ThePublicMindDenver's video: Hamas: Separating Myth from Reality - Dr Nader Hashemi

The US Foreign Terrorist Organizations List annually ranks the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas at the top. Hamas’ political charter is frequently cited as an embodiment of its ideological rigidity and its steadfast refusal to recognize the right of Israel to exist as a nation state in the Middle East. The general mainstream view is that if Hamas didn’t exist, the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians would be better. • Is this perception of Hamas correct? • What gaps and misunderstandings exist? • What does the factual and documentary record actually tell us about Hamas behavior, its use of violence and its evolution over time? • Can Hamas play a constructive role in bringing about a just resolution of the conflict in Israel/Palestine? Dr. Nader Hashemi is an Associate Professor at the Joseph Korbel School of International Studies and Director of the Center for Middle East Studies.