The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

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LIVE Daily Briefing - Security, diplomacy, politics: Your questions, our answers Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

We recorded a live Daily Briefing podcast in Jerusalem on Wednesday, October 14, joined by an exclusive ToI Community audience.

Deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan hosted military correspondent Emanuel Fabian, diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman, and political correspondent Ariela Karmel for a night of interactive polls and audience questions, followed by light refreshments.

This event was exclusively for members of The Times of Israel Community, our reader support group.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natasha Hausdorff: International law itself under attack by anti-Israel NGOs Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

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.

Israel is doing well on the battlefield since October 7, but has lost significant ground in the information war.

Much of that discourse is rooted in legal language -- war crimes, arrest warrants, illegal settlements, charges of genocide.

International law and the conversation around international law is a central battlefield for Israel.

Natasha Hausdorff is one of Israel's most prominent advocates, especially around questions of international law.

Hausdorff is a barrister in London with law degrees from Oxford and Tel Aviv University. She is the legal director of UK Lawyers for Israel Charitable Trust, and is the founder of the Center for International Rule of Law.

She argues that there is an ecosystem of international organizations, NGOs, and foreign governments "promoting a particular agenda against Western civilization" and using the phraseology of international law to vilify Israel.

Hausdorff says Israel takes measures to protect civilians that go beyond those of any other army in the world. That includes the delivery of leaflets, phone calls to individual householders, evacuation corridors to humanitarian zones, and yes, estimates of collateral damage before strikes.

She also argues that the International Committee of the Red Cross does not have a clear mandate to access terrorist combatants in Israeli prisons.

Turning to the genocide question, she says the UN Commission of Inquiry that ruled Israel was committing genocide in Gaza was "essentially a copy and paste" of the Amnesty International report, which relied on a Human Rights Watch report.

Hausdorff calls it "a cycle of disinformation laundering... Hamas propaganda getting that stamp of UN authority."

She also laments Navi Pillay's Nobel Peace Prize, saying she is part of the effort to lower the threshold for genocide in order to find Israel guilty.

Lazar Focus is available on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are the Saudis so poor at war despite spending billions? Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

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.

Amidst rising inflammatory rhetoric from the United States and Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated Wednesday that he is against a US or Israeli attack on Iran in the coming days, ahead of the Israeli election on October 27. We hear what is being said on all sides and why, yet again, actions speak louder than words.

Turning to the apparent war between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, Berman discusses how technology does not a warrior make. He delves into the Saudi military and how it is attempting to fight its battle through Yemeni proxies.

We turn to the increasing number of allegations against Netanyahu, regarding what he did and did not know leading up to the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught. In an explosive television interview last week, former military secretary Avi Gil charged that the prime minister passed up clear-cut opportunities to bring more hostages home from Gaza alive because doing so would have risked his political career.

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

For further reading:

PM: Attack on Iran ‘not convenient’ now, but signs show Israel’s enemies preparing assault

Reports of unheeded Oct. 7 warnings may be tenuous, but still are dangerous for Netanyahu

Contradicting PM and reports, Egypt’s spy chief said not to have been in Israel days before Oct. 7

Ex-Shin Bet chief files defamation suit against Netanyahu, details warnings months before Oct. 7

PM’s ex-military secretary: Netanyahu prioritized political survival when he could have saved hostages’ lives

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.

IDF, police, Education Ministry spar over deadly school trip blast Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

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 Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.

As the government approves an "urgent" NIS 1 billion shekel deal to purchase 12 Apache helicopters, Fabian discusses the need for a larger fleet to defend Israel’s borders.

With the ongoing investigation by the IDF, police and the Education Ministry about who is responsible for allowing a school trip near the Lebanese border in which a 14-year-old high school student was killed by a Hezbollah ordnance, Fabian notes that there could be hundreds more of them around the country following three years of war, and discusses whose job it is to clear unexploded munitions to prevent future tragedies.

After an unidentified flying object set off aerial intrusion warnings in a northern Arab village, Fabian reports that the incident is still being investigated by the Israeli Air Force.

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

For further reading:

Government approves NIS 1 billion toward ‘urgent’ purchase of 12 Apache helicopters

Deadly blast on school trip exposes lurking explosive threat after years of war

Teen killed, 24 injured by Hezbollah munition found on hike near Lebanon border

IDF: Unidentified object that triggered sirens in north was likely a balloon

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.

IMAGE: Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian appears on the Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (Courtesy)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mamdani's political balancing act backfires Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

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 reporter Luke Tress joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode. Last Wednesday at an Israeli-led coexistence event commemorating the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, anti-Zionist protesters railed at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him a "traitor." Meanwhile, Jewish leaders broadly condemned a statement the mayor made earlier in the day accusing Israel of genocide.

Tress explains how the backlash from both the far left and from the Jewish community to Mamdani's actions on the anniversary is emblematic of his broader predicament: He is caught between the demands of his far-left constituency, while also seeking to placate some of his more moderate voters.

Fast forward to Friday, when the New York City branch of the Democratic Socialists of America took aim at NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a Jewish moderate, placing heavy pressure upon Mamdani to fire her. Tress analyzes how this rift may play out in the coming months.

We close the episode by discussing a "surge" in US Jewish communal engagement that appears to have endured during the three years since October 7, according to survey by the Jewish Federations of North America.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How the Houthis' multi-pronged strategy is unbalancing the Saudis Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

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.

Mideast expert Ksenia Svetlova joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Yemen’s Houthis attacked Riyadh’s international airport with a missile on Saturday, in an attack that Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said killed at least 12 people and injured over 300, with some in critical condition.

Saturday’s attack, the deadliest on Saudi soil in more than a decade, was a sharp escalation in the Yemen war, where Riyadh backs the internationally recognized government against the Iran-backed Houthis, who captured swaths of Red Sea coastline in a lightning offensive last month.

Svetlova delves into the Houthis' multi-pronged strategy and how Saudi Arabia is forced to go it alone as its friends and allies appear hesitant to join the fight.

This week marks a year to the ceasefire in Gaza. Svetlova assesses Hamas's continued hold on the Strip, even as the Palestinian technocratic government is waiting in the wings to replace the increasingly entrenched terror group. How could things proceed from here?

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

For further reading:

Netanyahu condemns ‘horrific’ attack on Riyadh airport that killed 12, injured hundreds

At least 12 killed, more than 300 hurt in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport

Yemeni forces said advancing near Bab el-Mandeb Strait; 63 said killed in Houthi clashes

Abbas postpones Palestinian elections, sets presidential poll for September 2027

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A message to Eisenkot? Joint List vows to do 'anything' to oust Netanyahu Oct 11, 2026

Show notes

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.

Political correspondent Ariela Karmel joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Ofer Winter and his People of Israel party simultaneously criticize the Netanyahu government while declaring they will only serve in a right-wing government led by the current prime minister, Karmel discusses how Winter's party was created to sustain Netanyahu and his allies, creating an address for right-wing voters angry with the country's leadership after October 7.

Following a declaration by the mainly Arab Joint List that it is prepared to provide an electoral "safety net" for any anti-Netanyahu coalition, Karmel notes that this appears to be a message to opposition front-runner Gadi Eisenkot, who is adamant that he does not seek the support of Arab parties, but may need backing from Mansour Abbas's Ra'am party, and the Joint List too, if he is to unseat Netanyahu.

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

For further reading:

Ofer Winter talks like he’s the opposition, but won’t walk away from Netanyahu

Joint Arab List says it’s willing to provide safety net for any anti-Netanyahu coalition

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.\

IMAGE: Political correspondent Ariela Karmel appears on the Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reel Schmooze on 'The Stamp Thief': Will a rag-tag team of LA Jews get lucky in Poland? Oct 10, 2026

Show notes

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's featured Schmooze film is a rollicking Holocaust-themed documentary called "The Stamp Thief."

“Seinfeld” producer Gary Gilbert leads a gang of curious individuals on the trail of a trove of stamps stolen from Jews in the Holocaust and reportedly buried in a small town in Poland.

Gilbert's neighbor, documentary film director Dan Sturman first serves as the voice of reason, but is soon caught up in the saga and begins plotting alongside his neighbor.

Eventually, the team hatches a surreal plan to make a fake movie to get into the basement that they believe the stamp stash is stored in.

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.

A Mandatory Listen - Bret Stephens: Israel regained deterrence. The US lost it Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to "A Mandatory Listen," a new weekly podcast in which The Times of Israel deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan asks the big questions facing Israel and the Jewish people.

For this third episode in the new series, we speak with The New York Times columnist Bret Stephens -- also the editor of the SAPIR Journal -- who was in the country for a lightning reporting trip ahead of the Israeli election on October 27.

Stephens, who both supports and criticizes Israel, is increasingly the minority voice at the Gray Lady, where the Jewish state has decidedly lost the battle for public opinion.

But he thinks Israel shouldn't really care what others think about it.

"Let me put it this way: Would you rather have won the battle for public opinion and lost the war -- or vice versa? If that's the choice, I would say that Israel was better off losing the battle for public opinion," Stephens says.

Find out why he believes Israel couldn't have won both wars.

We discuss why the United States, until now, has been judged on its wartime operations through a different lens.

But has the Iran war changed all that?

A Mandatory Listen podcast episodes 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.

Elizabeth Tsurkov: Sharaa's Syria is no threat to Israel Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

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.

Israel and Jews around the world marked three years since the October 7 attacks this week.

It was a time to remember the fallen and the survivors. It was also an opportunity to take stock of Israel's conflicts and what Israel should do next.

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a PhD student at Princeton and Middle East scholar, says that Israel's approach to Syria and Lebanon needs to be recalibrated.

Israel thinks it has a "panacea" in its buffer zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, she argues. But it's not clear how that solves Israel's challenges, and at least in Syria, it is making Israel less safe.

She notes that Hezbollah is a badly weakened force and has lost a lot of legitimacy inside Lebanon. But the Joseph Aoun government is not about to risk domestic tension and even civil war by actually trying to disarm Hezbollah. Israel remaining in Lebanon only weakens the Aoun government further, Tsurkov argues.

In Syria, she says, decisions are made by a group of five people, led by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa. They are "deeply, deeply pragmatic," says Tsurkov. They have sacrificed much to reach a position of power, and are not about to throw it away by picking a fight with Israel.

However, she warns, Israel is making a major mistake with its buffer zone in Syria. Instead of making the border safer, the IDF presence is antagonizing the locals and will eventually push some toward guerrilla warfare against Israel.

Lazar Focus is available on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Yitzchak Ledee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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