David and Goliath : A study of the international sanctions of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority
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2008-08
Language
en
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Abstract
The events of 9/11 have had an impact on
the world politics as well as current
conflicts, such as the one between Israel
and the Palestinians. The international
community began to see democratic
governance as an important factor for
rebuilding failed or weak states. This led
to renewed interest in Palestinian statebuilding
by the United States and the
European Union after two years of
fighting and a deadlock in the peace
process.
The support of the United States
and the European Union led to some
important reforms with the Palestinian
Authority and its institution, such as the
establishment of the Single Treasury
Account and the formation of a Prime
Minister’s office. The death of Yasser
Arafat, the first president of the
Palestinian Authority gave the reformers a
new impulse leading to the Cairo
Agreement. In March 2005, representatives
of Hamas and thirteen other organizations
signed the Cairo Agreement, concurring
on a cease-fire during electoral campaign
and the elections, while the President
agree to organise municipal and legislative
elections which were welcomed by the
European Union and the United States.
The outcome of these elections, a
victory for Hamas, led to financial and
diplomatic sanctions of the Hamas-led Palestinian government. These sanctions
aimed to comply with three principles set
by the Quartet, namely to renounce
violence, to recognize Israel and to accept
previous agreements and obligations.
The success, the level of
achievement of stated goals, and
effectiveness, level of economic damage
done to the target, of these sanctions is
explained by using four parameters:
* The costs to the target;
* The costs to the sender;
* The stakes for the target;
* The stakes for the sender.
These parameters are used, because the
level of achievement of the stated goals
and the economic damage is not enough to
define whether sanctions have been
successful or not. An important question
in the chapter on the success of sanctions
is: at what end?
This thesis will show that the
international sanctions of the Hamas-led
Palestinian Authority although effective,
they have not been successful in achieving
the state goals while causing enormous
disruptions in the Palestinian society
leading to further political, geographical
and ideological divisions. The sanctions
have also had negative influence on the
democratization process within Hamas
and have deprived the
moderates/pragmatics of their credibility.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen