Hamas: The Quest for Power by Beverley Milton-Edwards and Stephen Farrell. Pb Polity. June 2024. £17.99
For Palestinians the past is always a prologue. Everything that has happened before is just an introduction to what is about to unfold. The events of the past have set the stage for the present and future. Palestinians’ past experiences shape who they are today, and it influences the choices they make in the future. It encourages them to see their history—not just the good, but the struggles too—as important building blocks; every decision, success or failure leads them toward what is next.
October 7, 2023, is another one of those prologues. Writing about the past and current history of Hamas presents significant challenges. The history of Hamas is deeply complex, shaped by political, religious and military dynamics. Over the years, it has evolved from a grassroots resistance group to a governing entity in Gaza. In writing about Hamas’ history, biases need to be navigated—both in how the group’s early days of resistance are portrayed and how its more recent actions are interpreted.
The challenge intensifies when writing about the October 7 attacks, which are still fresh and unfolding. It is difficult to fully grasp the long-term consequences of these events, and many details are still emerging. While historians will have the benefit of time to analyse the motives, tactics and repercussions, contemporary writers may rely on incomplete or evolving information. In the heat of the moment, it is easy for narratives to be shaped by political or emotional forces, which can cloud the true complexity of the situation.
In writing about Hamas’ past and present, the difficulty lies in not only recounting the events as they happen but also in maintaining an objective lens while acknowledging the emotional, historical and political weight that such a topic carries. Hamas: The Quest for Power capably meets this challenge by providing an insightful historical examination of the Palestinian political and militant organization while at the same time interpreting the contemporaneous Palestinian resistance in Gaza in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks.
The authors provide the essential background on Hamas, offering a clear and comprehensive understanding of the group’s origins. Founded in 1987 during the First Intifada, Hamas began as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Its initial objective was to oppose the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and to establish an Islamic state. Over time, however, Hamas transformed from a resistance movement into a formidable political force with both militant and social service components.
Milton-Edwards and Farrell’s exploration of the political context in which Hamas emerged points to the historical grievances and socio-political conditions that contributed to the group’s rise. The failure of previous Palestinian leaderships, particularly the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), to effectively address the needs and aspirations of the Palestinian people, as well as the lack of a strong, unified Palestinian political alternative to Israeli occupation, set the backdrop for understanding how Hamas positioned itself as a viable alternative.
One of the most valuable aspects of The Quest for Power is its analysis of how Hamas has navigated the shifting political landscape. Milton-Edwards and Farrell delve into the organization’s dual identity, highlighting its status as both a militant group and a political actor. Its early years were marked by its armed resistance to Israel, including suicide bombings and attacks on Israeli civilians, which earned it a place on the international list of terrorist organizations. However, the authors emphasize that Hamas’ political ambitions were never limited to only armed resistance.
By outlining Hamas’ involvement in social services, including the establishment of schools, hospitals, and welfare programs, which earned it significant support among Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, Milton-Edwards and Farrell argue that this combination of military and social services allowed Hamas to build a broad base of support among Palestinians, differentiating it from other Palestinian factions, particularly the more secular Fatah party, which had failed to address the needs of ordinary Palestinians.
A critical juncture in Hamas’ trajectory came in 2006, when the group participated in Palestinian legislative elections. Hamas’ surprising victory in these elections, where they won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council, came as a shock to western capitals. It marked a pivotal shift from being a militant group to being a legitimate political player in the Palestinian political landscape. Hamas’ political success, according to the authors, was not just a result of its strong grassroots support, but also due to the perceived corruption and inefficiency of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas.
In the aftermath of the victory, the international community, led by the United States and the European Union, refused to recognize Hamas’ victory. This refusal to engage with a democratically elected government based on its ideological stance created a major rift, leading to a blockade of the Gaza Strip and the eventual split between Hamas-controlled Gaza and the West Bank, which remains a central division in Palestinian politics.
The internal struggles within Hamas are split between its political wing, which seeks to establish a broad-based Palestinian government, and its military wing, which has maintained a hardline stance against Israel. This division is portrayed as a source of tension within the organization, as political pragmatism often clashes with the ideology of armed resistance. The external pressures on Hamas, particularly from Israel, the United States and Arab countries, also play a crucial role in shaping its strategies and policies. The blockade of Gaza, which began after Hamas took power, and the broader regional dynamics, including the role of Iran and Syria in supporting Hamas’ military operations, have been excellently contextualized within these regional power struggles and provide insights into how it has navigated the complicated relationships with both state and non-state actors.
While the book offers a balanced examination of Hamas’ rise and impact, it provides a careful and delicate critique of the group’s tactics. Writing about the early phase of suicide bombings, Milton-Edwards and Farrell say:
“The change in strategy signalled by the suicide attacks was an ominous sign of things to come. Nothing would ever be the same again. Exploding suicide bombs inside Israel and against Israeli civilians, on a scale designed to kill as many as possible, was a deliberate assault by Hamas on the Israeli psyche. From this point onwards the wider dynamic of Israeli occupation against Palestinians would be irrevocably altered.”
While acknowledging that Hamas views its resistance as legitimate in the context of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands, they also argue that these attacks have led to significant suffering for Palestinians, especially in Gaza. The killing of more than 50,000 Palestinians by Israel since October 7 is one such example.
Hamas: The Quest for Power is a thought-provoking analysis of one of the most influential political and militant groups in the Middle East. Milton-Edwards and Farrell offer a well-rounded perspective on Hamas, analysing its roots, its rise to power, and the challenges it faces both internally and externally. How Hamas emerges after the destruction of October 7 is yet to be seen.
“Hamas attacks have ramifications far beyond Israel and Palestine – as intended. Hamas certainly raised its profile, virilized its level of fame, or notoriety,” write Edwards and Farrell.
In a sobering conclusion, Edwards and Farrell state:
“…the fundamental causes that Hamas championed still had the power to draw support and galvanize the Palestinian people, as well as an increasing number of the disenfranchised in the Global South and the marginalised in the West… If neither Israel nor Hamas can win the war, then politics may be the only means forward.”
Hamas: The Quest for Power is essential reading for anyone looking to understand Hamas, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the broader Middle Eastern political landscape.
Mahomed Faizal
