Ya’akov Katz is back in Israel following a two-week book promotion tour in the U.S. See the information below. It is a beautifully written, incisive analysis of what went wrong on October 6 and 7. A page turner.
It was great to have him on the podcast to take a close look at what is going on in the Gaza Strip - and what is not happening. It is almost one month since the Trump Peace Plan was signed and hope was high. Less so in Israel, perhaps, where so many weak spots were apparent. But it was something. And the first phase ensured that all living hostages would be released within days of signing. That alone was so important to the majority of Israelis. Incredibly, they did come out on Monday, October 13, after two years in captivity. A miracle that many thought would never come to pass. But then the chicanery began. Hamas has been dragging out the return of bodies of the hostages murdered in captivity. Why? Each day buys them time; to re-arm and regroup. And that is exactly what they are doing. Hamas controls approximately 50% of the Gaza Strip now and has no intention of relinquishing power or surrendering arms. They never did. They are brutalizing the people under their control and also conducting ambushes of IDF soldiers in the area that is controlled by Israel. The situation is volatile and operations are somewhat stalled. Just who will disarm Hamas remains unclear. And this is what Ya’akov Katz and I discuss today. Whereto from here?
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Podcast Notes:
“Crisply written... draws on excellent sources within Israel’s military and intelligence services.” —The Wall Street JournalA powerful indictment of the political and military decisions that led to October 7While Israel Slept tells the gripping inside story of how Hamas, Israel’s weakest enemy, succeeded in launching a surprise attack on one of the world’s most powerful militaries. Through a detailed examination of the events leading up to October 7, 2023, the book exposes the intelligence and strategic failures that enabled this devastating invasion. It takes readers back in time, showing how years of complacency, mistaken intelligence analysis, and a misguided policy of containment enabled Hamas to prepare for an assault that Israel did not believe was possible and that would change the Middle East.The book unveils the dramatic events of the night before the attack, highlighting the cracks in Israel’s military and political leadership. It provides unprecedented details on how key warnings were missed, and how Israel ignored the growing threat from Hamas, believing that the group was weak and deterred. By exposing these failures, While Israel Slept offers a stark, sobering account of how overconfidence and complacency paved the way for disaster, while underscoring the critical lessons Israel must embrace to safeguard its future.
Yaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.
He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”
Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.
In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.
Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.
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