Daily Briefing June 17 – Best frenemy? Trump turns on Israel at G7 summit

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.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.

WATCH the full episode here:

During the course of the G7 summit of global leaders in France on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that Syria should replace Israel in the fight against Lebanon’s Hezbollah. He argued that the Jewish state’s war on the Iran-backed terror group has been too prolonged and indiscriminate, adding that Israel would have been “blown off the face of the earth” if not for him. Horovitz unpacks the multilayered concerns plaguing Israel in the wake of Trump’s statements.

The US-Iran memorandum of understanding, expected to be signed at an in-person gathering on Friday, reportedly provides for a full cessation of hostilities by Iran, the United States and their allies — including in Lebanon, where Israel has been battling Tehran’s proxy Hezbollah. This comes as Israel and Lebanon are nearing a US-mediated lasting ceasefire agreement, according to a Tuesday report. If the IDF were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, are Lebanese forces really strong enough to face Hezbollah?

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed on Tuesday to have “abolished” components of the 1997 Hebron agreement that gave the Palestinian municipal council of Hebron authority over planning, zoning and construction in the H2 zone of the West Bank city, where the Jewish settlement of Hebron is located along with the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Can this effort be isolated from the looming elections? Horovitz weighs in on this and the current ultra-Orthodox move in the Knesset to pass Basic Law: Torah Study.

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

For further reading:

Trump: Israel’s war on Hezbollah is too long, too deadly; Syria should fight the group instead

US-Iran deal said set to halt regional hostilities, including in Lebanon, lift blockade

Israel-Lebanon talks said close to yielding lasting ceasefire deal

Smotrich says he’s ‘abolished Hebron agreement,’ given Israel more power in flashpoint city

Netanyahu denounces ‘police state’ trial as his cross-examination ends after over a year

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

Check out yesterday’s episode here: