Battlegrounds With H.R. McMaster: International Perspectives

Battlegrounds w/ H.R. McMaster: Israel at War: A Conversation with Meir Finkel | Hoover Institution

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Jul 10, 2024

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) brigadier general Meir Finkel and H.R. McMaster discuss the Israel-Gaza war, Hamas objectives, IDF response to prevent civilian casualties, Israel-Iran proxy conflict, Ayatollah Khamenei's plan to destroy Israel by 2040, challenges in conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah, military operations in Gaza, and misunderstandings in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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INSIGHT

Hamas's True Objective

Hamas's objective is to eliminate Israel, not build a Palestinian state.
Their strategy involves diverting aid, terrorizing the population, and blaming others for the resulting suffering.

INSIGHT

Hamas's Control over Gaza

Hamas controls all aspects of life in Gaza, making it difficult to provide aid directly to civilians.
Their leaders live lavishly while the people suffer, fueling resentment towards Israel.

INSIGHT

The Broader Regional Conflict

The war in Gaza is part of a larger, multi-front war orchestrated by Iran.
Iran uses proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah to destabilize the region and attack Israel.

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Join Israel Defense Forces (IDF) brigadier general Meir Finkel and Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster as they examine the current state of the Israel-Gaza war and the geopolitics of the broader Middle East. In this episode of Battlegrounds, Dr. Finkel shares his insights on the Israeli campaign to destroy Hamas in Gaza, examining the objectives of Hamas and how the IDF is responding to prevent civilian casualties during a humanitarian crisis. They also discuss the Israel-Iran proxy conflict and how the wars in the Middle East might evolve in the coming months and years.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Brigadier General (res.) Meir Finkel of the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, is a soldier-scholar who holds three PhDs. Finkel is the head of research of the Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies, a think tank designed to further the success of the IDF and its military and political strategies. Finkel served for 20 years in the IDF Armored Corps, including as the commander of the 847th Armored Brigade during the Second Lebanon War. He also headed the IDF’s Ground Forces Doctrine and Concept Development Department for seven years.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

For more information, visit: https://www.hoover.org/battlegrounds_perspectives

Pick up a copy of "Battlegrounds: The Fight To Defend The Free World," by H.R. McMaster here - https://www.hoover.org/research/battlegrounds-fight-defend-free-world

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.