‘October 8’ Review: Disturbing Documentary Surveys Surge in Antisemitism After Hamas Attacks

October 7, 2023, marked the largest massacre of Jews to take place since the Holocaust, with 251 hostages taken by Hamas as well. Wendy Sachs’ documentary isn’t about that horrific event, although it includes disturbing footage from the infamous day and harrowing testimony by survivors. Rather, it concerns what happened immediately afterward, namely the precipitous rise in antisemitism that manifested itself in demonstrations on college campuses, on the streets and in social media. For those concerned about this growing problem — and everyone should be — October 8 is mandatory viewing.

There is certainly a strong case to be made against Israel’s longstanding mistreatment of Palestinians, as well as against the morality and legality of its ongoing military response in Gaza. But there was something truly perverse about the way in which anti-Israel sentiment came to a fever pitch in the immediate aftermath of the massacre, and the manner in which it morphed into antisemitism. Protests erupted on college campuses throughout the country, with Jewish students verbally attacked and, in some cases, physically assaulted. Dozens of university student organizations put out statements blaming Israel for Hamas’ actions, and even some faculty members joined in the outcry. One Cornell University professor went so far as to refer to the Hamas attack as “exhilarating” and “energizing.”  

The film includes footage of the congressional testimony of several university presidents who had trouble explaining why they failed to sufficiently protect Jewish students from the harassment that had been directed at them — and whether calls for the genocide of Jews violated their code of conduct.

“What does it mean that the future leaders of the most important democracy in the world are chanting for revolution and intifada?” asks journalist Bari Weiss, referring to the students. “What is the country going to look like a decade from now?”

Several university students who did attempt to counter the anti-Israel hatred are profiled, including the student body president of University of California at Santa Barbara, who put out a statement supporting Israel and received a barrage of hate messages and threats as a result.

October 8 seeks both to explain the reasons behind the rise in hatred and condemn the relative lack of organized response to it. It points to the SJP, or Students for Justice in Palestine, a controversial group estimated to have some 200 branches across the country.

Another problem is that young people largely get their news not from traditional media outlets but rather from such social media sites as TikTok, where bad actors like Iran, North Korea, China and Russia are easily able to foment disinformation.

The film also decries the relative lack of vocal condemnation from celebrities and politicians about the hostage-taking by Hamas, as compared to, say, the outrage expressed after the abduction of school girls by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Hollywood figures have been largely silent, with conspicuous exceptions including actors Debra Messing (an EP on this film) and Michael Rapaport, both featured prominently in the documentary.

“I felt completely betrayed by Hollywood,” says Messing about the lack of support, while Rapaport offers an earthier comment. “I know where I am on the pecking order,” he says. “The fact that I was the big Hollywood name other than the great Debra Messing is some real fucking disappointing shit.”

Among the other talking heads passionately expressing their deep concern about the rising tide of antisemitism are congressman Ritchie Torres (who has emerged as an ardent defender of Israel), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Scott Galloway, Douglas Murray, Sheryl Sandberg, and historian Deborah Lipstadt. We also hear from Mosab Yousef, the son of a Hamas co-founder and an ex-Palestinian militant who has since become an outspoken critic of Hamas and the pro-Palestinian movement.

Like many advocacy documentaries, October 8 does some cherry-picking of facts and draws some questionable conclusions. But there’s no denying the importance of its message and the need for corrective action by political, academic, religious and civil leaders.