On Oct. 12, a sign in Tel Aviv says in Hebrew, ‘No more words,’ near candles lit both in memory of those killed in the Hamas massacres and for the hostages taken to the Gaza Strip. Amir Levy/Getty Images December 7, 2023 Holocaust comparisons are overused – but in the case of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel they may reflect more than just the emotional response of a traumatized people Avinoam Patt, University of Connecticut and Liat Steir-Livny, Sapir Academic College The Holocaust is not just a memory in Israel. It’s part of how Israelis understand themselves and their country − and it’s playing a part in how the country responds to the Hamas massacres of Oct. 7.