In Episode 5, A Beautiful Operation, Burns and Baker continue to analyze the suicide bombings and attacks Hamas employed against Israel in 1995 in an attempt to derail the Oslo Accords.  They further delve into the reactions of some of the members of the US-based infrastructure, particularly leaders of the Holy Land Foundation, who referred to the double suicide bombing as a "beautiful operation."  Burns and Baker also focus on how, in 1995, the US government acknowledged that Hamas' violence was undermining efforts to achieve peace in the region, and the Clinton administration designated Hamas and its Political Bureau Chief Mousa Abu Marzook as Specially Designated Terrorists (SDTs).

What’s Inside Episode 4: I Am HAMAS

In this episode, Lara Burns and Jennifer Baker revisit a significant event from 1993: a secretive meeting in Philadelphia where key figures from the U.S.-based HAMAS network gathered. They strategized against the Oslo peace accords while continuing to support HAMAS operations under the radar. This meeting highlights a turning point in how HAMAS’s U.S. infrastructure operated covertly to sustain their mission, while HAMAS began a brutal campaign in Israel and the Palestinian territories wherein they began to employ suicide bombings and other vicious attacks, in a full-front effort to derail the potential for peace and to undermine the Palestinian Authority as the representative of the Palestinian people.

The discussion sheds light on the roles of key organizations:

Through detailed analysis and supporting evidence, Burns and Baker reveal the connections and tactics employed to disguise these efforts.

Discover how HAMAS’s U.S.-based infrastructure adapted and evolved during a critical period in history. This episode provides an unparalleled perspective into the covert strategies used to undermine peace processes and sustain global operations. From documented meetings to key players, the episode uncovers facts that challenge misleading narratives.

Don’t miss this deep dive into a defining moment in the history of HAMAS and its influence. Watch the video podcast for visuals and documentation that enhance the story or listen to the audio-only version available on your preferred podcast platform.

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,

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.