The Gaza War 2014. Hamas' Response towards Israel in Times of Cold Peace

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Theoretical Framework
  • Theoretical assumptions of Neorealism
    • Anarchic structure in the international system by Waltz
    • Consequent goals and behavior of states in defensive Neorealism
    • Core assumptions of offensive Neorealism according to Mearsheimer
    • Neorealism hypothesis and operational approach
  • Theoretical assumptions of Republican liberalism according to Moravcsik
    • Assumptions of Liberalism as a basis…
    • Political representation in Republican liberalism
    • Republican liberalism hypothesis and operational approach
• Hamas' provocation towards Israel in the last Gaza War
  • Security threat analysis for testing Neorealism hypothesis
    • Situation in Gaza Strip and the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead
    • Analysis on the latest Gaza War and its aftermath
  • Analysis of inner political tensions for testing Republican liberalism hypothesis
    • Establishment of Hamas and its primary goals and interests
    • Hamas rise from unpopularity to elected party
    • The conflict between Hamas and its major rival Fatah
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis examines the provocative attacks by Hamas against Israel during the 2014 Gaza War. The author seeks to understand the motivations behind Hamas' actions by applying two prominent international theories: Neorealism and Republican liberalism. Neorealism focuses on the anarchic structure of the international system and its impact on state behavior, while Republican liberalism examines domestic political factors, particularly the influence of societal groups and their representation in state policy.

• The role of anarchy in the international system and its influence on state behavior
• The impact of internal political pressures on state actions
• The interplay of security threats and domestic political factors in international conflict
• The significance of political representation in understanding state policy
• The specific motivations and goals of Hamas in the 2014 Gaza War

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter sets the stage for the thesis by providing historical context for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, highlighting the rise of Hamas and the tensions between the two entities leading up to the 2014 Gaza War. It concludes with the research question: “How can the provocative attacks against Israel by Hamas in the last Gaza War be explained?".
• Theoretical Framework: This section introduces the two theoretical frameworks that will be used to analyze the conflict.
  • Neorealism: This subsection explores the core assumptions of Neorealism, particularly the concept of anarchy in the international system and its implications for state behavior, focusing on the "defensive realism" variant as developed by Kenneth Waltz. It discusses how this theory can be applied to understand the motivations behind Hamas' actions.
  • Republican Liberalism: This subsection focuses on the core assumptions of Republican liberalism as a variant of liberalism, highlighting the role of domestic political representation and the competition between societal groups in shaping state policy. It outlines how Republican liberalism offers an alternative perspective on the conflict, examining internal political pressures within Hamas and their potential impact on their actions.
• Hamas' Provocation towards Israel in the Last Gaza War: This section presents the empirical analysis of the conflict, examining the events surrounding the Gaza War and applying the theoretical frameworks introduced previously.
  • Security Threat Analysis: This subsection tests the Neorealism hypothesis by analyzing the security situation in the Gaza Strip, specifically focusing on the aftermath of "Operation Cast Lead" and the developments leading up to the 2014 Gaza War. It explores whether the conflict can be explained by security threats perceived by Hamas.
  • Analysis of Inner Political Tensions: This subsection examines the Republican liberalism hypothesis by delving into the internal political dynamics of Hamas, exploring its establishment, goals, rise to power, and conflict with its rival Fatah. It seeks to determine if internal political pressures played a role in Hamas' actions.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The core keywords and focus topics of this thesis include the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the 2014 Gaza War, Hamas, Neorealism, Republican liberalism, security threats, domestic politics, political representation, and the role of societal groups in influencing state policy.