PODCAST

Lazar Focus

The Times of Israel

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman explores what"s behind the news that spins the globe

news news commentary

All Episodes

41:19

David Rosen: Israel doesn't adequately understand...

Lazar Focus ·

2026/04/24

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. The world, and most Israelis, were horrified this week as a photo of an IDF soldier smashing a statue of Jesus in Lebanon spread across social media. The act was roundly condemned by the army and by Israel's leaders. Yet, it happened. And it wasn't the first time Israeli soldiers had disrespected Christian sites in Lebanon, nor

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37:11

Moran Zaga: The Gulf states react to humiliation by Iran

Lazar Focus ·

2026/04/17

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. The shorthand term "Gulf states" doesn't describe a monolith. The Arab states along the Persian Gulf -- Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain -- all have unique internal dynamics, and approach their relationships with both Israel and Iran in different ways. Yet they do share a common threat -- the Shiite

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45:18

John Spencer: US can force open Strait of Hormuz if...

Lazar Focus ·

2026/04/10

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join hostdiplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. The fledgling ceasefire between the US and Israel on the one hand, and Iran on the other, is holding. Even before it went into effect, a pointed debate began over who won, and whether US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu achieved what they set out to accomplish 41 days ago. John Spencer, chair of war

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35:22

What does history of air power tell us about Iran war?

Lazar Focus ·

2026/04/03

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. The US and Israel are trying to drastically weaken Iran, and maybe even bring down the regime, entirely from the air. They are certainly not the first combatants to strive for far-reaching goals through air power.In fact, countries have tried to win wars from the air for over a century. Airpower has a tendency to capture the

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34:50

Raz Zimmt: Iran's new leadership and the coming...

Lazar Focus ·

2026/03/27

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join hostdiplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. The war in Iran has reached a new, somewhat odd, phase. After hammering the Islamic Republic for four weeks, US President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell announcement this week -- that he was in talks with Tehran over an end to the war. Iran initially denied the talks, then acknowledged that there were contacts, and released a

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34:35

Caroline Glick: Why we went back to war in Iran

Lazar Focus ·

2026/03/20

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join hostdiplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. Almost three weeks of the US-Israeli war on Iran have gone by. There are undoubtedly important achievements. This week, Israel assassinated Ali Larijani, perhaps the most important leader left in the Islamic Republic. It also took out leaders of the brutal Basij force, and there is no question that Iran's ability to launch

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35:41

Gallia Lindenstrauss: Iran war reaches Kurds, Turkey...

Lazar Focus ·

2026/03/13

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. Two weeks into the war against Iran, the Islamic Republic has made good on its threats and attacked all the Gulf Arab states. But while the focus on reporting has been on those countries, players on Iran's northern border are also under fire. Iran has fired two missiles at Turkey, a major regional power; has hit targets in

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31:50

Can the Iran regime be toppled from the air?

Lazar Focus ·

2026/03/06

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. We are one week into a stunning US-Israel bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic. Senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been eliminated, and Iran's ability to attack its neighbors and to defend itself has been severely damaged. But it is still fighting, and launching attacks on

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39:04

Imam Imad Al Masri: The Muslim community spreading...

Lazar Focus ·

2026/02/27

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join hostdiplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. There is a religious community in Israel dedicated to spreading peace throughout the country and beyond. Days after October 7, this community opened its doors for hundreds of Israelis from diverse backgrounds, stressing the importance of maintaining peaceful dialogue between ethnic and religious groups. That community is Muslim

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35:12

Michael Oren: Israel's historic Iran moment

Lazar Focus ·

2026/02/20

Israel has never been stronger. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has steadily rolled back its enemies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. A staunch friend of Israel is in the White House, and he might well launch a second wave of strikes on Israel's archenemy in Tehran. Or is Israel historically vulnerable? None of the adversaries it has taken on since the Hamas invasion are defeated. US President Donald Trump is an ally, but both the Democratic and Republican parties have influential and growing wings that

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26:30

Lazar Berman: Are Saudis moving away from Israel and...

Lazar Focus ·

2026/02/13

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join hostdiplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. Only 16 days before the October 7, 2023, attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to the podium at the United Nations. As a Saudi diplomat listened intently, he said, "We are on the cusp of an even more dramatic breakthrough, a historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia.” The war that erupted with the Hamas

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40:55

William Daroff: What Trump needs to do for that Nobel...

Lazar Focus ·

2026/02/06

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join hostdiplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. American Jews have plenty to fret about. Facing rising antisemitism even before October 7, 2023, the community has had to deal with a massive spike in threats, defamation, and outright violence since the Hamas attack. While Israel was fighting to defeat Hamas and get the hostages home, US Jews were contending with anti-Zionist

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35:56

David Parsons: Why Christian Zionists support a...

Lazar Focus ·

2026/01/30

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join hostdiplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. On January 17, a statement from heads of Jerusalem churches touched off a firestorm. It blasted Christian Zionism, leading to an online fight over religious authority, divine promises, and ecclesial divisions. Christian Zionists, including US Ambassador Mike Huckabee and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. fought back,

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33:28

Adam Louis-Klein: Why anti-Zionism is the newest hate...

Lazar Focus ·

2026/01/23

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join hostdiplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. Since October 7, 2023, there has been a focused and intense campaign to paint Zionism as a supremacist, racist, and inherently violent movement that has no place in academia, popular culture, or public life in the West. Jews and supporters of Israel usually label such attacks as antisemitism, since they often take old tropes about

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22:20

Lazar Berman: Why Iran's regime is holding on… for now

Lazar Focus ·

2026/01/16

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. Starting December 28, Iran's cities and towns filled with protesters, but its political elite continues to show cohesion and confidence. Additionally, there have been no signs that security personnel are defecting or refusing orders. This week, Berman -- looking back at previous protests and

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66:19

Haviv Rettig Gur with 6 projections for Israel in 2026

Lazar Focus ·

2026/01/02

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, catch diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. This week, while Berman was in Florida to cover the summit between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan invited senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur to sit in the hot seat and prepare five scenarios for Israel for 2026. Rettig Gur came prepared -- plus one -- and the two spend

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34:43

Lazar Focus: Eran Ortal on where does the IDF go...

Lazar Focus ·

2025/12/26

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, catch diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. This week, we’re joined by Eran Ortal, a brigadier-general (res.) in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and a leading military theorist. Ortal commanded The Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies, and wrote "The Battle Before the War: The Inside Story of the IDF's Transformation," which came in second place for the

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30:00

Lazar Focus: Danielle Pletka on what Trump wants in...

Lazar Focus ·

2025/12/19

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, catch diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. This week, we’re joined by Danielle Pletka, distinguished senior fellow in Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she focuses on US foreign policy, the Middle East, and terrorism. Pletka, speaking to Beman from her native Australia, blasts the Albanese government for its failure to

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36:49

Lazar Focus: Jacob Magid on the day that never came -...

Lazar Focus ·

2025/12/12

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. This week, US bureau chief Jacob Magid fills in for Berman and goes in-depth into an exclusive report he published on just how close the Saudis were to normalization with Israel ahead of the Hamas onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the finer details of former Secretary of

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40:34

Lazar Focus: Did the Red Cross do all it could for...

Lazar Focus ·

2025/12/05

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. This week, we're joined by Julien Lerisson, the head of delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel and Occupied Territories. Berman reviews the organization's troubling history of failures regarding Jews, specifically during the Holocaust, but also moving forward in

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