Michael Oren: October 7 and the Cost of Defending Israel

Three years after October 7, the deadliest terror attack in Israeli history looms large over the Jewish state’s upcoming election. Former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren says whomever takes the helm next is unlikely to “remove a single soldier from Lebanon, from Gaza, from Syria.” Today, Oren joins School of War to discuss Israel’s “80 percent” consensus on national security, why he thinks Hezbollah “cannot be destroyed militarily,” and the deepening political divide between religious Zionists and ultra-Orthodox Jews over the Jewish state’s future. 

3:33 How October 7 Changed Israel

8:54 The Ultra-Orthodox Draft Fight

13:52 Israel’s Election and the Draft

17:17 Why the Ultra-Orthodox Don’t Serve

19:17 Oren's Path to the IDF

24:45 How Israel Defeated Hezbollah

26:50 Israel’s New Security Consensus

29:58 Can Iran Survive the Blockade?

32:40 What Comes Next in Gaza?

34:52 Hunting the October 7 Terrorists

37:02 Why Michael Oren Chose Israel