The New Terrorism Debate

This paper explores whether or not the traits found in the new terrorism paradigm correspond with Hamas’ behavioral and organizational characteristics. By focusing on the core concepts of the new terrorism paradigm this paper discusses how Hamas fits within the parameters laid out by those concepts, and compares these assumptions with the analysis of Hamas’ behavior in some of the recent terrorism literature. Based on this comparison this paper argues Hamas is less ideologically/religiously motivated, as the new terrorism argues, and more politically as well as structurally motivated. This conclusion therefore argues that the weight placed on the relevance of the new terrorism perspective should be reevaluated.