Terrorism, ISIS, and Understanding the Israel-Hamas War: Dr. Austin Knuppe

Dr. Austin Knuppe has a Ph.D. in political science from The Ohio State University and currently serves asan assistant professor of political science at Utah State University. Prior to Utah State, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College. His research interests include civilian survival during wartime, Middle East politics, and the role of religion in international politics. His first book, Surviving the Islamic State: Contention, Cooperation, and Neutrality in Wartime Iraq explores how ordinary Iraqis survived Islamic State control of their communities between 2014 and 2018. 

In this conversation, we begin talking about understanding terrorism and politics in the Middle-East, the rise of ISIS in particular, U.S. intervention in Middle-Eastern affairs, and then we spend the bulk of our time understanding the history and current events surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict, including the current war between Israel and Hamas. 

Here are some links to sources mentioned during our conversation:

South Africa’s 84 page report indicting Israel of genocide:
https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2024/01/192-20231228-app-01-00-en.pdfn

Quotes from Israeli leaders that reflect genocidal rhetoric:
https://normanfinkelstein.substack.com/p/fighting-amalek-in-gaza-what-israelis

Evidence of Israel indiscriminate bombing of (and targeting) civilians and civilian structures:
https://www.972mag.com/mass-assassination-factory-israel-calculated-bombing-gaza/ And
https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6058/Euro-Med-Monitor-sends-UN-rapporteurs,-
ICC-Prosecutor-primary-report-documenting-dozens-of-field-execution-cases-in-Gaza

Evidence that the IDF killed (and was directed to kill) at least some Israelis:
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/israeli-hq-ordered-troops-shoot-israeli-
captives-7-october And https://electronicintifada.net/content/evidence-israel-killed-its-own-
citizens-7-october/41156

Evidence that the Netanyahu and his administration supported or helped create, on some level,
Hamas: 
https://theintercept.com/2018/02/19/hamas-israel-palestine-conflict/ And
https://www.upi.com/Archives/2001/02/24/Israel-gave-major-to-aid-to-
Hamas/6023982990800/ And https://original.antiwar.com/scott/2023/10/27/netanyahus-
support-for-hamas-backfired-2/

Some books mentioned at the end of the podcast:

Khalidi, The 100 Years War on Palestine 
https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Years-War-
Palestine-Colonialism/dp/1250787653

Pappe, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
https://www.amazon.com/Ethnic-Cleansing-Palestine-
Ilan-Pappe/dp/1851685553

Morris, Righteous Victims 
https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Victims-Zionist-Arab-Conflict-
1881-2001/dp/0679744754/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2LLCMUSIM520Y&keywords=benny+morris&qid=17067
40859&s=books&sprefix=benny+morri%2Cstripbooks%2C182&sr=1-2

See also the 6-part (30 hour) series “Fear and Loathing” and “War all the time” at the martyrmade podcast with Darryl Cooper.