The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

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 CEO of Community Security Service Richard Priem.

While guarding his Dutch synagogue as a 17-year-old, Priem knew there were two places where Jews wouldn't experience antisemitism: Israel and the United States. Whereas in Europe, where Jews regularly must go through security checks and metal detectors before entering community events, he was sure the Jewish State and the Goldene Medina were different.

That "age of security" for US Jewry changed around the time of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting, he said.

This is where his NGO steps in: Founded in 2007, the not-for-profit aims to empower Jewish volunteers and strengthen their communal security toolboxes to prevent attacks and de-escalate situations as they arise.

As Priem, a former paratrooper in the IDF puts it, who better to preemptively ascertain something is amiss than the community regulars themselves?

In this episode, we hear real-life examples of how CSS volunteers saved lives. Later, Priem lays out a hypothetical plan to secure Borschel-Dan's upcoming speaking gig in Chicago.

We learn about the need for "digital hygiene" and how a force of thousands of volunteers -- and growing -- are allowing Jews to be loud and proud again.

And so this week, we ask Richard Priem, 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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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-Israeli war against Iran was initially about military capabilities -- Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missiles, its armed proxies -- but very quickly became a war about energy.

It was Iran's ability to choke global energy supplies that forced US President Donald Trump to effectively stop the war.

We also saw how central the flow of natural gas has been to the Ukraine war, as European countries scrambled to replace Russian gas to heat their homes and power their economies.

These complex challenges take place as the world tries to come up with a coherent climate policy, something it has struggled to do for decades.

Danish political scientist Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, is one of the world's most original thinkers on these issues.

"Energy is prosperity," he stressed.

Affordable, available energy has led to humanity's flourishing over the past two decades. Prosperity means you get less sick, you live longer, there is less child mortality, education is better, and you have more personal opportunities.

Global warming, he said, is a problem and will have mostly negative impacts. But we must ask ourselves whether we are pushing solutions that will end up doing more harm than the problem we are trying to solve.

The conversation, he stressed, must be based on what the UN climate panel actually says. It does not predict the demise of the human race. It does say it can cost 2-3% of global GDP by 2100, meaning it is a problem that needs addressing. But if your solution brings down GDP by 15%, then that is not the correct solution.

Climate innovation is the key, which is a low-cost way of getting green energy to be cheaper than fossil fuels.

For the foreseeable future, however, we are going to keep relying on fossil fuels. If current trends from 1971 remain the same, we are on track to get off fossil fuels in 1,000 years.

The point of public policy, he stressed, "is to leave the world better off in the future.

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.

News editor Ben Sales joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

After Israelis ranked political violence as one of their top fears in a recent poll, Sales reports on the current state of political polarization in the country, ahead of the upcoming election.

Sales discusses the enduring legacy left by the Sbarro terrorist bombing that took place 25 years ago, and how perceptions have changed regarding that trauma following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

After moderate Democrat David Crowley beat liberal candidate Francesca Hong in the recent primaries for the Wisconsin governor's seat, Sales reviews the current election cycle, noting the win for staunchly left-wing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and whether these progressive ideas will take hold on the national stage in November.

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

For further reading:

Israelis are alarmed over the threat of political violence. Can it be averted?

25 years ago, the Sbarro bombing opened a wound in Israel that still hasn’t healed

Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan primary win is a watershed moment for anti-Israel Democrats

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.

News editor Ben Sales appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg on August 13, 2026 (Flash 90)

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 Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

If Israel truly implements the 15-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza -- ostensibly aimed at the disarmament of the Hamas terror group that staged the October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel -- then Israel is required to pull back to the "Yellow Line" that divides the Strip between IDF and Hamas control.

On today's episode, Magid asks: Which Yellow Line — the original one that left Israel in control of 53% of the Strip, or the newer one that gave Israel control of 60% to 70% of the territory? He's received several answers in a recent reporting trip to Washington, DC.

In a Hollywood-esque moment, during a recent flight from Turkey to the United Kingdom following the G7 summit, US President Donald Trump was taken off Air Force One and transferred in a catering truck to a military plane. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that this ploy was triggered after Israel told the United States about the Iranian assassination threat. Magid gives the play-by-play and describes who was left on the original, decoy flight.

The Israeli military on Tuesday denounced the “illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable” establishment of settler outposts inside Palestinian villages in the West Bank in recent days, but did not explain why it had not dismantled them or why, in a recent example, troops prayed with civilians rather than removing them from the area. Magid rolls out the situation at Qusra, south of Nablus, which is still playing out on Wednesday as senior military officials, including Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, are meeting with the Palestinian family under siege.

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

For further reading:

Board of Peace blurs Yellow Line as it wages uphill battle to advance Gaza plan

Israeli intel on Iranian plot said to have spurred decision to sneak Trump off Air Force One

IDF slams ‘reprehensible’ settler outposts in Palestinian villages, but doesn’t demolish them

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.

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 Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Reports circulated on Hebrew-language media last night that Israel suspects that two Arab states are plotting to attack Israel by lulling it into a false sense of security through fake diplomatic agreements. According to two separate reports published by the Kan public broadcaster and Channel 12, the two countries — neither of which is identified by name due to an Israeli censor-dictated blackout — would sign diplomatic agreements with Israel to “anesthetize” the Jewish state and remove any unwanted scrutiny while building up forces.

In light of these reports, we take a tour of Israel's borders and discuss IDF operations on each front at this time, from illegal civilian crossings into Syria and Lebanon to efforts to combat smuggling on the border with Egypt.

With a recent Board of Peace push to disarm Hamas, has the IDF stepped away from utilizing the "Nili" intelligence unit targeting Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel?

In Lebanon, we hear about how the first pilot IDF pullout is proceeding and whether the military is already planning similar steps. And finally, we learn about a new push to fortify the border with Jordan.

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

For further reading:

Hebrew reports claim two Arab states plotting to sign diplomatic deals with Israel to trick it as they plan for war

Three settlement activists illegally enter Syria overnight, are detained by IDF

Israel said to tell US it will keep targeting Oct. 7 terrorists as Gaza disarmament stalls

Israeli pause on strikes in Gaza suspends deadly hunt for October 7 terrorists

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.

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.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel “rejects” the Board of Peace Gaza disarmament roadmap. At the same time, Israel has essentially paused strikes on the Strip and there are reports that the premier and defense minister okayed a pilot reconstruction project in Rafah. Berman tries to separate rhetoric from facts on the ground.

What is and is not in the defense pact that was signed last week by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, wedding Sunni Muslim US allies -- and is it even defensive in nature? Berman explains why Israel should not be alarmed by the declaration, what it may mean for the region and what role these countries in particular want to play in it.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington was “low-keying” its approach to Iran and only “semi-negotiating” with the Islamic Republic, as it suffers in dire economic straits. Could not acting really be the best play right now? Berman weighs in.

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

For further reading:

Netanyahu rejects Trump’s 15-point Gaza plan, insists he can stand up to US president

Board of Peace envoy says full execution of Gaza plan only ‘guarantee’ Oct. 7 won’t recur

Iran claims Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey deal shows ‘change in perception’ towards US

Trump says US ‘low-keying’ Iran conflict, giving economic pressure time to work

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

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. Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today’s episode.

A record-setting wave of emigration from Israel continued in 2025, with nearly 50,000 Israelis leaving the country for more than 12 months. Stub describes how Israel’s prolonged military conflict and political tensions have contributed to elevated emigration that could threaten the country’s long-term strategic interests.

Next, Stub recounts the reinterring of Zionist visionary Theodore Herzl's grandparents, Rivka and Shimon Herzl, in a ceremony on Mount Herzl, exactly 77 years after Herzl himself was reburied there on August 5, 1949.

In the second half of our conversation, we look at the attractions of Carmei Gat, a growing city that Stub describes as Israel’s newest boomtown for English-speakers. Stub relates that the neighborhood is now home to more than 30,000 residents, and has become one of Israel’s fastest-growing destinations for national religious families seeking affordable housing.

Stub describes how the neighborhood was the first in the country to be designed using a comprehensive “umbrella agreement” model in which housing, shopping, schools, transportation and parks were all planned together. The model, which is designed to ensure that residential infrastructure is available as soon as residents start moving in, has, according to Stub, been greatly successful.

To close, Stub walks us through the planned renovations to Jerusalem's historic Mahane Yehuda Market, a proposed NIS 54 million ($17.8 million) upgrade scheduled to start in October 2027. We discuss how planners and businesses are navigating conflicting priorities involved in the remodeling.

 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.

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.

We have two Jangles this week from our movie maven. In the first, we learn about just how Jewish the classic rock band Rush is, and how it was played up at its Madison Square Garden concerts this week.

In the second, we learn about Spider-Man's Jewish roots -- and the Member of the Tribe who is third billing in the new blockbuster.

The main feature this week is 1979's "The Frisco Kid," an extremely Jewish take on the Wild West starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford. We learn how both actors are Jewish according to Jewish law, but only Wilder claimed Judaism as part of his identity.

For legions of American Jews, "The Frisco Kid" held pride of place in their VHS libraries. From all-Yiddish scenes to a deadly fight for a Torah scroll, the film was an outlier in mainstream Hollywood. So how did it get made at all?

Hoffman fills us in on some of the backstory surrounding the making of the movie, as well as who was originally meant to play the goyische cowboy instead of Ford.

Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on 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.

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 leading economist Prof. Dan Ben-David.

Ben-David heads the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research and is a senior faculty member in the Department of Public Policy at Tel-Aviv University.

Before Israel heads to the ballot box on October 27, Ben-David is on a crusade to raise awareness of just how crucial these elections are to stave off an almost inevitable "spiral of collapse."

In economics, a "spiral of collapse occurs when a country starts to collapse economically; the first to leave are the most educated, the most skilled, the people with options, which means that there's a greater burden on those who remain," explains Ben-David. Right now, due to decades of sectoral politics, Israel is headed towards such a cliff, he feels.

But through careful planning and a complete overhaul of Israel's education system, the country can still bounce back. Ben-David explains how the Jewish state needs to create one unified core curriculum for all of its citizens -- and teach it well.

And so this week, we ask Dan Ben-David, 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 Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 the three major fronts with which Israel is contending, there has been some progress on the diplomatic front -- with the caveat that not everyone believes that is a good thing. Lazar and Gabriella Jacobs look at the latest in each of the three theaters -- Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.

On Monday, President Donald Trump -- having called off a major joint strike with Israel -- said the US and Iran were in the midst of talks that could see the Strait of Hormuz fully reopened. Lazar argued that because of the November midterms and pressure from Gulf allies, Trump clearly doesn't want to go back to war, and Iran knows it. Tehran is not afraid of another major US campaign, and continues to raise its demands.

The diplomatic process in Lebanon is more promising. Israel and Lebanon met in Rome for the seventh round of direct talks this week. Though Lebanon wants Israel to pull its troops back more quickly, the US is not about to pressure Israel to do so. Despite a bloody week in southern Lebanon in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, as well as several Lebanese, the two sides still met.

At the same time, Lazar said, this process isn't about to disarm Hezbollah across the country. Major changes will need to take place within Lebanon for Hezbollah to decide that it has failed in its four-decade-long quest to destroy Israel through violence. 

The Trump Administration and Board of Peace are claiming progress in Gaza, as they convince Hamas to sign on to a new disarmament roadmap. Israel has not ratified it, and insists it will continue to confront active threats. Indeed, Israeli strikes early in the week clearly frustrated mediators. Still, Lazar noted, officials tell him that noticeable restraint from the IDF is helpful, and there is cautious optimism coming from the Board of Peace.

Gabriella asked if the three diplomatic processes are linked. Lazar explained that Iran has been trying to unify the fronts against Israel, and situate itself as the arbiter of what happens in Lebanon, and maybe someday, in Gaza. Israel has successfully de-linked the fronts, while stressing that if the Islamic Republic falls, Hezbollah and Hamas are likely to follow.

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.