Strategies of Popular Resistance and their role in the reinforcement of the Culture of nonviolence in the Palestinian Society

Abstract

I am trying to prove with theoretical argumentation and empirical evidence that nonviolent methods of struggle against oppressive and unjust regimes are more effective than the violent ones and furthermore they constitute a powerful tool for wide social change and democracy in Palestine. The focus both theoretically and empirically is on the Palestinian popular resistance as consciously defined and well-organized collective action among individual Palestinians as well as among popular organizations and committees as a way to feed back the popular will to keep resistance in nonviolent ways. These activities depict the ―new‖ role that nonviolent popular resistance is playing in the building up of the culture of nonviolence in the Palestinian and Israeli societies as well as in the International public opinion. I sustain that M. Gandhi‘s methods of nonviolent resistance as a way to social change on moral and practical grounds, is beyond doubt more effective than armed resistance in overturning oppressive and repressive regimes and in leading to more democratic societies. Recent sociological researches and statistical analyses show that nonviolent resistance presents fewer obstacles to moral and physical involvement and commitment, and that higher levels of participation contribute to enhanced resilience, greater opportunities for tactical innovation and civic disruption (and therefore less incentive for a regime to maintain its status quo), and shifts in loyalty among opponents' supporters, including members of the military establishment.