Mosab Hassan Yousef, the author of “Son of Hamas,” came to campus on Tuesday, Feb. 24 for an event hosted by Students Supporting Israel.
Yousef is the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, who is a co-founder of Hamas. Hamas is the governing party in the Gaza Strip despite being designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State.
200 people were able to attend the event, and tickets sold out two days after it was announced. The waitlist also reached capacity the day before the event.
The event, moderated by Dr. Ira Sheskin , a professor at UM’s Judaic Studies and Geography department, began with a look into Yousef’s early life, and why he believes he was radicalized as a child.
“Growing up where I did, there was really no other choice,” said Yousef. “When you see the people who disobey, they are beaten, tortured and beheaded.”
The topic then shifted to Yousef’s work with the Shin Bet — Israel’s counterintelligence agency — where he described some of the operations he took part in and what motivated him to work with Israel.
He also offered his insights on the current Iranian regime and why he believes the pre-1979 monarchy is not the best alternative. He has recently gained a lot of attention online for his opinions on the former Persian monarchy.
The event closed with questions from the audience. One student asked about his opposition to Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the last Iranian shah. Another student asked about Donald Trump’s controversial plan to take over the Gaza Strip.
“He is presenting himself as this loving monarch, like a father, who wants to take care of his children,” said Yousef, when speaking about Pahlavi. “But show me his qualifications, because I do not see them.”
Pahlavi has publicly positioned himself as a democratic alternative to the current Iranian theocracy.
“I think he is extremely intelligent. Everything he says is strategic and well thought out,” said Jami Campodonico, a mother of two UM alumni who attended the event. “Anytime he was asked a question, he really sat for a moment to absorb, and then decided what to say and how to answer.”
Others emphasized the importance of hearing testimony directly from someone who grew up inside Hamas’ leadership.
“I thought the event was very important,” said Cameron Newman, the senior advisor for SSI. “What better way than to hear from someone… who grew up in the thick of it all to give a firsthand experience,” Newman said.
The event was hosted in the Shalala Student Center, in the ballroom on the third floor. Invite-only early access meet-and-greet for the event began at 7:00 p.m. The event began at 8:00 p.m. and was limited to students, faculty and family of board members of SSI.