October 7, 2023: Israel and the U.S. Two Years Later
October 7, 2023: Israel and the U.S. Two Years Later
October 7, 2023, marks Israel’s deadliest day since it was founded, as Hamas launched a surprise attack that fundamentally altered Israeli society, politics, and security doctrine. The attack also marked a turning point in U.S.-Israel relations. Nearly two years later, this talk by Dr. Chuck Freilich, a leading expert on Israeli security policy and U.S.-Israel relations, explores how the strategic partnership between the two countries has been tested, recalibrated, and in some ways redefined in the wake of the crisis. Dr. Freilich will address the immediate American response to the attack, the scope and limits of U.S. military and diplomatic support during the ensuing conflict, and the broader shifts in Washington’s regional posture. He will also address the lingering tensions between the US and Israel over Gaza, regional escalation, and the future of the Middle East. With increasing political polarization in both countries, and mounting international scrutiny of Israeli policies, Dr. Freilich will offer an assessment of where the alliance stands today—and what the future may hold for one of the most complex and enduring relationships in U.S. foreign policy.
Dr. Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security adviser in Israel and long-time senior fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center, has taught political science at Harvard, Columbia, NYU, and Tel Aviv University. He is the author of Zion’s Dilemmas: How Israel Makes National Security Policy (Cornell Press, 2012); Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change (Oxford Press 2018); and Israel and the Cyber Threat: How the Startup Nation Became a Global Cyber Power (forthcoming 2020). He has published numerous academic articles and over 150 op-eds, and appears frequently on US, Israeli and international TV and radio stations.