Lara Burns and Jennifer Baker from George Washington University's Program on Extremism delve into Hamas's history and activities in the U.S. and abroad. The episode uncovers a key 1993 meeting to derail the Oslo Accords and the founding of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a political arm. The discussion reveals Hamas's strategies for media manipulation, education for radicalization, and how they planned to deceive the American public while opposing Middle East peace efforts. This episode offers an illuminating exploration of subversive tactics and the intersection of charity and extremism.

INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US, Then and Now is a documentary about the creation and evolution of the HAMAS terrorist organization in the MIddle East and the concurrent development and growth of the HAMAS infrastructure in the United States. On October 7, 2023, HAMAS committed the brutally raped, torture, and murder of 1200 people and kidnapped more than 200 others. In the wake of these atrocities, individuals and groups took to the streets in the US to vow support for HAMAS, espousing false narratives about the terrorist organization and the events of October 7. These false narratives and terrorist rhetoric are echoes of a strategy put in place more than three decades ago, and this podcast seeks to explain the truth about HAMAS and how it has used the United States to serve its purposes for decades.

INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US, Then and Now is a documentary about the creation and evolution of the HAMAS terrorist organization in the MIddle East and the concurrent development and growth of the HAMAS infrastructure in the United States. On October 7, 2023, HAMAS committed the brutally raped, torture, and murder of 1200 people and kidnapped more than 200 others. In the wake of these atrocities, individuals and groups took to the streets in the US to vow support for HAMAS, espousing false narratives about the terrorist organization and the events of October 7. These false narratives and terrorist rhetoric are echoes of a strategy put in place more than three decades ago, and this podcast seeks to explain the truth about HAMAS and how it has used the United States to serve its purposes for decades.

In Episode 1, Ms. Burns and Ms. Baker reveal the inception of HAMAS’s U.S. infrastructure, overseen by “the Architect,” Mousa Abu Marzook, a senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and a pivotal figure in embedding HAMAS’s operations in the U.S. This episode delves into the organized efforts within American borders that supported HAMAS through financial, propaganda, and logistical networks—structures that continue to evolve with global implications. Through exclusive accounts and primary evidence, listeners will gain insight into HAMAS’s layered organizational approach and its deep connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as Marzook’s dealings with international powers.

The series begins with a powerful prologue recounting the harrowing events of October 7, 2023, when HAMAS launched an assault on Israel by land, air, and sea. This opening episode shares the firsthand accounts of survivors like Natalie Sanandaji, a New York native attending the Nova music festival, who narrowly escaped the massacre as rockets and gunfire shattered the dawn. Listeners will also hear from Moshe Emilio Lavi, whose family near the Gaza border endured terror as his brother-in-law was taken hostage. These personal stories highlight the devastating human toll and lasting trauma caused by HAMAS’s brutal tactics, which was followed quickly by an outpouring of support for HAMAS by individuals and groups in the US. The Prologue poses the question- Why did these groups express support for HAMAS, rather than condemning the deadly attacks? The Prologue sets the stage for understanding the broader implications of the series.