Political and Militant Religion in Israel/Palestine Flashcards
What is Hamas an acronym for and what does it mean?
Islamic Resistance Movement - Zeal
What was the demographic background of the original Hamas founders?
University educated, lower middle class, refugee camp-based
Who argues that the mix of individuals and perspectives is key to Hamas’s flexibility?
Abu Shanab
When did a ‘dual leadership’ of Hamas emerge and what were the implications of this?
After intifada - structural and ideological problems. Externals more radical in vision than those aware of realities on the ground.
Who argue that Hamas is “essentially a social movement’?
Mishal and Sela
What did Hamas’s first leaflet call for and what can we draw from this?
Defeat of occupier - nationalist not religious agenda
When was the MB established in Palestine?
1945
When was the MB established in Egypt and by whom?
1928 - al Baana
In what city was the MB first established?
Gaza City
What was the position of the MB in the WB up until 1967?
Only continuously legal political organisation in the West Bank - tolerated as possible counterweight to nationalist/leftist forces
Why does Roy think the MB was tolerated in the WB?
Because it folded its political activities into a social agenda of gradual Islamic reform
Why did the MB take a different trajectory in Gaza? What is the significance of this?
Banned in Egypt - tradition of militancy and engagement in clandestine political and military activities
When does Hamas’s self-official history date its genesis to?
1967
What happened to Hamas between 1976-81?
Geographical expansion through participation in professional associations including Islamic University in Gaza - basis for development, admin and control of religious-educational institutions
Who argues that the depressed socio-economic situation of the Gaza Strip made it possible for Hamas to make inroads into the mainstream?
Sela and Mishal
What two trends can be seen in Palestinian nationalist movements of the 20th c?
Resistance to Occupation and manifestations of ideologies dominant in the region at the time which are in turn pressed into service of resistance project
From which two states/groups did Hamas receive financial support?
Newly enriched Gulf oil states and Jordan who wanted to keep influence in Palestinian society
When was Islamic Jihad formed?
1981
What quote by Hamas reflects why it was inherently opposed to Oslo?
“No part of Palestine may be squandered or relinquished”
Why does Jensen argue hamas was able to rise to power to quickly?
Because it was not a new movement but building on existing Islamic networks and institutions
Why did Sela and Mishal argue that the emphasis on Islam was an effective force for mobilisation?
Made possible as quickly as it did because secular political discourse had itself relied on Islamic symbols and terminology
In what period did the number of mosques in Gaza more than double?
1967-86
According to Knudsen what percentage of people in OPT were reliant on Islamic charities?
1/6
To what does Hamas mostly allocate its revenues?
Social services - almost no evidence supporting argument it allocates aid based on religious or political support
Who argues that Hamas did not openly criticise the PLO for fear of alienating the Palestinian public?
Jamal
Why does Roy argue Hamas’s popularity rose in the 1990s?
Increasingly came to embody resistance while Fatah increasingly failed to do so
