The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

Available Episodes

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Day 743 - Micah Goodman: End of Gaza war heralds a tectonic shift in Israel
Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with author and public intellectual Micah Goodman. Looking to the French for historical framing, Goodman proposes that Israel is on the brink of a new epoch -- the third Israeli republic. The author of influential works such as “Catch-67” hypothesizes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's signing on to US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan signals a tectonic shift in political alignment -- away from extremism. Today, says Goodman, as most Israelis turn their eyes to a horizon of normalization with Arab and Muslim countries, the fundamental division in Israeli politics is not between the left and the right, but rather the right and the far-right, he says. As the war winds down and grassroots activists prepare for the October 2026 elections, Goodman proposes that most Israelis are not far apart in their key values, and unity can prevail to bring to fruition a new political era. And so this week, we ask Micah Goodman, 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 the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Micah Goodman (courtesy) / Israeli excavators work in the Gaza Strip as the sun sets, seen from southern Israel, October 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Day 742 - Trump raises alarm about public executions in Gaza
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. The US doesn't believe Hamas is dragging its feet in finding the remaining hostage bodies, says Magid, and believes it will take time, and perhaps the help of other countries. The Trump administration is determined to reach phase two of the ceasefire, including demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, and moving into the next stages of rebuilding Gaza, but Israel is nervous to begin that process without completing the hostage phase of the deal. The public executions in Gaza have raised alarm and prompted a shift in US rhetoric, according to Magid. At first, US President Donald Trump appeared to greenlight what he considered to be the warfare between Hamas and Gazan gangs or clans, likening them to situations in the US, but then said if the Hamas executions of these clans continue, he will allow Israel to go after them. Magid also examines the efforts to move into phase two of the ceasefire deal by diplomats involved in the process. They are the ones who initially recognized that it made sense to split the ceasefire deal in two and deal with the hostages first. Now, however, Hamas is the only dominant power in Gaza, and the longer the delay in establishing governance, the stronger Hamas's position becomes. Diplomats stress the urgency of providing services to Palestinians to reduce reliance on Hamas, says Magid. He discusses the efforts to put together a list of technocrats to run Gaza, and that each participating stakeholder wants good ties with the governing body. US denies Hamas violating deal, is aiming to set up safe zone for Gazans fleeing group Trump: If Hamas doesn’t stop killing Gazans, ‘we will have no choice but to go in and kill them’ Slowed establishment of postwar Gaza government fuels Hamas revival, diplomats warn Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: 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: Hossam al-Astal (center) is seen surrounded by armed members of his group, 'Strike Force Against Terror,' in an undated picture from the Gaza Strip posted on Facebook. (Courtesy: Hossam al-Astal via Facebook)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Day 741 - Is Hamas playing games with remaining hostage bodies?
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 Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. As Hamas announced it has handed over to Israel all the bodies of hostages it can find, Berman asks whether Hamas is playing games or whether it really can't locate the remaining 19 bodies. The prevailing thought in the cabinet is that Hamas could access more if it wanted to, and therefore Israel will slowly ramp up the pressure on Hamas -- for now, blocking the entry of reconstruction materials. Berman also discusses the question of whether the war against Hamas has ended; Israel hasn’t declared an end and wants to keep the military threat hanging over Hamas’s head unless it moves forward with its obligations under the peace plan. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was diagnosed with bronchitis on Wednesday, in the thick of his resumed corruption trial. Berman notes that the prime minister, who is about to turn 76 and is not in perfect health, had been in close contact with recently released hostages whose immune systems have been compromised. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Hamas returns bodies of hostages Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, Eitan Levy; 4th body a Palestinian Senior Israeli official insists Gaza war ‘not over’ until all truce phases complete Trial hearing ends early for ill Netanyahu, who’s accused of exposing freed hostages to disease 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. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. IMAGE: With 19 deceased hostages still in Hamas captivity, in violation of the deal, protesters gathered on Begin Road in Tel Aviv to call for their release on October 15, 2025 (Credit: Adi Levi/Israeli Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Day 740 - Moving reunions, renewed rallies to bring hostages home now
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. Culture editor Jessica Steinberg joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Steinberg, who has covered hostages' families and their struggle to return their loved ones for the past two years, relates several anecdotes of reunions and other moving moments. We hear about how several favored performing artists have delivered personal performances to their freshly freed fans and about a pair of prankster brothers. At recording time, a total of seven of the eight hostage bodies returned by Hamas over the past two days have been identified. They are named as: Yossi Sharabi, Cpt. Daniel Perez, Bipin Joshi, Guy Illouz, Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levy. A fourth body transferred last night does not belong to a hostage, according to the IDF. We hear about the bereaved families who are again ramping up the protests to close the circle on this painful chapter. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: 4 bodies, purportedly of unnamed hostages, return to Israel after threat to limit aid ‘Coming back to life’: Freed hostages’ families give updates, thanks; some snub PM 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: Relatives of hostages whose bodies are still in Gaza Strip shout slogans calling for their release at the plaza known as Hostages Square, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Day 739 - Hamas withholds dead hostages, dampening joy of returned living
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. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. We begin the program by describing the joy and relief experienced by families of released hostages -- and all Israelis -- as they were reunited with their loved ones. However, Hamas handed over the bodies of only four dead hostages, with Israel and the families of the remaining 24 accusing the terror group of breaching its commitments under the ceasefire. The International Committee of the Red Cross said that it will take time before the bodies of all the dead hostages are returned, calling it a “massive challenge” given the difficulties of finding remains amid Gaza’s rubble. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that it will hold an emergency meeting tonight as anger mounts. Yesterday afternoon, after the 20 living hostages had returned home, US President Donald Trump spoke at the Knesset and declared “the historic dawn of the new Middle East.” Trump said it marked “not only the end of war, but the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God.” Horovitz paints a picture of the atmosphere at the Knesset and delves into noteworthy statements. Following his Knesset speech, Trump met with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Turkey and signed a document in Sharm el-Sheikh aimed at enshrining the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. Today, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will seek the support of Gulf states, the United States and Europe for the reconstruction of Gaza under the new ceasefire deal, and he believes project financing will be provided swiftly. We discuss the viability of a phase two of Trump's peace plan. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: All 20 remaining living hostages return to Israel, after over 2 years in Hamas captivity Slain hostage’s mother: Government betrayed families whose loved ones remain in Gaza Israel frees nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds of terror convicts Rapturously received in the Knesset, Trump tells Israel it won the war, now it’s time for peace Full text of Trump’s Knesset speech: You’ve won. You can’t beat the world. It’s time for peace At Sharm summit, Trump and world leaders sign up for peace in Gaza, with Netanyahu absent Hamas said to kill over 30 Gazans as group moves to reassert its grip on Strip Hamas reappears on Gaza’s streets, and two of three militias that fought it go quiet 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 woman, left, wrapped with an Israeli flag with the photo of one of her best friend Itay Chen, who was killed in Hamas' attack on October 7, is embraced at the plaza known as Hostages Square, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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