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.

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

Tress discusses several universities dealing with issues of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, including Tuesday's hearing in Congress as Republican officials questioned the CUNY chancellor and presidents of Berkeley and Georgetown about foreign funding, support for terrorism on campus and harassment of Jewish students on campus, keeping up the Trump administration pressure.

He also discusses a report on Israel studies programs in universities, as a Jerusalem think tank looked at the climate on campuses, including anti-Zionism activism on campus alongside rich discussion and a broad array of viewpoints in the classroom.

Tress talks about mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and his threats to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he ever visited New York, as well as the current feud between New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander about a possible BDS conflict over New York's divestment from Israel bonds.

He also mentions the 100-year-old Adirondacks synagogue that has persisted despite the dearth of Jews in the area and the history of Jewish immigrants in rural America.

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

For further reading:

US university heads grilled in Congress about anti-Israel terror support on campus

Shai Davidai, an outspoken Israeli professor at Columbia, leaves the university

Israeli postdoc sues Stanford for discrimination; university denies it

Israel studies programs on US campuses are at a crisis point, report warns

NYC hopeful Mamdani’s vow to arrest Netanyahu likely oversteps what US mayors can do

NYC mayor feuds with comptroller over Israel bonds investments

NY’s rural 120-year-old ‘Peddlers’ Synagogue’ charts new path — without a congregation

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

 IMAGE: FILE- Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters demonstrate on the campus of DePaul University, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, file)

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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 correspondents Tal Schneider and Sam Sokol join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

We focus on domestic Israeli politics today on the Daily Briefing and start with Sokol, who sets the scene at the Knesset yesterday. We hear about the colorful circus that came to the Israeli parliament.

The United Torah Judaism party announced its dramatic exit from the government last night. Schneider weighs in on the stability of the coalition, which, if the other major ultra-Orthodox party Shas also leaves, will drop to 50-51 seats for a minority government.

Sokol delves into the ongoing debates surrounding the universal conscription bill. We learn about what is objectionable to the Haredi parties, including new sanctions on institutions such as yeshivas who are harboring draft dodgers. Schneider describes how threats to fire the legislator behind the bill -- head of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Yuli Edelstein -- may not be enough to placate the haredi parties this time.

A motion to expel Hadash-Ta’al chair Ayman Odeh from the Knesset failed to pass on Monday, with only 73 out of the required 90 lawmakers voting in favor. Fifteen MKs voted against the motion, while multiple opposition parliamentarians boycotted the vote. We learn why the petition was put into motion and its ripple effect.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara was not present as a controversial ministerial panel convened at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem to hold a hearing on her dismissal Monday afternoon. Schneider explains why Baharav-Miara calls this a "sham" process and shares the outrage the hearing has sparked.

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

For further reading:

Three IDF troops killed, officer seriously wounded in northern Gaza tank blast

Motion to expel Arab party head Odeh from Knesset fails to pass; coalition MKs heckle him

AG stays away from her dismissal hearing: ‘A sham that harms rule of law, democracy’

The government’s bid to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara: What happens next?

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

IMAGE: Israelis protest in support of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara outside the courthouse in Tel Aviv, July 14, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/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 reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Five IDF divisions, made up of tens of thousands of troops, continue to operate across Gaza. Dozens of airstrikes were carried out in the past days, but one in particular has captured international attention: a strike near a Gaza water distribution point that reportedly killed several children. The IDF said Sunday that it was an accident and attributed it to a “technical malfunction.” Fabian reports on the accidental strike and compares the IDF's quick accountability of it to reports of mass deaths from humanitarian aid distribution sites.

A proposed plan to establish a “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza’s Rafah continues to receive backlash. According to the plan, at least 600,000 Palestinians would be allowed into a newly rebuilt area of the city after being cleared that they are not Hamas. Some critics -- including former prime minister Ehud Olmert -- allege that it resembles the Nazi concentration camps built during World War II. Fabian talks about the plan, puts it in to the greater context of the entire Gideon's Chariots operation and explains the reported criticism from within the IDF itself.

Israeli troops found more than three tons of weapons while raiding military facilities inside Syria, including anti-tank mines, explosive devices, and rockets. The sites had been maintained by the deposed Bashar al-Assad regime. We hear about the raid and the scale of the troops' finds.

Israel’s most advanced communications satellite, dubbed Dror-1, was successfully launched into space from Cape Canaveral in the United States on Sunday aboard a Falcon 9 two-stage rocket, manufactured by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Fabian was inside the Israeli control room and reports back.

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

For further reading:

IDF admits error in deadly strike on water delivery site as truce talks stay jammed

IDF said to warn against Gaza ‘humanitarian city’; ex-PM brands it ‘concentration camp’

IDF seizes 3 tons of arms from ex-Assad regime sites; violence flares in southern Syria

Israel’s most advanced communications satellite successfully launched by SpaceX

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

IMAGE: A former Syrian regime military site found by IDF troops in southern Syria, in an IDF handout photo released on July 13, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

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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.

According to a Channel 12 Israeli television report, later today, Israel will present new maps for the IDF’s redeployment in the event of a ceasefire-hostage release deal along the Morag Corridor and perimeter around Gaza after Hamas rejected its previous offer. Magid updates us on the status of the Doha talks and speaks about the blame game from both sides. We hear about how the Trump administration is playing the "Witkoff card" -- or when US envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff will finally join the talks and what it will signify when he does.

We turn to the results of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Washington, DC, even as he comes home without any overt deals. What else was on the table for the trip and what was accomplished?

Over the past day, security forces arrested six people in connection with an incident in the West Bank yesterday, where settlers allegedly killed two Palestinians on Friday. US citizen Saif al-Din Kamil Abdul Karim Musalat was allegedly beaten to death in Sinjil, a village north of Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority health ministry said. A second man, Mohammed Rizq Hussein al-Shalabi, 23, died after being shot during the attack, according to the Palestinian Authority health ministry. Magid describes what we know about this incident and weighs in on whether any rigorous investigation will be launched.

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

For further reading:

Doha talks stuck on IDF withdrawal; Palestinian officials say discussions nearing collapse

US won’t allow Israel to resume war, but rejects truce text saying so explicitly — sources

Two Palestinians, including US citizen, killed by settlers in West Bank attack — PA

Family of American-Palestinian man allegedly beaten to death by settlers urges US probe

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

IMAGE: Demonstrators in Tel Aviv protest against the Israeli government and for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip, July 5, 2025. (Miriam Alster/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 author and public intellectual Micah Goodman.

Just ahead of this week's What Matters Now recording, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump sat in the White House for a celebratory meal.

The table was set for a grand announcement -- a sealed hostage release-ceasefire deal -- but the guest of honor and his terrorist counterparts have yet to come to terms.

Goodman looks back at the two huge "double gambles" made during these 21 months of war. The first was by former Hamas leader Yahye Sinwar, who launched the invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, after viewing the intense divisiveness in Israeli society. His double-or-nothing bet was that Iran and its proxies would immediately join in the onslaught -- they didn't.

Goodman compares Sinwar's double gamble to that of Netanyahu, who launched a surprise preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear program on June 13 and wagered that the United States would join.

Now that Netanyahu's bet has paid off, Goodman describes how the region is ripe for a realignment -- if tough compromises can be made to end the Gaza war.

And so this week, we ask Micah Goodman, 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 and video edited by Thomas Girsch. 

IMAGE: Shiite Muslim mourners hold portraits of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a religious procession held to mark Ashura, on the 10th day of the Islamic holy month of Muharram in Karachi on July 6, 2025. (Asif HASSAN / AFP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus.

This Friday, join former hostage Keith Siegel and host Jessica Steinberg for a deep dive into what life is like for Siegel, five months after his release home from captivity in Gaza.

Siegel discusses his need to do everything he can for the remaining hostages, including those with whom he was held hostage during periods of his 484 days of captivity, and who are still held captive.

He speaks about the depraved terror he experienced and witnessed in captivity, the moments of grace, and his hope and optimism that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House will possibly bring the war to an end.

Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: Aviva and Keith Siegel, after Keith's release home from Hamas captivity on February 1, 2025 (Courtesy)

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

To begin the program we discuss the current status of IDF operations in the Gaza Strip and then turn to two deadly incidents this week. In the first discussed event, we learn that Master Sgt. (res.) Abraham Azulay, 25, was killed during an abduction attempt by terrorists who also attempted to snatch his body in the southern Gaza Strip.

On Monday night, five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 were wounded by roadside bombs in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. The slain soldiers were named as: Staff Sgt. Meir Shimon Amar, 20, from Jerusalem; Sgt. Moshe Nissim Frech, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Noam Aharon Musgadian, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Moshe Shmuel Noll, 21, from Beit Shemesh; and Sgt. First Class (res.) Benyamin Asulin, 28, from Haifa. We learn about this deadly attack and discuss the significance of both attacks -- regarding Hamas's continued battle-readiness and the IDF's vigilance.

Turning to the north, on Tuesday, the IDF said it killed a “key Hamas terrorist” in a strike in Lebanon's Tripoli, naming him as Mehran Mustafa Bajur, a prominent Hamas commander. We learn about this strike, as well as ground operations inside southern Lebanon where troops raided several sites, destroying Hezbollah weapon depots and other infrastructure.

Twice earlier in the week, the IDF carried out overnight raids in southern Syria, where forces captured a cell of operatives operating on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Fabian weighs in on the power vacuum left in this part of Israel's border with the new Syrian regime.

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

For further reading:

Israeli soldier killed during attempted Hamas abduction in southern Gaza, IDF says

5 IDF soldiers killed, 14 injured by roadside bombs in northern Gaza

IDF says it killed key Hamas figure in Lebanon, confirms death of Oct. 7 terrorist in Gaza

Troops destroy Hezbollah arms in rare southern Lebanon ground raids, IDF says

For 2nd time in days, IDF says troops arrested terror cell in Syria working for Iran

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

IMAGE: A July 4, 2025, handout photo of IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip. (IDF)

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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 Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

After the optimism from US officials on Monday and calls for a hostage deal by the week's end, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the second meeting on Tuesday without any announcement, just a quiet exit from the White House, notes Magid.

Magid discusses how negotiations are proceeding in Doha after US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and other officials involved in negotiations talk about several sticking issues, including humanitarian aid in Gaza, the parameters of the IDF withdrawal, ceasefire assurances, and the hostage and prisoner swap.

He reviews Netanyahu's schedule for the rest of the week as well as what will be discussed in Doha on Wednesday, including Witkoff's expected arrival in Qatar for the ongoing hostage talks.

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

For further reading:

Netanyahu quietly leaves White House without announcement of breakthrough in Gaza talks

Israeli officials claim 80-90% of Gaza deal settled, but core issue of ending war unresolved

Netanyahu and Trump said to discuss future of Gaza ‘day after’ war with Hamas

Netanyahu and Trump were joined by Vance in White House meeting — Israeli readout

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

IMAGE: US President Donald Trump, left, meets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House, July 8, 2025. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)

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

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, DC, but mediators in the ongoing negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal have been notified by the Trump administration that the president expects them to secure an agreement this week. US Special Envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff will travel to Doha today to advance the deal. We hear from Magid and Berman what the atmosphere is like in DC: Are officials still hopeful a deal could occur according to Trump's timeline?

Ahead of a White House dinner, both US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu took American media's questions, including a query about the viability of the two-state solution. We learn what Netanyahu said at the dinner, as well as remarks following the meal from a senior Israeli official who intimated that Israel is ready to temporarily govern the Gaza Strip: “There has to be a system there that manages life,” the official said. “Maybe for a certain amount of time, it is us."

Yesterday, the US announced that it was revoking its “foreign terrorist organization” designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group once linked to Al-Qaeda that took control of Syria in December 2024. This comes after last week, Trump formally dismantled US sanctions against Syria. We learn what was said during the Trump-Netanyahu dinner and the US's hopes to reintegrate Syria into the global economy.

Part of the reason that Netanyahu is in DC is to celebrate the success of the 12-day Israel-Iran war. In a briefing with a senior Israeli official following the dinner, it was also noted that Israel anticipates the US will permit it to launch new strikes on Iran, in the event that the Islamic Republic attempts to restart its nuclear program.

There was no ceasefire deal announcement, but there was drama of a different sort: Following Trump’s opening remarks to reporters before their White House dinner, Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for the American leader on behalf of Israelis as well as Jews around the world and presented Trump with a letter he sent to the Nobel Prize committee nominating the US president for the peace prize.

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

For further reading:

5 IDF soldiers killed, 14 injured by roadside bomb in northern Gaza

Witkoff to join hostage talks in Doha Tuesday as sides told Trump wants deal by week’s end

Katz calls for confining all Gazans in ‘humanitarian city’ built over Rafah’s ruins

US revokes terror label for Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which toppled Assad

Proposal outlines massive camps for Gazans in bid to advance Trump’s ‘vision’ – report

Israel said to expect US backing for future strikes on Iran if it revives nuclear program

Netanyahu surprises Trump with Nobel recommendation, as leaders stress coordination

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

IMAGE: A Palestinian tent city in the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, July 6, 2025. (Abed Rahim Khatib/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.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider and reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lands in the US, Schneider discusses the day ahead for the Israeli leader, ahead of his Monday evening meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House, and the expectations for the announcement of a permanent ceasefire at that point. 

Schneider looks at the issues that still need to be resolved, including the hostages, aid distribution in Gaza and who will manage Gaza if Hamas is no longer in power.

She also discusses the continuing clashes between Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, as Smotrich and his supporters accuse Zamir of being too weak in his handling of Gaza and he has lashed back, with their arguments leaked to the media.

Surkes looks at what is happening at Haifa's oil refineries after two Iranian missiles hit the plant, killing three workers and creating additional environmental concerns due to pollution from the plant, with calls to shut it down.

She also reports on residents from Gaza envelope communities being told by the government to return home in the next weeks and months, although there are still the sounds of war and explosions in their communities.

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

For further reading:

Heading to DC, Netanyahu seeks Gaza deal ‘on our terms,’ vows Hamas will be destroyed

Smotrich reportedly clashes with Zamir over aid distribution in Gaza: ‘You have failed enormously’

Missile that hit Haifa oil refinery brings renewed urgency to plant’s closure plan

Refinery hit by Iran missiles emitting ‘100 times higher than usual’ levels of benzene

State approves immediate return home of 7 of 13 worst-hit Gaza border communities

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

IMAGE: US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he leaves the West Wing of the White House, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mark Schiefelbein)

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