Full Description
Since 1967, Israeli decision-makers have opted to conquer, occupy, colonize and dominate the Gaza Strip. Why has this sliver of land - home and refuge to around 400,000 Palestinians at the time of the 1967 War - been so important? Why has it come to play such a major role in Israeli-Palestinian affairs, Israeli domestic and foreign policy, and - increasingly - Israel's international relations? This book answers these questions.
Placing Gaza within the context of Zionist ideology and practice, the question of Palestine and the fate of Palestinian self-determination, the book charts Israel's Gaza policy from early attempts to put the area under Israeli rule before 1967 and up until Israel's attempted destruction of the Gaza Strip and its people in the wake of 7 October 2023.
Based on Israeli archival material, official records, international media reports and leaked documents, the book interrogates pivotal moments in the history of Israel and Gaza. It looks at the attitudes, behaviour and decisions behind Israeli policymaking, as well as policy implementation and its implications. Whilst historical accounts and political commentary often suggest Israel has acted towards Gaza and its Palestinian population in an ad-hoc way the book reveals this is far from the case.
Contents
Chapter 1: Eyeless in Gaza?
Chapter 2: Explaining Israeli Foreign and Domestic Policy
Chapter 3: Gaza in Context: Zionism, Expansionism, and Israel's Quest for Domination Pre-1967
Chapter 4: A Bone Stuck in Their Throat? The 1967 War and the Onset of Israeli Occupation
Chapter 5: An Inseparable Part of Israel: Strengthening Control and Domination, 1967-1987
Chapter 6: 'Gaza First': Recycling an Old Idea for Middle East Peace-Making, 1987-2000
Chapter 7: Painful Concession or Diplomatic and Demographic Necessity? Israel's Unilateral Evacuation, 2000-2005
Chapter 8: The Hostile Territory: Blockade, Separation and Fragmentation, 2005-2023
Chapter 9: Remember What Amalek Did to You: Bringing Down the House
