Martin Kear is a Sessional Lecturer in the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. His research interests include political participation by Islamist groups and the role of political violence in the narrative of Islamist groups.

• Introduction 1. Empirical Ambiguities and Theoretical Considerations 2. Hamas: Balancing Pragmatism, Principles, and Purpose 3. Between a State and Occupation: Surviving Israeli State-Building 4. The Political Learning Curve: The Promises and Perils of Electoral Participation and Success 5. Governing Gaza: The ‘Slow Assassination’ of Hamas 6. Fighting to Survive: Hamas and its Confrontations with Israel 7. The Vacillating Power-Sharing Dynamics of the Territories 8. The Impermanence of Regional Alliances Conclusion

Martin Kear is a Sessional Lecturer in the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. His research interests include political participation by Islamist groups and the role of political violence in the narrative of Islamist groups.

• Introduction 1. Empirical Ambiguities and Theoretical Considerations 2. Hamas: Balancing Pragmatism, Principles, and Purpose 3. Between a State and Occupation: Surviving Israeli State-Building 4. The Political Learning Curve: The Promises and Perils of Electoral Participation and Success 5. Governing Gaza: The ‘Slow Assassination’ of Hamas 6. Fighting to Survive: Hamas and its Confrontations with Israel 7. The Vacillating Power-Sharing Dynamics of the Territories 8. The Impermanence of Regional Alliances Conclusion

Martin Kear is a Sessional Lecturer in the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. His research interests include political participation by Islamist groups and the role of political violence in the narrative of Islamist groups.

• Introduction 1. Empirical Ambiguities and Theoretical Considerations 2. Hamas: Balancing Pragmatism, Principles, and Purpose 3. Between a State and Occupation: Surviving Israeli State-Building 4. The Political Learning Curve: The Promises and Perils of Electoral Participation and Success 5. Governing Gaza: The ‘Slow Assassination’ of Hamas 6. Fighting to Survive: Hamas and its Confrontations with Israel 7. The Vacillating Power-Sharing Dynamics of the Territories 8. The Impermanence of Regional Alliances Conclusion