October 8: The war Israel still has not learned to fight - opinion

The author argues that while Israel understands how to address the military and intelligence failures of October 7, it has failed to build an effective ecosystem to counter the international narrative war that began on October 8. He contends that a preexisting pro-Palestinian ecosystem exploited the war at extraordinary speed, while Israel remains reactive. The piece calls for a strategic shift from hasbara to building a competitive ecosystem, drawing a parallel to Bill Gates and Gavi's approach to systemic change.

In this opinion piece, author Jeffrey Kahn argues that Israel has failed to learn the lessons of October 8, 2023 — the day after the Hamas attack — when a preexisting pro-Palestinian ecosystem of academics, activists, influencers, and digital networks was already mobilizing to shape the international narrative. Kahn contrasts this with the military and intelligence failures of October 7, which he says Israel understands how to repair. He cites a September 2026 Marquette Law School poll showing that 59% of Americans now view Israel unfavorably, a dramatic shift from 18 months earlier when opinion was evenly divided. Kahn argues that Israel's traditional hasbara (public diplomacy) approach of correcting lies with facts is insufficient against a continuously fueled ecosystem. He calls for a strategic shift modeled on Bill Gates and Gavi's approach to systemic change: identifying catalytic leverage points rather than fighting individual fires. The piece also warns that anger directed at Israel spills into antisemitic hostility toward Jewish communities worldwide, and that Israel's security and Jewish identity are increasingly interconnected with the safety of the Diaspora.