Israeli Defense and Intelligence Before and After October 2023: The Cultural Roots of Strategic Surprise and Resilience (Studies in Intelligence)

This book provides a cultural analysis of the Israeli defense and intelligence establishments before and after the Hamas surprise attack on 7 October 2023. The Hamas attack was one of the most colossal intelligence and security failures in modern times, and brought Israel to one of the darkest points in its history.The book outlines the traits of Israeli strategic and intelligence cultures, such as hubris and a lack of critical thinking, which account for this failure.It also examines the traits responsible for Israeli security resilience during the regional war throughout 2024-25, which peaked in the campaigns against Hizballah and Iran, such as flexibility and practice preceding theory.Drawing on academic and professional literature in English and Hebrew, as well as elite interviews with former Israeli practitioners, the book offers a novel cultural perspective on October 7 and its aftermath, a topic that will be of considerable interest for many years to come.By discussing the cultu