Daily Briefing Oct. 21 – Is Netanyahu gearing up to strike Iran?

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman on the prime minister’s failure to clamp down on extremist settler violence in the West Bank and the dangers of indecisive military operations

With:

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.

WATCH the full episode here:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to carry out strikes against Iran earlier this month, but US President Donald Trump opposed reigniting the fighting before his country’s midterm elections, the Financial Times reports. This comes as Israeli Air Force planes reportedly have been conducting drills in preparation for a renewed attack. What could be in the offing?

Britain will fly Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets on defensive missions to help protect Saudi cities and critical national infrastructure from Houthi aerial attacks, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday. As the UK joins Egypt in coming to Saudi Arabia’s aid, is there increased pressure on the United States?

In a searing piece, Berman writes, “Attacks by Jewish extremists and a mealy-mouthed response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu undermine Israel’s ability to prevent new sanctions against settlements, to restore relations with key partners, and to show Israel cares about Christians. Instead of denouncing and combating the attacks, he has consistently downplayed them, even before last weekend.” We ask, “What could Netanyahu be thinking?”

Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

A renewed Iran war is only a matter of time, Israeli experts warn

Iran security chief rejects moving enriched uranium abroad, as Netanyahu vows to topple regime

Houthis strike besieged city in Yemen that UN warns is at ‘grave risk’

Settler violence harms Israel’s interests. But for PM, halting it could spell political trouble

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.

Check out yesterday’s episode here:

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