Since the establishment of an Israeli state on May 14, 1948, there has been conflict between the Israeli and the Palestinian people.The conflict was fueled by Israel ́s occupation of the historic regions of Palestine in 1967, which included the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are controlled by Israel. Today many Palestinian refugees are still suffering under the military pressure and of the blockades of the borders by Israel.
It is not surprising that the Palestinian people want to free themselves from the occupation by Israel and establish their own autonomous state. That is why the “Palestine Liberation Organization“, was established in 1969 that saw a military fight and the destruction of Israel as the only options for liberating Palestine at that time. In 1974, the PLO indirectly recognized Israel as a state. The Arabic states liked the idea that a national authority should be established in the free parts of the Palestinian territories. Hence the Arabic States recognized the PLO as the only legitimate representation of the Palestinians.
Over time, many Palestinian parties were established such as Fatah, who articulated and transferred its interests through the PLO and constituted the government of the Palestinians before the elections in 2006. Hamas, as the major opponent of Fatah, which was listed as a terrorist organization by the international community until today, was elected as the (quasi) government in the Gaza Strip in 2006. Since then, tensions between Palestinians (respectively Hamas) and Israel increased. After the elections of Hamas, there have been several attacks by Israel and Hamas.
In November 2012, Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire. However, both Israel and Hamas launched minor attacks against each other. In doing so, both have violated the agreements of the ceasefire, which still remained at that time. It can be said that a cold peace, existed between both Hamas and Israel. Until the outbreak of the Gaza War in 2014, there have been no major military operations by Israel and no major rocket attacks by Hamas. It can be said that a cold peace existed between both the Hamas and Israel. However, on June the 8th, 2014, Hamas fired large numbers of rockets into Israel and initiated the
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Framework
2.1. Theoretical assumptions of Neorealism
2.1.1 Anarchic structure in the international system by Waltz
2.1.2 Consequent goals and behavior of states in defensive Neorealism
2.1.3 Core assumptions of offensive Neorealism according to Mearsheimer
2.1.4 Neorealism hypothesis and operational approach
2.2 Theoretical assumptions of Republican liberalism according to Moravcsik
2.2.1 Assumptions of Liberalism as a basis
2.2.2 Political representation in Republican liberalism
2.2.3 Republican liberalism hypothesis and operational approach
3. Hamas´ provocation towards Israel in the last Gaza War
3.1 Security threat analysis for testing Neorealism hypothesis
3.1.1 Situation in Gaza Strip and the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead
3.1.2 Analysis on the latest Gaza War and its aftermath
3.2 Analysis of inner political tensions for testing Republican liberalism hypothesis
3.2.1 Establishment of Hamas and its primary goals and interests
3.2.2 Hamas´rise from unpopularity to elected party
3.2.3 The conflict between Hamas and its major rival Fatah
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this thesis is to explain the underlying motives for Hamas's provocative rocket attacks against Israel during the 2014 Gaza War. The research critically assesses whether these actions can be explained through the neorealistic paradigm of state security and survival, or whether they are more accurately understood through the lens of Republican liberalism, which emphasizes inner-political pressures, domestic competition for power, and the need to maintain political dominance.
- Comparative analysis of Neorealism and Republican liberalism theories.
- Investigation into the impact of historical conflicts like Operation Cast Lead on security.
- Analysis of Hamas's political trajectory, from an unpopular group to an elected quasi-government.
- Evaluation of the internal competition for power between Hamas and Fatah.
- Assessment of the role of provocation as a tool for regaining domestic political support.
Extract from the Book
3.1.1 Situation in Gaza Strip and the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead
Before testing the hypothesis for the neorealistic explanation, it is necessary to understand the situation in the Gaza Strip and clarify whether the Gaza Strip and the Hamas government see a threat from Israel, due its insecure situation. A short historic description on the situation in the Gaza Strip illustrates the events that contributed to the present situation in Gaza. It is also important, because it gives a better understanding on the following actions and events in the Gaza Strip. After the six-day war in 1967, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank was under Israel´s occupation, although the UN resolution 242 demanded a withdrawal of Israeli forces from these regions, they continued to build offensive settlements in. This is why the West Bank and the Gaza Strip became politically and economically dependent on Israel (cf. Korndörfer/Zacher 2007). Before the occupation by Israel in 1967, especially the Gaza Strip was isolated from the rest of Palestine and lost most of its cultivable land and many of its former domestic trade links. Due to the massive amount of refugees who inhabited the Gaza Strip the agrarian sector suffered.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the background of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and introduces the core research question regarding the motivations behind Hamas's 2014 rocket attacks.
2. Theoretical Framework: Outlines the theoretical foundations of Neorealism and Republican liberalism to establish the analytical tools for the study.
3. Hamas´ provocation towards Israel in the last Gaza War: Tests the two competing theories against empirical evidence, analyzing security threats and internal political dynamics.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, concluding that Republican liberalism provides a more comprehensive explanation for Hamas's behavior than Neorealism.
Keywords
Gaza War 2014, Hamas, Israel, Neorealism, Republican liberalism, Security dilemma, Political representation, Fatah, Operation Cast Lead, Internal political tension, Power struggle, Conflict analysis, Rationality, Quasi-state, Popularity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on explaining the motivations behind the aggressive rocket attacks launched by Hamas against Israel during the 2014 Gaza War.
Which theoretical frameworks are applied in this work?
The study applies two major international relations theories: Neorealism (Waltz/Mearsheimer) and Republican liberalism (Moravcsik).
What is the main research question?
The research asks how the provocative attacks against Israel by Hamas in the last Gaza War can be explained.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The author uses a deductive method, deriving hypotheses from the two theories and then testing them against the historical and empirical evidence of the conflict.
What topics are discussed in the main section?
The main section covers the security threats faced by Gaza, the history of Hamas, its rise to power, and the ongoing power struggle between Hamas and Fatah.
Which keywords best characterize this thesis?
Keywords include Gaza War, Hamas, Neorealism, Republican liberalism, security, power struggle, Fatah, and political legitimacy.
Why did the Neorealist explanation fail to fully account for Hamas's behavior?
The analysis shows that the Neorealist assumption of rational actors seeking security is challenged by the fact that Hamas's aggressive actions actually worsened the security situation in the Gaza Strip.
What is the role of the Fatah-Hamas conflict in the author's argument?
The internal conflict is central to the Republican liberalist explanation, as it provides evidence that Hamas's provocations are linked to maintaining internal popularity and preventing political rivals from seizing power.
How does the author define the political status of the Gaza Strip?
The author characterizes the Gaza Strip as a "quasi-state" due to the lack of international recognition of Hamas, despite its role as the de facto government.
What is the final conclusion regarding the theories?
The author concludes that while Neorealism explains the existential security context, Republican liberalism offers a superior, more nuanced explanation for the specific timing and nature of Hamas's provocations.
- Quote paper
- Christian Graf (Author), 2015, The Gaza War 2014. Hamas' Response towards Israel in Times of Cold Peace, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/304239
