The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

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 US-Israeli war against Iran was initially about military capabilities -- Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missiles, its armed proxies -- but very quickly became a war about energy.
It was Iran's ability to choke global energy supplies that forced US President Donald Trump to effectively stop the war.
We also saw how central the flow of natural gas has been to the Ukraine war, as European countries scrambled to replace Russian gas to heat their homes and power their economies.
These complex challenges take place as the world tries to come up with a coherent climate policy, something it has struggled to do for decades.
Danish political scientist Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, is one of the world's most original thinkers on these issues.
"Energy is prosperity," he stressed.
Affordable, available energy has led to humanity's flourishing over the past two decades. Prosperity means you get less sick, you live longer, there is less child mortality, education is better, and you have more personal opportunities.
Global warming, he said, is a problem and will have mostly negative impacts. But we must ask ourselves whether we are pushing solutions that will end up doing more harm than the problem we are trying to solve.
The conversation, he stressed, must be based on what the UN climate panel actually says. It does not predict the demise of the human race. It does say it can cost 2-3% of global GDP by 2100, meaning it is a problem that needs addressing. But if your solution brings down GDP by 15%, then that is not the correct solution.
Climate innovation is the key, which is a low-cost way of getting green energy to be cheaper than fossil fuels.
For the foreseeable future, however, we are going to keep relying on fossil fuels. If current trends from 1971 remain the same, we are on track to get off fossil fuels in 1,000 years.
The point of public policy, he stressed, "is to leave the world better off in the future.
Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.
News editor Ben Sales joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
After Israelis ranked political violence as one of their top fears in a recent poll, Sales reports on the current state of political polarization in the country, ahead of the upcoming election.
Sales discusses the enduring legacy left by the Sbarro terrorist bombing that took place 25 years ago, and how perceptions have changed regarding that trauma following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.
After moderate Democrat David Crowley beat liberal candidate Francesca Hong in the recent primaries for the Wisconsin governor's seat, Sales reviews the current election cycle, noting the win for staunchly left-wing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and whether these progressive ideas will take hold on the national stage in November.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Israelis are alarmed over the threat of political violence. Can it be averted?
25 years ago, the Sbarro bombing opened a wound in Israel that still hasn’t healed
Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan primary win is a watershed moment for anti-Israel Democrats
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.
News editor Ben Sales appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg on August 13, 2026 (Flash 90)
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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.
If Israel truly implements the 15-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza -- ostensibly aimed at the disarmament of the Hamas terror group that staged the October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel -- then Israel is required to pull back to the "Yellow Line" that divides the Strip between IDF and Hamas control.
On today's episode, Magid asks: Which Yellow Line — the original one that left Israel in control of 53% of the Strip, or the newer one that gave Israel control of 60% to 70% of the territory? He's received several answers in a recent reporting trip to Washington, DC.
In a Hollywood-esque moment, during a recent flight from Turkey to the United Kingdom following the G7 summit, US President Donald Trump was taken off Air Force One and transferred in a catering truck to a military plane. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that this ploy was triggered after Israel told the United States about the Iranian assassination threat. Magid gives the play-by-play and describes who was left on the original, decoy flight.
The Israeli military on Tuesday denounced the “illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable” establishment of settler outposts inside Palestinian villages in the West Bank in recent days, but did not explain why it had not dismantled them or why, in a recent example, troops prayed with civilians rather than removing them from the area. Magid rolls out the situation at Qusra, south of Nablus, which is still playing out on Wednesday as senior military officials, including Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, are meeting with the Palestinian family under siege.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Board of Peace blurs Yellow Line as it wages uphill battle to advance Gaza plan
Israeli intel on Iranian plot said to have spurred decision to sneak Trump off Air Force One
IDF slams ‘reprehensible’ settler outposts in Palestinian villages, but doesn’t demolish them
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.

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.
Reports circulated on Hebrew-language media last night that Israel suspects that two Arab states are plotting to attack Israel by lulling it into a false sense of security through fake diplomatic agreements. According to two separate reports published by the Kan public broadcaster and Channel 12, the two countries — neither of which is identified by name due to an Israeli censor-dictated blackout — would sign diplomatic agreements with Israel to “anesthetize” the Jewish state and remove any unwanted scrutiny while building up forces.
In light of these reports, we take a tour of Israel's borders and discuss IDF operations on each front at this time, from illegal civilian crossings into Syria and Lebanon to efforts to combat smuggling on the border with Egypt.
With a recent Board of Peace push to disarm Hamas, has the IDF stepped away from utilizing the "Nili" intelligence unit targeting Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel?
In Lebanon, we hear about how the first pilot IDF pullout is proceeding and whether the military is already planning similar steps. And finally, we learn about a new push to fortify the border with Jordan.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Hebrew reports claim two Arab states plotting to sign diplomatic deals with Israel to trick it as they plan for war
Three settlement activists illegally enter Syria overnight, are detained by IDF
Israel said to tell US it will keep targeting Oct. 7 terrorists as Gaza disarmament stalls
Israeli pause on strikes in Gaza suspends deadly hunt for October 7 terrorists
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.

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.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel “rejects” the Board of Peace Gaza disarmament roadmap. At the same time, Israel has essentially paused strikes on the Strip and there are reports that the premier and defense minister okayed a pilot reconstruction project in Rafah. Berman tries to separate rhetoric from facts on the ground.
What is and is not in the defense pact that was signed last week by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, wedding Sunni Muslim US allies -- and is it even defensive in nature? Berman explains why Israel should not be alarmed by the declaration, what it may mean for the region and what role these countries in particular want to play in it.
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington was “low-keying” its approach to Iran and only “semi-negotiating” with the Islamic Republic, as it suffers in dire economic straits. Could not acting really be the best play right now? Berman weighs in.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Netanyahu rejects Trump’s 15-point Gaza plan, insists he can stand up to US president
Board of Peace envoy says full execution of Gaza plan only ‘guarantee’ Oct. 7 won’t recur
Iran claims Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey deal shows ‘change in perception’ towards US
Trump says US ‘low-keying’ Iran conflict, giving economic pressure time to work
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.