Lessons From Anniversaries: October 7, Three Years On
This analysis reflects on the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel, comparing the regional instability to the long-term impacts of 9/11. It examines how Israel's military response has shifted from episodic conflict to a more comprehensive effort to dismantle Hamas and Hezbollah.
Why it matters
The piece provides critical context on the ongoing geopolitical transformation of the Middle East and the long-term security implications for Israel.
As we approach the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel, I find myself reflecting on the other profound and somber anniversary that the United States just marked: twenty-five years since the events of 9/11. Last month, I wrote that that anniversary presented an opportunity to “consider what became of us and the world—and the role of the U.S. in the world—in the two-and-a-half decades that followed.” The same is also true of next week’s anniversary.
The Israeli government, righteous in its fury and heartbroken by the depravity of the attacks, launched a war—or rather, a series of wars—that has reshaped the Middle East over the last three years. Whether the remade region will ultimately be more secure and conducive to Israel’s interests remains an open question.
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