The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with Unholy podcast hosts Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland.
In this episode, Channel 12 news anchor Levi and Guardian columnist and BBC Radio 4's Jonathan Freedland look back on five years of podcasting together on "Unholy: Two Jews on the News," their weekly show that offers the perspectives of a Jewish Israeli and a Diaspora Jew.
Freedland and Levi discuss their intention to foster dialogue between Israel and the diaspora at a time when those conversations have become increasingly difficult.
They delve into the types of conversations carried out on "Unholy" following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, and how the podcast became a lifeline for them as much as their listeners, as the Jewish community worldwide has grappled with the massacre, bereavement, hostage crisis, and the war in Gaza.
The two hosts discuss their own approaches as Levi is a Jewish Israeli who spent a portion of her childhood in the US, and Freedland is a British Jew who views Judaism and Israel through his own lens.
They also chew over the intimacy of the podcast medium for them, particularly given Levi's usual role as a popular news anchor, with her face and voice familiar to most of the Israeli public. The podcast has created a setting that offers a different kind of opportunity for Levi and Freedland, their guests, and their listeners, with the capacity to foment real conversation and debate.
Levi and Freedland reminisce about earlier, favorite episodes and the years when the podcast tackled other subjects, such as musicals or literature, and with different kinds of guests, including Etgar Keret, Howard Jacobson, and Helen Mirren.
They talk about the books they each published this past year, including Freedland's 14th, a non-fiction historical thriller, "The Traitors Circle: The True Story of a Secret Resistance Network in Nazi Germany—and the Spy Who Betrayed Them."
Levi's book, her first, was written with her friend and CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga. "Don't Feed the Lion" is for middle-grade readers and Levi talks about how young people grapple with antisemitism.
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: Jonathan Freedland, left, and Yonit Levi are the hosts of podcast 'Unholy: Two Jews on the News' (Courtesy)
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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.
Hoffman delights with his New Jersey quest for the best cottage cheese in the world -- Israeli -- much to the utter scorn of Borschel-Dan before turning to his scathing review of the new Amazon "documentary" charting the life of First Lady Melania Trump prior to the inauguration.
We hear a theory that producer Melania Trump attempted to recapture the Eastern European propaganda look of her youth in the MAGA vehicle probing her napkin choices and Hoffman rates her success.
In the same genre of mockumentary, we take a new look at the masterful 1983 "Zelig" by Woody Allen.
Check out the one "oy" and one "not baaaaad" film (our highest mark) in this week's The Reel Schmooze.
The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.
IMAGE: First Lady Melania Trump and US President Donald Trump before the premiere of her movie 'Melania' at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, January 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert, File)
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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.
American Jews have plenty to fret about. Facing rising antisemitism even before October 7, 2023, the community has had to deal with a massive spike in threats, defamation, and outright violence since the Hamas attack.
While Israel was fighting to defeat Hamas and get the hostages home, US Jews were contending with anti-Zionist attacks from both the left and the right.
William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, has been a central player in the US Jewish communities' responses to October 7 and the subsequent two years of war.
He lays out his explanation for the spike in antisemitism in the US, and argues that with domestic focus on ICE, Israel has an opening to restart reconnecting with Democrats and young Americans.
He recounts his conversations with the Biden Administration at the start of the war, and explains why the relationship with Netanyahu became so strained.
Turning to the White House, Daroff offers insights into Trump's relationships with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar. He argues that one should take Trump's threats seriously, both against Hamas if they don't disarm and Iran if they don't concede to US demands.
Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.
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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.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
In the wake of reports that suggested that planned nuclear talks set for the end of the week were unravelling, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei "should be very worried." Magid describes the media storm and what may be in store on Friday in Oman -- if the talks do indeed take place.
Last week, Magid was able to get his hands on a draft resolution laying out the powers of various bodies tasked with managing postwar Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative. We hear how it appears to limit the significance of a panel, including Turkey and Qatar, that had sparked worries in Israel. We also learn about the current activities of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, or NCAG, which is still sitting in Cairo.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that elections will be held on November 1 for the Palestinian National Council, the parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Magid explains why this may not be the big deal it appears to be.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
US-Iran talks back on track after Trump warns Khamenei ‘should be very worried’
Board of Peace proposal appears to relegate Gaza panel with Turkey, Qatar to ‘advisory’ role
Palestinian Authority’s Abbas calls first-ever direct PLO parliament elections
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 and Ari Schlacht.
IMAGE: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, December 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser, Pool)
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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.
Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
An Israel Defense Forces reservist officer was seriously wounded by gunfire from Palestinian operatives in the northern Gaza Strip overnight Wednesday. The IDF responded with a series of strikes on Gaza that Palestinian media said killed at least 20 people. Horovitz weighs in on the move to Phase 2 of the Trump-brokered ceasefire -- without the demilitarization of Hamas.
We also learn of the Palestinian Authority's current involvement in the Rafah Border Crossing and a kerfuffle over a logo that may indicate that ties between the PA and the council of Gazans set to rule the Strip may be tighter than anticipated.
A US Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, in an incident that, Horovitz suggests, shows Iran's confidence level ahead of nuclear talks set for Friday. We hear about Israel's four conditions for a "good" deal with Iran as US President Donald Trump appears to prefer dimplomacy -- for now.
And finally, Israel's dairy farmers are protesting today in Jerusalem as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's "reforms" seek to disband the centralized coordination mechanism that has characterized the dairy industry since the state’s founding. Hear why more dairy imports may not be the right answer.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Reservist seriously wounded in north Gaza ambush; 20 said killed as IDF strikes back
12 people let into Gaza from Egypt, of 42 who tried, on day 1 of Rafah opening – report
3 women returning to Gaza through Rafah say IDF bound, interrogated, threatened them
Gaza technocratic committee replaces its logo with the PA’s; Israel fumes
US downs Iranian drone flying toward aircraft carrier; PM to Witkoff: Iran can’t be trusted
Shoppers face empty milk shelves as dairy farmers ramp up fight against proposed reform
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: The northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, February 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

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