Between a rocket and a hard place: PM faces Trumpian dilemma

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. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly called off a further major strike on Iran on Monday following Israel's initial retaliation to Iran's ballistic missile barrages overnight Sunday. With IAF fighter jets on the runway, Trump instructed the premier to deescalate Israel’s fight with the Islamic Republic. Later, the president explained to a BBC reporter, "If I tell him to do something, he does it." On today's episode, we unwind the political ripple effect of Trump's assertion and ask whether Israel is truly still operating as a sovereign nation even as its hands are increasingly tied when combating the terror threat on its northern border. Additionally, as Iran appears to consider Lebanon its own vassal state that is intrinsically embedded in the Trump ceasefire negotiations, we talk through the initial goals of the war launched on February 28 and assess the Jewish state's current standing. In the second half of the program, Horovitz gives a broad-strokes picture of where political parties lie in recent polling -- while it's still anyone's game -- as Israel gears up for elections a few months away. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Trump seeks to tie Netanyahu’s hands, as the partnership that went to war 100 days ago collapses Netanyahu called off major Iran strike after Trump warned Israel would be on its own — reports Vance: Iran deal a ‘home run for the American people,’ whether Israel likes it or not IDF downs drone over Eilat launched by Yemen’s Houthis Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.