The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

US correspondent Jacob Magid and Startup Israel editor Ricky Ben-David are on today's podcast, with Jessica Steinberg hosting.

Magid fills us in on the Tuesday political machinations of the so-called “Squad” of progressive lawmakers who forced Iron Dome funding to be pulled from United States government spending bill.

Ben-David follows with a discussion about Israel's BriLife, currently in Phase IIb/III trials in Georgia and soon to be administered in Ukraine, another country with low vaccination rates.

Magid also interviewed freshman United States lawmaker Jon Ossoff following his trip earlier this month to Israel and the West Bank for meetings with political leaders in Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Ben-David closes today's podcast with a look at actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio's recent investment in Israeli alternative meat startup Aleph Farms.

Discussed articles include:

‘Squad’ wins symbolic victory on Iron Dome funding – with help from Republicans

Unlike fellow Dems, Jewish senator Ossoff favors tight-lipped approach on Israel

Late but longer-lasting? Israel’s COVID jab aims to ‘find its place in market’

Leonardo DiCaprio invests in Israeli cultured meat startup Aleph Farms

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IMAGE: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., joined from left by House Budget Committee Chair John Yarmuth, D-Ky., and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., talks to reporters about the "Protecting Our Democracy Act" which will curb the power of the president in an effort to rein in executive powers that they say President Donald Trump abused, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider and senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur are on today's podcast, with Jessica Steinberg hosting.

The two reporters discuss the first 100 days of the Bennett-Lapid government, which was inaugurated in June.

While the first months of a new government are usually considered a grace period, this government had to work quickly to pass the delayed budget and establish itself, breaking new ground, points out Rettig Gur.

Schneider comments on the pressure from former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party, the largest political party in the Knesset that is doing its best to upset and dismantle the currently fragile coalition.

Discussed articles include:

Climate crisis, COVID-19, Arab community: Government lays out its policy goals

Repeating debunked claim, Netanyahu mocks Biden for sleeping during Bennett meet

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IMAGE: Israeli parliament members during a plenum session and a vote on the state budget at the assembly hall in the Israeli parliament, Jerusalem, September 2, 2021 (Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Today's guests are military correspondent Judah Ari Gross and environmental reporter Sue Surkes, with Jessica Steinberg hosting.

Gross speaks about his analysis of the recapture of the final two of the six security prisoners who escaped from the Gilboa prison two weeks ago, looking at some of the blunders, methods and tactics used.

Surkes discusses the toll of climate change on Israel's health system, following with her interview of a university student activist who went on a hunger strike and vigil outside President Isaac Herzog’s official residence in Jerusalem, hoping to raise public awareness regarding the climate emergency.

Surkes also reported on nature reserve in southern Israel that was subject to a massive oil leak seven years ago and hasn't yet recovered, shedding light on similar disasters and decisions being made for future oil transmissions.

Discussed articles include:

Bloodless, efficient recapture of 6 fugitives won’t obscure the jailbreak fiasco

Heatwaves already causing more deaths, hospitalizations — researchers<

Activist goes on hunger strike to press president on climate crisis

Study: Ecosystem could collapse at nature reserve hit by oil spill 7 years ago

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IMAGE: Pro-Palestinian activists hold a "Globalize the Intifada" protest against Israel and in support of Palestinian security prisoners in New York City, September 17, 2021 (Photos by Luke Tress/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Today’s guests are diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and science and health writer Nathan Jeffay, with Jessica Steinberg hosting.

Jeffay fills us in on the current debate regarding the third COVID-19 booster shot that is only being recommended in the US by the FDA for people 65 and older, while Israel is already well into its campaign to administer the third shot to the general population.

Berman discusses the Zoom event hosted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, in which leaders of all five countries spoke about their hopes moving forward with the accords.

He also gives us a look at Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s upcoming trip to the UN General Assembly at the end of the week, and the sideline conversations that can happen at that annual meeting.

Jeffay closes the podcast with a description of an antibacterial weapon created in a Tel Aviv University lab that arms good germs to kill bad germs.

Discussed articles include:

Bennett defends booster shots, says US to soon follow Israel with widespread use

After FDA panel limits US boosters, minister says Israel proves 3rd dose works

Israel said worried FDA limit on booster shots will hamper its 3rd shot campaign

Blinken pledges US backing to expand Abraham Accords between Israel, Arab states

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PHOTO: A healthcare worker fills a syringe with Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at a community vaccination event in Los Angeles, California, August 11, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Today's guests are US correspondent Jacob Magid and culture editor Jessica Steinberg, with Raoul Wootliff hosting.

On today's show, we look at the Abraham Accords a year on as officials from Israel, the US, UAE, Bahrain and Morocco mark the anniversary of their signing.

What were the various messages that came out of the anniversary ceremonies and what can be gleaned from them about the future of the Accords?

And, ahead of Yom Kippur and Succot, we look at various cultural events on offer in Israel over the next few weeks and hear about a new collection of photos from the Yom Kippur War that has been added to the National Library's archives.

Discussed articles include:

‘We’ve only just begun’: Abraham Accords partners mark one year since signing

Kushner warns against neglecting Abraham Accords at one-year anniversary event

Blinken to honor Abraham Accords with Israel, UAE, Bahrain and Morocco ministers

‘A great honor’: Bahrain’s first-ever envoy to Israel presents credentials

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PHOTO: US President Donald Trump, center, with from left, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, during the Abraham Accords signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on September 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Today's guests are diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur, with Jessica Steinberg hosting.

Berman leads the podcast with a conversation about Monday's meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the first between the two countries’ leaders in a decade, and one that could offer signals about their intentions.

Rettig Gur filled us in on a piece he's writing about Knesset committees and the 2021 budget -- the wrangling, politicking and negotiations that plague Bennett's weak coalition -- with plenty of political drama.

Discussed articles include:

Bennett, after meeting Egypt’s Sissi: ‘We laid the foundation for deep ties’

Exuding warmth, Egypt’s Sissi hosts PM for talks, in first such visit in decade

EgyptAir to launch direct Tel Aviv-Cairo flights next month

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PHOTO: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (L) and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi meet on September 13, 2021, in Sharm el-Sheikh. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Today's guests are military writer Judah Ari Gross and political reporter Tal Schneider, with host Jessica Steinberg.

Gross fills us in on the recent uptick in Gazan violence, and examines what that really means in terms of Hamas control over the Gaza Strip, a situation that recent Israeli governments have allowed, rather than risk escalating the situation.

Schneider discusses how she came about her latest feature regarding a secret 2017 mission by Israeli engineers and an American Jewish lawyer to steal into Iraq in order to rehabilitate the tomb of the prophet Nachum. That feature will be in the Times of Israel on Wednesday, after first appearing on Zman Yisrael in Hebrew.

Gross and Schneider close the podcast with a conversation about recent statements on the part of Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid regarding Iran, Israel and the US.

Discussed articles include:

Israeli jets strike Gaza after 2nd rocket attack in 24 hours

Terrorists fire one rocket from Gaza, then another as IDF strikes Hamas targets

Gantz reveals Iranian drone base, says it is used to train terror groups

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PHOTO: Palestinians protest near the border with Israel, east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on September 2, 2021. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Today's guests are founding editor David Horovitz and science and health reporter Nathan Jeffay with Jessica Steinberg hosting.

Horovitz fills us in on the events of the last six days, as four of the six Palestinian security prisoners were captured over the weekend, after having escaped last Monday from a high-security jail in northern Israel. Two of the fugitives are still at large, and an overhaul of the prison system is also in question.

Jeffay updates us about a possible, significant drop in COVID-19 numbers, looking at the effects of the third vaccination shot, the start of the school year and the return of religious pilgrims from Uman, the Ukranian town where thousands travel to over Rosh Hashanah.

We also talk about Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's call for the international community to act immediately against Iran, after the report that it has dramatically increased its production of highly enriched uranium in recent months and is not allowing full inspection of its activities.

Finally, we end on a more positive note, with Jeffay's update about his interview with a Moslem British doctor who traveled to Israel to help Israeli doctors successfully separate twins conjoined at the head.

Discussed articles include:

Exhausted, out of food: How 4 fugitives were caught, with help of Arab Israelis

As manhunt continues, minister concerned fugitives could stage attack

COVID spread appears to ebb, fueling optimism for end of Delta blitz

Bennett calls for ‘rapid international action’ against Iran’s enrichment surge

‘Unbelievable joy’: In Israeli 1st, doctors separate heads of conjoined twins

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IMAGE: In this photo provided by Israel Police, Zakaria Zubeidi, left, and Mohammed el-Aride, two of six Palestinian security Prisoners who broke out of Gilboa Prison, are blindfolded and handcuffed after being recaptured in the Arab town of Umm al-Ghanam, northern Israel, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Israeli Police via AP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Today's guests are founding editor David Horovitz and Startup Israel editor Ricky Ben-David, with Jessica Steinberg hosting.

Horovitz opens today's podcast with a description of the surprising jailbreak at Gilboa Prison, in which six high-profile Palestinian prisoners escaped Monday through a tunnel they dug, exposing clear weaknesses in the Israeli prison system and putting a major terrorist leader back on the streets.

Ben-David explains the potentially dramatic banking reforms that will pave the way for more competitive rates and new financial services for customers, part of the Economic Arrangements Bill of the state budget that passed its first reading last week.

Horovitz also spoke briefly about the UN report showing that Iran has dramatically increased its production of highly enriched uranium in recent months, while refusing to resume full cooperation with inspectors, and how Israel and the US differ in their response to that news.

Finally, Ben-David discussed Mobileye's pilot for autonomous taxis and ride-hailing services in Munich and Tel Aviv next year, a major change for traffic possibilities.

Discussed articles include:

High-profile jailbreak exposes holes in prison security, sparks copycat fears

Israel’s fintech community readies for ‘dramatic’ changes in banking sector

UN watchdog: Iran has quadrupled its stocks of 60%-enriched uranium since May

IDF chief says Israel accelerating Iran strike plans, acting throughout Mideast

Mobileye to launch pilot scheme for autonomous taxis in Tel Aviv, Munich in 2022

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Palestinians attends a rally in solidarity to the escape of the six Palestinian prisoners from the Israeli prison of Gilboa on September 8, 2021 in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90 

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Today's guests are health and science correspondent Nathan Jeffay and breaking news editor Amy Spiro, with Raoul Wootliff hosting.

On today's show, we look at the preparations for the first Jewish festival in Israel without restrictions on family gatherings since before the pandemic began early last year.

On Rosh Hashanna eve, we take a look back at the year that was 5781 and ask how Israel and its citizens have coped with the virus over the past 12 months.

A day after the Paralympics -- held this year in the shadow of the virus -- ended, we review the past two weeks of Israeli sporting achievements in Tokyo.

And finally, doctors in Israel have separated conjoined twins — and say that after the tense 12-hour operation, both babies are likely to live completely normal lives. We'll look at the seeming miracle operation that took place days ago.

Discussed articles include:

Health minister optimistic as daily COVID infections fall below 10,000

As Israel makes loose lockdown tighter, its decisions risk alienating the people

Decision-making on COVID was ‘defective’ under Netanyahu, ombudsman charges

Israel celebrates trove of 9 Paralympic medals as Tokyo Games wrap up

‘Unbelievable joy’: In Israeli 1st, doctors separate heads of conjoined twins

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

PHOTO: A person rides a bicycle on an empty street as the sun sets on the first day of a three-week lockdown in Tel Aviv, September 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

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