Hamas and Palestine : the contested road to statehood / Martin Kear.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kear, Martin, author.

Series:

Routledge studies in Middle Eastern democratization and government ; 23.

Routledge studies in Middle Eastern democratization and government ; 23

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-Islāmīyah.

Islam and politics--Palestine.

Islam and politics.

Palestinian Arabs--Politics and government--1993-.

Palestinian Arabs.

Palestinian Arabs--Politics and government.

Palestine--Politics and government--21st century.

Palestine.

Politics and government.

Middle East--Palestine.

Physical Description:

xi, 292 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2019.

Summary:

Hamas and Palestine analyses the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, between 2005 and 2017. The book expounds how Hamas has employed a dual resistance strategy, consisting of political and armed resistance, as a mechanism to achieve, maintain, and defend its continued political viability. Hamas entered politics to transform the role of the Palestinian Authority from an administrative institution into one driving the Palestinian quest for independence. This was intended to build the institutional capacity of the Authority based on the bureaucratisation and professionalisation of key institutions, while selectively increasing the role of Islam in society. The book provides a detailed explanation of key shifts in Hamas's political behaviour as it adapts to the vagaries and vicissitudes of governing Gaza, despite the imposition of Israel's political and economic siege. Employing the Inclusion-Moderation theoretical framework, the book traces Hamas's transformation from a non-state armed group into a legitimate actor in Palestinian politics. The book's analysis also highlights the key role that Hamas's national liberation agenda has on shifting its behaviour towards adopting more moderate and inclusive policy stances. Specifically, the analysis demonstrates how Hamas has made measurable shifts in it political behaviour towards accepting the primacy of the two-state solution, and its dealings with Israel and the Peace Process. The book provides a comprehensive assessment of Hamas's time in government and its capacity to deal with the vicissitudes of governing. It is a valuable resource for students and researchers interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Middle East Politics.

Contents:

Empirical ambiguities and theoretical considerations

Hamas : balancing pragmatism, principles, and purpose

Between a state and occupation : surviving Israeli state-building

The political learning curve : the promises and perils of electoral participation and success

Governing Gaza : the "slow assassination" of Hamas

Fighting to survive : Hamas and its confrontations with Israel

The vacillating power-sharing dynamics of the territories

The impermanence of regional alliances

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Kear, Martin. Hamas and Palestine.

ISBN:

9781138585416

1138585416

OCLC:

1044856132