Annals of Japan Association for Middle East Studies
Online ISSN : 2433-1872
Print ISSN : 0913-7858
Hamas as the “Change and Reform”: An Analysis of the Palestinian Resistance Movement’s Electoral Participation
Masako SHIMIZU
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2011 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 57-81

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Abstract
The aim of this paper is to explore the backgrounds and implications of the electoral participation of Hamas. This paper adopts the following approaches: an analytical framework for the electoral participation of Islamist organizations, an explanation in the light of the period before the establishment of the PA and the concrete political processes, and reading of primary sources. When the supporting social branches that were interacted with Palestinian nation-building, came under a centralized organization by the establishment of Hamas, it influenced the internal discussion of electoral participation. Then the agreement that Hamas, which overwhelmed the PA incumbents in terms of provision of public goods, could achieve equivalent negotiations with the PA enabled political opening, and Hamas finally chose to participate in the PLC elections. The implication of the electoral participation of Hamas on Palestinian politics was that it created one phase of the democratic transition in Palestine. On the basis of the remarks of Hamas, the implication of the “Change and Reform” on the organizational transformation of Hamas was that Hamas tried to encompass all its activities including its participation in the PA within the consistent program of resistance and to present itself as political party representing the whole nation.
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© 2011 Japan Association for Middle East Studies (JAMES)
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