Prof. Monty Penkower’s book Awakening to Radical Islamist Evil: The Hamas War against Israel and the Jews appeared in bookstores in May, just as the IDF released multiple reports regarding Hamas’s mega-attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Although one might be tempted to compare the accounts offered, that would be a mistake for two reasons.
Firstly, so far the summaries being provided to the public by the army have not revealed many new facts. They have only increased an angry demand to know what really happened in the days and weeks leading up to the Hamas invasion of Israel.
Secondly, while Penkower also mainly steers clear of what caused the failures, his is an account of the day-to-day progress during the first six months of the war. The war’s successes and failures are but an additional reflection of the senior military commands’ performance, their professionalism, and their ability to lead Israel’s armed forces and assure the security of the state and its citizens.
What went right and sometimes wrong
As we know, very few in the IDF command structure, as well as that of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), were replaced in the first months of the Israel-Hamas War, or later on. The same officers responsible for the greatest failure by the IDF were those who managed, directed, and oversaw the fighting. Have they redeemed themselves?
In essence, Penkower’s book is less of a “what went wrong” analysis and more a log book of entries as to what, mostly, went right, and in some cases, wrong. It is very valuable in tracing many of the counter-Israel media campaigns that have affected Israel’s standing.
As with Penkower’s other books abut the history of the Holocaust and pre-state Israel, the reader should not skip over his footnotes. Rather than just noting sources, Penkower adds details that enrich his main text.
Moreover, Penkower also examines the local, regional, and international significance of the military maneuvers. These provide both background and depth, even though his main emphasis is to relay the day-to-day events. In addition, the quotes from diplomatic interactions enable the reader to see the full picture of Israel’s predicament.
However, I’m surprised that the book, which describes wartime events, did not have a few maps to help the reader understand the battlefield. Penkower’s appendix does, however, include a few poems and letters that reflect the very personal side of the war and the losses sustained.
The author’s assertion that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “cultivated Hamas as a strategic partner” with Qatar’s financial input could have been tempered. Until an official inquiry is conducted, the exact details and reasoning for that cash flow remain a matter of debate.
This is especially true since the Shin Bet supported the policy to a great extent. Naftali Bennett, when he was prime minister, also did, and he expanded the number of permits for Gazans to work in Israel. The advice that economic incentives deterred Hamas, which came from “professional” echelons, crippled the government’s ability to correctly judge its usefulness.
I also question Penkower’s description of Jesus as a “Galilean Jew.” Although there is a dispute, I would have thought mentioning him being a Judean Jew more appropriate. The campus rumpus also could have received more attention.
However, Penkower’s labor has gifted us a fundamental record of the war, at least the first period of it. Penkower covers not just a war but the political, public diplomacy, and media aspects, as well as the Israeli internal and global external issues. He has reminded us of all the “little” happenings.
- AWAKENING TO RADICAL ISLAMIST EVIL: THE HAMAS WAR AGAINST ISRAEL AND THE JEWS
- By Monty Noam Penkower
- Touro University Press
- 294 pages; $3