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.

Tech editor Sharon Wrobel and archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

After Israel signed a $35 billion gas deal with Egypt this month, Wrobel discusses the geopolitical and business pressures that brought about the agreement, including pressure to lower domestic electricity prices during the upcoming election year, with the possibility that the deal will bring about a shortage of natural gas and eventually, higher prices within a decade.

Tercatin discusses an archaeological finding of a mold used to manufacture tiny flasks 1,500 years ago, the first time a mold of that kind has been found in Israel.

She also discusses scholarly research regarding whether there was an Israelite kingdom, combining archaeological discoveries with biblical scholarship.

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

For further reading:

As major Egypt gas deal burns through reserves, public will end up paying the price

Forget keychains, Byzantine pilgrims took home ‘souvenir’ flasks, newly found mold shows

Despite academic battle royal, a new book returns David’s kingdom to its place in history

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: Israel's Leviathan gas field gas processing rig as seen from Dor Habonim Beach Nature Reserve, on January 1, 2020. (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, we hear amazing Jangles (entertainment news a Jew can use) from Hoffman, including the contentious NY launch of "Marty Supreme" and the inside scoop into actor Jack Black's superwoman of a mother. 

We hear a full-throated recommendation from Borschel-Dan for a multi-media performance she caught that is touring Israel. Based on journalist and author Matti Friedman's "Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai," the Beit Avichai production will announce its schedule of future shows in April.

The pair hunker down to review the Schmoovie of the week, "The Sure Thing," a 1985 film of teen love -- and lust. Rob Reiner's second directorial outing gets mixed reviews from our hosts. 

Hear who gave "The Sure Thing" a middling "meh" and who gave it our top mark of "not bad" on this week's The Reel Schmooze.

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

IMAGE: US actor Jack Black attends the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "Anaconda" at The United Theater on Broadway in Los Angeles, California, on December 13, 2025. (Robyn Beck / AFP)

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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.

This week, we dive into the five likely scenarios that could play out in Gaza during 2026, which Alkhatib recently proposed on his social media channels.

According to Alkhatib, the five proposals all "undermine Hamas severely and massively change the calculus and geostrategic landscape following the Trump-sponsored ceasefire in October, which has temporarily halted the war."

The five proposals include: A mutiny from Hamas’s ranks within Gaza due to economic and cost-of-living pressures; a significant rise and empowerment of anti-Hamas militias in different areas of the Gaza Strip; mass protests and large-scale uprisings against Hamas throughout the Gaza Strip by civilians; a mass exodus of civilians, from the Red Zone controlled by Hamas behind the "yellow line" into the Israeli-controlled Green Zone; and a successful international stabilization force (ISF) deployment with the mandate of battling and demilitarizing Hamas.

We go through each scenario point-by-point throughout the conversation, leaving time for a reader's question or two.

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 the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: Palestinians walk along a street past a tent camp in Gaza City, December 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, catch diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

This week, we’re joined by Eran Ortal, a brigadier-general (res.) in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and a leading military theorist. Ortal commanded The Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies, and wrote "The Battle Before the War: The Inside Story of the IDF's Transformation," which came in second place for the Institute for National Security Studies's 2025 Tshetshik Prize.

Months before the October 7 invasion of southern Israel by Hamas, Ortal warned in an interview with The Times of Israel that the country's "military situation is eroding, not improving," and that “time is not on our side."

Ortal explains what glaring problems he saw in the military in which he served for decades. He says that the IDF concept in its initial decades enabled it to win its famous victories over far more numerous foes.

He then lays out why the IDF's center of gravity moved from the armored corps to the Air Force and intelligence services.

Over time, says Ortal, Israel also moved away from its focus on decisive victory, and pursued a series of indecisive deterrence operations against non-state enemies like Hamas and Hezbollah.

While there were efforts underway in the IDF to implement a wide-ranging series of reforms in the years before October 7, the Hamas attack took place before they had the desired effect. Israel, he says, went to war with an army that had not been properly trained and resourced, which affected the course of the war in Gaza.

Looking forward, the IDF must go through another transformation, Ortal argues.  Those who argue for continuing to prioritize airpower are mistaken, as are those who call for a return to a focus on mass ground maneuver.

Instead, there must not only be investment in AI, drones, and a network that brings them to the troops on the battlefield; Israel also needs a new strategy that employs cutting-edge technology to achieve decisive victory over its enemies.

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

IMAGE: Israeli soldiers are seen during an army raid in the West Bank town of Tubas, November 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

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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.

Political reporters Ariela Karmel and Sam Sokol join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

After lawmakers on Wednesday voted in favor of a preliminary reading of a highly controversial bill to establish a politically appointed probe into the October 7, 2023, failures, rather than a state commission of inquiry, Sokol discusses the bill, created by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political allies to satisfy critics demanding an investigative commission but with membership that the governing coalition can control.

Another one of Netanyahu's allies, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, infuriated the ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition, reports Karmel, when he voted in favor of a civil marriage bill, further destabilizing the already shaky coalition.

Karmel also discusses statements made by Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli, one of the first members of the prime minister's coalition to comment on the explosive allegations against Netanyahu in the Qatargate affair, in a major departure from the usual rhetoric of the Netanyahu government.

Sokol wraps up the podcast with a report about a gathering of the English-speaking Haredi community in Ramat Beit Shemesh, as they attended an event run by leading rabbis about dodging the IDF draft.

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

For further reading:

Contentious law for politically appointed Oct. 7 probe passes preliminary Knesset reading

Knesset Speaker Ohana votes for civil marriage bill, enraging ultra-Orthodox parties

Chikli backs probe of Qatargate allegations, in first such comment from a minister

Haredi rabbis push English-speakers to dodge IDF draft, worried they might join up

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: Bereaved October 7, 2023 families during a plenum session at the Knesset on December 24, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash 90)

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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.

Legal and settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Defense Minister Israel Katz told settlements leaders on Tuesday that, “With God’s help when the time comes, we will also establish… pioneer groups in northern Gaza, in place of the settlements that were evacuated.” He later walked back his statements, but not before Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich doubled down on them and also pushed for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convince US President Donald Trump to recognize annexation of the West Bank in his upcoming US trip. We dive into the issues of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in the first half of the program.

The IPC famine monitoring organization stated on Friday that food security conditions in the entire Gaza Strip “remain critical,” in a new report covering the second half of October and all of November that classified the territory as being in its “Emergency” Phase 4 category — the fourth highest of its five levels of food insecurity. Sharon explains Israel's criticism of the report and raises the question of whether the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry has been manipulating its numbers of war casualties.

Earlier this month, the High Court of Justice ruled unanimously 7-0 to annul the government’s decision to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, asserting that the government had failed to provide legal justification for its decision to change the way an AG is fired, and determining that the new system it designed was fundamentally flawed. Sharon reviews the decision and updates us on the ongoing existential crisis between the government and the court.

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

For further reading:

Katz vows Israel will build settlements in northern Gaza, later walks back comments

Dozens of settler activists enter Gaza, plant Israeli flags in bid to resettle enclave

PA accuses Israel of ‘tightening colonial control’ over West Bank with new settlements

Government announces 19 new West Bank settlements and legalized outposts

IPC monitor says ‘famine conditions’ over but Gaza food security still ‘critical’; Israel rejects findings

Israel says famine monitor did not seek aid facilitators’ input for upcoming Gaza report

High Court annuls firing of attorney general; cabinet ministers urge defiance of ruling

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 tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, December 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

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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.

Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief, Prince Turki bin Faisal, spoke with Magid on Sunday and said that Riyadh is currently not even entertaining the idea of normalizing relations with Israel and will only do so if Jerusalem begins acting like a “normal country.” We hear how Israel could behave more "normally" and what else the royal family member said.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee held a rare meeting with Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh in Ramallah last Wednesday to discuss ongoing tensions in the West Bank. We speak about the fraught US-PA ties and how this meeting comes on the heels of increased cooperation surrounding ceasefire efforts in the Gaza Strip.

And finally, US Vice President JD Vance claimed in an interview on Sunday that almost no Americans are antisemitic and that concerns about antisemitic voices are raised as a way to avoid discussing “a real backlash to a consensus view in American foreign policy” on Israel. Magid delves into this thorny issue, even as attacks against Jews in the US continue to be at a high since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

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

For further reading:

Ex-Saudi intel chief to ToI: Riyadh will consider normalization when Israel acts normally

Huckabee holds rare meeting with PA official to discuss West Bank tensions — officials

Huckabee: Iran ‘didn’t get the full message’ when US bombed its nuclear sites

Vance: Almost no Americans are antisemitic, real issue is ‘backlash’ to US policy on Israel

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: Illustrative: Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal talks to the Associated Press in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, November 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

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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.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet in Jerusalem this afternoon with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. He will hold a bilateral meeting with each leader, then will host a trilateral summit, followed by statements to the press. We learn about the summit's goals.

Israel has warned the Trump administration that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may be using an ongoing military exercise focusing on missiles as cover to launch an attack on Israel, according to a Sunday report, amid fears that Jerusalem and Tehran are readying for another confrontation. At the same time, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned Sunday that the military will strike Israel’s enemies “wherever required, on near and distant fronts alike,” apparently hinting that Israel may again need to attack in Iran. Berman weighs in as the drums of war appear to approach.

Berman sat with US Senator Lindsey Graham for a one-on-one interview yesterday in Tel Aviv. We learn how the senator believes Hamas must be given a deadline for relinquishing its weapons, after which Israel will have a green light to return to combat operations across the Gaza Strip. As phase two of the Trump peace plan's ceasefire appears stalled, will the IDF need to move in again?

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

For further reading:

Israel warns US that Iran may use missile launch drill as cover to strike – report

Army chief, hinting at potential new Iran war, says IDF will strike ‘wherever required’

Leading GOP senator: Hamas must be given deadline to disarm or face renewed war

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: Demonstrators walk on an image of the Israeli flag with blood dripping Star of David as one of them carries a replica of a missile during an annual rally in front of the former US Embassy in Tehran, celebrating the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the embassy, Iran, November 4, 2025. (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.

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

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday it was investigating a strike in Gaza City which reportedly killed at least five people, including civilians. According to the military, during operations on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line in the Strip’s north, troops spotted several suspects in “dominant structures” on the western side of the Yellow Line — meaning not in IDF-held territory. Fabian discusses the idea of "dominant structures" and reports on the uptick of Gazans attempting to cross the Yellow Line into Israeli-controlled Gaza.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said yesterday that his country is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River. This comes after Israel struck Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Thursday morning, hitting weapons stores deep inside the country and a training camp used by the terror group. So which is it? Fabian weighs in.

The Israel Defense Forces captured a suspected Islamic State jihadist in an overnight raid earlier this week in southern Syria, the military said in a Saturday statement. We learn how active ISIS is in southern Syria.

Finally, an Israeli woman who reported having been kidnapped on Friday was extracted by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces from the West Bank city of Jericho, the military said. We hear about the oft-overlooked close coordination between Israeli and PA forces.

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

For further reading:

5 said killed in Gaza City strike; IDF says it’s investigating, regrets any civilian harm

Army says it killed two terror operatives who crossed Gaza’s Yellow Line

Lebanese PM says country close to completing Hezbollah disarmament south of Litani River

Widescale IDF strikes target Hezbollah training camp, terror sites across Lebanon

IDF says it nabbed suspected ISIS jihadist in southern Syria operation

PA forces extract Israeli from Jericho who reported being kidnapped

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: An Israeli woman who was extracted from the West Bank city of Jericho is seen next to an officer from the Civil Administration, December 19, 2025. (Courtesy)

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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 reviews of two films: the 2019 "An Officer and a Spy," a film by controversial director Roman Polanski on the Dreyfus Affair, which is now playing in the United States, and the shattering documentary, "The Voice of Hind Rajab."

But the pair opens the program by honoring director-actor Rob Reiner, who was slain over the weekend alongside his wife, Michele. We learn about his early acting work and hear about many of his groundbreaking films that have become enduring classics.

Hoffman tells us about Polanski's cinematic childhood and early adult life -- he barely survived the Holocaust and his wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered by the Manson family. We then hear how Polanski skipped out on the sentencing after pleading guilty to engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, a 13-year-old girl he was photographing for Vogue, and has lived outside of the US ever since, but still working consistently. And after all that, we learn about the merits of the film, "An Officer and a Spy."

The final movie discussed is potentially even more controversial to several listeners, "The Voice of Hind Rajab." The film portrays the attempts of the Ramallah-based Red Crescent to send an ambulance to save the six-year-old Hind, who is trapped in a war zone in northern Gaza in a car with her family, who are all dead. Using the actual soundtrack from the terrified girl's phone calls for help, the film is a carefully crafted re-enactment of the impending tragedy.

Hear which film(s) got a seal of approval on this week's The Reel Schmooze.

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

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