Palestinian Youth Activism in the Internet Age: Online and Offline Social Networks after the Arab Spring

223 Pages·2019·4.136 MB·English

by  Albana S. Dwonch

Palestinian Youth Activism
in the Internet Age
SOAS Palestine Studies
This book series aims at promoting innovative research in the study of
Palestine, Palestinians and the Israel-Palestine conflict as a crucial component
of Middle Eastern and world politics. The first ever Western academic series
entirely dedicated to this topic, SOAS Palestine Studies draws from a variety
of disciplinary fields, including history, politics, media, visual arts, social
anthropology, and development studies. The series is published under the
academic direction of the Centre for Palestine Studies (CPS) at the London
Middle East Institute (LMEI) of SOAS, University of London.
Series Editor
Gilbert Achcar, Professor of Development Studies and International
Relations at SOAS, Chair of the Centre for Palestine Studies
Board Advisor
Hassan Hakimian, Director of the London Middle East Institute at SOAS
Current and Forthcoming Titles
Palestine Ltd.: Neoliberalism and Nationalism in the Occupied Territory,
Toufic Haddad
Palestinian Literature in Exile: Gender, Aesthetics and Resistance in
the Short Story, Joseph R. Farag
Palestinian Citizens of Israel: Power, Resistance and the Struggle for Space,
Sharri Plonski
Palestinian Youth Activism
in the Internet Age
Online and Offline Social Networks
after the Arab Spring
Albana S. Dwonch
I.B. TAURIS
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK
1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA
BLOOMSBURY, I.B. TAURIS and the Diana logo are trademarks
of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First published in Great Britain 2020
Copyright © Albana S. Dwonch 2020
Albana S. Dwonch has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.
Cover design: Simon Levy
Cover image: Mural of the jailed Palestinian teen, Ahed al-Tamimi, on the
separation barrier, in Bethlehem, West Bank, July 29, 2018.
(© Wisam Hashlamoun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission
in writing from the publishers.
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any
third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this
book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any
inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but
can accept no responsibility for any such changes.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 978-1-8386-0063-1
eISBN: 978-1-8386-0066-2
ePDF: 978-1-8386-0064-8
Series: SOAS Palestine Studies
Typeset by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India
To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com
and sign up for our newsletters.
To my Mom and Dad,
with love and gratitude.
vi
Contents
List of Abbreviations x
Acknowledgments xi
Preface xiv
Series Foreword xxii
1 Introduction 1
Research questions 4
Case studies 7
Research design and methodology 15
Outline 20
2 New Social Movements in the Internet Age 23
“The Tectonic Shift”: The impact of digital networks on
collective action 25
Theoretical criticism 28
3 The Rise and Fall of the Arab Spring 33
The roots of the Arab Uprisings: Between techno-enthusiasts
and techno-skeptics 34
Defining concepts of youth and youth activism in the
Palestinian context 43
4 Gaza’s Forgotten Revolution 49
Youth activism in Gaza 54
The foretold chronicle of a manifesto for change 56
Hamas’s electoral victory in 2006 Palestinian Parliamentary
Elections and the international response 58
The Battle of Gaza, June 10–14, 2007 59
Voiceless in Gaza: Restricting the public sphere 60
Operation cast lead: December 27–January 21, 2009 62
viii Contents
GYBO—The Arab Spring and the Palestinian 15 March movement 65
People want the end of the division: The 15 March movement 68
“The forgotten revolution” 72
Concluding remarks 75
5 At a Crossroads in the West Bank: In Search of a Lost Strategy 79
“This Kind of Politics”: The West Bank youth’s disillusion with the PA 84
The PA’s Rule in the West Bank: 2007–11 87
Politics of fear—Networks of hope: The Arab Spring in
the West Bank 90
The 15 March movement: People want the end of the division 92
The Birth of the Palestinians for Dignity (PFD) network 96
PFD in 2011–13: Targeting both the Palestinian Authority and
Israeli occupation 97
Strengthening ties with the Palestinian popular committees 101
First Intifada (1987–93) 104
The Oslo Accords 106
Second Intifada (2000–05) 111
“Every young Palestinian is an Ahed Tamimi” 112
Concluding remarks 113
6 Between Old Demands and New Protests: Stop the Prawer
Plan Movement—a Case Study of Palestinian Youth Activism
in Israel, 2011–13 117
Palestinians of Israel 120
Protesting as “48ers” within Israel 125
The Arab Spring and the Palestinians of Israel 130
Hungry for Freedom: Online and offline lessons in
political organizing 132
Prawer Plan 137
Concluding remarks 141
Contents ix
7 General Conclusions 143
Palestinian protests and new networked movements in
the Internet age 145
Key findings 147
Motivational factors for new Palestinian youth movements 149
Final thoughts 158
Notes 161
Appendix 172
References 177
Index 195