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“While Israel Slept”

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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.

"Tells a remarkable story of courage, determination and Israeli military might. It is a blueprint for how countries can and should act when faced with a threat of an existential nature." - Dick Cheney, former Vice President of the United States   

"A gripping portrayal of how Israel's leaders reached one of the most momentous decisions in its history. A great read and an important one." -Deborah E. Lipstadt, author of Antisemitism Here and Now 

"Katz’s book is that rare combination: illuminating, important, and tense as a thriller."  - Martin Fletcher, author of Promised Land and The List 

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