Key facts
- The October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks killed roughly 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.
- The attacks upset Israeli assumptions about security and regional acceptance.
- Dire predictions of prolonged wars, a tanking economy, and a crisis of confidence have not materialized.
- Conflicts with Hezbollah and Iran ended in Israel's favor with relatively little collateral damage.
- Economic growth has slowed but Israel has absorbed the shock better than expected.
- Trust in the military and key institutions has not declined significantly.
The October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks fundamentally reshaped Israel's understanding of its security and its place in the region, leading to prolonged conflict and increased international isolation. While dire predictions of devastating wars and economic collapse have not fully materialized, the country faces growing internal divisions and a risky dependence on the United States.
Before the attacks, Israelis largely believed the country was more secure than ever, that the Arab world was accepting its existence, and that its technological prowess guaranteed safety. The trauma of the attacks, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages, shattered these assumptions. Despite ongoing conflicts with groups like Hezbollah and Iran, Israel has emerged with relatively little collateral damage, and its economy has shown resilience, absorbing the shock better than anticipated. Trust in the military and other key institutions has remained largely stable.
However, the aftermath has also seen Israel become more reliant on the U.S. amid rising global isolation. Counterintuitively, the far-right political factions, which often view Arabs as implacable enemies, have failed to significantly expand their support base despite the events of October 7. Polls suggest that parties like the Religious Zionist and Otzma Yehudit, which won 14 seats in the 2022 election, would garner fewer seats if elections were held today, with some potentially failing to enter the Knesset at all. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has also seen its poll numbers decline since 2022.