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A woman weeps over the body of her nephew, who was shot dead by Hamas in the Israeli city of Sderot. (Photo by Baz Ratner via Getty Images)

War in Israel: Michael Oren Explains How ‘Evil’ Infiltrated the Country

The former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. explains why yesterday’s Hamas attack ‘might be even worse than 9/11.’

We have been glued to the news for the past 24 hours, watching the shocking attack by Hamas against innocent Israelis. (Read all of our coverage of the unfolding war here.)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyuahu said that what happened on Saturday—Shabbat and a holiday—“has never been seen before in Israel.” Think about 9/11 and the kind of shock and terror we felt. That is the level of devastation Israelis are now experiencing. 

We are left with so many questions: How did this happen? Who is to blame for this catastrophic security failure? How will Israel respond? How will it save the hostages in Gaza? What was the extent of Iran’s involvement in this sophisticated operation? Will this change the Biden administration’s policy toward the Islamic Republic? And so many more.

Some of those questions will be answered in the coming days and weeks. For today, historian and former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren helps us make sense of the unfolding crisis.

Click here to listen to our important conversation.

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