Hamas

Abstract

This chapter focuses on Hamas. Prior to the Palestinian elections of 2006, Hamas’s competent administration of its social service network earned the movement a reputation for competence and honesty, which enabled it to establish itself as a plausible rival to Fatah. And indeed, based on polling of Palestinians, Hamas’ reputation for honesty has proved to be more effective in attracting support than its political ideology. Meanwhile, Hamas’ foreign relationships have tended to be based more on a shared hostility toward Israel than genuine ideological commonality, which has rendered those relationships somewhat brittle. Like Hizbullah after the July War, Hamas emerged from the conflicts of 2009 and 2014 with its political position intact, but its prospects less clear.