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The London School of Economics and Political Science The London School of Economics and Political Science Conceptualising Suicide Bombings and Rethinking International Relations Theory: The Case of Hamas, 1987-2006 Rashmi Singh A thesis submitted to the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, July 2008 UMI Number: U615475 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615475 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ■ rc s g e s F g ^ l \ 12 ^ 0 % im 'zoT - Battles “They'll wake up in the morning And they will fight. That which you saw last night was my dream The other will answer: no, it was my dream They will gently retrieve two pistols From the sides of the same pillow And at the same moment They will fire” - Salvos of Mercy From a selection of poems by Ibrahim Nasrallah Translated by Ibrahim Muhawi Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of the author. I warrant that this authorization does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. Abstract This thesis analyses the phenomenon of suicide bombings as manifested in the Palestinian landscape of conflict and attempts to construct a theoretical framework of analysis to study the phenomenon. It investigates Hamas, and most specifically its resort to suicide bombings, from the time of its inception in 1988 to its electoral victory in 2006. In focussing on a particular organisation this work rejects the notion of a monolithic Islamist global threat perpetrated by individuals that are irrational and propelled solely by religion and the call to jihad , irrespective of their organisational affiliation and geographical location. Instead such categorisations are rebuffed by using tools provided by International Relations theory and examples of Hamas that illustrate why and how suicide operations are adopted in a particular socio-political setting. Hence, at its core, this thesis probes how concepts and methods in contemporary International Relations can assist in explaining and understanding the phenomenon of suicide bombings using the specific empirical case of the Hamas. Three broad theoretical methodologies/approaches are utilised in the constructed theoretical framework of analysis, namely Rational Choice Theory, Social Constructivism and the Just War thesis. Each of these is believed to grant equally crucial insights into specific aspects of suicide operations, which when amalgamated provide a more holistic understanding of the phenomenon in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Within this given theoretical structure the thesis demonstrates how Palestinian suicide operations are, first and foremost, a complex combination of instrumental and expressive violence which are adopted by rational actors to assert power, achieve political and/or societal survival and enable retaliation and competition. Second, this work reveals how suicide operations perform an important role in the formation and consolidation of Palestinian national identity and also demonstrates how such acts are used as a mechanism to delineate both organisational and individual space. Finally, this thesis probes how political Islam is employed to facilitate the articulation, justification and legitimisation of suicide operations as a modern-day jihad to Palestinian society through the means of modem interpretations and fatwas. In its endeavours to formulate a more holistic understanding of suicide operations in the Israeli - Palestinian conflict this work consciously uses both positivist and post-positivist concepts as part of its theoretical framework. However, while it employs neo-utilitarian choice-theoretic assumptions as a methodological tool to illustrate one facet of suicide bombings it is, both ontologically and epistemologically, more closely aligned with post­ positivists approaches. As such it challenges basic rationalist assumptions that claim value neutrality and treat actors as possessing identities and interests that are autogenous and pre­ social. Finally, the methodological structure of this thesis is based on qualitative research which utilises not only primary and secondary source literature but also interview-based field data collected in both Israel and the Palestinian territories from December 2004 to January 2005. Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without a number of people. First and foremost, I want to thank my parents for always believing in me and without whose leap of faith I would never have commenced the programme at the LSE. Thanks also to both my siblings, Sunny and Sid, for their unswerving support, their feedback on my chapters and, of course, for patiently contributing to the umpteenth number discussions about this project. Family - so much would be impossible without you! Sincere thanks go to my supervisor, Prof. Christopher Coker for his understanding and unswerving support. This thesis would not have taken the shape it has without his encouragement, guidance and faith in me and my project. Special thanks also go to Prof. Barry Buzan, Dr. Katerina Dalacoura and Prof. Kim Hutchings for their consistent support, encouragement and willingness to read various chapters. Thank you to the late Dr. Dominique Jacquin-Berdal for her guidance and advice. Special thanks also to Dr. Kirsten Ainley, Dr. Amnon Aran, Dr. Robert Kissack and Serena Sharma for their comments and feedback on various chapters. I am also deeply indebted to the Department of International Relations, LSE for providing the much needed financial support without which this project could not have been completed. Thanks to all my friends and colleagues who stood by me over these past few years. Thank you to: Monika Thakur, dear friend and teacher, for being my family in London and keeping my head above the water when drowning seemed imminent; Anne Hoffmann for teaching me how to be a better person and, in the end, what really matters; Glenn Reid, for being my guardian angel and for his boundless generosity; Karen Alexander, for her calm strength and good advise; Chris Christodoulou and Derrick Chong, for not only giving me a job but also a home at International Hall (IH); ‘Mama’ Jo Hogan, for her optimism, humour and support; and all the senior members at IH, especially my TT-advisor’ Antonis Houry, for being so great to live and work with. A special thank you to the Millennium: Journal of International Studies and to all those who gave me teaching and research assistant opportunities over the years - you were invaluable sources of financial and intellectual sustenance! Sincere thanks also to the IR departmental support staff, especially Alison Carter, Hilary Parker and Martina Langer, for always being so very helpful. I am especially grateful to all those I met and/or interviewed over the course of my fieldwork in Israel, West Bank and Gaza - thank you for your time, patience and willingness to share. Special thanks to Moty Cristal and Sarah Sabry for providing me with initial contacts and logistical advice for Israel and WBG respectively. In Israel, I would especially like to thank Yael Pries-Shimshi at the International Policy Institute for Counter .Terrorism and Tamar Malz at the Jaffee Centre for Strategic Studies, for their assistance and advice. Thank you also to Tamar in Herzilya, for all the dinners and the most fabulous glimpses into Israeli life. Thank you to: Andrea Recchia at OCHA for the insights, laughter and all the rides; and to the Indian Embassy (Tel Aviv) for not only their assistance but also for making me feel at home. In WBG special thanks go to: Mu’taz and the Indian Representative Mission (A1 Bier), for logistical support and assistance with contacts; Abu Ali and Fadl for their kindness, hospitality and for always letting me have the heater! Sincere thanks to Fawaz for his company, trust and generosity of time. Thanks also to all those who spoke to me at various universities, political rallies, refugee camps and demolition sites. Finally, I am deeply grateful to all to those who trusted me enough to allow me a glimpse into their lives, for speaking frankly and without fear. Rashmi Singh, London, February 2008 CONTENTS 1. Acronyms ..............................................................................................................................vii 2. Glossary of Arabic and Islamic Terms .............................................................................viii 3. Israel and the Occupied Territories of West Bank and Gaza .............................................xi
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