Daily Briefing May 24: Tit-for-tat threats as IDF head delivers clear warning to Iran

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.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today’s episode.

Just after 6 a.m. this morning, MKs voted to approve the final parts of the two-year budget. We hear about the events of the night.

Yesterday at the Herzliya Conference, IDF head Herzi Halevi warned of potential “negative developments” in Iran’s nuclear program that would cause Israel to react. Fabian explains the context of this and further statements Halevi and others made at the conference regarding Iran.

There are a lot of rumors lately that the White House is seeking to broker a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia and that in return, Israel would be asked to halt its judicial overhaul and restart peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. Schneider weighs in on how true these rumors may be.

Two Israel Defense Forces soldiers were filmed practicing at a firing range last week while stark naked. Each was sentenced to 21 days in jail on Sunday, along with the officer who filmed them. Fabian fills in some gaps.

Discussed articles include:

Knesset approves 2023-2024 budget in all-night vote, patching coalition rift

Thousands in Jerusalem rally against budget, deals for ultra-Orthodox

IDF chief on Iran nuke program: ‘Negative developments’ could prompt Israeli response

Iran’s latest subterranean nuclear site likely impenetrable to US bunker busters

US wants Israel to shelve judicial overhaul in return for Saudi normalization — TV

IDF soldiers jailed for naked firing range practice

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