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.
Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Almost three weeks into the 60-day period in which the US and Iran are tasked with negotiating a final deal to end the war, the US military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday and revoked a license allowing the country to sell oil after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. Can this further pressure on an already fragile ceasefire spiral both sides back into war?
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would “certainly consider” selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, as he sat alongside his "good friend" Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. We hear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's caustic response.
The Knesset voted 59-0 on Monday to pass, in the first of three readings, controversial legislation establishing a politically appointed probe into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre. The legislation would give the government that was in power when the attacks took place the authority to unilaterally appoint the body investigating its own conduct. This is only one of several controversial pieces of legislation being pushed through in a last-minute drive from the current coalition. Horovitz weighs in.
Ahead of the Knesset’s expected dissolution next week and general elections in October, Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists party announced Tuesday it would join forces with former Blue and White MK Chili Tropper. We learn how this move -- as well as a newly announced party from longtime Likud MK Yuli Edelstein -- could shift coalition building blocks.
And finally, we hear Horovitz's commentary on last night's nail-biting World Cup match between Egypt and Argentina.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
US strikes Iran, revokes oil sanctions waiver after attacks on tankers in Hormuz
Sitting alongside ‘friend’ Erdogan, Trump says he’ll ‘certainly consider’ F-35 sale to Turkey
Knesset advances controversial bill for politically appointed Oct. 7 probe in 1st reading
Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists teams up with ex-minister Chili Tropper ahead of election
Messi leads Argentina in stunning late 3-2 comeback to oust Egypt from World Cup
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.
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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.
Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today’s episode.
We begin our conversation by diving into the Maccabiah Games, which are being held at venues across Israel through July 13. Zev Stub explains how, after last year's Maccabiah was postponed because of Israel's June 2025 war with Iran, the opening of the two-week competition carried an added sense of symbolism and significance.
We then examine Stub's reporting on the Israeli Chief Rabbinate's apparent decision on Thursday to authorize the liberal Tzohar Rabbinical Organization to issue kashrut certifications under Israeli law for the first time, following a High Court of Justice ruling last month requiring it to withdraw its refusal to recognize the group. Within hours, however, the decision was thrown into doubt, with senior officials saying the approval had not been properly authorized and therefore had no legal standing. Stub walks us through the competing claims and the possible outcomes.
In the second half of our discussion, Stub delivers a real estate snapshot of current trends in Israel's housing market. We analyze how the strong shekel, fluctuating interest rates and rising antisemitism worldwide are shaping buyer behavior.
To close, Stub takes us inside "Bat Sheba's Palace," a Caesarea property listed for an asking price of $210 million. With gold-plated fountains, imported stone and nearly 74,000 square feet (6,900 square meters) of interior space, the Versailles-inspired estate embodies a level of luxury once unimaginable in the Jewish state.
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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 correspondent Jeremy Sharon joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
A low-level constitutional crisis is brewing, Sharon says, as Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Justice Minister Yariv Levin both said they won't respect a High Court of Justice ruling regarding the Second Authority, the regulatory body for commercial broadcast media and the proposed sale of Channel 13.
Sharon reports that President Isaac Herzog and opposition leaders immediately warned that when the government refuses to heed certain High Court decisions, it paves the way for other, more severe situations, such as electoral interference, and ultimately threatens Israel's democracy.
Sharon reports on another recent High Court decision that could also have led to a constitutional crisis, as the deputy court president ruled that the government must redo the election for the state comptroller following a suspicion of violations of ballot secrecy in the previous round.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Government defiance of High Court paves way for future disregard of the law
In first, government vows to disobey High Court ruling, setting up constitutional crisis
High Court rules state comptroller election violated ballot secrecy, must be held again
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: Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon appears on the Daily Briefing podcast with host Jessica Steinberg (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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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.
IDF clashes with Hezbollah in south Lebanon continue, reports Fabian, but on a more limited basis following the recently signed Beirut-Jerusalem framework, in comparison to previous iterations of ceasefires with the Iranian proxy terror group.
The IDF targeted and killed a Hamas chief of security in Gaza who commanded a terror cell that raided the Nahal Oz army base and kibbutz on October 7, 2023, notes Fabian. The cell seized the body of tank commander Daniel Perez and took hostage Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samar Talalka, who later escaped their captors and were accidentally killed in December 2023 by IDF troops in Gaza.
Fabian discusses a statement made by IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir at an assessment on Thursday in which, without citing it explicitly, he takes aim at the government's advancing a Basic Law that would prioritize ultra-Orthodox Torah study over the army's stated need for more personnel as it battles on several fronts.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
IDF says it killed armed Hezbollah operative after manhunt in southern Lebanon
IDF shells Hezbollah sites after soldier hurt in clash with gunman in south Lebanon
IDF says strike killed Hezbollah operative who emerged from tunnel in south Lebanon
IDF says it killed Hamas terrorist who abducted tank officer Daniel Perez, held hostages
After Basic Law exalting Torah study advances, IDF chief says soldiers must be prioritized
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 (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook.
Solomonov and Cook, the trailblazing chefs behind Philadelphia hospitality group CookNSolo Restaurants, are known champions of the Israeli culinary landscape, a history that began with their first restaurant, Zahav, which is considered their flagship and was established 17 years ago.
The James Beard Foundation award-winning restaurateurs speak about how they met as line cooks in Philadelphia, when they ran to a tiny Middle Eastern market to stock up on freekeh, silan and spices for their developing menu.
Solomonov, the son of a Bulgarian-Israeli father and American-Israeli mother, and Cook, the son of an American rabbi, speak about the Jewish and Israeli influences in their lives.
They discuss how Zahav came to be, in an unlikely corner of Philadelphia, an upscale version of an Israeli grill restaurant, eventually branching into additional restaurants and cafes in the city, in New York, and in Florida.
Their take on Israeli cuisine has been at the forefront of the American discovery of creamy hummus and tahini, roasted meats and fresh salads, a concept they discuss during the podcast.
Cook and Solomonov review the last two and a half years since the bloody October 7 Hamas onslaught and the concurrent wave of anti-Zionist sentiment, when it became much more challenging to run a chain of Israel-influenced restaurants.
With nearly 500 employees at their 18 restaurants, the pair say they feel proud to be an Israeli restaurant group, knowing that it is inspiring to some and a reason for others to express hate and vitriol.
Solomonov and Cook agree that they won't apologize for their identity, for their culture or community, and will continue to prepare and develop their dishes and restaurants to represent their roots.
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.
IMAGE: Celebrated restaurateurs and chefs Steve Cook (left) and Michael Solomonov (right) speak to What Matters Now host Jessica Steinberg for this week's podcast (Courtesy)
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