Dr. Aude Signoles

HAMAS'S RULES IN PALESTINE. AND, SO WHAT ?

Hamas's overwhelming electoral victory in January 2006 transformed politics in the Middle East and shocked the world. That Hamas was able to seize control of the entire Gaza Strip in June 2007 confirmed it as a fixture in Palestinian politics, despite its status as a terrorist organization in Israel, the U.S., and the EU. In such an environment, I propose to revisit Hamas's origins to better understand the choices and strategies of the movement and to examine the reasons for its electoral success. I, then, will try to draw some political perspectives in the aftermath of the 2009 war in the Gaza Strip.