The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

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BONUS - Sorry, Not Sorry. For Yom Kippur: What does it mean to apologize? Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

As we at The Times of Israel prepared for the Jewish Day of Repentance, we were reminded of an episode that aired last year on Israel Story, our partner podcast. The outfit kindly allowed us to run the Yom Kippur episode in full.

Here's how Israel Story described the episode last year:

Exactly two years ago, in September 2023, we were in the final stages of working on an episode that we planned to release for Yom Kippur. A bunch of production hiccups made us decide to postpone publication by a week or two. Then came October 7th.

Fast forward to today. Yom Kippur is, once again, upon us, and we decided to dust off that never-aired 2023 episode. Since we bring it to you as it was, the episode feels a bit like a fossil -- like a relic of a distant, saner time. But because it was recorded and edited in an entirely different reality, hearing it now somehow only accentuates the craziness of our times.

First up: It's the season to reflect and repent, forgive and forget. As part of that, millions of Jews all around the world send and receive conciliatory messages. These humble pleas are usually an intimate exchange, something that happens between two people and them alone. However, one former high-school teacher from Jerusalem chose a completely different path in pursuit of forgiveness. Adina Karpuj brings us the tale of Channa Pinchasi's unusual search for absolution.

In act two, we revisit the weeks leading up to Yom Kippur of 2023, when we converted two old train cars in Jerusalem’s First Station into confession booths. One was labeled “Sorry,” and the other “Not Sorry.” Hundreds of passersby stepped into one, or both, of these booths and anonymously shared their regrets and secrets. Zev Levi created a mashup of the confessions we collected.

To close the episode, we explore Etgar Keret's story about his not-yet-four-year-old son Lev getting on an easily-irritable taxi driver's wrong side. Lev learned an important and difficult lesson: that saying you're sorry is a very hard thing to do. The short story, voice acted by Ofer Carmel, first appeared in Etgar's award-winning nonfiction collection, 'The Seven Good Years.'

Our end song is Lu Yehi ("Let It Be") performed by HaGashash HaHiver.

Produced in partnership with The Times of Israel.

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IDF bolsters forces on all fronts ahead of Yom Kippur Sep 20, 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 Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The Israeli military said on Friday that it was ramping up its forces on all fronts ahead of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, which starts on Sunday evening and ends on Monday night. Fabian explains what this means in practice.

A Hamas commander who invaded Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught was killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip last week, the Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday, as Palestinian media reported several people killed in separate Israeli strikes across the enclave. We learn of additional targeted killings and reports of civilian fatalities alongside these strikes.

Southern Lebanon saw renewed tensions over the weekend, with two IDF soldiers wounded by a Hezbollah roadside bomb and Israeli and Lebanese troops facing off near the military’s buffer zone. Fabian compares the activity in Lebanon and Gaza.

Iran is rapidly advancing the reconstruction of a nuclear facility that was previously bombed by Israel, according to satellite images cited in a report Thursday by the Institute for Science and International Security. We hear Fabian's assessment of the likelihood of a third Israeli strike on the site.

A senior intelligence officer who is believed to have played a key role in the failures that led to the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught was formally dismissed from the military on Thursday, following months of deliberations over the matter. We hear why this still isn't exactly the end of the saga that includes pooh-poohing intel that could have prevented the massacre.

President Isaac Herzog said Saturday evening that he had granted a pardon to Elor Azaria, a former IDF soldier convicted of killing an incapacitated Palestinian attacker in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2016, after the military opposed giving the pardon. Fabian reminds us of the controversial case and explains how the IDF opposes the presidential pardon that expunges Azaria's criminal record.

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

For further reading:

Ahead of Yom Kippur, IDF bolsters forces on all fronts; Gaza crossing to close Sun-Mon

IDF says Oct. 7 invader killed in Gaza; strikes across Strip reportedly leave 5 dead

IDF says it struck Hezbollah sites after terror group’s bomb wounded 2 troops

Satellite images show Iran rapidly working to rebuild nuclear site bombed by Israel

Gaza Division intel officer on October 7 formally dismissed from the IDF

Herzog pardons soldier who killed incapacitated Palestinian stabber in 2016, against IDF position

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reel Schmooze on 'You Had To Be There': How a musical about Jesus shaped Jewish comedy Sep 19, 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, we chew on the new documentary now in theaters, "You Had To Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way)."

As depicted in the delightful film, if you ever wondered how a whole parcel of comedy greats got their starts, it was in a Canadian production of "Godspell" in 1972 that was a resounding success at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre.

All stars aligned to bring together the constellation of Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin and Jayne Eastwood, with musical director Paul Shaffer. Ironically, the musical depicting Jesus and his disciples was heavily Jewish -- sometimes with comical results.

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.

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Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib: Hamas is to blame for October 7 and Gaza's ‘collateral damage’ Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the head of Realign for Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse.

Before Alkhatib gives us an overview of the conditions on the ground right now in the Gaza Strip, he speaks to social media allegations that he is a "Zionist" or "pro-Israel stooge" because of his staunch anti-Hamas stance and willingness to engage with Israelis and Jews.

He speaks to how the "pro-Palestine industrial complex" marches in lockstep to condemn and blame Israel, giving two examples: the recent Haaretz report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned about the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel and the unreserved acceptance of the narrative portrayed in the new film "NAZA."

Alkhatib goes through the recent claims made against Netanyahu and explains how, in his assessment, there are other agendas at work by a variety of actors. Something doesn't add up, he says.

Turning to "NAZA" and its unprecedented 25-minute standing ovation, Alkhatib again turns the spotlight on the double standard the world employs when discussing Hamas versus Israel.

"Ironically, Israelis are believed when they criticize their government and their military and their people and their army, but Palestinians against Hamas in Gaza... they're not believed. They're called traitors, or they're silenced or they're viewed as inconvenient, by the same people that gave that long standing ovation," he says.

"It's enraging to me that Hamas is afforded the benefit of the doubt," he says, adding that residents of Gaza are likewise enraged that they remain held captive by a terrorist regime that is given a "pass" by the international community and pro-Palestine activists.

Finally, Alkhatib announces that his new short book, "Hamas and its Two Million Hostages" -- part memoir, part an attempt to explain how Hamas's stranglehold on the people in the Gaza Strip is only tightening -- will soon be translated into Hebrew. (Arabic is also in the plans.)

And so this week, we ask Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, what matters now?

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Benny Gantz: Netanyahu is responsible for October 7, dividing society Sep 18, 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.

Benny Gantz was in the headlines in Israel and often across the globe for the better part of two decades. He was the 20th IDF chief of staff during two major operations against Hamas, was opposition leader, served as defense minister, and for the eight months after October 7, was a senior member in the war cabinet.

His fortunes have changed, however, His party is polling well below the electoral threshold, and there are no signs that is about to change. Opposition figures are calling for Gantz to drop out, warning he will waste tens of thousands of votes that could prove decisive in replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But Gantz insists he is in the race for the long run. Gantz said that he doesn't owe anything to anyone except his own voters. He acknowledges that he won't be prime minister, but says that he can be the bridge between the camps in a broad Zionist unity government.

Everything is possible for Israel with a unity government, he said, while no problem can be addressed without one.

Netanyahu, he said, needs to be replaced. October 7 was his responsibility, said Gantz, and Netanyahu has also divided Israeli society.

He was fairly optimistic about Israel's operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, saying that Israel cannot allow radical forces to build up capabilities that could be used to attack Israel. Gantz stressed that Israel is not taking revenge in Gaza, but is securing its own future by working to defeat Hamas. Lazar Focus is available on all podcast platforms.

This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Yitzchak Ledee.

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Foreign Ministry tells diplomats to dial down attacks on ‘NAZA’ film Sep 17, 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 bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Following headlines worldwide and widespread anger in Israel over the allegations made in documentary film ‘NAZA’ about Israel's policies on civilian fatalities in the Gaza war, Magid reports that the Foreign Ministry has recommended to diplomats to dial down attacks on the Israeli filmmakers, assessing that ongoing furious Israeli denials are harming rather than helping.

While the next official round of talks between Israel and Lebanon is delayed to next month, Magid notes that a small meeting between the Israeli ambassador to the US and the Lebanese ambassador took place in Washington, with each party reporting that there hasn't been enough progress on either side, in terms of the Lebanese army disarming Hezbollah and Israel withdrawing from some parts of southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, a Lebanese official spoke with Magid -- although interviews with Israeli press are forbidden -- relaying the message that Lebanon does want to disarm Hezbollah and that Israel’s strikes in southern Lebanon have become too indiscriminate.

Magid also reports on the recent talks between the Houthis and the US regarding its seizure of a strategic stretch of the Red Sea coast, noting that engagement with the Iran-backed militia risks normalizing its status as an address for negotiation rather than an illegitimate actor.

After Vice President JD Vance stated in a podcast interview that US Mideast policy can't be subservient to Israel's needs, Magid discusses other aspects of the interview, including that Vance called Israel an important partner and that relationships with all US allies are based on US interests.

Finally, Magid reviews details from a leaked Board of Peace committee document summarizing 71 intended construction projects in Gaza, noting that it's all on hold because Israel hasn't agreed to the current disarmament plan.

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

For further reading:

Israeli government sends diplomats talking points to respond to ‘NAZA’ — report

Israeli, Lebanese envoys hold ‘positive’ meeting in Washington

Lebanese official to ToI: ‘Indiscriminate’ IDF strikes hinder Hezbollah disarmament

Vance: US cannot let its Mideast foreign policy be ‘subservient to Israel’

Houthis met US officials in Oman, promised not to hit American, Israeli ships — sources

Gaza-bound technocrats draw up 71 rebuilding projects, which hinge on Israeli approval

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

IMAGE: US bureau chief Jacob Magid appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (AP)

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From Mecca to Mokha: Houthis flex as Saudis flail Sep 16, 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.

The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthis accused the rebels on Wednesday of targeting Islam’s holy city Mecca, sparking outrage across the Muslim world. The rebels immediately denied the accusation but did announce later in the day that they had shot down a Saudi fighter jet.

At the same time, the Houthis have captured more strategic islands in the southern Red Sea, strengthening their control of the major maritime shipping route Bab el-Mandeb, and putting more of an economic squeeze on the Saudis.

We learn how the military chiefs of Israel, the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt held a meeting in Germany last week about the war with Iran and regional tensions, according to the Axios news site. And we hear about how the recent Mecca Accords between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey are not bearing military fruit.

As the conflict deepens across the region, Berman weighs in on Saudi Arabia's requests for help from its allies and neighbors, and why, specifically, the United States appears to hope to stay out of it -- for now.

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

For further reading:

‘Red line’: Houthis accused of targeting Mecca for first time in current flare-up

IDF chief met army heads of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, other Arab states to discuss Iran – report

What the closure of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could mean for oil flows

Houthis seize more key islands in Red Sea, launch attacks into Saudi Arabia

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.

How upstart parties could determine the Israeli election Sep 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.

Political correspondent Ariela Karmel joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Israel’s upcoming election officially took shape last week, as the last of 38 parties submitted their candidate slates for the October 27 vote. We learn about the last-minute drama and surprises.

Yesterday, the left-wing Democrat Party petitioned the Central Elections Committee to bar National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit slate from running. The party, led by Yair Golan, accused the right-wingers of undermining democracy, denying “the existence of the State of Israel as a democratic state,” and inciting racism. Karmel explains how this is expected political theater -- used by both sides of the aisle.

Karmel writes in a recent analysis that, "Reflecting a broad rightward shift among the Israeli electorate, Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot is winning voters on the right and leading in the polls by presenting a party that in many ways resembles the Likud of yesteryear." She speaks about Likud's attempts to brand the Yashar head as a "leftist" -- and what this means in Israeli society.

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

For further reading:

Israel’s election takes shape as 38 parties submit slates, in battle between pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs

Finalizing slate, Netanyahu fills reserved Likud slots with allies, ideologues

Democrats seek to bar Otzma Yehudit from election as polls show continued deadlock

As parties lock in, Eisenkot plots path to power through heart of old Likud

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDF rejects film's claim Israel killed Gazans with AI-assisted targeting Sep 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 Israeli politicians assail the Israeli filmmakers behind documentary “NAZA,” about Israel’s alleged AI-assisted killing of civilians in Gaza, Fabian discusses the IDF's immediate response, accusing the filmmakers of making false and unverified claims.

Fabian reports on recent IDF strikes in Gaza that killed several well-known, senior Hamas commanders, and notes that these strikes receive less attention than they did in the past.

Fabian discusses two incidents in the West Bank over the weekend -- concerning an off-duty soldier who fired at Palestinians he said were throwing stones, and a soldier who shot and injured a Palestinian during a settler clash.

After the IDF blew up Hezbollah's underground facility beneath Lebanon's Ali Taher Ridge, Fabian details aspects of the complex, and explains why it took so long to carry out the operation.

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

For further reading:

Culture minister urges revoking citizenship of ‘NAZA’ film creators for ‘treason’

IDF says it killed two Hamas engineers in Gaza strike; 13 others reported injured

IDF kills commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade in southern Gaza airstrike

IDF soldier shoots, injures Palestinian who posed no apparent threat amid settler clash

Off-duty soldier suspended for firing at Palestinians in West Bank, says they threw stones

IDF blows up Hezbollah’s ‘strategic’ complex beneath south Lebanon’s Ali Taher Ridge

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 with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Oct. 7 proved value of IDF's women warriors Sep 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.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Today, we're taking a break from the news and getting a sneak peek into Schneider's new Hebrew-language book, "Milchama Mishelahen" ("Israel's Women Warriors").

Recently published by Yediot Aharonoth, the book charts Israel's female fighters -- from the pre-state underground resistance movements to the landmark court case of Alice Miller, to today's combat soldiers.

Schneider describes how, immediately on October 7, 2023, she knew it was imperative to chronicle the s valor committed by groups of female soldiers -- often in the face of certain death. We hear how their sacrifice saved innumerable Israelis and turned the tide of a wave of Hamas terrorists in several locations.

However, there are still immense challenges to the integration of women into the combat forces. Schneider gives humorous -- and devastating -- examples of the cultural bias women face.

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

For further reading:

Check out the first chapter of Tal Schneider's new book (Hebrew)

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing 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.

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