Day 775 - MBS meeting with Trump elevates Saudi Arabia's ally status
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 19 November 2025
⏱️ 23 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.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
During the White House visit of Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, US President Donald Trump elevates the status of Saudi Arabia in the eyes of the US, says Magid, along with several defense guarantees and sales of weapons.
Israel hoped those gestures would be conditioned upon the Saudis normalizing conditions with the Jewish state, but went along with the announcement, discusses Magid.
The recent UN Security Council vote gives the Board of Peace the mandate to redevelop Gaza over the next two years, says Magid, as well as a vague pathway toward a Palestinian state after that period.
A resolution to establish the International Stabilization Force and the agreement on the demilitarization of Gaza were included in the vote, although it will be a tougher sell to get countries to contribute armed forces, discusses Magid, who calls the vote an internationalization of the conflict and a victory for the Trump administration.
Fadwa Barghouti, the wife of prominent Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti speaks with Magid for her first Israeli media interview, as part of her push for her husband's release. Barghouti tells Magid now could be the time for his release, as it could be an opportunity to work toward peace.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
MBS tells Trump he wants to join Abraham Accords, but path to Palestinian state crucial
Trump says Saudis will get F-35s, bucking Israeli hope he’d condition sale on peace
IDF opposes Saudi F-35 deal, warns Israel’s regional air superiority could be eroded
UN Security Council endorses Trump broad Gaza peace plan, foreign stabilization force
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IMAGE: President Donald Trump meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, welcome to the Times of Israel's Daily Briefing. It is Wednesday, November 19th, and I'm Jessica Steinberg. A quick mention before we start about our special series at Times of Visual documentary films that can be watched from home with English subtitles. After each film is done being watched, you can ask questions directly to the |
| 0:22.9 | filmmakers in exclusive Q&R webinars that we host. It's called Docuination, and it's available to members |
| 0:29.2 | of our reader support group, the Times Visual community. For more info, just go to timesofisrael.com |
| 0:35.9 | slash films. That's timesofisual.com slash films. That's timesofisrael.com slash films. |
| 0:40.7 | So good morning again. I'm speaking today with U.S. Bureau Chief Jacob Magid. Jacob, how are you? |
| 0:46.9 | Good morning, Jessica. Good to be with you again. Good to be back with you as well. It is day 775 of the war. Following the UN Security Council vote on Monday |
| 0:58.4 | endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump's Broad Gaza Plan, the president hosted Saudi Crown Prince |
| 1:05.9 | Mohammed bin Solomon at the White House. We'll talk about elements of the Security Council vote and MBS, |
| 1:13.3 | as the Crown Prince is often called about his visit, as well as Jacob's interview with Fadwa |
| 1:20.2 | Barguti, the wife of prominent Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barguti. All of that in just a |
| 1:26.2 | moment. Stay with us. |
| 1:33.4 | Why are Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews so often left out of the Jewish story? |
| 1:38.7 | In a new episode of Wandering Jews with Mikhail Anoam, Mikhail Bitton shares findings from a |
| 1:44.0 | groundbreaking study she directed at NYU, |
| 1:47.0 | the first of its kind to explore Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish life in the US. |
| 1:51.0 | Together, she and Noam Weissman unpack why these communities are so often invisible in Jewish scholarship and conversation, |
| 1:58.0 | what's lost when their voices are missing, and how including |
| 2:01.5 | them reshapes how we understand all of Jewish life. |
| 2:05.1 | From Persian Jews in Los Angeles to Syrian Jews in Brooklyn and Bukharian Jews in Queens. |
| 2:10.7 | This episode brings long overlooked stories to the center. |
| 2:14.6 | Listen to Wondering Jews with Mikhail and Noam, |
| 2:18.1 | wherever you get your podcasts. |
... |
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