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.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Negotiators resumed US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, hours after senior American officials made the case that Iran poses a major threat to the United States and is actively working toward a nuclear bomb. Horovitz updates us on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance's statements and describes the intense US military buildup in the Mideast. He then assesses the Israeli public's willingness to join in on any eventual strike against Iran and how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could leverage the crisis in this election year.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday and Thursday, where he pledged to work in lockstep with the Jewish state to confront Islamist terrorism. In what Horovitz describes as a regrettably rare sentiment from world leaders, the Indian premier told the Knesset that his nation stands “firmly” with Israel. We learn what else happened behind the scenes.

In an effort to circumvent a Supreme Court order to expand egalitarian prayer access at the Western Wall, lawmakers voted 56-47 Wednesday afternoon in favor of the preliminary reading of a bill giving the Chief Rabbinate full control over prayer at all parts of the holy site -- not just the Orthodox prayer plaza. It has drawn harsh condemnation from progressive Jewish groups, which condemned the controversial legislation as “patronizing and antisemitic.” Horovitz weighs in.

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

For further reading:

Facing Trump, Hamas bet on survival and is being vindicated; Iran’s regime has the same game plan

As talks resume, Rubio, Vance accuse Iran of trying to restart its nuclear program

Iranian FM arrives in Geneva for talks as US demands any nuclear deal last indefinitely

F-22 jets deploy at Israeli Air Force base as US builds up forces for Iran strike

In the Knesset, Modi says India stands firmly with Israel ‘in this moment and beyond’

MKs approve preliminary bill cementing Orthodox control over entire Western Wall

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.

IMAGE: A Valar Atomics microreactor is seen on a C-17 aircraft, without nuclear fuel, at March Air Reserve Base, California, February 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthew Daly)

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.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

In the foreign policy portion of his lengthy State of the Union address, US President Donald Trump repeated his oft-mentioned talking points about Iran, Magid reports, noting the president's terminology about never hesitating to confront threats against the US.

Trump has said he is "aware of" last week's killing of Palestinian-American 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siam in an armed settler attack in the West Bank, and Magid reviews why the US administration has not commented or gotten involved in this latest incident of Jewish settler violence.

As the US Embassy in Israel announces first-time pop-up locations for consular services in the Jewish settlements of Efrat and Beitar Illit, Magid discusses the decision to hold the project in these new locations.

With a formal communication channel established between the Board of Peace and the Palestinian Authority, Magid discusses how the PA is seeking legitimacy and aims to be as involved as possible in the Gaza reconstruction.

Magid also reports on conversations with Arab and European diplomats involved in the Board of Peace, and their comments about the enormous amount of pressure required to be applied on Hamas and Israel for the disarmament of Hamas to succeed.

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

For further reading:

Trump: US ‘wiped out’ Iran’s nuclear program ‘but they want to start all over again’

US avoids condemning settler killing of Palestinian-American in armed West Bank attack

In first, US embassy to provide consular services at pop-ups in West Bank settlements

US approves formal communication channel between PA and Board of Peace — officials

Waving off the skeptics, US feeling bullish after Board of Peace inaugural confab

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: President Donald Trump exits the House Chamber after delivering the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

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.

Archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin and diplomatic reporter Nava Freiberg join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

If Iran attacks Israel, it will be “perhaps the most serious mistake in their history,” warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening, threatening an overwhelming response to any aggression. As the world awaits US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address tonight, Freiberg updates us with the push-pull diplomacy of the past day.

The Palestinian technocratic body tasked with managing postwar Gaza announced last week that it was opening applications for “qualified candidates” seeking to serve in a “transitional police force” to be deployed in the Strip. This comes as Hamas appears poised to keep hold of its control of civilian and security infrastructure even as the Trump peace plan moves ahead.

The Great Isaiah Scroll, the oldest nearly complete book from the Hebrew Bible ever found, is on display in its full length for the first time since 1968. Tercatin was on hand at Jerusalem's Israel Museum for the unveiling and fills us in.

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

For further reading:

Trump said frustrated with limits of military leverage against Iran

Netanyahu: An attack on Israel would be ‘most serious mistake’ in Iranian history

Hamas seen working to maintain control of Gaza via Trump-backed bodies

Gaza oversight committee seeks ‘qualified’ candidates to join Strip’s police force

Great Isaiah Scroll, oldest near-complete biblical book ever found, on show in entirety for 1st time since 1968

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

IMAGE: Hamas gunmen in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City, November 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conversations around Israel and Zionism have become increasingly fraught, often resulting in heated arguments and a flurry of talking points. For many, finding space for context and nuance in such a charged and confusing landscape can be difficult.

To address this void, the Jewish Federations of North America produced a series titled Getting Grounded in Israel and Zionism. They want to bring this sponsored episode to our Daily Briefing listeners to help you move away from slogans and explore the history, ideas, and tensions shaping today’s discourse.

Today, we are sharing Episode 6 from that series, titled "The Debate: Simple Labels Don't Work." This episode examines why common terminology often fails to capture reality and encourages listeners to examine their own assumptions.

Whether you are looking for a refresher on the historical context or trying to navigate the current social media environment, this episode offers a look at the intellectual and political framework of the region. You can find the full series, along with additional educational resources and videos, at understandingisrael.org or by searching for the show on your preferred podcast platform.

Here is Episode 6 of Getting Grounded in Israel and Zionism, brought to you by the Jewish Federations of North America.

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.

The next round of talks between the United States and Iran is scheduled for Thursday in Geneva. Even as US military pressure mounts, Tehran expressed hope that a nuclear agreement could be reached that would avert a looming attack. Berman updates on where things stand ahead of US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address tomorrow.

We then turn back the clock to last week's inaugural Board of Peace meeting in DC. Washington secured some $7 billion in pledges toward Gaza’s recovery from key Mideast allies; five countries agreed to contribute troops to the International Stabilization Force tasked with phasing the IDF out of Gaza; and plans are advancing to deploy thousands of Palestinian police in Gaza within two months. What about Hamas demilitarization? Berman weighs in.

In a program released Friday following his brief visit to Israel, right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson claimed the Israeli government targeted his family, called the Jewish state “probably the most violent country on earth” and aired numerous antisemitic tropes. We hear why the media personality is latching on to them -- and who is listening.

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

For further reading:

US, Iran to hold talks Thursday as Tehran claims ‘good chance’ of diplomatic solution

Witkoff says Trump ‘curious’ why Iran hasn’t ‘capitulated’ under US pressure

Waving off the skeptics, US feeling bullish after Board of Peace inaugural confab

Tucker Carlson claims Israel targeted his family, Netanyahu ‘believes in blood guilt’; questions Israel’s right to exist

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

IMAGE: A hand-drawn swastika is seen on the front of Union Station near the Capitol in Washington, January 28, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

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 Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Iranian officers briefed Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, Fabian discusses assessments regarding the Iranian proxy in Lebanon attacking Israel if the US strikes Iran and Iran strikes Israel, and the concurrent uptick in IDF attacks against Hezbollah in recent weeks.

Fabian reports that the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, is about to reach the region, offering another stage of readiness for a possible US strike against Iran.

After dozens of settler activists entered the closed military zone of the Gaza border on Thursday night, Fabian notes that the political action diverted the army’s attention away from defending against potential attacks.

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

For further reading:

Report: IRGC running Hezbollah, preparing it for war with Israel if US strikes Iran

Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill at least 12, including senior Hezbollah official

Israeli officials believe US, Iran at unbridgeable impasse as they near open conflict

Dozens of settler activists, including far-right MK, illegally cross into Gaza

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: Hezbollah supporters chant slogans during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in Israeli airstrikes, at Nasrallah's grave in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the head of Realign For Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse.

We begin the conversation with a bleak update on how Gazans are faring on the ground and hear anecdotes of poor hygiene and price gouging in the Strip. As the festive holy month of Ramadan begins, the lack of basic necessities becomes more stark for those who must fast all day but cannot feast at night.

We then turn to the sudden announcement this week from Doctors Without Borders that it has suspended non-critical medical activities at Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s Khan Younis due to the presence of armed men at the medical facility and “a recent situation of suspicion of movement of weapons.”

Alkhatib brings multiple examples of prior knowledge of the "armed men" in the hospital since Hamas's October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel. He accuses the NGO of looking the other way as the terror organization took over hospital wings and turned them into prisons and torture chambers. So why did the international humanitarian group in Gaza decide to take notice now?

And so this week, we ask Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, 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 Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Palestinians hang decorations beside the rubble of destroyed homes as they prepare for the holy month of Ramadan in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

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.

Movie maven Hoffman begins with a tribute to master documentarian Frederick Wiseman, who died this week, aged 96.

We then hear about the Israeli film “Children No More: Were and Are Gone,” directed by Hila Medalia, which is nominated for Best Documentary Short Film. The film documents a vigil that began in March 2025 in Tel Aviv, as a handful of left-wing protesters held photos of children killed in Gaza.

And in the final segment, the pair rewind the 50-year-old masterpiece, "All the President's Men." In addition to appreciating the film's 1976 fashions and antiquated good manners, they note parallels to today's deep exploration into the trove of documents connected with the Epstein case.

Check out the "oy," the "meh" and "not bad" marks given to films in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel has never been stronger. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has steadily rolled back its enemies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. A staunch friend of Israel is in the White House, and he might well launch a second wave of strikes on Israel's archenemy in Tehran.

Or is Israel historically vulnerable? None of the adversaries it has taken on since the Hamas invasion are defeated. US President Donald Trump is an ally, but both the Democratic and Republican parties have influential and growing wings that are hostile to Israel, if not antisemitic.

To make sense of this moment, one needs a grasp of military strategy, Middle East geopolitics, and the workings of the US-Israel relationship.

Michael Oren, Israel's former envoy in Jerusalem and a leading Middle East historian, says that the post-October 7 wars represent "one of the greatest military victories in modern history, perhaps in all history." However, it remains to be seen whether Israel can translate the military victories into permanent strategic and diplomatic gains.

On the potential for a US strike in Iran, Oren stresses the importance of missile defense for the US Navy, as Iran's greatest achievement would be the sinking of an American aircraft carrier. He predicts that after Trump issued clear threats and put his reputation on the line, he is not going to back down and leave a legacy that could be compared to that of Barack Obama.

Looking at the future of the US-Israeli relationship, Oren notes that the US is going through domestic processes that Israel has no control over, but often use Israel to score political points. Given those trends, Israel should diversify its diplomatic relationships, but there will never be a replacement for American support.

Oren firmly supports Israel moving off of US military aid, and transforming its relationship with Washington into one of equal partners working together to develop capabilities.

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited 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 Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

With reports of the US building firepower in the Middle East ahead of a possible strike against Iran, Berman discusses the possible timing and latest indicators, including US President Donald Trump's characterization of the recently concluded nuclear talks in Geneva.

Berman details several of the latest locations of the US aircraft carriers, their offensive and defensive power in the region, and the ability of the US and Israel to carry out an extended campaign if necessary.

He also reports on a brief visit of right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson to Israel to interview US ambassador Mike Huckabee, following Carlson's repeated claims that Israel oppresses Christians.

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

For further reading:

White House: There are many arguments for striking Iran, they’d be wise to make a deal

Iran atomic energy chief says no country can deprive Tehran of enrichment rights

Israel, US envoy reject Tucker Carlson’s claim he was detained and interrogated at airport

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: Demonstrators wave Iranian and Hezbollah flags as one holds a poster of the late Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. strike in Iraq in 2020, during the Muslim Shiite holiday of Eid al-Ghadir, which commemorates the Prophet Muhammad naming Ali, revered as the first Shiite imam, as his successor, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.