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 Sam Sokol joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Following an interim High Court order allowing a larger gathering despite wartime restrictions for Saturday night's antiwar protest in Tel Aviv, Sokol reports on the backlash from the Knesset coalition and religious parties demanding similar treatment for the traditional Passover mass prayers at the Western Wall.

Sokol also discusses the passage of the 2026 budget, the government's largest budget to date, due to increased defense spending and billions of shekels in ultra-Orthodox educational expenditures following an unexpected political maneuver during a long night of voting.

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

For further reading:

Cops violently disperse protesters at Tel Aviv anti-war rally, after court raised attendance cap

Flouting wartime restrictions, over 1,000 men gather for address by top Haredi rabbi

High Court raises wartime limit on Western Wall, Temple Mount access from 50 to 100

Levin says government should ignore High Court ruling allowing wartime protests

AG halts transfer of budget funds for Haredi institutions after contentious vote

Opposition MKs voted to allocate NIS 800 million for Haredi schools. How did that happen?

Knesset approves 2026 budget, Israel’s largest ever, sending billions to Haredi institutions

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: Israelis attending anti-war protest take shelter in Tel Aviv's Habima parking lot as alert for Iranian missile sounds on April 4, 2026 (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

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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.

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

US intelligence has assessed that around half of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers are still intact despite over a month of US and Israeli bombardment across the country. Fabian explains why this is not the measure to take of the campaign's success.

We learn about the frequency of Iranian missiles shot at Israel and the damage that is being wrought, even as the IDF says it is turning to a new phase in its operations -- Iran's economy.

Turning to Lebanon, Fabian describes the massive build-up of soldiers there, and an operation that saw the death of Sgt. First Class Guy Ludar, 21, and seriously wounded another from the Commando Brigade’s Maglan Unit. We hear what the war goals are for Lebanon, even as leaked statements from a high-ranking IDF officer indicate that it is not a total disarmament of the terrorist organization.

All is somewhat quiet on the Gaza front, says Fabian, even as many soldiers are still stationed there, as well as the West Bank. The issue of a lack of manpower in the IDF was addressed over the holiday weekend with a surprise announcement that reservists will now be required to serve nine weeks instead of six.

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

For further reading:

US intelligence said to assess around half of Iran’s missile launchers still intact

Iran said restoring bombed missile bunkers within hours after being struck

6 wounded as Iran cluster bombs smash homes in central Israel; IDF hits Iran infrastructure

IDF says soldier killed, another seriously hurt by ‘friendly-fire’ in southern Lebanon

Hezbollah attacks damage homes in north; IDF said to destroy east Lebanon bridge

IDF official says disarming Hezbollah unrealistic, not a goal of Lebanon operation

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

IMAGE: IDF reservists of the 226th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued by the military on April 5, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl.

Buchdahl speaks about being a rabbinic figure and representative of the mainstream American Jewry, particularly while on book tour for her recently published memoir, "Heart of a Stranger, An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity and Belonging."

Buchdahl weighs in on the current rise in antisemitism entering the workplace and discourse, and how it has made Jewish identity rise to the fore as a kind of primary identity.

Speaking to the Times of Israel right before Passover, Buchdahl discusses the master narrative of Passover and the need to have faith in Jewish continuity and to hold on to resilience and grit in the face of oppression.

Buchdahl speaks about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the conversations she's held with people deeply connected to the mayor about her concerns.

The Central Synagogue rabbi talks about her congregation's Zionism, their reactions after the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and their deep connections to hostage families over the course of the two years of the war in Gaza.

She also speaks about her own connection to Israel as a second home, even when she takes issue with some of its policies and actions of the government.

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: The sanctuary of Central Synagogue in Manhattan, New York, photographed in 2010, and where Rabbi Angela Buchdahl is senior rabbi (Courtesy)

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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.

The US and Israel are trying to drastically weaken Iran, and maybe even bring down the regime, entirely from the air. They are certainly not the first combatants to strive for far-reaching goals through air power.

In fact, countries have tried to win wars from the air for over a century.

Airpower has a tendency to capture the imagination of civilian and military planners, leading them to believe that this time, new technology will give them the edge needed to transform warfare and avoid long, costly ground campaigns.

But strategic air campaigns almost always fall short of their goals. They do not topple regimes, do not cause the public to rise up (and often create solidarity among the enemy public), and achieve results that are anything but decisive.

Airpower certainly has its place, especially in destroying specific targets and supporting ground forces. Israel has taken that further, eliminating layers of Iranian, Hezbollah, and Hamas leadership from the air.

Can the two most capable air forces in the world win the war against Iran from the air? Or will this be the latest case study that shows how difficult it is to achieve strategic goals from the air?

Joined by diplomatic reporter Nava Freiberg, Lazar walks the listener from the 18th century, through the world wars, Vietnam, and Kosovo to explain what air power can accomplish -- and what mistakes overoptimistic planners continue to make.

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.

Religion and archaeology correspondent Rossella Tercatin joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Tercatin discusses the efforts of Queen Farah Phalavi, the third wife of the former Shah of Iran, who used her art degree and wealth from soaring oil prices before the Islamic revolution, to assemble an art collection of masterpieces for the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, now hidden for much of the last 47 years.

She also reports on a new haggadah by Bar-Ilan University biblical scholar Prof. Joshua Berman that examines what the Torah and Haggadah tell us about Egypt and Egyptian culture, and their influence on the story of Passover and the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt.

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

For further reading:

One of the most inaccessible art collections in the world awaits liberation in Tehran

How the Exodus story subverts pharaonic texts to mock ancient Egypt

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: A visitor walks past China's late leader, Mao Zedong painting series by American artist Andy Warhol at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran, Iran on October 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

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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.

As missile fire continues from Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis, we discuss whether the war with Iran may — or may not — be coming to a close.

US President Donald Trump has delivered various estimates for a timeline to end the war. Ahead of his expected speech this evening, Magid reviews recent Trump administration statements regarding the goals of the war and what has been achieved, as well as whether a deal needs to be made to finish it.

Trump also declared that Iran’s surviving stockpiles of enriched uranium did not concern him at all since they are buried underground and inaccessible. Magid attempts to unravel the rhetoric and discern what is happening on the ground.

We also delve into the US’s overt displeasure over the uptick in extremist settler violence in the West Bank, as expressed in a rare statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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

For further reading:

Trump: No deal needed to end the war, Iran won’t be able to obtain a nuke ‘for years’

Trump said to tell aides he’s willing to end Iran war without reopening Hormuz

UAE said pushing for military op to reopen Strait of Hormuz, is willing to take part

Frustrated with allies, Trump tells countries needing fuel to go to Hormuz and ‘just take it’

Rubio says US ‘concerned’ by settler attacks, insists Israel will ‘do something’

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

IMAGE: Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike hits a building near the airport road in Beirut, Lebanon, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

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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 correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US President Donald Trump reportedly told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed and leave a complex operation to reopen it for a later date. At the same time, his administration is reportedly conducting negotiations based on a 15-point document presented to the Iranian regime. Berman attempts to unravel Trump's current strategic thinking, even as American troops are set to reach the region.

How do the Gulf states see this phase of the war? We hear who is on board with continuing the conflict, and who is working to end it.

As top Israeli leaders openly declare their intention to create another security zone in southern Lebanon, Berman reviews the Jewish state's historic trauma with a similar 18-year operation.

And finally, we learn about a now-resolved, but still damaging scandal that erupted this week as top Catholic clergy were barred from worshipping at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday.

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

For further reading:

Four soldiers killed, 2 wounded in south Lebanon clash with Hezbollah

Trump said to tell aides he’s willing to end Iran war without reopening Hormuz

Israel shifts to hitting Iran’s economy, as it enters ‘completion phase’ of war

Facing a resurgent Hezbollah, Israel slouches back to a security zone in Lebanon

Holy Sepulchre Easter services to go ahead as Church leaders reach deal with police

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

IMAGE: A woman prays in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City, April 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalia)

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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.

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

Like all Israelis, Fabian is experiencing the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran first-hand. We hear that his area of the country has been more battered of late, and about his onsite reporting from a crater caused by a several-hundred-kilogram warhead yesterday.

We turn to the IDF's airstrikes on Iran and what it is targeting now that the majority of military targets have been struck. Who turned out the lights in Iran yesterday?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israel would capture additional territory in southern Lebanon to expand a security zone on Israel’s northern border, as the Israel Defense Forces expanded its ground operation against the Hezbollah terror group. Fabian explains what this could look like.

We learn about the IDF's Alpinist Unit -- IDF soldiers on skis -- who conducted a rare border crossing in snowy mountains from Syria to Lebanon.

The IDF is pulling the Menashe Regional Brigade’s 941st “Netzah Israel” Battalion, a reserve unit made up mostly of former soldiers of the Kfir Brigade’s ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion, out of the West Bank. We learn why.

And finally, we hear what is happening on the ground in Gaza as operations continue there.

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

For further reading:

Iranian missile attack sparks blaze in chemical plant, fears of hazardous leak

Blackouts hit parts of Tehran as Israel conducts strikes in Iran amid peace talks

PM says Israel to expand south Lebanon buffer zone as IDF pushes deeper into territory

IDF chief: Detention, alleged assault of CNN crew in West Bank ‘grave ethical incident’

IDF pulls entire battalion from West Bank action after alleged assault of CNN crew

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

IMAGE: A poster shows former Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, at the site of a destroyed house that was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Sarafand village, south Lebanon, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

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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.

Health editor Diana Bletter and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

With the northern city of Kiryat Shmona and surrounding towns facing constant fire from Hezbollah rockets, Bletter reports on the sense of desolation and concern from residents that the IDF won't finish the job in Lebanon, requiring them to go through another round of war in another six months' time.

Surkes discusses Israeli organizational efforts to help the Arab community in the north build emotional resilience during wartime, given concerns over a lack of adequate shelter in their communities and the terrible wave of internal violence.

After the Health Ministry budget was cut by $20 million, Bletter reports on fundraising efforts by Israeli hospitals, which are running their operations underground during the war.

Finally, Surkes briefly examines how birds struggle to breed in open spaces amid the noise pollution from nearby roads.

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

For further reading:

Northern residents concerned IDF won’t be allowed to ‘finish the job’ against Hezbollah

In mixed Haifa, weary residents face near-constant Iranian and Hezbollah missile fire

Facing violence on all fronts, Arab Israelis are unprecedentedly open to mental health help

As Iranian missiles rain down, hospitals scramble to raise funds for underground shelters

Road racket killing the mood for birds breeding in half of Israel’s open spaces – study

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: Israeli security and rescue forces at the scene where a missile fired from Lebanon toward Israel caused damage in Kiryat Shmona, March 24, 2026. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

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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, the team takes our listeners -- and our boss -- up on their recommendations.

After Borschel-Dan asked listeners for their favorite stand-up comedians, we received a deluge of responses. We decided to launch our stand-up tour with "Modi: Know Your Audience," which is available freely on YouTube. While both had heard of the very Jewish performer, this was their first-time watching a full-length show. 

Next, we discuss "The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel," which is now streaming on Netflix. The documentary sheds light on the origins of the still-hot band and focuses on its original guitarist Hillel Slovak. Born in Israel, gifted guitarist Slovak was the catalyst that brought both bassist Flea and lead singer Anthony Kiedis to the music world. For our duo of reviewers, it was a chance to revisit their high school soundtrack.

Stick around to see who got the "oy," the "meh" and the "not bad" marks in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

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

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