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

Description

Since the Arab uprisings of 2011, Palestinian youth movements have formed unofficial and leaderless networks of political activism, using the internet to mobilise and bring together three generations of Palestinian activists. This book focuses on three key case studies that have marked a turning point in the development of youth-organised and grassroots Palestinian politics: the 15 March movement in Gaza, the Palestinians for Dignity movement in the West Bank, and the Prawer movement of young Palestinians in Israel. Drawing on extensive fieldwork composed of interviews with leading Palestinian activists in the West Bank and Gaza and detailed analysis of social media patterns, this book offers a fresh reading of Palestinian youth and their central online and offline role in popular protests against both Israeli and Palestinian power structures. Review “ It takes deep cultural knowledge to understand how people use technology. Dwonch has immersed herself in Palestinian communities using technology to express themselves politically and to understand their political positions. Most important, her time spent in these communities lets her explain how the role of technology in political culture varies across the generations of Palestinians trapped in a long term struggle for individual identity and collective security. ” ― Philip Howard, Director of Oxford Internet Institute and Professor of Internet Studies, University of Oxford, UK “Albana Dwonch's analysis of Palestinian youth makes important contributions on two levels. It unveils the simmering tension between young, nationalist Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel and the established national organizations that are supposed to be representing them. At the same time, Palestinian Youth Activism in the Internet Age sheds important light on a process that has permeated the entire Middle East, and beyond: young people's use of social media to challenge and transform existing politics. Dwonch expertly mixes novel analysis with telling anecdotes that bring these youthful activists to life.” ― Joel S. Migdal, Robert F. Philip Professor of International Studies, University of Washington, USA About the Author Albana Dwonch was most recently Visiting Scholar at the Ibrahim Abu Lughod International Studies Institute, Birzeit University, Palestine. She has been actively engaged in the NGO sector in the Middle East as Youth Development practitioner. She received her PhD in Near and Middle Eastern Interdisciplinary studies from the University of Washington, USA. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Abbreviations Acknowledgments Preface Series Foreword Chapter 1: Introduction Research questions Case studies Research design and methodology Outline Chapter 2: New Social Movements in the Internet Age “The Tectonic Shift”: The impact of digital networks on collective action Theoretical criticism Chapter 3: The Rise and Fall of the Arab Spring The roots of the Arab Uprisings: Between techno-enthusiasts and techno-skeptics Defining concepts of youth and youth activism in the Palestinian context Chapter 4: Gaza’s Forgotten Revolution Youth activism in Gaza The foretold chronicle of a manifesto for change Hamas’s electoral victory in 2006 Palestinian Parliamentary Elections and the international response The Battle of Gaza, June 10–14, 2007 Voiceless in Gaza: Restricting the public sphere Operation cast lead: December 27–January 21, 2009 GYBO—The Arab Spring and the Palestinian 15 March movement People want the end of the division: The 15 March movement “The forgotten revolution” Concluding remarks Chapter 5: At a Crossroads in the West Bank: In Search of a Lost Strategy “This Kind of Politics”: The West Bank youth’s disillusion with the PA The PA’s Rule in the West Bank: 2007–11 Politics of fear—Networks of hope: The Arab Spring in the West Bank The 15 March movement: People want the end of the division The Birth of the Palestinians for Dignity (PFD) network PFD in 2011–13: Targeting both the Palestinian Authority and Israeli occupation Strengthening ties with the Palestinian popular committees First Intifada (1987–93) The Oslo Accords Second Intifada (2000–05) “Every young Palestinian is an Ahed Tamimi” Concluding remarks Chapter 6: Between Old Demands and New Protests: Stop the Prawer Plan Movement—a Case Study of Palestinian Youth Activism in Israel, 2011–13 Palestinians of Israel Protesting as “48ers” within Israel The Arab Spring and the Palestinians of Israel Hungry for Freedom: Online and offline lessons in political organizing Prawer Plan Concluding remarks Chapter 7: General Conclusions Palestinian protests and new networked movements in the Internet age Key findings Motivational factors for new Palestinian youth movements Final thoughts Notes Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Appendix References Online Organizational Resources Social Media Sites (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs) Blog-Based Magazines and Online News Publications Cited International and Regional Media Sites and Newspapers Cited: Index