Understanding the 2023 Hamas-Israel War

Presentation in person at Friendly House. Confronting unexpected events of great magnitude, people often resort to historical comparison to understand what they are witnessing or experiencing. Historical context allows us to understand terrorism and war crimes without justifying them. But what is the appropriate context? Joel Beinin was Professor of Middle East History at Stanford University until retiring in 2019. Joel and his wife lived in Israel from 1970 to 1973. His parents, brother, and sister emigrated to Israel in 1973. His brother’s daughter and her husband were members of Kibbutz Nir Oz when it was attacked on Oct. 7. They have been taken hostage.