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.

Today host Amanda Borschel-Dan is joined by The Times of Israel's Ops&Blogs editor Miriam Herschlag, who discusses her recent trip to Dubai and its Jewish communities.

Herschlag's first trip to the United Arab Emirates was in 2018, when she and a few other journalists were finally given the OK to write about Dubai's decade-old Modern Orthodox Jewish community of expats.

Today, since the signing of the 2020 Abraham Accords, the Jewish communities there -- now numbering at least three -- are practicing their faith much more publically and Jewish men feel comfortable walking the streets with their yarmulkes on heads. 

Herschlag attended the Dubai community's first ceremony in honor of Yom HaShoah, Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, and talks about a fledgling movement towards educating the public about the genocide of the Jews.

Discussed articles include:

Thoughts on Israel at 73 while flying over the Saudi desert

In new playground Dubai Israelis find parties, Jewish rites

For the first time, Dubai's Jewish community steps hesitantly out of the shadows

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IMAGE: Jewish Community of the Emirates board member Alex Peterfreund, JCE Chief Rabbi Yehuda Sarna and JCE President Ross Kriel hold torah scrolls at V Hotel Dubai, April 11, 2021 (Miriam Herschlag/ Times of Israel)

 

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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 panel comprises health correspondent Nathan Jeffay and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman, along with host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

We open the show with a look at the peer-reviewed Israeli research by the Weizmann Institute that claims to have found a way to turn off the brain's "hunger switch." Is this the miracle drug for obesity? And could it be rolled out to the masses?

With a plethora of news coming out of Iran in recent days, Berman gives us the lowdown on the ongoing talks about restarting nuclear negotiations with Tehran and how the recent developments at the Natantz site are having an impact on them.

No masks in public. Kids back at school as normal. Jeffay assesses the recent COVID-19 developments in largely re-opened Israel and how the virulent British variant may be keeping other mutations at bay. And what of the 3rd dose of the Pfizer vaccine? When will Israelis need more shots -- especially the kids?

Finally, following last week's Memorial Day, we take a look at Berman's piece on how one immigrant fallen soldier tells a powerful story of the challenges of memorial in modern Israel.

Discussed articles include:

Israeli scientists say they’ve paved way to turn off the brain’s ‘hunger switch’

‘Path is clear, won’t be easy’: Iran, EU report progress in Vienna nuclear talks

Israelis no longer required to wear masks outside starting Sunday, as COVID ebbs

Israel has not reached herd immunity, Indian variant a concern, says virus czar

Pfizer CEO: 3rd dose of vaccine likely necessary 6-12 months after first 2 doses

The legend of Michael Levin, and what it tells us about our need for heroes

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PHOTO: A child tries to get a bite of a hamburger, April 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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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 panel comprises military reporter Judah Ari Gross and editor-in-chief of ToI's Hebrew-language sister-site, Zman Yisrael, Biranit Goren, along with host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

Today is Israel's Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Hostile Acts and we recognize the 23,928 who gave up their lives for the Jewish state. We discuss how this number is reckoned from before the foundation of the state of Israel and how this year compares with previous years.

The wounds of war go well beyond the victims who fell in battle. Veteran Golani soldier Itzik Saidiyan, who suffers from Post-Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD) self-immolated this week in protest to an ongoing bureaucratic battle over his disability stipend. Ari Gross discusses what the IDF is doing to prevent further cases and to offer timely treatment to those in need.

At sunset the country will transition from a day of deep mourning to 24 hours of celebrating Israel's independence. Goren explains how this abrupt transition historically evolved, and how it feels to be a Sabra celebrating the two days next to each other.

Finally, Goren discusses two special features which will appear on her Zman Yisrael site tomorrow: A series of dozens of person essays along a chronological timeline for the "This is Our Israel" project and a special interview with 91-year-old Yael Medini, the daughter of Israel's second prime minister, Moshe Sharett.

Discussed articles include:

Israel comes to a standstill to remember 23,928 fallen

Israel marks Memorial Day after year with fewest ever deaths in war and terror

PTSD-afflicted IDF veteran still critical after setting himself alight

Trauma group sees surge in appeals after veteran with PTSD self-immolates

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Image: Bereaved families, friends and Israeli soldiers visit the graves of fallen soldiers during Memorial Day which commemorates the fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on April 14, 2021. (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 panel is comprised of political and diplomatic correspondent Tal Schneider and US correspondent Jacob Magid, along with host Raoul Wootliff.

On today's show, we start with Magid who recently returned from a vacation on the Sinai Peninsula now that restrictions have been loosened to allow 300 Israelis and others to cross between Israel and Egypt each day -- assuming you have all the proper, and changing, paperwork. 

We look at the recent visit to Israel of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the different messages we heard from him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Then, an update in the daily twists and turns of the coalition negotiations to form a new government. Yamina's Naftali Bennett has declared that he will support a right-wing government, but the numbers still don't add up. To bolster the coalescing coalition reports state that Likud has offered New Hope Head Gideon Sa'ar the presidency. What's happened and what does it all mean?

And finally, jumping the pond, we'll assess Nikki Haley's recent announcement that she will back Trump in 2024 if he announces a presidential run.

Discussed articles include:

Parting the red tape, Israeli tourists wander back into the Sinai

Netanyahu to visiting US defense secretary: We won’t let Iran obtain nukes

Amid spiraling tensions, Israel and US to convene strategic group on Iran

Bennett says Likud can count on his party to back a right-wing government

Likud said to offer to back Sa’ar for president in bid to get Knesset majority

Nikki Haley says she’ll back Trump, give up own bid if he runs in 2024

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IMAGE: General view of a beach, in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, on June 06, 2019. (Yossi Aloni/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 panel comprises founding editor David Horovitz and Arab affairs correspondent Adam Boxerman, along with host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

We open the show with a look at what is said to have happened at Iran's Natantz nuclear facility early Sunday morning. What was the '"accident" that took place and what damage did it cause?  And what of Israel's alleged involvement?

Then, turning to domestic politics, we discuss the impact of the Israeli Arab Ra'am party's charter and whether they are open to changing it or not. And with Mansour Abbas now as kingmaker, we ask whether the Israeli right could support a government backed by the Islamist party.

Finally, we assess the recent police beating of Joint List MK Ofer Cassif. What does footage of the incident show? What are police claiming? And what does the outcry from across the political spectrum show us?

Discussed articles include:On its ‘National Nuclear Technology Day,’ Iran starts up advanced centrifuges 

‘Accident’ hits Iran’s Natanz nuclear site, day after advanced centrifuges start 

Natanz incident said to cause huge damage, set back Iran’s program by 9 months 

Intel officials say Mossad behind Natanz power cut; Iran calls it ‘terrorism’ 

Amid coalition talks, Mansour Abbas said weighing speech on commitment to Israel 

Rotations and improbable alliances swirl as Netanyahu works to stay in power 

Joint List MK files complaint after police beat him at protest 

He’s an MK, you ‘psychopaths’: New footage shows police beating lawmaker 

Outcry as police beat Joint List lawmaker during East Jerusalem protest 

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IMAGE: This image released by Apple TV+ shows Niv Sultan as Tamar Rabinyan in a scene from 'Tehran.' (Apple TV+ 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 panel comprises senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur and health reporter Nathan Jeffay, along with host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

With the death of Prince Philip at age 99 over the weekend, we open today's show with a look at the late Duke of Edinburgh's relationship with Israel, the resting place of his mother, and how his 1994 visit to the Holy Land broke a royal taboo.

We then move to an update on the latest virus and vaccine developments in Israel. Is the country on its way to herd immunity? Can life return to normal now? What of the plans to vaccinate children and the current status of Israeli schoolkids?

While Israel is still charging ahead with its vaccination program, a political spat risks causing the supply of shots to dry up. We try to understand the government's secrecy over its dealings with Pfizer and who is to blame for the uncertainty regarding continued vaccine supplies.

What of the negotiations to form a new government? We take a look at the latest talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yamina head Naftali Bennett and the current ponderings of the professional punditry.

And finally, as the political arena continues to shake with uncertainty, some MKs in Likud are positioning themselves for the day after Netanyahu. We focus on one who polls think may be on the way to the top.

Discussed articles include:

When Prince Philip, honoring his mother, became the 1st UK royal to visit Israel

Israel may have reached a ‘sort of herd immunity’ from COVID, expert says

Government eases virus restrictions at schools, ends capsules for 4th graders

Virus czar: We expect to start vaccinating children within weeks

Israeli data shows South African variant able to ‘break through’ Pfizer vaccine

Vaccines shown to protect even those who don’t get them — Israeli study

Israel’s secrecy on vaccines is causing supply uncertainty, says state adviser

Pfizer says working on a new deal to supply more vaccines to Israel

Netanyahu blames Gantz for potential vaccine shortage in latest political spat

Netanyahu, Bennett said haggling over when Yamina chief would become PM

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PHOTO: Britain’s Prince Philip jokes with British WWII veterans who immigrated to Israel, during a ceremony at the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Ramle, Israel, on October 30, 1994, where he came to lay a wreath. (AP Photo)

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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.

In honor of Yom Hashoah, Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, we've dedicated today's episode to a conversation with Matt Lebovic, The Times of Israel's longtime Holocaust correspondent, who speaks with his editor, Amanda Borschel-Dan.

Lebovic explains how growing up as a third-generation survivor in a house of hushed whispers and pervasive shame any time the Holocaust was mentioned spurred him to try to quench his curiosity at an early age. He delved into dozens of books on the subject and began a lifelong quest to make the topic relevant to contemporary society.

We discuss how Lebovic spotted his paternal grandmother in the famous "Auschwitz Album," a collection of Nazi photographs of transports being processed from Hungary.

Lebovic explores his obsession with Anne Frank and explains his ongoing journey to visit as many Nazi camps and transit stations as possible.

And finally, we discuss how he attempts to tie lessons learned from the Holocaust to today's headlines.

Discussed articles include:

How I found my Bubby in ‘The Auschwitz Album’

In time for global self-isolation, ‘Anne Frank Video Diary’ premieres on YouTube

‘I am Anne Frank’ demystifies hero to make Holocaust accessible to young readers

No wallflower: Margot Frank comes out of her sister’s shadow in new photos

How America’s Jewish ‘king of the suburbs’ kept Blacks out of suburbia

Using blood libel tactics, white mob massacred 300 blacks in 1921 Tulsa ‘pogrom’

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IMAGE: Times of Israel reporter Matt Lebovic at Auschwitz-Birkenau holding a version of 'The Auschwitz Album' image in which his grandmother, Bella (Baila) Solomon, appears, October 2017 (Elan Kawesch/The Times of Israel)

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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 panel comprises ToI editor David Horovitz and editor-in-chief of our Hebrew sister site Biranit Goren, along with host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

President Reuven Rivlin reluctantly gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the nod to form a new government on Tuesday, saying, "This was not an easy decision on a moral and ethical basis, in my mind... And I fear for my country." What do these astounding words signify, and can Netanyahu actually form a coalition?

The 24th Knesset was coincidentally also sworn in yesterday, with much fanfare -- and an activist stunt on the part of four out of six Arab Joint List MKs, who swapped out a declaration of allegiance to the State of Israel and Knesset for fighting "apartheid," "occupation," and "racism." Goren speaks about a previous Likud government that took part in an even more sweeping protest several decades ago.

And finally, we give a brief update on the new position held by the Population and Immigration Authority, which is allowing non-Israelis with first-degree relatives in the country to finally come to the Holy Land for a visit.

Discussed articles include:

Rivlin reluctantly taps Netanyahu to form government: ‘Not an easy moral choice’

Road to a coalition seems blocked, but Netanyahu is in the driver’s seat, again

Netanyahu to meet Bennett Thursday, vows to seek end to ‘cycle of elections’

Joint List MKs spark outcry in Knesset ceremony with oath to fight ‘occupation’

As anti-gay MKs sworn in, activists fear ‘step backwards’ on LGBT rights

Vaccinated or recovered foreigners permitted to enter Israel to visit relatives

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ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO: President Reuven Rivlin seen with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Rivlin's task Netanyahu with forming the next coalition, at the president's residence in Jerusalem on April 17, 2019. (Noam Revkin Fenton/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 panel comprises military correspondent Judah Ari Gross and Arab affairs correspondent Aaron Boxerman, along with host Raoul Wootliff.

On today's show, we focus on the two key events of the previous day -- the start of the evidentiary stage of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial, and the presidential recommendations process for who should form a coalition and be the next prime minister. What went down at each? What do the developments mean? And what can be expected next?

Amid the busy events at the President's Residence, which culminated today with President Reuven Rivlin's, decision to tap Netanyahu again to form a government, we take a specific look at the recommendations (or lack thereof) of the Joint List and Ra'am, the two Arab Israeli parties, and what they say about their role in wider Israeli politics.

And finally, we'll check in on plans for a protest by new immigrants against Israel's coronavirus regulations and limits on entering and leaving the country.

Discussed articles include:

On defendant's bench, Netanyahu accused of ‘severe governmental corruption'

Ex-CEO of top news site: Skewed coverage of Netanyahu was part of quid pro quo

After day in court, Netanyahu rails at prosecutors, alleging ‘coup attempt'

Rivlin reluctantly taps Netanyahu to form government: ‘Not an easy moral choice’

With parents locked out of country, fuming immigrants plan Knesset protest 

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IMAGE: Israeli anti-Netanyahu protesters outside the District Court in Jerusalem, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to his trial at the District Court. PM Netanyahu is on trial on criminal allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. April 05, 2021. (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 panel comprises editor David Horovitz and political and diplomatic reporter Tal Schneider, along with host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

The Israeli political scene is enjoying a split screen today with citizen Benjamin Netanyahu's third appearance in court taking place even as his Likud party recommends him again for the role of prime minister. In an all-day marathon, President Reuven Rivlin hosts all 13 parties to hear not only which MK they are recommending to put together the next coalition, but also their number 2 choice.

One of the most important parties in shoring up the next government is also the smallest. We discuss the Ra'am party charter and what exactly its philosophical underpinnings are.

Finally, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has issued interesting statements over the past few days. On Friday, he told Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi that Israelis and Palestinians should enjoy "equal measure of freedom, security, prosperity and democracy." And yesterday Blinken and the Biden administration issued a statement addressing a week of Holocaust remembrance currently being held in the US, in conjunction with the Israeli Yom Hashoah on Wednesday night. Coincidence?

Discussed articles include:

Political fate in balance, Netanyahu in court at start of trial’s evidence stage

Rivlin meets with party representatives to hear their preferred candidate for PM

Ra’am’s guiding charter backs Palestinian right of return, calls Zionism racist

Blinken tells Israel: Palestinians should enjoy same rights, freedoms as you do

Ahead of Israeli Holocaust remembrance, Blinken speaks of duty to stop evil

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IMAGE: File photo -- Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen as he arrives for a court hearing at the District Court in Jerusalem on February 8, 2021, PM Netanyahu is on trial on criminal allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. (Reuven Kastro/POOL)

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