The Hamas War: A Historical Perspective of Potential Implications and Lessons

Topics:

• Parallel to Yom Kippur War
• Explanation of Concepts of Operation failures and how it applies to October 7
• Nixon and Kissenger deserve to be seen as the most supportive US administration for Israel
• The War of Attrition
• Distinctions between Sadat and Hamas
• The consequences of Israel not winning the wider war
• US policy of appeasement with Iran
• Five goals for Iran in the current war
• Alternate possible outcomes of the current war

In his recent essay published in Mosaic Magazine, The Hidden Calculation Behind the Yom Kippur War, historian and foreign policy expert Michael Doran provides an in-depth analysis of mistakes made not just by the Israeli government but also by U.S. policy that led to Golda Meir’s fateful decision to not conduct a pre-emptive attack that may have ultimately saved Israeli lives. Doran observes that upon the surprise attack by Egyptian and Syrian forces, “It suddenly became clear that Israel’s assumptions about its own strength, the character of its enemies, and the fundamental shape of the modern battlefield were erroneous.” Fast forward to the Hamas war that shocked Israel and the world on October 7th, and once again it appears that Israel’s assumptions were once again inaccurate. Join us for an insightful conversation with Michael Doran on perhaps parallel mistakes in the lead-up to Hamas’ attack to those that occurred prior to the Yom Kippur war, U.S. policy that both contributed to those mistakes and that may impair Israel’s full ability to fight this war to the win, and lessons that may be learned in order to prevent future war. About the Speaker:  Michael Doran is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at Hudson Institute. He specializes in Middle East security issues and co-hosts the Counterbalance podcast.