Summary of Truth about Hamas, Everything You Need to Know—Paola Caridi, author 'Hamas: Resistance to Regime'

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

In this interview, Paola Caridi, author of 'Hamas: Resistance to Regime', provides a complex and nuanced analysis of the Hamas organization. She discusses the origins and history of the organization, which she argues goes back 40 years and has close connections with the Muslim Brotherhood. While Hamas has certainly used terrorism, Caridi suggests that it started as a political movement and used terrorist tools. Caridi argues that Hamas is now more of a militarized, terrorist movement, rather than a political movement that uses terrorist tools. She also emphasizes that Israeli actions, such as the massacre on October 7th, have contributed to the radicalization of the organization but that other factors, such as political fragmentation, have also played a role. Caridi acknowledges that many external factors, such as the blockade of Gaza and Israeli support for fundamentalist Palestinian organizations, have contributed to the organization's evolution. While Caridi does not condone the use of violence, she acknowledges that Hamas has gone through different phases and uses terrorism.

• 00:00:00 In this section, Paola Caridi, author of the book 'Hamas: Resistance to Regime', discusses the origins and history of the Hamas organization. She explains that Hamas was created in 1987, but the discussions inside the Islamic movement in Palestine began years before. According to Caridi, the roots of Hamas go back 40 years, and the organization has close connections with the Muslim Brotherhood. While Caridi acknowledges that Hamas has gone through different phases and uses terrorism, she suggests that it started as a political movement and used terrorist tools in the past.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the video, Paola Caridi discusses the Hamas movement and its actions. Hamas is a political and military organization based in the Middle East. The political branch of the organization gives direction and makes decisions, while the military branch implements those decisions and decides how they will be carried out. While the organization has used terrorist tools in the past, Caridi argues that Hamas is now more of a militarized, terrorist movement, rather than a political movement that uses terrorist tools. Caridi specifically mentions the Israeli territory and the massacre on October 7th, where 1,400 people were killed and over 4,000 were injured, but she also emphasizes that the Hamas movement is complex and cannot be defined solely by its actions in one region.
• 00:10:00 In this section, the author, Paola Caridi, argues that Hamas, a political and military party in Palestine, is not solely a terrorist organization. The Gaza branch of Hamas, which has become more militarized, is often labeled as terrorist, but Caridi believes that the history of the last 20 years should be taken into account to understand the complex political situation in Gaza. She notes that the closure and embargo of Gaza have led to radicalization and a focus on violence, but also highlights the role of the political branch of Hamas in Gaza. According to Caridi, Hamas's ideology is rooted in a rejection of Israel's existence and the two-state solution, and a belief in the need for a free Palestine. While Caridi does not condone the use of violence, she acknowledges that Hamas has evolved its strategy over the years and the role of border control and the 1967 borders in its vision of a free Palestine.
• 00:15:00 In this section, the author discusses the Hamas political party in Gaza and its changing attitude towards Israel. Hamas, founded in 1987, initially opposed the existence of Israel and sought to physically eliminate it. However, in 2017, Hamas made a significant change in passing an updated Charter, which indicated that they were willing to coexist with Israel side by side. The author notes that this change was not just a change in language but represented a significant shift in their political stance. The author explains that Hamas was recognized as a legitimate party in the 2006 Palestinian Authority elections and has continued to present themselves as a political force since then. While the Hamas party did not explicitly recognize Israel as a sovereign state in 2017, they indicated a willingness to compromise and live side by side with Israel. Since then, the Hamas party has continued to pursue its political objectives in Gaza, without a complete departure from its previous stance.
• 00:20:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the 2010 exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas, specifically Gilad Shalit being released in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. The release of these prisoners, including Hamas leader Yahya SAR, led to the radicalization of Hamas and a change in their view of Israel. However, the speaker argues that there have been changes within Hamas that cannot be attributed to a single decision or compromise. The blockade of Gaza, the killing of Hamas leaders, and political fragmentation have all also contributed to changes within Hamas and the Palestinian community. Ultimately, the speaker emphasizes that understanding Hamas requires placing them within a complex context and recognizing the many factors that influence their actions and views.
• 00:25:00 In this section, it is discussed how Hamas, a Palestinian militant Islamic group, radicalized in Gaza after the Israeli military offensive in 2007 and 2017. Thisradicalization partly reversed earlier compromises made by Hamas and contributed to a shift in the Israeli political arena towards the far-rightest parties, the settlers. During this time, Israel reached out to Arab states for a solution or appeasement, but not the Palestinians, leading to the isolation of Gaza and the belief that the state of Palestine might not be achievable. The mistake made by Israel was in not realizing that Gaza is a political problem and had its eye off the ball, just when it should have been preparing for an attack. Additionally, the discussion highlights how some religious-based Palestinian organizations were funded by Israel for counterchecked the secular PLO.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the video, the speaker discusses the role that Israel may have played in the founding of Hamas. They argue that while there was no direct connection between Israeli money and Hamas, it is likely that some Israeli support may have contributed to the formation of the organization. The speaker also acknowledges the importance of the Palestinian population in supporting Hamas, but maintains that the direct influence of Israel is difficult to quantify. The speaker then moves on to discuss the motivations behind Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th, 2004, which had significant implications for the Outbreak of the Second Suez War. They argue that while there were political leaders in Hamas who were not involved in planning the attack, the military branch alone took action without consulting the leaders. This suggests that certain members of Hamas may have been more powerful than others, including the head of the military branch, Mohammed Deif. Ultimately, the political branch outside of Gaza was not involved in the decision-making process regarding the attack.
• 00:35:00 In this section of the interview, the author discusses the complexity of Hamas' political structure and the different constituencies that make up the organization. It is pointed out that there is not a military constituency within the political structure as Hamas is not just one branch. The author also discusses the challenges faced by Fatah, the Palestinian Authority, and the weaknesses of the Hamas government. Additionally, the existence of another non-violent protest movement based on human rights raises questions about the power struggle between Hamas, Fatah, and other factions for the representation of Palestinian aspirations.
• 00:40:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the popularity of Hamas within Gaza and how it may not be the same as it was when Hamas won an election. The speaker also notes that supporters of Hamas exist on the West Bank but are not the majority. The speaker suggests that the West misunderstood Hamas or incorrectly understood it, which resulted in missed opportunities to root Hamas in a democratic framework. At the moment, Hamas is locked in a war with Israel and is struggling to change its thinking. The speaker also discusses the idea of whether Hamas can be obliterated as Israel insists, noting that it is an organization rooted inside the land and population.
• 00:45:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the complexity of Hamas and how it has gone through phases over time. While outsiders, including Israel, may try to obliterate Hamas, the Palestinian people have the power to reject them and the popularity of Hamas in Gaza has diminished. Despite this, the conflict remains complex and a land under occupation. The speaker also addresses the radicalization of the imaginary due to the occupiant and occupied status and the difficulty of understanding Hamas. The complexity of Hamas has only been highlighted by the bombing of a Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza, which has only made it harder for the Israeli people to fully understand the conflict. Overall, the speaker emphasizes the need to view Hamas in its entirety and not simplify it.