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Compendium of Writings on the October 7 War and Related Issues

Over the last three years, I have written a number of pieces on October 7, its aftermath, and Western reactions to it.

Ilya Somin | 10.7.2026 1:51 PM

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Today is the third anniversary of the horrific October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Despite various ceasefires and the release of the remaining hostages, the resulting war has never wholly ceased. Fighting between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah continues to varying degrees. And now we have the distinct but nonetheless interconnected Iran War. I wish there was something I could say to ease the continuing pain of the victims of the attack and their families. But that task is far beyond my very limited  eloquence.

Still, over the past three years I have written pieces on various aspects of the conflict and the reaction to it in the West, that may be of interest. This post is a compilation of them. I have included links to pieces about the Iran War, because that conflict is connected in various ways to October 7, even if also distinct. Some material has been adapted from a similar post I did on the first anniversary of Oct. 7, in 2024. But much is new, including many links to more recent writings.

I hold a somewhat unusual combination of views on the conflict, one likely to annoy some on both the right and left, and both critics and supporters of Israel. I am no great fan of the present Israeli government, or of the ideology of Zionism (the latter because of my general opposition to ethno-nationalism). Yet I nonetheless believe Israel has every right to seek the elimination of Hamas and deal a decisive defeat to its other adversaries, as well. I agree with many, though certainly not all of the points, made in this recent interview by Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, both in his support of Israel's right to defend itself, and in his condemnation of the present Israeli government (including its treatment of West Bank Palestinians). For all its serious flaws from the standpoint of liberal values, Israel is incomparably superior to its enemies.

A small anecdote can help illustrate the point. I have visited Israel several times, and even been a visiting professor there. One of my acquaintances there is Arab Israeli legal academic Mohammed Wattad; since we first met in 2016, he has become the president of one of the country's major universities.

Can you imagine a Jew leading any major institution under the rule of Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, or even the Palestinian Authority? The question answers itself. Indeed, a Jew probably could not even remain alive for long under most of these regimes. Hamas........

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