Hamas in Gaza (merged thread)

[Jedburgh]

Berghof Center, 27 Jan 09: Mediating Identity Conflicts: Potential and Challenges of Engaging with Hamas

....this paper offers some astute insights into the dynamics of one of the most protracted conflicts of the past century, namely the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from the specific perspective of its most controversial, but also most crucial stakeholder, whose voice is very often excluded or demonised, that of the Hamas movement. Through her so-called “scenario interviews” with several Hamas members in Syria, the author offers some valuable clues into the movement’s understanding of resistance, identity, radicalism, but also its readiness to accept third-party mediation efforts in order to explore possible resolution options. Most crucially, it shows that while demands for de-radicalisation as a pre-condition to talks can be futile and counter-productive, engaging with Hamas through the toolbox of mediation might well turn out to be the most effective strategy to encourage its path towards strategic moderation....

[Rex Brynen]

I'm not opposed to engaging Hamas, actually—I think there is significant evidence that a portion of both its cadres and supporters would accept a two state peace agreement with Israel, and I think that's a trend that should be encouraged. It is also clear that current policies of complete isolation aren't helping much.

That being said, this paper seems to focus on mediation for mediation's sake, and says strikingly little about who exactly would be targeted for what purposes. It not only says little about mediation and negotiation theory, but it also fails completely to contextualize Hamas, or its current political position. Most strikingly, it seems to ignore a decade of detailed attitudinal survey data from the West Bank and Gaza on what Hamas supporters think, what issues are important for them, attitudes to violence and Israel, etc.

[William F. Owen]

That being said, this paper seems to focus on mediation for mediation's sake, and says strikingly little about who exactly would be targeted for what purposes. It not only says little about mediation and negotiation theory, but it also fails completely to contextualize Hamas, or its current political position. Most strikingly, it seems to ignore a decade of detailed attitudinal survey data from the West Bank and Gaza on what Hamas supporters think, what issues are important for them, attitudes to violence and Israel, etc.

I concur.
I also wonder who the paper is aimed at?

[Rex Brynen]

And it would appear that, again this year, the UN's "summer camps of debauchery" are proving much more popular than Hamas' own summer camps (to the latter's annoyance):

Hamas, UNRWA compete over entertaining Gaza children
Xinhua
12:13, June 16, 2010

Mohamed Atallah, a teacher and one of the mentors in a major summer camp run by the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) on Gaza beachside insisted that mentors are not teaching school children any politics, but only entertaining them.

On Sunday, UNRWA inaugurated its own summer camps in the Gaza Strip to entertain refugees' schoolchildren. Streets of Gaza City saw UNRWA vehicles and hundreds of UNRWA children holding summer camps flame.

UNRWA summer camps were inaugurated a day before Gaza-ruling Islamic Hamas movement started its own camps. Hamas said in a banner that its camps "are religious and cultural and not summer camps of debauchery," in reference to UNRWA camps.

"Here, it's not allowed to think or talk about politics, we differ from other summer camps run by other organizations," Atallah said, adding "we are not linked to any political group, but we try our best to help the children to get out of the horrible situation they had passed over the past several years."

Attallah was speaking to Xinhua as dozens of UN blue flags, placed on top of a huge square blue tent, were fluttering, and hundreds of Gaza refugees' schoolchildren were enjoying a good time on the white-sand beach.

...

Last year the kids at the UNRWA Gaza summer camps set the world record for the most kites flown simultaneously. This year they're trying for the world record for the most basketballs bounced at once. Clever stuff by some very dedicated UN staff, for some kids who could certainly do with the chance to enjoy themselves.

[Jedburgh]

ICG, 29 Mar 11: Radical Islam in Gaza

The recent Israel-Hamas escalation returns a spotlight to Gaza and the Islamist movement’s relationship with more militant organisations. Gaza arouses multiple concerns: does Hamas seeks to impose religious law; has its purported Islamisation stimulated growth of Salafi-Jihadi groups; and will al-Qaeda offshoots find a foothold there? Hamas faces competition from more radical Islamist groups, though their numbers are few, organisation poor, achievements against Israel so far minor and chances of threatening Gaza’s government slight. The significance of Gaza’s Salafi-Jihadis is less military capability than constraints they impose on Hamas: they are an ideological challenge; they appeal to members of its military wing, a powerful constituency; through attacks within and from Gaza, they threaten security; by criticising Hamas for not fighting Israel or implementing Sharia, they exert pressure for more militancy and Islamisation. The policy of isolating Gaza and ignoring Hamas exacerbates this problem. As the international community seeks new ways to address political Islam in the Arab upheaval’s wake, Gaza is not the worst place to start....

[davidbfpo]

I expect the role of Hamas has cropped up before and there appear to be several related threads. This week Kings of War have a commentary 'What to make of Hamas?', which opens with:

Hamas this week announced a shift in its ‘emphasis from armed struggle to non-violent resistance‘.

Link, with several links to sources:http://kingsofwar.org.uk/2011/12/what-to-make-of-hamas/

After all, Hamas emerged as a radical splinter from a more moderate movement; who is to say it cannot evolve in the opposite direction. But is this what is happening?

Clearly, it will depend on who you ask: much like everything else in the Middle East, or in politics in general,

And ends with:let’s find opportunities to deal with the challenges.

Nowhere is static, some will argue the 'Arab Spring' has shown that all too vividly and why should a movement like Hamas not change?

[davidbfpo]

A KoW podcast by Nina Musgrave, a Ph.D. student:http://warstudies.podomatic.com/entr...02_56_47-08_00

Her thesis is:

An analysis of the politics, tactics and strategy of Hamas since January 2006, when it became a democratically elected political party. It aims to analyse the political trajectory and internal dynamics of Hamas in light of its electoral success, and explore the extent to which Hamas’s new role as an elected entity has expanded its strategic options or constrained its movement.

Link:http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/department.../musgrave.aspx