Israel's pre- and post-Oct. 7 northern border

(JNS) - When we discuss Israel's history, we often speak in terms of geography: the partition plan, the 1948 border, the pre-1967 armistice lines, the post-1967 borders and the post-1973 boundaries. Now, we must add the pre- and post-2023 borders. The major difference is that instead of expanding the size of the Jewish state, it has shrunk since Oct. 7 because of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's failure to protect northern Israel.

For roughly a decade, he avoided direct confrontation with Hamas, preferring to "mow the lawn" with periodic airstrikes that killed few terrorists and pro...