Insurgent Culture: Strategy and Change in the Palestinian National Movement

• In Event: Strategic Context and Implications of the Current Middle East Conflict

Abstract

What determines insurgent strategy? Existing work focuses on rational choice, arguing that insurgents select strategies on the basis of their likelihood to succeed under whatever conditions they face. But many insurgent groups face near-identical conditions and nonetheless select completely different strategies, suggesting there are differences between these organizations driving their different strategic behavior. I argue what is missing is organizational culture, which determines how organizations gather information, interpret it, and convert it into action. Using the Palestinian National Movement and its constituent organizations--particularly Fatah, Hamas, and the PFLP--I develop a theory of insurgent organizational culture to explain their divergent strategies when facing similar strategic conditions.

Author

• Sam Biasi, Boston College