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. Legal and settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Defense Minister Israel Katz told settlements leaders on Tuesday that, “With God’s help when the time comes, we will also establish… pioneer groups in northern Gaza, in place of the settlements that were evacuated.” He later walked back his statements, but not before Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich doubled down on them and also pushed for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convince US President Donald Trump to recognize annexation of the West Bank in his upcoming US trip. We dive into the issues of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in the first half of the program. The IPC famine monitoring organization stated on Friday that food security conditions in the entire Gaza Strip “remain critical,” in a new report covering the second half of October and all of November that classified the territory as being in its “Emergency” Phase 4 category — the fourth highest of its five levels of food insecurity. Sharon explains Israel's criticism of the report and raises the question of whether the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry has been manipulating its numbers of war casualties. Earlier this month, the High Court of Justice ruled unanimously 7-0 to annul the government’s decision to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, asserting that the government had failed to provide legal justification for its decision to change the way an AG is fired, and determining that the new system it designed was fundamentally flawed. Sharon reviews the decision and updates us on the ongoing existential crisis between the government and the court. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Katz vows Israel will build settlements in northern Gaza, later walks back comments Dozens of settler activists enter Gaza, plant Israeli flags in bid to resettle enclave PA accuses Israel of ‘tightening colonial control’ over West Bank with new settlements Government announces 19 new West Bank settlements and legalized outposts IPC monitor says ‘famine conditions’ over but Gaza food security still ‘critical’; Israel rejects findings Israel says famine monitor did not seek aid facilitators’ input for upcoming Gaza report High Court annuls firing of attorney general; cabinet ministers urge defiance of ruling Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: A tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, December 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)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. Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief, Prince Turki bin Faisal, spoke with Magid on Sunday and said that Riyadh is currently not even entertaining the idea of normalizing relations with Israel and will only do so if Jerusalem begins acting like a “normal country.” We hear how Israel could behave more "normally" and what else the royal family member said. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee held a rare meeting with Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh in Ramallah last Wednesday to discuss ongoing tensions in the West Bank. We speak about the fraught US-PA ties and how this meeting comes on the heels of increased cooperation surrounding ceasefire efforts in the Gaza Strip. And finally, US Vice President JD Vance claimed in an interview on Sunday that almost no Americans are antisemitic and that concerns about antisemitic voices are raised as a way to avoid discussing “a real backlash to a consensus view in American foreign policy” on Israel. Magid delves into this thorny issue, even as attacks against Jews in the US continue to be at a high since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Ex-Saudi intel chief to ToI: Riyadh will consider normalization when Israel acts normally Huckabee holds rare meeting with PA official to discuss West Bank tensions — officials Huckabee: Iran ‘didn’t get the full message’ when US bombed its nuclear sites Vance: Almost no Americans are antisemitic, real issue is ‘backlash’ to US policy on Israel Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: Illustrative: Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal talks to the Associated Press in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, November 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)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 will meet in Jerusalem this afternoon with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. He will hold a bilateral meeting with each leader, then will host a trilateral summit, followed by statements to the press. We learn about the summit's goals. Israel has warned the Trump administration that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may be using an ongoing military exercise focusing on missiles as cover to launch an attack on Israel, according to a Sunday report, amid fears that Jerusalem and Tehran are readying for another confrontation. At the same time, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned Sunday that the military will strike Israel’s enemies “wherever required, on near and distant fronts alike,” apparently hinting that Israel may again need to attack in Iran. Berman weighs in as the drums of war appear to approach. Berman sat with US Senator Lindsey Graham for a one-on-one interview yesterday in Tel Aviv. We learn how the senator believes Hamas must be given a deadline for relinquishing its weapons, after which Israel will have a green light to return to combat operations across the Gaza Strip. As phase two of the Trump peace plan's ceasefire appears stalled, will the IDF need to move in again? Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Israel warns US that Iran may use missile launch drill as cover to strike – report Army chief, hinting at potential new Iran war, says IDF will strike ‘wherever required’ Leading GOP senator: Hamas must be given deadline to disarm or face renewed war Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: Demonstrators walk on an image of the Israeli flag with blood dripping Star of David as one of them carries a replica of a missile during an annual rally in front of the former US Embassy in Tehran, celebrating the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the embassy, Iran, November 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)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. The Israel Defense Forces said Friday it was investigating a strike in Gaza City which reportedly killed at least five people, including civilians. According to the military, during operations on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line in the Strip’s north, troops spotted several suspects in “dominant structures” on the western side of the Yellow Line — meaning not in IDF-held territory. Fabian discusses the idea of "dominant structures" and reports on the uptick of Gazans attempting to cross the Yellow Line into Israeli-controlled Gaza. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said yesterday that his country is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River. This comes after Israel struck Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Thursday morning, hitting weapons stores deep inside the country and a training camp used by the terror group. So which is it? Fabian weighs in. The Israel Defense Forces captured a suspected Islamic State jihadist in an overnight raid earlier this week in southern Syria, the military said in a Saturday statement. We learn how active ISIS is in southern Syria. Finally, an Israeli woman who reported having been kidnapped on Friday was extracted by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces from the West Bank city of Jericho, the military said. We hear about the oft-overlooked close coordination between Israeli and PA forces.Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: 5 said killed in Gaza City strike; IDF says it’s investigating, regrets any civilian harm Army says it killed two terror operatives who crossed Gaza’s Yellow Line Lebanese PM says country close to completing Hezbollah disarmament south of Litani River Widescale IDF strikes target Hezbollah training camp, terror sites across Lebanon IDF says it nabbed suspected ISIS jihadist in southern Syria operation PA forces extract Israeli from Jericho who reported being kidnapped Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: An Israeli woman who was extracted from the West Bank city of Jericho is seen next to an officer from the Civil Administration, December 19, 2025. (Courtesy)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. This week, we hear reviews of two films: the 2019 "An Officer and a Spy," a film by controversial director Roman Polanski on the Dreyfus Affair, which is now playing in the United States, and the shattering documentary, "The Voice of Hind Rajab." But the pair opens the program by honoring director-actor Rob Reiner, who was slain over the weekend alongside his wife, Michele. We learn about his early acting work and hear about many of his groundbreaking films that have become enduring classics. Hoffman tells us about Polanski's cinematic childhood and early adult life -- he barely survived the Holocaust and his wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered by the Manson family. We then hear how Polanski skipped out on the sentencing after pleading guilty to engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, a 13-year-old girl he was photographing for Vogue, and has lived outside of the US ever since, but still working consistently. And after all that, we learn about the merits of the film, "An Officer and a Spy." The final movie discussed is potentially even more controversial to several listeners, "The Voice of Hind Rajab." The film portrays the attempts of the Ramallah-based Red Crescent to send an ambulance to save the six-year-old Hind, who is trapped in a war zone in northern Gaza in a car with her family, who are all dead. Using the actual soundtrack from the terrified girl's phone calls for help, the film is a carefully crafted re-enactment of the impending tragedy. Hear which film(s) got a seal of approval on this week's The Reel Schmooze. The Reel Schmooze is produced by the PodWaves and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.