Daily Briefing August 19 - How the Taliban takeover affects US ally Israel

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Today’s panel includes diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and US correspondent Jacob Magid, along with host Jessica Steinberg.

Berman reflects on the ongoing Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, an event unfolding almost 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) from Israel but that will have important ramifications for Israel, the US ally in the region, in the coming months.

Magid updates his Times of Israel report last week revealing allegations of child sexual abuse spanning decades by a leader in the US Conservative movement’s United Synagogue Youth branch. The ToI article prompted eight more individuals to reach out to share allegations of abuse at the hands of former USY Nassau County divisional director Ed Ward and the filing of two fresh lawsuits.

Back on the diplomatic front, we discuss further developments in the crisis between Poland and Israel following last week’s Polish legislation that severely restricts World War II-era restitution claims.

And finally, there’s a look ahead at Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s very brief upcoming trip to the US, amid rising COVID numbers.