Ronen Bergman, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, discusses the missed warnings by Israeli security services leading up to a terrorist attack by Hamas. The podcast explores the intelligence failures, disagreements over the threat, and underestimations of Hamas' capabilities. It also highlights Israel's goal of destroying Hamas and the potential for a ground invasion in Gaza.
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Quick takeaways
Israeli intelligence failed to comprehend the extent of Hamas' intentions and mindset.
Israel also underestimated Hamas' military capabilities and relied too heavily on technological defenses, leading to complacency and a lack of preparedness.
Deep dives
Misunderstanding Hamas Intent
Israeli intelligence failed to comprehend the extent of Hamas' intentions and mindset. They mistakenly believed that Hamas was leaning towards governance and away from war, underestimating the threat they posed.
Underestimating Hamas' Capacity
Israel also underestimated Hamas' military capabilities. They failed to properly assess the depth of intelligence gathered by Hamas and the potential impact of their Jericho Wall plan, which detailed a comprehensive attack on Israel's Gaza division.
Complacency and Failures in Preparedness
Israel's reliance on technological defenses, such as the border wall, led to complacency and a lack of preparedness. They did not take the warnings from the analyst seriously, leading to a failure to reinforce their forces or take necessary precautions to prevent the October 7 attack.
In the weeks since Hamas carried out its devastating terrorist attack in southern Israel, Times journalists have been trying to work out why the Israeli security services failed to prevent such a huge and deadly assault.
Ronen Bergman, a correspondent for The New York Times, tells the story of one of the warnings that Israel ignored.
Guest: Ronen Bergman, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine.
Background reading:
A blueprint reviewed by The Times laid out the Oct. 7 attack in detail. Israeli officials dismissed it as aspirational.