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.

Today's guests are Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz and senior analyst Haviv Rettig-Gur, with Jessica Steinberg as host.

Horovitz and Rettig-Gur begin with a discussion of this morning's headline and the challenge of Israel’s fledgling government attempting to pass the state budget in a first reading in the Knesset. It’s been three years since Israel has had an approved budget and a failure to succeed could bring down the coalition.

Rettig-Gur reviews some of the many remaining contentious budget issues, including reforms for the agricultural industry, small businesses and retirement age for women and what that could portend as a tax issue.

Horovitz weighs in on the start of the school year and the calculated risk taken by the government in its push to open school on time, despite the many issues regarding the coronavirus, testing and vaccinations.

Horovitz and Rettig-Gur also discussed Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and a remark he madeWednesday about the poor execution of the US pullout from Afghanistan, a comment more akin to his former role as a columnist than as a politician.

Discussed articles include:

In major challenge for coalition, Knesset to vote on 1st reading of state budget

Amid COVID and other challenges, hoping for a year of energy, humility, health

Right move, wrong way: Lapid pans US pullout from Afghanistan

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IMAGE: Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman presents the the state budget at the assembly hall in the Israeli parliament, September 2, 2021 (Courtesy Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

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