Principled or Stubborn? Western Policy toward Hamas

In: The international spectator: journal of the Istituto Affari Internazionali, Band 43, Heft 4

Abstract

American & European policies toward Hamas have been based largely on the movement's reputation as terrorist, a threat to the peace process & emblematic of the dangers contained in democratic reform. While some debate has occurred in policy circles, US policy remains extremely strict. This has had effects, many of which are negative (undermining Palestinian institutions), while it has not produced a softening of Hamas' position. In recent years, some European states have shown discomfort with the harshness of this policy & the political chaos it threatens to unleash. An alternative policy toward Hamas, more conditional & nuanced, would not necessarily have produced better results over the short term, although it could have produced longer term changes & avoided some of the costs of the draconian path followed. Adapted from the source document.