The Gaza Strip has been under administration by the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas for a decade. Over the course of this time, the two million Palestinians within Gaza have endured a stifling blockade and three deadly military operations by Israel that have resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians. Rather than mobilizing to end the collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza, the international community has supported Israeli policies towards this coastal enclave. This lecture explores the ways in which both Hamas and the Gaza Strip are (mis)represented in US media, and the manner in which this has shaped policy and public perception.

Tareq Baconi is US-based fellow for al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network. His book, Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance, is forthcoming with Stanford University Press in Spring 2018. He holds a PhD in International Relations from Kings College London and an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Cambridge. His writings have appeared in The Nation, Foreign Affairs, The Guardian, al-Jazeera, The Daily Star, al Ghad and al-Watan. Tareq has provided commentary on Middle East affairs to the National Public Radio, Democracy Now, and Al Jazeera.

A light snack will be served from 12:30-1:00 pm and the lecture will begin at 1:00 pm.