A debate between myself and Khaled Hassan, an Egyptian analyst, on the nature of Hamas and Islamism more generally (for video link see below). This is the first of a two-part discussion.
Although we agree on many things, in particular the poisonous nature of Islamism, there are important points of disagreement. I essentially see Islamism as a political movement in a religious guise whereas he sees the problems as rooted in the faith itself. We also touch on pan-Arabism and Palestinian nationalism. The key points of disagreement will become clearer in the second part of the video.
Please note I misspoke at the start when I said I was born and brought up in Israel. I meant to say I was born and brought up in Britain although my father was Israeli.
Khaled Hassan is an Egyptian political risk and intelligence analyst with over 13 years of experience. His research interests include digital threats, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Arabic-speaking mis/disinformation and propaganda, radicalisation and terrorism.