Radio War Nerd EP #494 — The Gaza Resistance, feat. Jon Elmer
Guest: Jon Elmer, Electronic Intifada
Recorded: January 17, 2024
We talk to Jon Elmer about the Gaza resistance forces, structure, strategies, tactics and weapons — one of the central stories in the Gaza war that's been completely ignored by the western media.
*Check out Jon's weekly Resistance Reports at Electronic Intifada. Follow Jon on Twitter.
*Links to some videos of Qassam hand-delivered sticky bombs inserted into Israeli armor here, here, here, here.
*Read Jon's articles including "How Gaza-made weapons are impacting the battle against Israeli armored vehicles"
Total time: 1:42:07
Direct link to this episode's mp3 here
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Comments (38)
You'd think after listening to this that Hamas had won a conflict, rather than been the government that has overseen the enormous destruction of its polity.
Your wish is our command: show reposted free & unlocked to the public
Off topic but Ryan Grim looked at rump's "return to segregation" policies and anti-DEI crusade and decided to come down in agreement with Trump and the loonies. Was there something in the water at the intercept that all those guys eventually turn into contrarian apologists on behalf of the very worst people in society. His post on twitter or bluesky on this was every bit as bad as Taibi's heel turn recently.
You are misunderstanding Ryan's stance.
Incredible episode
Awesome job! Keep it up! 👊💯❤️
One of the all time great RWN episodes. I wish more people could hear/would listen to this information.
This guy rocks. He absolutely refuses to be demoralized as a matter of political principle.
Absolutely excellent episode. Make it free.
I second this
Seriously great episode gang. It would really funny if Gilad Shalit entered Palestinian captivity a meat-headed, rub some dirt on it type and through direct contact with the Palestinian's and their struggle softened his stance and discovered the power of sports analytics.
Since you mention it, I have a question about the "tunnel rats" in Vietnam. I have never understood the strategic importance of tunnels in this war. The image that I have of Vietnam is a primarily rural war that centered around controlling the Ho Chi Minh trail. So, in Gaza, I can see immediately why you need these tunnels when it is an urban war with an enemy that has a massive firepower and airpower advantage. How were they deployed in Vietnam and to what strategic end?
Wasn't it because the US was bombing every square inch of the country (to put it simply)
Excellent interview. Elmer is top notch.
They lost a war against their concentration camp. It's a new world
Been waiting for this one!
I think given the insane and to my mind historically unprecedented asymmetry of power, and the fact that Gaza is an open air prison, it seems safe to say Hamas is one of the most effective armed resistance groups in history. Simply that they still exist and have actually grown during the genocide seems to really cement that
The balance of power isn't as asymmetrical as it seems, I think. Israel has a very *expensive* military, but that doesn't mean it's worth anything in a fight. Through ingenuity and resourcefulness, meanwhile, Hamas has actually developed a very effective arsenal against the IDF, and it seems like they have a lot of weaponry stockpiled. The training they've received from Iran (and possibly North Korea?) has clearly been extremely well-suited to the situation, and their morale is incredibly strong. That means a lot more here than having a bunch of tanks and airplanes.
Who knows if those Israeli weasels will hold up their end of the deal but you’ve gotta feel for the real victims of this ceasefire: the libs who were hoping Trump would raze Gaza and the West Bank to punish the lefties who wouldn’t vote Dem because of the genocide. They just can’t stop taking L’s.
This one should be free
The first fully urban guerrilla movement, and a shocking success given this particular niche’s history— the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the Red Summers in the US come to mind. This success of the resistance in Gaza should be a harbinger for the coming climate refugee waves, and I expect all major militaries to develop doctrines of suppression and elimination based on Israel’s failure to ethnically cleanse the city with traditional military force. Love Jon Elmer, great stuff
What "doctrines" do you expect these racist idiot cowards to come up with? The Palestinian resistance is a consequence of years of compounding abject failures of Israeli counter-insurgency. And I highly doubt any current "major" militaries are any more smart or competent than the Israelis. Organized resistance is what happens when counter-insurgency fails. When a restive population is being successfully suppressed, there's no meaningful armed resistance movements to speak of, like black or native Americans. The fact that such resistance is allowed to exist in a place already shows that the rulers have become too weak to crush them anymore. At that point it's a foregone conclusion.
Really good interview. Jon Elmer and Electronic Intifada have done so much great work for the right reasons . I’m glad I listened til the end. The Palestinian martyrs might turn world history. Courage can be contagious.
Jon Elmer’s such a great guest. Also it’s wild how much you learn about the physics of shaped charges when learning about Al-Qassam tactics.
wth is wrong with the Israelis that they don't have infantry support for their armored vehicles? Are they just too cowardly to walk around on foot? Even if Hamas didn't have anti-tank capabilities (which they clearly do) an isolated tank can be incapacitated just by point-blank small arms fire. An American tank in Iraq I think was machine-gunned by insurgents to the point that the crew inside passed out from the noise of bullets hitting the hull. The crew members survived, but it goes to show how vulnerable armor can be against infantry. The IDF's show of incompetence and cowardice against the resistance in Gaza should never be forgotten. Things might have gone their way more in Syria and Lebanon, but the Israelis have really shown themselves to be terrible fighters. Without American aid their recent adventures probably would have been a truly shocking disaster.
I feel like it goes hand in hand with the discipline. You need real discipline and respected command to get people following orders they feel are more dangerous. Wildly firing at buildings and looting destroys that internal discipline
Excellent stuff. Certainly noticed the mention of "ghetto" and "knocks on the door in the middle of the night". Never forget.
My goat
I was gonna eat my vegetables (part 2 of the series on the history of US intervention in the ME), then you guys drop dessert (John Elmer’s resistance report). I’m only human! 😭
I literally thought of it the exact dame way ahahaha
Hell yes Elmer time
THIS is why i War Nerd
Elmer rocks
Love John Elmer, so excited to listen
So happy to see blinken’s moment ruined
Elmer rocks
I think I’ve been waiting for this one
Yep this resistance will be put Into books and studied. Flaws and success