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.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

In the wake of reports that suggested that planned nuclear talks set for the end of the week were unravelling, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei "should be very worried." Magid describes the media storm and what may be in store on Friday in Oman -- if the talks do indeed take place.

Last week, Magid was able to get his hands on a draft resolution laying out the powers of various bodies tasked with managing postwar Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative. We hear how it appears to limit the significance of a panel, including Turkey and Qatar, that had sparked worries in Israel. We also learn about the current activities of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, or NCAG, which is still sitting in Cairo.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that elections will be held on November 1 for the Palestinian National Council, the parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Magid explains why this may not be the big deal it appears to be.

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

For further reading:

US-Iran talks back on track after Trump warns Khamenei ‘should be very worried’

Board of Peace proposal appears to relegate Gaza panel with Turkey, Qatar to ‘advisory’ role

Palestinian Authority’s Abbas calls first-ever direct PLO parliament elections

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: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, December 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser, Pool)

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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.

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

An Israel Defense Forces reservist officer was seriously wounded by gunfire from Palestinian operatives in the northern Gaza Strip overnight Wednesday. The IDF responded with a series of strikes on Gaza that Palestinian media said killed at least 20 people. Horovitz weighs in on the move to Phase 2 of the Trump-brokered ceasefire -- without the demilitarization of Hamas.

We also learn of the Palestinian Authority's current involvement in the Rafah Border Crossing and a kerfuffle over a logo that may indicate that ties between the PA and the council of Gazans set to rule the Strip may be tighter than anticipated.

A US Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, in an incident that, Horovitz suggests, shows Iran's confidence level ahead of nuclear talks set for Friday. We hear about Israel's four conditions for a "good" deal with Iran as US President Donald Trump appears to prefer dimplomacy -- for now.

And finally, Israel's dairy farmers are protesting today in Jerusalem as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's "reforms" seek to disband the centralized coordination mechanism that has characterized the dairy industry since the state’s founding. Hear why more dairy imports may not be the right answer.

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

For further reading:

Reservist seriously wounded in north Gaza ambush; 20 said killed as IDF strikes back

12 people let into Gaza from Egypt, of 42 who tried, on day 1 of Rafah opening – report

3 women returning to Gaza through Rafah say IDF bound, interrogated, threatened them

Gaza technocratic committee replaces its logo with the PA’s; Israel fumes

US downs Iranian drone flying toward aircraft carrier; PM to Witkoff: Iran can’t be trusted

Shoppers face empty milk shelves as dairy farmers ramp up fight against proposed reform

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: The northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, February 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

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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.

The Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip officially resumed operations on Monday for the first time in almost a year. We learn how many Palestinians were able to leave the Strip yesterday, versus the potential quota of pedestrians who should be able to cross.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff at 4:30 p.m. today ahead of US talks with Iran scheduled for Friday in Istanbul. Berman explains what could be on the agenda for the talks and delves into the likelihood of a US offensive operation in Iran at this point.

The Prime Minister's Office's point man for hostages, Gal Hirsch, sat with Berman on Friday, days after the last slain hostage from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks — police officer Ran Gvili — was finally laid to rest in Israel. Some of his remarks sparked controversy over the weekend. We hear why.

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

For further reading:

‘A lifeline’: Gazans rejoice as Rafah Crossing opens for limited pedestrian passage

With US and Iran set for talks, Trump warns ‘bad things’ will happen if no deal is reached

Ahead of Friday nuclear talks with Iran, Witkoff heading to Israel to meet PM, Zamir

PM’s hostage czar Gal Hirsch says Biden pressure ‘screwed up’ deal talks, protests aided Hamas

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: People stand on US and Israel flags, outside the US Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, February 1, 2026, during a protest in support of the Iranian government. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

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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 reporter Luke Tress joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

WATCH the full episode here:

Following reports of an anti-Zionist protest in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square, Tress discusses concerns that the rhetoric at such gatherings has become more violent.

After the final grassroots rally for hostages held at New York City's Central Park, Tress reports on the weekly gatherings, which continued until the body of the last hostage, fallen police officer Ran Gvili, was brought home for burial.

More details have emerged on the perpetrator of the car ramming last week at the Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn, reports Tress, although the full story remains murky.

Finally, Tress reviews the formation of an antisemitism task force in the New York City Council, whose speaker, Julie Menin, offers a more centrist Democratic approach than that of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

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

For further reading:

‘All these people are so devoted’: Hostage advocates bid farewell at last NYC rally

Suspect in Chabad HQ ramming charged with hate crimes; had previously attended event there

NYC Council launches antisemitism task force; new bill would limit synagogue protests

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Pod-Waves.

IMAGE; The last rally for Israeli hostages, in Central Park, New York City, February 1, 2026. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

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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 Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warns of a regional conflict in the case of a US attack, Fabian reports that the IDF is on high alert and in contact with its US counterparts, with expectations of updates if US President Donald Trump decides to strike the regime.

Gaza's Rafah Crossing with Egypt is being prepared ahead of its official opening on Monday, reports Fabian, when approved Gazan residents will be able to return to Gaza and leave the Strip.

Fabian discusses the IDF report regarding the accuracy of the Hamas-led Health Ministry toll of around 70,000 Gazans during the war, noting that the overall number doesn't include a breakdown between civilians and terrorists.

As the IDF Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters goes dormant with the release of the final hostage body of fallen police officer Ran Gvili, Fabian discusses some of the work of the unit that opened after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, including intelligence gathering and rescue missions.

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

For further reading:

Zamir spoke with US officials over weekend amid tensions with Iran

Israel confirms Gaza’s Rafah Crossing will reopen Sunday to pedestrians in both directions

IDF believes 70,000 Gazans killed in war, as claimed by Hamas; civilian-combatant ratio unclear

‘We did not assess all would return’: IDF shutters its Hostages HQ 846 days after Oct. 7

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: Palestinian patients wait at Rafah Crossing to leave Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/ Flash90)

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with The Times of Israel's senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.

The body of the final hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, was recovered from the Gaza Strip this week and buried on Wednesday in his hometown of Meitar.

Rettig Gur delves into the deep Jewish roots and societal promise to bring every last person home that led to this moment of relief.

We then hear about the likelihood of realizing the vision that US envoy Jared Kushner laid out last week about a flourishing, reconstructed "New Gaza."

And so this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur, 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: A man walks through tents sheltering displaced Palestinians amid the ruins in Gaza City, January 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

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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 hear scintillating updates on Hoffman's test drive of his new snow blower before launching into our two Schmoovies of the week. 

First, we discuss "33 photos from the Ghetto," which explores the saga of a trove of previously unpublished photographs of the Nazis brutally suppressing the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Revolt that was captured in secret by a Polish firefighter while German forces set the Jewish ghetto ablaze. We learn how the images were accidentally discovered -- and how they complement another set that was sent to the United States decades earlier.

The film, distributed on HBO Max since International Holocaust Remembrance Day, evokes mixed feelings from our team.

We then turn to Jesse Einsenberg's 2024 "A Real Pain." It was a second viewing of the film for our duo and one of them had a change of heart from the repeat performance.

Check out the one "meh" and one "not bad" film (our highest mark) 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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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.

On January 17, a statement from heads of Jerusalem churches touched off a firestorm. It blasted Christian Zionism, leading to an online fight over religious authority, divine promises, and ecclesial divisions.

Christian Zionists, including US Ambassador Mike Huckabee and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. fought back, releasing robust defenses of their theology and love for Israel and the Jewish people.

ICEJ Senior Vice President David Parsons, who has lived in Israel for over two decades, explains why Christian Zionists back Israel, and what it has to do with the nature of God's promises. He addresses the charge that Christian Zionists are secretly trying to get Jews back to Israel to spark the Armageddon, and answers questions about whether they take sides in partisan issues in Israel.

Parsons reveals surprising details on the effectiveness of ICEJ as a diplomatic tool for Israel, and why continued US support for Israel depends on the tens of millions of Christian Zionists.

Moving to a lighter topic, Parsons discusses the ICEJ's keystone event, the annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem, in which thousands of Christians from dozens of countries come to march in the capital -- even at the height of the war against Hamas.

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced 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.

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

Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unprompted and incendiary allegation on Tuesday that a Biden administration "embargo" directly caused the deaths of Israeli soldiers, Horovitz explains what might have prompted his remarks and highlights their implications for Israel's already-strained relationship with the Democratic Party.

As US President Donald Trump is expected to decide whether to launch airstrikes against Iran, Horovitz discusses one of the presumed aims of an attack: to weaken the regime's ability to crack down on future protests, and by extension, encourage the Iranian public to return to the streets with greater prospects of bringing down the leadership.

Horovitz also reviews Hamas's revival in Gaza as Trump moves to advance phase two of his peace plan, and the prime minister's press conference acknowledgement that there is next to nobody in the Strip without ties to the terror group or to the Palestinian Authority.

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

For further reading:

Trump wants to create conditions for ‘regime change’ in Iran — US sources

Israel warns Hamas may soon formally cede Gaza to technocrats, but maintain actual power

Netanyahu’s incendiary accusation against Biden underlines need for the state inquiry he opposes

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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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.

Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the final hostage that was kept in Gaza, is buried today. Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a wide-ranging press conference, during which he raised unusual allegations against the Biden administration. We hear from Berman about the mood in the room and the premier's two remaining foci -- dismantling Hamas’s weapons and demilitarizing Gaza of arms and tunnels.

During the press conference, Berman asked Netanyahu about the changing rhetoric out of Saudi Arabia, which is increasingly aligning itself with actors such as Pakistan and Turkey. We learn what the premier had to say.

Yesterday, International Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed across the world. January 27 marks the anniversary of the liberation by Soviet forces of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious of the Nazi German death camps. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the day at the Babyn Yar ravine outside of Kyiv, where Nazis and their collaborators murdered more than 33,000 Jews in a two-day rampage in 1941. Berman weighs in.

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

For further reading:

Netanyahu: Israeli soldiers lost their lives in Gaza due to Biden-era arms embargo

Netanyahu: No Gaza rebuild before Hamas disarms, Israel will keep ‘security control’ over Gaza

Netanyahu: If Saudis want deal, we expect them not to align with anti-Israel forces

Zelensky, flanked by Ukrainian rabbis, marks Holocaust Remembrance Day at Babyn Yar

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: Then-president Joe Biden, right, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, in the Oval Office, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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