I'm John Bess who is my colleague and friend Peter Berkowitz of the Hoover Institution,

writing at real clear politics of a new book, The 8th Day.

Israel after October 7th by Micki Goodman being translated into English, it's in Hebrew

language now.

I come to Peter's summary of what happened on October 7th. Two achievements of

Zionism were badly damaged. What achievements Peter? What happened? What happened?

Well, the Jews who created the state of Israel always understood

that they would have to defend themselves, but they dreamed that the 2,000 years of weakness they experienced as a result of

exile and dispersion were behind them. Yes, they would be soldiers fighting for

their country. That was a reality forced upon them, but they would be safe inside their homes. They would be secure.

But the attacks of October 7th by the jihadis brought back the memories, the ages old memories of pogroms of being slaughtered in their own homes. This was a shattering discovery and made Israelis on the one hand reconsider Zionism what had they really achieved.

On the other hand they discovered almost immediately.

They remained a valiant people.

They rose to the occasion, despite the trauma, despite the heartbreak,

they showed themselves fighters,break they showed themselves fighters and they showed themselves

willing to risk their lives to defend their country.

And today it's not just the eighth day, it's continuing the eighth day.

The war is fog of war.

The struggle in Gaza continues outside pressure from many states that goes on and on and on and then the

threat from the north the set from the huthies the gun running into into the

West Bank is there still still the unity of the eighth day or is that

fraying your measure Peter? My measure is that it is to some extent fraying and in a way it was with this in mind that the

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