
Hamas, Israel, Gaza & The 18 Year Suffocation That Led to Oct 7th with Dr. Zachary Foster
There is a common story that is told about Gaza that goes something like this: Israel dismantled its settlements and withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Gaza was then free to govern itself, make peace with Israel, and develop what could have become a “Singapore on the Mediterranean.” Instead, Palestinians elected a terrorist organization, Hamas, which began firing rockets at Israel and building terror tunnels. In this episode of The Thin Veil, Ezra welcomes Dr. Zachary Foster, historian of Palestine and PhD in Near Eastern Studies, to deconstruct some of the common narratives and assumptions surrounding Gaza in the years between Israel’s 2005 withdrawal and the October 7, 2023 attacks. Did Israel actually leave Gaza? What did the 2005 disengagement mean for Palestinian sovereignty? And did Israel simply end its occupation—or change the way that occupation operated? We explore: Israel's 2005 disengagement from Gaza and what control Israel continued to exercise afterward The 2006 Palestinian elections and why Hamas won The escalating conflict between Hamas and Fatah and the 2007 Hamas takeover of Gaza The origins and impact of Israel's blockade and siege Gaza's economy, unemployment, electricity, water and sewage systems Israel's policies governing the flow of goods and calories into Gaza Hamas as both a political organization and governing authority The tunnel economy and the development of Hamas's military infrastructure The Second Intifada, suicide bombings and the Israeli response The recurring cycles of war and ceasefire between Israel and Hamas Hamas's 1988 charter and its 2017 political document The role of Islamism and the history of Hamas The Abraham Accords and the changing regional political landscape And finally, the strategic thinking that may have led Hamas to October 7 Zachary Foster is the creator of Palestine Nexus, a project dedicated to making the history of Palestine accessible through courses, writing, research and historical resources. Palestine Nexus https://palestinenexus.com/ ⭐️PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW OF THE SHOW ❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOW LEAVE A ONE-OFF TIP ON KO-FI BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER ON PATREON 🇵🇸GET INVOLVED JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE CONNECTING GAZA 🎙 LISTEN / WATCH / FOLLOW THE THIN VEIL THE THIN VEIL ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS THE THIN VEIL ON YOUTUBE THE THIN VEIL ON INSTAGRAM ✍️REACH OUT / SEND FEEDBACK THETHINVEILPOD@GMAIL.COM 👋 FOLLOW EZRA EZRA ON INSTAGRAM EZRA ON FACEBOOK EZRA'S WEBSITE EZRA ON YOUTUBE 🎵 THEME MUSIC BY MAGIC IN THE OTHER MAGIC IN THE OTHER WEBSITE MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON INSTAGRAM MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON YOUTUBE (00:00) - Intro: The Story We’re Told About Gaza (04:30) - Who Is Zachary Foster? (06:00) - From Zionism to Anti-Zionism (10:00) - The Myth of Israel “Leaving” Gaza (12:30) - Why Did Israel Withdraw From Gaza? (15:00) - Did Israel Actually End the Occupation? (17:00) - Gaza Disengagement and the West Bank (19:00) - Why Did Hamas Win the 2006 Elections? (24:30) - The Hamas-Fatah Conflict and 2007 Takeover (27:30) - The Origins of the Gaza Blockade (32:30) - Israel’s “Starvation Plus” Policy (37:00) - Was Gaza Being Deliberately Kept in Crisis? (40:00) - Why Did Israel Need Hamas to Survive? (45:00) - The Gaza Tunnel Network (49:00) - Hamas and Governance in Gaza (52:30) - The Second Intifada and Suicide Bombings (55:30) - The “Balance of Terror” (57:30) - Administrative Detention and Palestinian Prisoners (59:30) - The Gaza Wars and Ceasefire Cycles (01:05:30) - Was the Blockade Itself an Act of War? (01:07:30) - Hamas, Islamism and the 1988 Charter (01:09:30) - The Origins and Evolution of Hamas (01:12:00) - Hamas’ 1988 Peace Overture to Israel (01:15:00) - The Israeli “Dove” and Yitzhak Rabin (01:19:30) - The Abraham Accords and Palestinian Isolation (01:24:00) - Hamas, Islamism and Its Political Evolution (01:26:30) - What Was Hamas Thinking on October 7? (01:30:30) - Reimagining October 7 Through Sinwar’s Strategy (01:35:00) - Closing ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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