Did Trump trigger direct talks for Israel's and Lebanon's leaders?
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 16 April 2026
⏱️ 28 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 Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
US President Donald Trump made headlines this morning by announcing that Israeli and Lebanese "leaders" were set to speak to each other directly today. It was later announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun today. Magid weighs in on this historic planned phone call and discusses this week's talks in Washington, DC, between Israeli and Lebanese representatives, the highest-level meeting between the countries to date.
At the same time, no dates have been decided for the second round of talks between the US and Iran. There are reports that nuclear issues are among the subjects being discussed by the countries, and that talks may resume in Pakistan. Magid explains.
The Gaza Board of Peace gave Hamas until the end of last week to accept a disarmament proposal. Magid reports how the terrorist organization has answered with several "yes, but" responses.
Finally we turn to a pair of resolutions that were voted down by the US Senate that were aimed at preventing sales of weapons and bulldozers to Israel. We hear how Wednesday's vote saw the vast majority of Democrats join in favor of the block, demonstrating a substantive shift in the party’s approach toward Israel.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Security cabinet said to consider one-week Lebanon ceasefire amid US pressure
Israeli, Lebanese envoys hold historic summit in Washington to discuss peace deal
US Senate foils effort to nix Israel arms sale, but 75% of Democrats vote to block it
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IMAGE: Israeli and Lebanese flags fly near the border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, April 7, 2023. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. |
| 0:06.6 | Today is Thursday, April 16th. |
| 0:08.9 | I'm your host, Amanda Borchelle Dan, |
| 0:10.4 | here with our U.S. Bureau Chief Jacob Bagged. |
| 0:13.2 | Jacob, thank you so much for joining me today. |
| 0:15.4 | It is really late for you quite early for me, |
| 0:17.7 | so thank you. |
| 0:18.3 | I appreciate it, as always. |
| 0:20.0 | My pleasure. |
| 0:20.6 | I'm sure our |
| 0:21.3 | listeners definitely care about how late it is. Everyone cares about you, Jacob. And you are going to |
| 0:27.6 | bring us some news today. We heard recently that U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that |
| 0:32.4 | Israel and Lebanon will speak today. We'll understand a little bit more from what we know. And we'll also hear about talks earlier this week in Washington, D.C., between the two countries. We'll learn what is happening in terms of Iran and the ceasefire. And in the second half of the program, we'll discuss U.S. opinion towards Israel as reflected in a recent Senate vote. All of this and more when we're back. |
| 1:06.0 | Since October 7, more than 1,200 women and children have lost their husbands and fathers, |
| 1:14.6 | bravely defending Israel and our shared future. |
| 1:17.8 | Their loss is not temporary. |
| 1:19.9 | It does not fade with time or headlines. |
| 1:23.1 | For these families, the impact lasts a lifetime. |
| 1:30.6 | In Jewish tradition, we are commanded to stand with the widow and the orphan, to support them with dignity and care. For 35 years, the IDF Widows and |
| 1:36.7 | Orphans Organization has been there, providing community, psychosocial, and financial support for life. |
| 1:44.0 | War's end. |
| 1:45.4 | Responsibility doesn't. |
... |
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