The Dynamics of Power and Resistance in Using Aid for Pacification: A case study of Qatari aid during the Gaza Strip’s Great Return March
(2020) STVK12 20201Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- In light of the growing “coherence” between humanitarianism and political actions in today’s world, does aid remain conducive to socio-economic improvement, or does it inhibit the ushering of much needed change? In the context of this study, the besieged population of Gaza organized large weekly demonstrations known as the Great Return March (2018-2020) to demand their basic political, economic and social rights from the occupying power, Israel. However, millions of dollars of aid from the state of Qatar were channeled through Israel to Gaza’s ruling authority, Hamas, which Israel deems terrorist, in return for gradually ending the protests. This invites for a closer look to examine what the implications are when aid is instrumentalized as... (More)
- In light of the growing “coherence” between humanitarianism and political actions in today’s world, does aid remain conducive to socio-economic improvement, or does it inhibit the ushering of much needed change? In the context of this study, the besieged population of Gaza organized large weekly demonstrations known as the Great Return March (2018-2020) to demand their basic political, economic and social rights from the occupying power, Israel. However, millions of dollars of aid from the state of Qatar were channeled through Israel to Gaza’s ruling authority, Hamas, which Israel deems terrorist, in return for gradually ending the protests. This invites for a closer look to examine what the implications are when aid is instrumentalized as a counterinsurgency tool that stands in the way of popular mobilization for change.
While there has been ample scholarly production on aid in Palestine, Gaza has been less studied since it fell under Israel’s blockade in 2007 due to its geographic inaccessibility. This study aims to fill this gap by taking a bottom-up approach of highlighting local perceptions and interactions with Qatar’s aid during the demonstrations. The study uses Foucault’s power triangle theory to look at Qatar’s aid as a form of biopower and Israel’s exploitation of it to buy calm with aid as disciplinary power, both of which have provoked inevitable forms of resistance or compliance on the receiving end. The study argues that in Gaza’s case, resistance to the power triangle varied from the use of retaliatory, defensive, provocative and rejectionist forms of violence to verbal resistance through sarcasm, avoidance, and casting doubt on aid. The aim of the study is not to criticize aid itself, as Gaza is undoubtedly in dire need for assistance. It rather aims to critically assess the apparatus of Qatari aid for calm to highlight its implications on the receiving end, in order to call for more constructive engagements that genuinely alleviate suffering rather than contain it. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9008410
- author
- Shehada, Mohammed LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- STVK12 20201
- year
- 2020
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Great Return March, Aid, Counterinsurgency
- language
- English
- id
- 9008410
- date added to LUP
- 2020-08-05 11:20:41
- date last changed
- 2020-08-05 11:20:41
@misc{9008410,
abstract = {{In light of the growing “coherence” between humanitarianism and political actions in today’s world, does aid remain conducive to socio-economic improvement, or does it inhibit the ushering of much needed change? In the context of this study, the besieged population of Gaza organized large weekly demonstrations known as the Great Return March (2018-2020) to demand their basic political, economic and social rights from the occupying power, Israel. However, millions of dollars of aid from the state of Qatar were channeled through Israel to Gaza’s ruling authority, Hamas, which Israel deems terrorist, in return for gradually ending the protests. This invites for a closer look to examine what the implications are when aid is instrumentalized as a counterinsurgency tool that stands in the way of popular mobilization for change.
While there has been ample scholarly production on aid in Palestine, Gaza has been less studied since it fell under Israel’s blockade in 2007 due to its geographic inaccessibility. This study aims to fill this gap by taking a bottom-up approach of highlighting local perceptions and interactions with Qatar’s aid during the demonstrations. The study uses Foucault’s power triangle theory to look at Qatar’s aid as a form of biopower and Israel’s exploitation of it to buy calm with aid as disciplinary power, both of which have provoked inevitable forms of resistance or compliance on the receiving end. The study argues that in Gaza’s case, resistance to the power triangle varied from the use of retaliatory, defensive, provocative and rejectionist forms of violence to verbal resistance through sarcasm, avoidance, and casting doubt on aid. The aim of the study is not to criticize aid itself, as Gaza is undoubtedly in dire need for assistance. It rather aims to critically assess the apparatus of Qatari aid for calm to highlight its implications on the receiving end, in order to call for more constructive engagements that genuinely alleviate suffering rather than contain it.}},
author = {{Shehada, Mohammed}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Dynamics of Power and Resistance in Using Aid for Pacification: A case study of Qatari aid during the Gaza Strip’s Great Return March}},
year = {{2020}},
}