IsraelCast Episode 132

In May 2021, the media breathlessly followed the 11-day armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, with hundreds of pundits appearing on television and commenting on social media to analyze the escalation of fighting. However, according to Middle East expert Jonathan Schanzer, much of the media missed many important details, opting for a version that ignores many of the complexities and nuances of the most recent conflict. Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Jonathan to discuss his new book, Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel, and Eleven Days of War, the history of Hamas and its conflict with other Palestinian factions, and the future of policymaking regarding Israel and Hamas.

Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president for research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he oversees the work of the organization’s experts and scholars. Schanzer previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he played an integral role in the designation of numerous terrorist financiers. He has previously held research positions at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Middle East Forum. Schanzer is also the author of several books on the Middle East, including Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel, and Eleven Days of War; Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine; and Al-Qaeda’s Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups and the Next Generation of Terror.