The Israel - Hamas War, Elon Musk, and Putin’s Birthday

Dubious

The Oct 7 Hamas attack on Israel coincided with Putin’s 71st birthday. Russia has been supporting the terrorist group since 2006, with Hamas reportedly laundering illicit funds through a Moscow-based crypto exchange and the Wagner group training Hamas

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In this episode we discuss the Israel – Palestine war, we look at the history of the region and how the Middle East conflict initially started, and we analyze the close diplomatic relations between Russia and Hamas. Moscow’s massive propaganda and foreign influence operation was turned into a pro-Hamas, anti-Western disinformation machine. Even before the war started, Russian media was promoting the idea that U.S. weapons for Ukraine have somehow ended up in the hands of terrorists plotting to strike Israel. 1

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We also discuss the geopolitical implications of the Gaza-Israel war, how it helps Putin and China, how Iran’s support for Hamas might destabilize the region and turn this whole thing into a proxy war between the world’s biggest powers, how the U.S. responded, how the United Nations reacted, the numbers of innocent victims on either side, and most importantly – what we need to retain from all of this: innocents were killed on each side, and Palestinians in Gaza need urgent humanitarian aid, more aid. 2

Hamas are a terrorist organization, but they do not represent the Palestinian people who have a right to exist, be safe and raise their children. Hamas does NOT stand for the Palestinians’ right to self-determination. The international community must do more to protect civilians in Gaza, make sure more humanitarian aid trucks pass through the Rafah crossing, and that Israel’s airstrikes and imminent land invasion will not result in senseless killings of tens of thousands of innocents. 34

Other points of conversation: freeing international and American hostages with the help of allies in the region (Qatar), How Russia, Iran (Hezbollah too) and China stand to win from this conflict, why Mossad and Shin Bet did not see this attack coming, the deadly explosion at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, and how Elon Musk’s X helped amplify disinformation about the war and help the interests of Russia / Iran / Hamas.

Links:

1. Josh Rogin Putin is helping Hamas to hurt the west The Washington Post, October 2023 ⇤

2. BBC Israel Gaza war: History of the conflict explained BBC, October 2023 ⇤

3. Niall McCarthy The Human Cost Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Statista, May 2021 ⇤

4. Amnesty International Damning evidence of war crimes as Israeli attacks wipe out entire families in Gaza Amnesty International, October 2023 ⇤