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.

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and US bureau chief Jacob Magid join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress yesterday. We discuss what was said — and unsaid -- in the hour-long speech and hear about who was in the room in support (or dissent) of the premier.

We learn about other meetings of note on Netanyahu's agenda and finally, we get a first-hand account of flying on the newly broken in the premier's Wings of Zion airplane.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

We’re protecting you: Full text of Netanyahu’s address to Congress

In address to both Republicans and Democrats, Netanyahu’s real audience never came up

Addressing Congress, Netanyahu lays out vision for postwar Gaza, anti-Iran alliance

Families pan Netanyahu for leaving hostage deal out of address to Congress

Israeli negotiating team postpones departure to Qatar for hostage talks

As Wing of Zion finally takes off, a less than soaring adventure for press corps

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: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol on July 24, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Saul Loeb / AFP)

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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 on today's episode.

Yesterday, Einav Zangauker, the mother of a hostage held by Hamas, published a short video filmed in the Gaza Strip after the October 7 attack, but recently discovered. Horovitz speaks about her decision to release the video now.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address Congress this afternoon and will meet United States President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday at the White House, and former president Donald Trump on Friday in Miami. We hear the potential points Netanyahu is likely to make.

Rescued hostage Noa Argamani tearfully told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting Monday that her most difficult experience during her eight months of captivity was hearing the premier declare that the war was going to be long. Argamani’s comments came even as she and her father faced virulent criticism from some left-wing journalists and others for agreeing to accompany Netanyahu on his visit to the US, leading to condemnations by both coalition and opposition lawmakers. Horovitz weighs in.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch on Tuesday told the heads of local authorities that students from northern communities evacuated because of the war would not be able to return to school in their hometowns in September and would instead continue to attend schools elsewhere in Israel. While the Knesset is set to break for recess this week, we hear how there is much more work MKs could be doing for their nation at war.

The National Security Council on Sunday told Israelis traveling to Paris for the Olympics to exercise increased caution, warning that it believes that global jihadist and Iran-backed terror organizations “are seeking to carry out attacks on Israeli/Jewish targets around the Olympics.” Horovitz speaks about the increasing perception that Israel is a pariah nation.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Hostage Matan Zangauker’s mom publishes clip showing him in Gaza after Oct. 7 attack

Netanyahu to meet Biden and Harris on Thursday, Trump on Friday

Tearful Noa Argamani tells Netanyahu his vow of long war broke her in captivity

Education minister: Students won’t start school year in displaced northern towns

Israel urges citizens attending Olympics to be cautious, warning of terror threats

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: People hold pictures of Israeli hostages during a vigil on the National Mall on July 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Justin Sullivan/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

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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 on today's episode.

Yesterday, the IDF announced that it had confirmed the deaths of two additional hostages in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, Alex Dancyg, 75, and Yagev Buchshtav, 35, after obtaining new intelligence information. Fabian discusses the ongoing IDF investigation into their deaths.

The IDF said it was adjusting the boundaries of the Israel-designated humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip to better target Hamas following numerous rocket attacks on southern Israel in recent weeks. How does this tie into the renewed fighting in the Khan Younis area?

An empty school and preschool were hit in rocket barrages fired from southern Lebanon toward Israeli communities on Sunday, as several fires sparked by Hezbollah missile attacks raged in the north of the country. What are the Air Force’s assessments for all-out war there?

The Shin Bet security agency announced on Monday that it recently foiled plans by a West Bank terror cell from the Aqabat Jaber camp to carry out a kidnapping attack against Israelis. What do we know about the members of this terror cell?

Fabian reports on a Canadian man attempted a terror stabbing on Monday morning at the entrance to Netiv Ha’asara, a moshav in southern Israel close to the Gaza border.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

IDF announces deaths of hostages Alex Dancyg and Yagev Buchshtav in Hamas captivity

IDF orders evacuation of part of Gaza safe zone, says Hamas deeply embedded in area

Rockets hit empty school, preschool in north after IDF strikes arms depot in Lebanon

West Bank terror cell indicted over plot to attack, kidnap Israelis

Canadian citizen attempts terror stabbing at moshav near Gaza, is shot dead

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: Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, July 22, 2024. (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.

Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

The Israeli Air Force released footage showing missiles launched by IAF fighter jets striking four large container cranes at the port used to unload shipments. The symbolism — and pragmatism of course — behind that move can’t missed after all these months of shipping interference, which is part of a larger strategy, posits Rettig Gur.

Israeli public figures on Sunday expressed gratitude to US President Joe Biden for his backing of Israel throughout his long career after the Democratic incumbent announced he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential election. Some US leaders have placed Biden's announcement in stark contrast with the conduct of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rettig Gur weighs in.

US Senator JD Vance of Ohio, who is Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate, will not attend Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress on Thursday. Is this more than mere logistics?

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

IAF issues footage of strike on Houthi-controlled port, says it’s girding for reprisal

Israeli leaders thank Biden for ‘steadfast support’ after he quits presidential race

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: This handout satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows a view of burning oil tanks in the port of Yemen's Houthi-held city of Hodeida on July 21, 2024, a day after Israeli strikes. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / AFP)

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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 reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Earlier this morning, the IDF said a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis from Yemen was intercepted by Israel’s long-range Arrow 3 defense system. Berman weighs in on how this conflict could spiral into a regional war.

A public fight broke out between Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday after Gallant announced on Wednesday that a field hospital for children would be established by the IDF in Israel, near the Gaza border, due to the extended closure of Gaza’s Rafah Crossing into Egypt. We hear what were the prime minister’s objections to this humanitarian aid.

In a conclusive and unambiguous decision, the International Court of Justice declared in a non-binding ruling Friday that Israel’s 56-year long rule in “the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967” is “illegal,” and that it is obligated to bring its presence in that territory to an end “as rapidly as possible.” But does this ruling have any teeth?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet the Israeli negotiating team today before flying to the United States as efforts are being made to approve the Israeli response to the potential hostage-ceasefire deal, according to a Kan public broadcaster report. Berman explains potential complications. 

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

IDF shoots down missile heading to Israel in 1st Houthi attack since Yemen port strike

Two senior ministers boycotted vote to approve Yemen strike, protesting belated update

PM vetoes Gallant’s field hospital for Gaza kids; defense officials: He’s playing politics

World Court: Israeli presence in East Jerusalem, West Bank is illegal and must end

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: Houthi supporters attend a rally against the US and Israel in Sanaa, Yemen, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

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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 on today's episode.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed it carried out airstrikes in Yemen Saturday afternoon after an explosives-laden drone sent by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv yesterday at 3:14 a.m. and killed 50-year-old Yevgeny Ferder.

We hear about the human error that eliminated any warning of the attack in Tel Aviv and about the drone's unusual flight path.

Fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terror regime in the area of the Al Hudaydah Port in Yemen in what is Israel's farthest known attack in recent history. Fabian updates us on what we currently know.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Israel strikes Houthi-controlled port in Yemen after deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv

IAF tracked drone that hit Tel Aviv for 6 minutes, but failed to classify it as threat

Explosive drone from Yemen hits Tel Aviv apartment, killing one man, wounding others

Houthis’ deadly Tel Aviv drone strike: ‘Lucky shot’ or strategic threat?

ToI Original Video: Drone strike in Tel Aviv

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: Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree speaks at a rally against the US and Israel in Sanaa, Yemen, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

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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 on today's episode.

Magid reports from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he has been attending the Republican National Convention. He describes the scene there and discusses what remarks from former president Donald Trump's hour-plus speech are of note for Israel or the Jewish community at large.

Trump’s selection of JD Vance as his running mate has seen a lot of worried responses from Jewish organizations, but Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog indicated Thursday that he is not overly concerned. We hear why.

Wednesday night, the parents of US-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra spoke to the convention. Magid speaks about their message in this forum.

And finally, we hear a little more about who Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is definitely going to meet next week in Washington, DC -- and who he'd like to.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Israeli envoy: GOP’s isolationist wing more likely to impact Ukraine than Israel

Father of Hamas captive at RNC: Trump told me he ‘stands with the American hostages’

US-Israeli hostage’s family fights to keep American public interested in fellow citizen

Netanyahu said seeking sit-down with Trump during trip to US; will meet Kamala Harris

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: Republican presidential candidate former president Donald Trump stands on stage with former first lady Melania Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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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 on today's episode.

Early today, the Knesset voted not to establish a Palestinian state through a resolution co-sponsored by parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition together with right-wing parties from the opposition. Why now?

In the name of not meddling in the American presidential elections, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has suggested to security cabinet ministers that a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas should be delayed. Horovitz weighs in.

Mossad chief David Barnea told a security cabinet meeting Tuesday that young female hostages held by Hamas don’t have time to wait for a new hostage deal framework, according to unsourced leaks from the gathering that were widely reported by Hebrew media outlets Wednesday. We hear about some of the voices from within the coalition supporting the deal.

Aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are optimistic that some progress has been made in his yearslong effort to re-ingratiate himself with Donald Trump, after the former president reposted Netanyahu’s video condemning Saturday’s assassination attempt, according to a Wednesday report. Could the two meet up during Netanyahu’s upcoming trip?

The IDF is set to begin sending initial draft orders on Sunday, summoning haredi men to the induction center to begin their physical and other testing ahead of their draft. Horovitz discusses the hot-button issue.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Hamas is weakened, but there’s no room for complacency

Knesset votes overwhelmingly against Palestinian statehood, days before PM’s US trip

Report: Ben Gvir urging hostage deal to be held up to avoid helping Biden vs Trump

Netanyahu aides said to see hope of mending fences with Trump after assassination attempt

Urging deal, Mossad chief said to warn time running out for young female hostages

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: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ministers and MKs at the plenum hall of the Knesset in Jerusalem on July 17, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/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 and Tech Israel editor Sharon Wrobel join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

The Israel Defense Forces is increasingly convinced that Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’s military wing, was killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday. We hear what additional information has been released about the strike.

Over the past day, more than 25 targets were struck by Israeli fighter jets and other aircraft in the Gaza Strip, the IDF says. Fabian notes an uptick in strikes on schools as Hamas is increasing leaving the tunnels and embedding itself with civilians. Where does this leave the Hamas hostages?

Around 100 Hezbollah rockets targeted several different areas of northern Israel in four separate waves on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, as the Israel Defense Forces responded with strikes on Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon. We hear that while this barrage isn't unprecedented in number,  the impetus behind the rocket fire is less clear than in previous large volleys.

Yesterday, the IDFs announced it will begin to send out initial draft orders to members of the Haredi community on Sunday. What is the expected procedure and how long will it take to see more ultra-Orthodox soldiers in uniform?

The Finance Ministry has warned that enlisting working ultra-Orthodox men into the army will damage efforts to integrate this group of the population into the labor market. Wrobel explains what else we are hearing out of the Finance Ministry.

Many aspects of Israel’s cost of living have just been going up during this war. We focus on housing prices.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Google is nearing a record-breaking deal to purchase Israeli-founded cybersecurity startup Wiz for $23 billion. How sure are we this deal will go through and what does it mean for Israel?

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

IDF increasingly certain Deif died in strike, says Hamas fighters in ‘survival mode’

100 rockets target northern Israel as IDF strikes in Lebanon said to kill 5 Syrians

IDF says it will begin drafting ultra-Orthodox from Sunday; protesters block road

Finance Ministry warns enlisting Haredim to IDF will damage efforts to integrate them into workforce

Inflation edges higher, bolstered by uptick in housing prices

Google said nearing record-breaking $23 billion buy of Israeli-founded cyber startup

Could Google’s $23b bid for Israel-founded cyber unicorn boost local tech outlook?

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: Israel Defense Forces operate in Gaza, July 17, 2024, in this handout image. (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.

Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and legal reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

During a heated debate in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice committee yesterday, bereaved parents echoed statements made last week by some lawmakers over the state funding the legal defense of Hamas terrorists. The committee is debating a bill to prohibit the Public Defender’s Office from providing legal representation to those defined by law as illegal combatants. What does the current law require?

Also yesterday, the High Court of Justice issued a provisional order against the state over the controversial Sde Teiman detention facility, where allegations have been made that camp guards severely abused captured unlawful Palestinian combatants held at the site, giving the state just 10 days to respond to petitions demanding it be closed. Sharon weighs in.

Ultra-nationalist politician and former MK Michael Ben Ari was indicted on charges of incitement to racism for “dozens” of public statements during the years 2017 to 2023, in which he incited against Arab Israelis, the State Attorney’s Office announced Sunday. What makes this case so resonant?

Goren discusses what she sees as a concerted effort from the Prime Minister’s Office to shift the narrative of the blame for October 7, including several members of the Netanyahu administration.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Outcry at Knesset as bereaved parents protest plans to fund legal defense of Hamas terrorists

Justice and finance ministers refuse to fund legal defense for Hamas terrorists

High Court gives state 10 days to answer petitions to close Sde Teiman detention site

State attorney indicts former hard-right MK for incitement to racism against Arabs

‘A crybaby and a coward’: Lapid slams Netanyahu for complaining about incitement

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: This undated photo taken in the winter 2023 and provided by Breaking the Silence, a whistleblower group of former Israeli soldiers, shows blindfolded Palestinians captured in the Gaza Strip in a detention facility on the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel. (Breaking The Silence via AP)

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