Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian and our real estate reporter Danielle Nagler join host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

Saturday night an Israeli bus near the West Bank settlement of Ofra was shot at from a nearby Palestinian town of Silwad, leaving at least 8 bullet holes, but, thankfully, no injured. What else do we know?

Earlier on Saturday, three Palestinian women from Nablus were arrested near a checkpoint with a makeshift submachine gun in their car. First of all, what is a makeshift submachine gun?

Israel is set to allow an additional 1,500 Gazan residents into the country today, reaching 15,500. This rise was announced last month, but delayed. What are additional permits predicated on?

We speak about the case of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh. What makes his case unique?

Nagler gives us an update on Israel’s rising real estate prices, including a few selections of home sales from the past month.

And finally, we hear about new tourism efforts by Israelis -- in Zanzibar!

Discussed articles include:

‘I’m still shaking’: Bus driver recounts West Bank shooting attack

Gunfire hits crowded Israeli bus in West Bank; IDF launches manhunt

3 Palestinian women arrested at West Bank checkpoint with makeshift submachine gun

Israel to allow 1,500 more Palestinian workers to enter from Gaza on Sunday

Israel temporarily freezes arrest of hunger-striking Palestinian as health falters

Inflation and housing prices continue to climb, breaking new records

Housing snapshot: 9 apartments and houses recently sold across Israel

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Illustrative: View of a collapse in a newly renovated section of the 'Tama 38' renewal project of an apartment building, in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Bialik, on October 24, 2018. (Meir Vaaknin/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

A Palestinian teenager was killed as heavy clashes broke out in Nablus late Wednesday and early Thursday while Jewish worshippers held a monthly pilgrimage to a shrine called Joseph’s Tomb in the Palestinian West Bank city under military guard. Fabian explains why this is such a conflict-ridden area.

We’ve been discussing the possibility of renewed diplomatic ties between Israel and Turkey for months. Berman enlightens us on what was the final impetus and what the new diplomatic ties mean for Israelis.

We spoke yesterday on the podcast about a statement made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in which he claimed -- and then somewhat walked back -- that Israel has inflicted 50 holocausts on his people. The fallout continues, including a defensive posture from Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Media reports have leaked preliminary results of an IDF investigation into the deaths of five children in Gaza during the recent conflict. What are the unofficial findings?

Staff Sgt. Nathan Fitoussi was fatally shot this week by a comrade in arms when returning to his post after prayer. Fabian and Berman discuss some potential lessons learned from this, and other friendly fire incidents.

Discussed articles include:

Palestinian teen killed as rioters attack Jewish pilgrimage to Joseph’s Tomb

With reset, Turkey and Israel look to build durable ties that can reshape the region

Gantz defends Abbas meetings amid outcry over PA chief’s ‘holocausts’ comment

IDF finds Israeli strike killed 5 children in Gaza during recent operation – report

Family of soldier killed by friendly fire says not angry at comrade who shot him

Lawyers call to halt probe of soldier in suspected friendly fire killing

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IMAGE: Israeli and Turkish flags from a press conference between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Israel's President Isaac Herzog in Ankara, Turkey, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Political correspondent Carrie Keller-Lynn and news editor Amy Spiro join host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

Tuesday night during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of committing “holocausts” against Palestinians over the years. What have the responses been so far?

Provocateur MK Itamar Ben Gvir is again in the news. First off, he is now eschewing a team up with far-right MK Bezalel Smotrich’s party, and he’s also calling for the transfer of disloyal citizens — including head of the Joint List Ayman Odeh. We hear about both moves.

And briefly, we hear how former prime minister Naftali Bennett is making life a little harder for MK Idit Silman, who was the domino that caused the fall of the Bennett coalition.

Spiro speaks about Kochava Levy, whom she labeled “The forgotten hero of the deadly 1975 Savoy Hotel attack in Tel Aviv.” We hear about the double standards in the fallout of the media coverage.

And finally, pop star extraordinaire Noa Kirel finally said yes! What did she finally agree to?

Discussed articles include:

German chancellor ‘disgusted’ by Abbas’s ‘intolerable’ 50 holocausts claim

In Berlin, Abbas says Israel committed ‘holocausts’; Scholz grimaces but is silent

‘A monstrous lie’: Abbas ’50 holocausts’ claim met with outrage in Israel, Germany

Ben Gvir says he’d seek to expel Arabs who attack IDF soldiers, ‘disloyal’ MKs

Far-right leader Ben Gvir declares solo run, blames Smotrich for collapse of talks

Bennett splits from Yamina, as ex-coalition MKs take revenge on renegade Silman

The forgotten heroine of the deadly 1975 Savoy Hotel terror attack

‘Fasten your seatbelts’: Noa Kirel confirms she’ll represent Israel at Eurovision

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Image: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, and Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, shake hands after a press conference after their talks in Berlin, Germany, August 16, 2022. (Wolfgang Kumm/dpa via AP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

US correspondent Jacob Magid and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast.

Magid discusses the current dilemma of UN official Sarah Muscroft, based in East Jlem, and currently on leave for a tweet about indiscriminate Islamic Jihad rocket fire. 

He also delves into the story about former Israeli ambassador to the US Ron Dermer backing his former boss, Benjamin Netanyahu — with regard to a claim in Jared Kushner's forthcoming book that the then-prime minister went off-script by announcing plans to immediately annex large parts of the West Bank.

Surkes talks about a more personal story, about her father-in-law, Ralph Friedland, who later became Freeman, who was saved from Nazi Germany by a soccer player from the British football association. 

Steinberg adds a mention about basketball team Hapoel Tel Aviv, now known as Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv, for its new sponsor, the vegan organization.

Discussed articles include:

Senior UN official loses her post after tweet condemning PIJ rocket fire at Israel

Backing Netanyahu, Dermer pans Kushner claim ex-PM went rogue with annexation pledge

ToI tale about soccer hero saving German Jew will be studied by Premier League youth

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IMAGE: Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane, 2nd from left, vies for the ball with Roma's Brazilian defender Roger, center, during a friendly match between England's Tottenham Hotspurs and Italy's AS Roma at the Sammy Ofer Stadium in Haifa, July 30, 2022. (Jack Guez/AFP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Political writer Tal Schneider and military correspondent Mannie Fabian join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast.

Schneider talks about former military chief Gadi Eisenkot joining the center-right Hamahane Hamamlachti and what Eisenkot, a newbie politician, will bring to the political scene.

Fabian looks at the recent changes in the Gazan economy, with exports up from Gaza to Israel, as well asincreased crossings at the border, with more people allowed to go in and out of Gaza for work, which creates higher salaries for some Gazans.

Schneider discusses her feature about Jewish-American businessman Bruce Gurfein, who has lived in Dubai for 25 years, and is looking at business-to-business relationships to strengthen relations.

Steinberg adds a word about Svika Pick, the pillar of Israeli pop who died Sunday at 72 after years of ill health. 

Discussed articles include:

Eisenkot marches into politics with much fanfare, little immediate effect on polls

IDF official says Gaza exports have soared, as Israel seeks to incentivize calm

Making inroads: An unlikely 38-hour drive from Dubai to Jerusalem, via Riyadh

Iconic Israeli singer-songwriter Svika Pick dies at 72

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IMAGE: The leaders of the new National Unity party at the party launch on Sunday night, August 14, 2022, in Kfar Maccabiah, from left to right: Gadi Eisenkot, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar. (Elad Malka)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Editor David Horovitz and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

Israel again experienced a terrorist shooting last night, this time near Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Horovitz brings updates.

This morning, we hear that former IDF top general Gadi Eisenkot and former Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana are joining ranks with Blue and White head Benny Gantz. Does this boost Gantz’s chances?

Berman is back in Israel following several weeks in Ukraine. He tells us about a Holocaust survivor who is again displaced by war and previews other upcoming pieces reported there.

International media was flooded with headlines over the weekend about the stabbing of author Salman Rushdie as he prepared to give a lecture in upstate New York on Friday. Berman explains it’s not the first attack surrounding the controversial author. Do we expect the stabbing to affect the Iran nuclear talks in any way?

Horovitz tells us about a so-called "Pasta Nazi" who is working out of Tel Aviv’s Florentin neighborhood.

Discussed articles include:

‘Screams of terror’: 7 hurt, including 2 seriously, in shooting near Western Wall

Suspected terrorist in Jerusalem shooting turns himself in to police

Ex-IDF chief Eisenkot, former Yamina minister Kahana join Gantz-led ‘National Camp’

Rushdie off ventilator and talking, a day after being stabbed, agent says

Why decades later, Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’ remains so controversial

Israel says Rushdie stabbing ‘an attack on our values,’ evidence of Iran’s brutality

No fettuccine for you: Tel Aviv’s ‘Pasta Nazi’ goes viral

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Illustrative image: Then-incoming IDF chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot (L) and then-outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz (L) seen at a changing of the ranks ceremony held at the PM's office in Jerusalem, on February 16, 2015. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

US correspondent Jacob Magid and Religions and Diaspora Affairs writer Judah Ari Gross join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast.

Magid discusses how and why the Egyptian envoy berated Israel at the UN Security Council, following warmed relations between the two countries and its recent brokering of the ceasefire between Israel and Islamic Jihad.

Gross reviews Saturday night's egalitarian reading of Lamentations during the Tisha B'Av fast at the Western Wall, amid expectations for tensions and possible protests from Orthodox extremists, as happened the year prior.

Magid looks at the final decision not to lower the rank of US Security Coordinator, USSC, in Jerusalem to colonel from three-star general, possibly given the role it holds in coordinating between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

He also talks about the moderate rival Dan Samuels who nearly upset congresswoman Ilhan Omar in the recent primary race, one which pro-Israel groups sat out.

Gross discusses the recent tensions between the Jewish Agency and the Russian government, which has threatened to close its branch of the Jewish Agency, which handles Jewish immigration from Russia.

Discussed articles include:

After mediating Gaza ceasefire, Egypt’s envoy castigates Israel at Security Council

Pentagon backs off Jerusalem security coordinator downgrade amid lawmaker pressure

Moderate rival nearly upsets Ilhan Omar in primary race pro-Israel groups sat out

Israeli government intervenes as Moscow tightens screws on Jewish Agency

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IMAGE: Egyptian Ambassador to the UN Osama Abdel Khalek addresses the Security Council on August 8, 2022. (Screen capture/UN TV)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Political correspondent Jeremy Sharon and real estate writer Danielle Nagler join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast.

Sharon discusses small, radical Noam political party ahead of elections, and the fierce ideologies of this party in the Religious Zionist community.

Nagler looks at ongoing housing issues, rental prices and how efforts to stem rising prices will possibly play out in upcoming election campaigns.

Sharon speaks about the perceived root causes of violence against women, according to MK Touma-Sliman, chairwoman of Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Social Equality, and plans to curb violence.

Nagler offers some lighter fare at theme park Magic Kass, a $145 million indoor amusement park attracting about 4,000 people a day this summer.

Discussed articles include:

MK Touma-Sliman: Lock up men who threaten violence against women

Israeli housing prices continue to break records, up 15.9% over last year

They’ve cracked it: Israeli wonderland Magic Kass draws thousands per day

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IMAGE: The Magic Kass amusement park (Courtesy)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Political correspondent Carrie Keller-Lynn and health reporter Nathan Jeffay join host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid took to the podium last night to deliver a state of the union following the 66-hour Operation Breaking Dawn and addressed the Palestinian people directly. What was his message?

We speak with Keller-Lynn about an analysis she wrote about Lapid’s potential political dividends and we hear about the Labor primaries.

Keller-Lynn made a trip to Ashkelon on Sunday, while rockets were still raining down. What did she see?

During Operation Breaking Dawn, Jeffay highlighted the new rocket-proofed hospital at The ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village — located just 40 kilometers — 25 miles — from the Gaza border, next to the city of Ofakim.

We learn about Israeli scientists who are working to develop a “precision weapon” against bowel disorders consisting of viruses that fight bacteria.

And finally, an Israeli lab has grown synthetic mouse embryos with brains and beating hearts — in an egg-free sperm-free procedure that used stem cells taken from skin.

Discussed articles include:

Lapid offers a new path to residents of Gaza: Livelihood, dignity and peace

Lapid is the Gaza operation’s political winner, but can this be converted to votes?

Labor expected to announce candidate slate on Tuesday evening, following primary

As rockets rain down, many vulnerable Ashkelon residents still lack adequate shelter

Rocket-proof and ready for anything, new hospital near Gaza unfazed by flareup

Israeli scientists developing ‘precision’ viruses that kill bowel-harming bacteria

Using only skin cells, Israeli lab makes synthetic mouse embryos with beating hearts

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IMAGE: Isareli Prime Minister and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid speaks to party members during a Yesh Atid party conference in Tel Aviv, August 3, 2022.(Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman, who is recording with us from Ukraine, join host Amanda Borschel-Dan.

Today Israel awoke cautiously optimistic to the news that the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that went into effect last night at 11:30 held. Berman tells us about Egypt’s role as a mediator.

We hear about international reactions to Operation Breaking Dawn, including from the United States, European nations and, significantly, Turkey.

Berman shares what he learned during a phone briefing this morning with senior Israeli officials.

Schneider explains what was remarkable on the political front during the operation and updates us on what we can expect in the political sphere this week.

Berman describes his past week of reporting from the frontlines of Ukraine, including an all-Jewish "Masada" unit.

Discussed articles include:

Liveblog August 8

Gaza truce takes effect, ending days of fighting between Israel and Islamic Jihad

Biden welcomes Gaza ceasefire, says US proud to back life-saving Iron Dome

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IMAGE: Iron dome anti-missile system fires interception missiles as rockets fired from the Gaza Strip to Israel, in Sderot, on August 7, 2022. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

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