Iran emboldened, vital bid to end regime’s nuclear drive is being botched

Trump’s emerging Iran deal forces Israel to seek guarantees, not victory

Netanyahu needs to fire Ben Gvir after his flotilla provocation, but of course he won’t

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.

IMAGE: Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing. (ToI)

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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.

News editor Ben Sales joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As the US closes in on a deal with Iran based on talks that didn't include Israel or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sales discusses the war that began with Israel and the US standing shoulder to shoulder, and that appears to be ending with Israel's leader watching from the sidelines, and what that means for the country.

While many Israelis are relishing the ability to live without the day-to-day threat of rocket fire from Iran or its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, Sales examines the unprecedented period and its psychological effect on the country and its residents.

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

For further reading:

Israel began the Iran war as a partner of the US — and is ending it on the sidelines

Ceasefire nation: Caught between war and peace, can Israelis move forward?

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.

IMAGE: News editor Ben Sales joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing. (ToI)

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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 Nava Freiberg joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Iran and the United States played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough in the three-month-old war on Monday, with Tehran saying that while it had reached understandings on many issues with the US, an agreement was not imminent. For his part, US President Donald Trump says the deal will be "great and meaningful" or won't happen at all.

While there was no official Iranian confirmation of the contents of the potential agreement, Freiberg delves into the differing narratives being presented by US and Iranian press.

US President Donald Trump sought to reassure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that a final agreement with Iran will fully dismantle Tehran’s nuclear program, a senior Israeli official said yesterday. We learn of blowback from politicians in the US and Israel and explore how this potential deal could affect the Lebanon front.

As part of an ongoing series of conversations, Freiberg communicated with five residents of Iran who described widespread unemployment and economic hardship, tighter surveillance and targeting of dissidents, and further restricted internet access since the war’s start. We hear more.

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

For further reading:

Iran and US voice optimism but temper expectations for imminent breakthrough in talks

US official: Iran deal to be signed in coming days; Trump derides ‘loser’ critics

Trump said to assure Netanyahu he will thwart Iran nuke program as Israel fears ‘very bad’ deal

As US moves to end war, Iranians tell ToI they fear regime clampdown just starting

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.

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

The US and Iran are close to signing a deal involving a 60-day ceasefire extension, during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, Iran would be able to freely sell oil, and negotiations would be held on curbing Iran’s nuclear program — including it giving up its stockpile of enriched uranium, the Axios news site reported on Sunday, citing a US official. Schneider gives insight into Israel's reaction to the potential deal and delves into what could happen on the Lebanon front: Is Hezbollah part of the package?

A soldier was killed Friday by a drone near the Lebanese border, the Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday. The slain soldier was named as Staff Sgt. Noam Hamburger, 23, a technology and maintenance soldier in the 401st Brigade, from Atlit in northern Israel. Schneider underlines that this occurred on Israeli soil, where Hezbollah drone attacks are still an everyday occurrence for residents of the north.

On Friday night, Yashar! party head Gadi Eisenkot gave his first major interview in recent memory to the Uvda TV news magazine. We hear what was said -- and unsaid.

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, young women, from the age of 18, have been obligated to enlist in the IDF. We learn about how the ranks of female fighters have swelled in the past decade -- and the intense backlash from the religious community. Schneider brings us an update from this morning, which illustrates this delicate balance.

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

For further reading:

US-Iran deal said to open strait for 60 days, Iran to discuss giving up enriched uranium

Trump says deal with Iran ‘largely negotiated, will be announced shortly,’ Hormuz will be opened

Liberman slams emerging Iran deal, accuses Netanyahu of failing to win war ‘on any front’

Soldier killed in northern Israel by Hezbollah drone from Lebanon

Female troops are under assault, and not just in Bnei Brak

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.

Environmental reporter Sue Surkes joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.

Four years ago, Israel’s National Security Council established a unit focused on climate policy. In what Surkes calls a "shock decision," the NSC’s Climate and National Security Forum and Climate Intelligence Forum had ceased to operate as of April 1. We learn what the potential implications could be.

Next, we learn about Elad Blumental, the head of OneDay, which provides one-time social volunteering activities. Recently, the NGO pivoted to training volunteer earthquake rescue teams on the heels of repeated State Comptroller reports and Knesset committee hearings warning that Israel is woefully unprepared for an inevitable earthquake.

Finally, we learn about a new initiative earmarked for reservists and soldiers who are living with trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Metiv — The Israel Psychotrauma Center launched a new campaign on Sunday to encourage restaurants, cafes, bars and other social venues to create spaces that are more aware, sensitive and accessible. Surkes gives details.

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

For further reading:

In shock decision, National Security Council stops work on climate change

New ‘PTSD-friendly’ scheme aims to adapt Israel’s public spaces

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.