Day 710 - Rubio reaffirms strong US relationship in Israel visit
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 15 September 2025
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Israel and at recording time has just finished his meeting in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem office. On Friday, Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff had dinner with the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in New York, after al-Thani held a four-hour-long meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Rubio at the White House.
We learn what Rubio has so far said during his meetings in Israel about Israel's strike on Hamas leaders in US-ally Qatar last week. We also speak about the stated agenda for Rubio's visit to participate in the opening of the Pilgrims' Path excavated tunnel that leads from east Jerusalem's City of David to the Temple Mount plaza.
Qatar is still fuming over last week's attack on its soil. Qatar’s prime minister accused Israel of “state terrorism,” and said its attack in Doha last week targeting Hamas’s leaders was “an attack on the principle of mediation itself,” but nevertheless vowed to continue efforts to reach a ceasefire. Berman explains why the country will continue to serve as a mediator, even as it may attempt to stir trouble for Israel in other realms.
Israel is building two new aid distribution sites, which, according to the military, will be handed over to the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the coming days. The IDF invited journalists to visit the sites on Wednesday before they become operational. Berman was there and reports back on what he saw, and how the war may look moving forward.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Rubio opens Israel visit with Netanyahu at Western Wall amid Gaza ops, Qatar fallout
Qatari PM says Israel must be ‘punished’ for strike, vows to continue ceasefire efforts
After Israeli strike, Qatar to host emergency Arab-Islamic summit to discuss response
Waiting for Gaza City residents to head south, Israel readies new aid sites in Rafah
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IMAGE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, hosting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem on September 15, 2025. (Haim Zach/GPO)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. |
| 0:06.3 | Today is Monday, September 15th, day 710 of the war. |
| 0:11.4 | Amanda Borschell-Dahn here with our diplomatic correspondent, Laser Bearman. |
| 0:15.3 | Hi, Laser. |
| 0:15.8 | Thank you so much for joining me on this super busy day. |
| 0:20.5 | Well, I'm happy to be here, and thank you to our listeners for joining me on this super busy day. Well, I'm happy to be here and thank you to our listeners |
| 0:23.2 | for joining us on this super busy day. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Israel in meetings |
| 0:30.4 | with several Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President |
| 0:34.8 | Isaac Herzog. Laser was at some of them and he will fill us in on what he knows so far. |
| 0:41.0 | An emergency Arab Islamic summit is being held in Doha today in the wake of last week's bombing of a Hamas meeting house. |
| 0:48.4 | So we'll hear how the Qataris are characterizing Israel's operation and what may come next. |
| 0:55.7 | Laser was in Rafach late last week in southern Gaza, and we'll learn of what he saw and also |
| 1:01.3 | discuss what we know right now of the war's current strategy. So all of this and more, when |
| 1:07.7 | we're back. |
| 1:16.6 | Music and more when we're back. If you're listening to this podcast, |
| 1:18.8 | you just might be a person who wants to help Israelis in need for Rosh Hashanah. |
| 1:22.9 | I'm Naomi Brownstein, co-founder and voluntary co-chair of Tengov. |
| 1:26.9 | What makes Tengub unique is that every |
| 1:28.9 | request we receive comes from trusted professionals, social workers in municipal welfare departments, |
| 1:34.7 | and field workers from grassroots organizations across Israel. Since last Rochesana, we've delivered |
| 1:39.9 | $1.9 million in assistance to over 6,000 vulnerable Israelis. We've helped reservist families with |
| 1:46.7 | emergency financial grants. We've sent several thousand children to day camps in the pool this summer, |
... |
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