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Source: Getty

In The Media

Hamas Doesn’t Have Much To Lose

Engagements with Israel have a contradictory effect of bolstering the credibility of Hamas.

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By Michele Dunne
Published on Jul 11, 2014
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The Middle East Program in Washington combines in-depth regional knowledge with incisive comparative analysis to provide deeply informed recommendations. With expertise in the Gulf, North Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, we examine crosscutting themes of political, economic, and social change in both English and Arabic.

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Source: CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper

“Unfortunately we’re still in an escalating phase of this [conflict], but at some point there will be room for mediation,” said Carnegie’s Michele Dunne on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper. She explained that Gazans have not been served well by Hamas governance since 2007 and in public opinion polls, the popularity of Hamas within Gaza itself has fallen sharply.

These engagements with Israel have a contradictory effect of bolstering the credibility of Hamas, Dunne added, and Hamas’s actions have been very desperate. Hamas really doesn’t have much to lose and they hope that by fighting with Israel, they’ll actually become more popular and have more of a role, she concluded.

The interview was originally aired on NPR’s The Lead with Jake Tapper.

About the Author

Michele Dunne

Former Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Program

Michele Dunne was a nonresident scholar in Carnegie’s Middle East Program, where her research focuses on political and economic change in Arab countries, particularly Egypt, as well as U.S. policy in the Middle East.

    Recent Work

  • Research
    Islamic Institutions in Arab States: Mapping the Dynamics of Control, Co-option, and Contention
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Michele Dunne
Former Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Program
Michele Dunne
Political ReformSecurityMilitaryForeign PolicyMiddle EastIsraelPalestineLevant

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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