ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the reasons behind the European Union (EU) labelling Hamas a terrorist organization and discusses why the EU has boycotted its democratically elected body since 2006. It examines the EU's foreign policy towards Hamas, using tools from the neorealist and constructivist theories. The book then tackles the historical background of the various national powers which have affected the whole Arab–Israeli conflict, and also the way in which the EU followed in building its relationship with the Palestinian–Israeli conflict. It also investigates the inconsistencies and paradoxes of the EU discourse regarding Hamas by comparing the declared objectives and values of the EU on the one hand, and its policies and practices on the ground on the other. The book focuses on the resistance-terrorism debate and the position that the EU has taken in this regard.
