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, succeed 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 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. Amir Bohbot is the military editor and senior defense analyst for Walla, Israel's leading news website. Amir previously covered military affairs for Maariv, one of Israel's high-circulation daily newspapers, where he worked for 12 years. Bohbot is a popular lecturer on security and defense issues in Israel and is often interviewed by local radio and TV news stations. Bohbot has a Master's Degree in Political Science from Ben-Gurion University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Intelligence Studies at Bar Ilan University. He lives in Lehavim with his wife and their three children.