While Israel Slept

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.

About the Author

Yaakov Katz is the former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post. He writes for Newsweek and the Jewish Chronicle, hosts the JPPI weekly podcast and has appeared on CNN and BBC. He is the author of Shadow Strike and the co-author with Amir Bohbot of Weapon Wizards.

Dr. Amir Bohbot is a journalist, lecturer at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, and senior researcher at Bar Ilan University. He worked for Maariv, and has since served as the military and defense correspondent for Walla.