Armed Resistance versus Nonviolent Strategies: An Analysis of Palestinian Public Opinion

Abstract

This brief reviews Palestinian public opinion on preferences for non-violent strategies versus violent strategies, and examines what variables impact this dynamic. Particularly, I focus on the effect of social cohesion on people’s preferences. I argue that preferences for armed strategies following institutional collapse are not always determined by social cohesion, or lack thereof; taking up arms may in fact be a legitimate strategy preference, not an anarchic reaction that societies “default” to when there are no other options.