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.

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Horovitz discusses the Israeli Air Force missile attack on the Yemen port, in response to the Houthi missile that hit Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning, and the ongoing bafflement about how to handle the challenge presented by the Iran-backed Houthis, and one that isn't going to fade.

He discusses the mood in the country as thousands of reservists are called up again to fight in Gaza, as polls show that two-thirds of Israelis would be prepared to stop fighting to bring the remaining hostages home. Horovitz notes that the language used by the government and army are subtle with an unclear plan in Gaza and an unpredictable US administration.

Horovitz also offers a brief look at the latest regarding the cabinet decision against a state commission probing October 7, as the attorney general had suggested. He notes that there is domestic concern on the part of the public who want to be sure that a disaster of that scope will never happen again and the concern that Israel will be able to defend itself internationally with the proper scrutiny into what took place on that day.

Finally, Horovitz comments on remarks made by US Mideast envoy Steve Witfkoff at an Israel Independence Day event at the US Embassy in Washington, DC, and his clear message that Israel needs to be united despite all the pressures from the outside and inside.

IMAGE: An Israeli reservist kissing his wife and child goodbye as he leaves for reserve duty, in Jerusalem, May 5, 2025. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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