PART 1/2: JOHN SPENCER, CHAIR OF URBAN WARFARE STUDIES AT WEST POINT

This episode features my in-person conversation with John Spencer, the Chair Of Urban Warfare Studies at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Recorded on July 28th, 2024, this in-person discussion was recorded just a few days after John's work was referenced by Benjamin Netanyahu in his speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, as the Israel premier pressed the case for Israel in the most important legislative body in the world. 
In this segment, I ask John to reflect on the fact that his scholarship is regularly referenced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to debunk media falsehoods against Israel's prosecution of the war inside Gaza against Hamas and his feelings about his work being one of the only sources Israelis can echo and invoke at this time. 
Given that his department is at West Point, I ask him for his thoughts on the importance of the annual Israel Strategy and Policy Tour (I-SAP) that The MirYam Institute arranges for cadets and future officers enrolled at the academy and I also ask John whether he agrees with my belief that a military victory against Hamas is achievable. 
He also tells me why he believes himself to be a real-life Forrest Gump and asserts that events beyond his control have consistently placed him in the right place at the right moment. 
Enjoy and remember to subscribe to the show!
To learn more about I-SAP and to invest in the I-SAP tour, click on the link below. 

https://www.miryaminstitute.org/isap