School of War Ep 227: Yaakov Katz on What Went Wrong on 10/7
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Sep 2, 2025 Yaakov Katz, a senior fellow at The Jewish People Policy Institute and former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, dives into the intelligence and military failures surrounding the shocking events of October 6-7, 2023. He discusses overlooked warnings and communication breakdowns within Israel's security forces. Katz highlights cultural gaps in military discipline that contributed to vulnerabilities and reflects on the moral responsibilities of military leaders in safeguarding personnel. The complexities of governance and hostage negotiations in Gaza also take center stage.
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Hamas Was Misjudged As A Minor Threat
- Israel underestimated Hamas as a strategic threat despite continuous conflict for decades.
- Senior leaders later admitted surprise that Hamas could pose strategic-level danger.
Drill Versus Attack Framing Broke Analysis
- Analysts saw clear anomalous indicators the night before but debated whether it was a drill or an attack.
- The accepted worst-case assumed only a small infiltration, not the mass invasion that came.
Stovepipes Fractured The Picture
- Israeli intelligence is split between Mossad, Shin Bet, and AMAN with different remits and channels.
- Poor cross-agency sharing and stovepiped conversations left leaders with incomplete common pictures.
