MESA Banner
Pro-Palestine Groups as Incubators of Democracy
Abstract
This paper looks at the cases of pro-Palestine groups in the Arab Gulf states and traces the impact of various levels and strategies of repression on the identities, objectives, and trajectories of these groups. Pro-Palestine groups in particular are important to consider in the context, as one of the few arenas in Gulf civil society which is allowed to function to a large extent. How regimes treat such groups is often a yardstick for determining levels of repression overall. Using ethnographic methods, the paper will show how these groups have evolved under fluctuating levels of repression. In environments with less repression, pro-Palestine groups have been able to shift ideologically, and explore new ideas and demands –in particular demands for democracy. Alternatively, time periods of increased repression - often tied to regional factors - radicalize members, but severely impact the efficacy of the group overall. The paper looks specifically at the cases of Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, and the pro-Palestine activism therein.
Discipline
Political Science
Geographic Area
Gulf
Sub Area
Democratization