Analysis & Opinions - The National Interest
The Roots and Consequences of Hamas' Strategy
Hamas' brutal attack didn't come from a vacuum; it was the result of a decades-long "axis of resistance" strategy.
That the current war in the Gaza Strip poses a clear existential threat to Hamas and potentially to the entire Palestinian cause is abundantly clear. But the current conflict, Israel’s pronounced intent to wipe Hamas off the face of the earth, even if this means a months-long war, will have profound long-term implications for any actor with a stake in the postwar balance of power and regional order in the Middle East. Israel’s purpose and identity as a viable country for and protector of the Jewish people are at stake. But the vital interests of the entire Iranian camp in the Middle East—the self-described “axis of resistance,” of which Hamas has become a key member in recent years, are also hanging in the balance.
The full text of this publication is available via the original publication source.
For Academic Citation: Sobelman, Daniel.“The Roots and Consequences of Hamas' Strategy.” The National Interest, October 14, 2023.
Daniel Sobelman
- Fellow, Middle East Initiative, 2023 - 2024
- Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2022–2023
- Former Postdoctoral Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2014–2017
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
In the Spotlight
(AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Daniel Sobelman writes that “Hamas’ brutal attack didn’t come from a vacuum,” but resulted from a long “axis-of-resistance” strategy. Regional repercussions will be formative, he says.
Aly Song / Reuters
In Foreign Affairs, Graham Allison and Henry A. Kissinger write that Biden, Xi, and other world leaders must act now to face challenges posed by AI just as their predecessors did 78 years ago confronting challenges of the nuclear age.
AP/Alex Babenko
Mariana Budjeryn writes that while there is no cause to doubt Stephen Walt’s genuine concern for Ukrainian lives, his argument about the morality of the war in Ukraine “is nevertheless deeply flawed.”
Most Viewed
That the current war in the Gaza Strip poses a clear existential threat to Hamas and potentially to the entire Palestinian cause is abundantly clear. But the current conflict, Israel’s pronounced intent to wipe Hamas off the face of the earth, even if this means a months-long war, will have profound long-term implications for any actor with a stake in the postwar balance of power and regional order in the Middle East. Israel’s purpose and identity as a viable country for and protector of the Jewish people are at stake. But the vital interests of the entire Iranian camp in the Middle East—the self-described “axis of resistance,” of which Hamas has become a key member in recent years, are also hanging in the balance.
The full text of this publication is available via the original publication source.
For Academic Citation: Sobelman, Daniel.“The Roots and Consequences of Hamas' Strategy.” The National Interest, October 14, 2023.
Daniel Sobelman
- Fellow, Middle East Initiative, 2023 - 2024
- Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2022–2023
- Former Postdoctoral Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2014–2017
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
In the Spotlight
(AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Daniel Sobelman writes that “Hamas’ brutal attack didn’t come from a vacuum,” but resulted from a long “axis-of-resistance” strategy. Regional repercussions will be formative, he says.
Aly Song / Reuters
In Foreign Affairs, Graham Allison and Henry A. Kissinger write that Biden, Xi, and other world leaders must act now to face challenges posed by AI just as their predecessors did 78 years ago confronting challenges of the nuclear age.
AP/Alex Babenko
Mariana Budjeryn writes that while there is no cause to doubt Stephen Walt’s genuine concern for Ukrainian lives, his argument about the morality of the war in Ukraine “is nevertheless deeply flawed.”