Welcome to The Times of Israel’s newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what’s behind the news that spins the globe. In today’s episode, military reporter Emanuel Fabian makes a guest appearance, stepping in for Berman.
We take a deep look into the IDF probes into the failures leading up to and on October 7, by first taking a step back and discussing the goals of the investigations and their overall general findings.
We then dive into a cluster of probes that were released in the past week, including the investigations into Kibbutz Nirim, the city of Sderot, Kibbutz Re’im and the Nova open-air music festival.
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May 30, 2025Friday Focus with AJC head Ted Deutch: Calls for 'intifada' don't bring social justice
May 23, 2025Friday Focus with Sam Sokol: Why Haredim see themselves as warriors
At the festival alone, some 380 out of 3,500 people attending the party were slaughtered by Hamas and another 44 were taken hostage to Gaza. On this second Passover since the onslaught, 17 of those taken from the rave party are still in captivity, including 11 living and six declared dead.
In a very tough, at times graphic conversation, Fabian guides us through a handful of the dozens of battles on October 7, 2023.
This conversation can also be viewed here:
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
For further reading:
Troops fended off 1st wave of terrorists at Nirim, but IDF left kibbutz vulnerable
1,000 troops were in Sderot on Oct. 7, when they were urgently needed elsewhere, probe finds
IDF okayed Nova music festival, but didn’t inform troops deployed at border, probe finds
Civil defense squad, cops battled 100 terrorists in Re’im before IDF arrived, probe finds
From our archives:
Camera in hand, partygoer captures escape from rave where Hamas killed 260 Israelis
Thousands flee rocket and gunfire at all-night desert ‘Nature Party’; dozens missing
Daily Briefing Mar. 4: Day 515 – Devastating IDF Oct. 7 probes depict years of misconceptions
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