Political Process, State Actions, and Variations in Insurgent Violence

Evidence From Israel-Palestine

Bibliographic Data

ID7921113
AuthorsEitan Y Alimi (0000-0002-2871-9602, Eitan Y. Alimi is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Alon Burstein is a Visiting Assistant Professor and an Israel Institute Fellow in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University. Orit Moradov is an independent scholar, previously a graduate student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem., corresponding author), Alon Burstein (0009-0000-4023-247X, Eitan Y. Alimi is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Alon Burstein is a Visiting Assistant Professor and an Israel Institute Fellow in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University. Orit Moradov is an independent scholar, previously a graduate student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.), Orit Moradov (Eitan Y. Alimi is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Alon Burstein is a Visiting Assistant Professor and an Israel Institute Fellow in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University. Orit Moradov is an independent scholar, previously a graduate student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.)
Year2025
Volume30
Issue1
Pages51-72
Publication date2025-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMobilization An International Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1086-671X • E-ISSN: 1938-1514
PublisherMobilization Journal (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.17813/1086-671x-30-1-51
OpenAlexW4408675944
LanguageEN
Citations received1

Expanding on the political process approach to the relationship between state actions and violent mobilization, we argue that the state’s structure of political opportunities and threats (or SPOT) informs and is informed by the repressive and conciliatory actions the state employs. We further argue that changes in the state’s SPOT shape its capacity to effectively implement discriminate or indiscriminate repressive and conciliatory actions, with different effects on levels of insurgent violence. Key findings from an analysis of Israeli state actions and Palestinian violent attacks during the first Intifada as a whole, as well as during subperiods representing specific SPOTs, reveal that favorable state SPOT is more likely to be associated with the state’s use of discriminate actions. Moreover, discriminate actions, whether repressive or conciliatory, are more likely to bring about a decrease in insurgent violence, while indiscriminate actions of both types tend to lead to an increase in violence

Ancient history · Criminology · Palestine · Political economy · Political science · Political violence · Politics · Sociology · Computer Science · History · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

Tools

Open DOI