Israel is Brussels — if Brussels shared a border with a bunch of tribal medieval warlords with access to 21st-century weaponry.
Many people wondered after Oct. 7 how an advanced nation like Israel could have allowed a massive, three-pronged, well-executed terrorist incursion into its civilian areas. The myth about Israel’s infallible security services isn’t new.
Last week, The New York Times reported that Israeli officials had their hands on Hamas’ Oct. 7 plans a year ago. Though there was no specific date for the attack attached to the plan, it described a “methodical assault designed to overwhelm the fortifications around the Gaza Strip, take over Israeli cities and storm key military bases, including a division headquarters.”
Both Israeli military and intelligence officials apparently dismissed the plans as merely “aspirational” and ignored the warnings.
A few things to remember:
Israelis can be arrogant and dismissive about their enemies. It leads to disasters. In this case, it’s clear Israel overestimated the effectiveness of its security services and its border and underestimated Hamas. Their enemies might be terrorists, but they aren’t stupid.
There probably isn’t another nation that has such a pronounced economic, moral, and lifestyle disparity with its neighbors. Perhaps South Korea? Israel’s per capita GDP is on par with most Western European nations at $54,660, while in Palestinian territories the per capita GDP is $3,789 — which, despite claims of Gaza being an “open-air prison” etc., is on par with Egyptians ($4,295), Jordanians ($4,205) and Lebanese ($4,136).
This unpleasant reality
