October 7: A Sacred Season, a National Shock, and Lessons We Dare Not Ignore

Two Years Later

Two years have passed since the morning of October 7, 2023—a date that changed Israel forever. Hamas launched a coordinated,

multi-front assault that overwhelmed Israeli defenses, struck over twenty communities, and left more than 1,200 people dead and hundreds taken hostage. It was the single deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

What makes this anniversary especially weighty is not only the tragedy itself, but its timing. In 2023, the attack unfolded during Sukkot, the biblical Feast of Tabernacles—a festival meant to celebrate joy, divine protection, and communal unity.

Today, in October 2025, the anniversary once again coincides with the days of Sukkot. That overlap is far more than symbolic; it’s a reminder of both Israel’s enduring faith and the persistent threats it faces.

A Sacred Season Interrupted

Sukkot is a season when families across Israel build temporary shelters—sukkahs—to remember God’s protection in the wilderness. It is a joyful, hopeful time: communities gather, children decorate, families eat and sleep under the stars.

On that morning two years ago, many families awoke in their sukkahs to sounds of music, prayers, and birds… then suddenly to sirens, gunfire, and chaos. Hamas chose this moment deliberately, striking during a holiday when many soldiers were home with their families and the nation was in a celebratory rhythm.

This strategy is not new. Throughout history, Israel’s enemies have often targeted holy seasons, seeking moments of vulnerability and symbolic impact. October 7 shattered the sense of safety during one of Israel’s holiest and most joyous weeks.

Why the Delay?

One of the most painful questions that still haunts survivors and observers is: Why did it take so long to respond?

In communities like Be’eri, the massacre lasted nearly seven hours before the army arrived. In Ofakim, gunmen held hostages deep inside the town. The delays stemmed from a combination of factors:

• Intelligence misjudgments: warnings were downplayed or misunderstood.

• Strategic blind spots: Israeli doctrine assumed Hamas would avoid large-scale incursions.

• Command paralysis: chaotic communication and disbelief slowed decisive action.

• Geographic spread: attacks happened simultaneously across dozens of locations, stretching defenses thin.

The result was devastating: civilians fought alone for hours, often with only small local security teams or even improvised weapons, while the state apparatus struggled to catch up to the reality on the ground.

Accountability Still Demanded

Israel has conducted internal military investigations that admitted a “complete failure” in preventing and responding to the attack. But many Israelis feel this isn’t enough.

Why were warnings ignored? Who made the key strategic miscalculations? How could a country famed for its intelligence capabilities be caught so unprepared?

Two years later, political and military accountability remains uneven. Some officers resigned; others stayed in power. A full state commission of inquiry has been debated but delayed. Meanwhile, families of victims and survivors are still demanding answers—not out of vengeance, but to ensure such failures never happen again.

Understanding the Enemy

October 7 revealed not just weaknesses in Israel’s defenses, but also the strategic patience and brutality of Hamas. This was not a random terror strike. It was meticulously planned to:

• Exploit technology (overloading border sensors and cameras)

• Exploit psychology (striking on a holiday morning)

• Exploit complacency (breaching multiple locations simultaneously)

Understanding this enemy means recognizing that this is a conflict fought on military, strategic, and spiritual fronts simultaneously. Hamas wanted not only to kill but to shatter the national sense of security and ignite a larger regional conflict.

A Sobering Comparison: What If This Happened Here?

For Americans, the events of October 7 should not feel distant. Imagine waking up on a national holiday—Thanksgiving, for example—and learning that hundreds of terrorists had crossed the southern border overnight, fanning out across multiple towns in Texas or Arizona, massacring families, taking hostages, and overwhelming local police and military posts.

Would our intelligence agencies catch it in time? Would our National Guard mobilize fast enough? Would leaders communicate clearly and decisively in the first crucial hours?

If Israel—one of the most security-conscious nations in the world—could be caught off guard, then no nation is immune. This is not just Israel’s story; it’s a global warning about complacency, leadership, and the nature of modern asymmetric warfare.

Remember, Question, Learn

As sukkahs rise once again across Israel this Sukkot, they stand as symbols of both fragility and faith. The wooden beams and leafy roofs remind us of divine shelter, but also of human vulnerability.

October 7 must never become just another date in history. It is a call to remember the victims, to question those in authority, and to learn hard strategic and moral lessons.

For Israel, this means demanding transparency and preparedness.

For the nations watching—including the United States—it means recognizing that the enemy is real, strategic, and patient.

Anniversaries are not only about looking back. They are about deciding what kind of future we want to build—and whether we have the courage to face uncomfortable truths to protect it.