It’s wonderful to have Ya’akov Katz, our regular podcast guest and military/political expert - to help us untangle the the latest knots. Almost two months after the ceasefire brokered by America between Israel and Hamas was finalized, some key issues are “stuck”, as Ya’akov puts it. The terror organization continues to hold power in about 50% of the Strip and has stated repeatedly that it will neither lay down arms nor relinquish control. These are two primary terms of the 20-point Trump Peace Plan. They still hold the bodies of two hostages murdered on October 7, in spite of another threshold term: that all hostages - living and dead - be returned. These conditions must be satisfied before the more ambitious aspects of the plan are undertaken in any serious way; like rebuilding the enclave and restoring a semblance of normal life to the 2.1-million Palestinians living there. Ya’akov and I get into why things are bogged down and if and how new momentum will set in.
And, we discuss the open tension between Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yisrael Katz, and the IDF Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir. Katz is interfering with all manner of decisions that Zamir believes are within his purview, solely, as Chief of Staff. At a certain point, a meddlesome minister risks politicizing the IDF and alienating its leadership. Israel is in a never-ending crisis and a significant part of that stems from the lack of readiness on the part of both the government and the IDF on October 7. Restoring confidence in the ranks requires a Chief of Staff who is respected by the political echelon. We discuss how, where and why Minister Katz is overstepping - in the view of the IDF Chief - and how critical it is that this tension be resolved. ASAP.
Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends.
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Podcast Notes:
“Crisply written... draws on excellent sources within Israel’s military and intelligence services.” —The Wall Street Journal
A powerful indictment of the political and military decisions that led to October 7
While 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.
