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.
ToI founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
As Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, Horovitz discusses comments made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his pre-recorded speech at Yad Vashem, in which he focused on the blows dealt to the Iranian regime by Israel and the US on behalf of the free world.
While mediators aim to maneuver the US and Iran back to talks, Horovitz reviews the gaps between Tehran and Washington, the newly declared US naval blockade on Iran, and the acute dangers of the patient, malevolent regime's survival.
With Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors heading to a first, single meeting on Tuesday in Washington, Horovitz notes that both sides have the same goal, disarming Hezbollah, while the terrorist army wants to stop the talks.
Finally, Horovitz briefly discusses Peter Magyar's landslide victory in Hungary, a blow for US President Donald Trump and the Israeli premier, creating a shift, too, in the EU.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Netanyahu rebukes Europe as Israel commemorates Holocaust in shadow of Iran war
Vance: Lot of progress made in talks toward ‘grand deal,’ but ball in Iran’s court
US positions warships in region as it moves to enforce naval blockade of Iran
Officials seek to temper expectations as Israel, Lebanon envoys set to hold historic meeting
Hungary’s PM-elect vows return to ICC, but stresses ‘special relationship’ with Israel
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: An IDF Merkava tank in southern Lebanon by the border with northern Israel on March 27, 2026 (Jalaa Marey/AFP)
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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.
Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The IDF is reportedly gearing up for renewed conflict with Iran as the ceasefire talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic collapsed over the weekend and US President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz by 5 p.m. Israel time today.
Berman tells us where things stand now and takes us through some possible scenarios for the near, and farther future. We hear how China has responded to the war so far and whether the Gulf States are keen for it to restart.
We turn to the planned Lebanon talks set for Washington, DC, on Tuesday. Can Lebanon really broker a deal to rein in the Iranian terror proxy Hezbollah?
And finally, in a major shift in European politics, long-time leader Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after a landslide election victory by the upstart opposition Tisza party. What could this mean for the country's relationship with Israel -- and the European Union's stance on the Jewish state.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
After talks fail, IDF planning for return to war, Trump mulls strikes on Iran — reports
Trump declares US Navy to begin blockading Strait of Hormuz ‘effective immediately’
Post-Orban Hungary would not expose Israel to more EU pain, though support may ebb
After 16 years in power, Hungary’s Orban concedes defeat to center-right opposition
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.
IMAGE: An anti-US billboard depicting American aircraft caught in a fishing net with signs that read in Farsi: 'The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed, The entire Persian Gulf is our hunting ground,' at the Eqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution square in downtown Tehran, Iran, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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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.
During the fragile ceasefire with Iran, Fabian reports on the 40-day war in numbers, including 80 to 90 Iranian missile strikes during the first day, decreasing to a steady pace of 10 to 20 strikes a day on average for the rest of the war.
As the US continues to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, Fabian discusses conflicting reports about the waterway, which appears to be largely closed to vessel traffic.
Dozens of rockets were launched by Hezbollah at northern Israel over the weekend, notes Fabian, as the IDF continues operating in southern Lebanon to prevent attacks.
The IDF also conducted several strikes at Hamas in Gaza over the weekend, says Fabian, but it's a far quieter front than Lebanon.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
The war in numbers: 650 Iranian missiles fired; 24 killed in Israel, West Bank; 10,800 Israeli strikes
US says Navy destroyers working to de-mine Strait of Hormuz
IDF and Hezbollah trade strikes, rockets as Israel and Lebanon gear up for direct talks
Several Gazans said killed in IDF strikes; soldier seriously hurt in operational accident
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: Released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)'s official website Sepah News on February 17, 2026, showing a rocket being fired from a boat during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz. (Sepah News/AFP)
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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 comic Shahar Cohen.
Comedian Shahar Cohen, raised in Jerusalem and living in Tel Aviv, spoofs Israeli life and society.
He dons wigs and plays a cast of mostly female characters who represent the range of Israeli society.
In a wide-ranging interview, Cohen discusses how each character represents part of him as well as what Israelis are feeling, particularly over the last two and a half years of war, first with Hamas, and now during the war with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Cohen thinks of himself as the comic who is expected to walk Israelis through war and trauma, offering a form of therapy. He talks about the need for escapism and relief following the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, when more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 people taken hostage.
With an upcoming tour in the US, and one million views and counting on his most recent videos about his Nofar character as a soldier in the IDF Home Front Command, Cohen joked, "I actually manage the war 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.
IMAGE: Comic Shahar Cohen from 'That Girl in the Alert Room,' March 2026 (Courtesy)
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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.
The fledgling ceasefire between the US and Israel on the one hand, and Iran on the other, is holding. Even before it went into effect, a pointed debate began over who won, and whether US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu achieved what they set out to accomplish 41 days ago.
John Spencer, chair of war studies at the Madison Policy Forum, says that it is way too early to determine the outcome of the war, as it is impossible to know what the outcome will be. Negotiations on a long-term settlement have not even begun yet.
Moreover, Spencer argues, wars should be judged based on the stated goals of the campaign. Both Trump and Netanyahu made clear on multiple occasions that, though they would love to see the regime in Tehran fall, regime change is not a goal of the campaign.
And, he says, there is no guarantee that the regime survives. It often takes time for the public to rise up and topple oppressive rulers.
Spencer also notes that Israel is clearly stronger than it was on October 6, 2023, and Iran and its axis are much weaker.
As for the Strait of Hormuz, which emerged as a central factor in the war, Spencer does not doubt that the US spent plenty of time and resources planning for the possibility that Iran would close the waterway. He recalls war-gaming such a scenario 15 years ago as a US officer, and stresses that there is a permanent task force in the Pentagon to think about keeping the Strait open.
There are plenty of possible reasons for the US to decide not to force Hormuz open at this point, including global markets, diplomatic openings, and the potential costs of an operation.
Spencer says that in his eyes, Iran's strategy failed, in that it validated all the fears about it in the region, and is likely to push Arab states further into the arms of the US and its regional alliance.
Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.
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