Each year in September, terrorism researchers gather in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya to discuss matters of counter-terrorism and the latest of terrorism-related research. The conference is titled World Summit on Counter-Terrorism and traditionally hosted by the Inter-Diciplinary Center in Herzliya – IDC and its International Institute for Counter-Terrorism. In addition to being a Read More
Following Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven’s meeting with his Jordanian counterpart Hani al-Mulki, Expressen TV interviewed Björn Brenner about Swedish-Jordanian relations and the current humanitarian and security situation in the Hashemite kingdom. These were the main points of his commentary: – The current wave of Syrian refugees is a critical challenge for the Jordanian government. Read More
PALESTINE BOOK AWARDS An international jury of social scientists and political experts has chosen Björn Brenner’s GAZA UNDER HAMAS (I.B. Tauris, 2017) as the winner of this year’s Palestine Book Awards. Björn’s book won in the category Best academic book of the year. The award was shared with Laura Parsons for her book The Commander (Saqi Books, 2017). The Read More
NEW RELEASE FROM I.B.TAURIS PUBLISHERS Björn Brenner, GAZA UNDER HAMAS: From Islamic Democracy to Islamist Governance (2017) This book reveals what happens behind the scenes inside the torn coastal territory, in Gaza under Hamas. PURCHASE BOOK – AMAZON PURCHASE BOOK – I.B.TAURIS GAZA UNDER HAMAS – REVIEWS “In Gaza under Hamas, Björn Brenner provides an inside view of Hamas in Read More
The past weeks have seen some political developments with potential direct or indirect impact on Hamas’s future position and possibilities/constraints in the region. These developments include: – The Arab League’s designation of Hizbollah as a terrorist organisation – Egypt’s accusation of Hamas to be cooperating with the Salafi-Jihadis in the Sinai peninsula – Egypt’s accusation Read More
The past week, the Swedish Institute for International Affairs (Ui) launched its new online journal Utrikesmagasinet. Among several interesting contributions, the inaugural issue of this journal features a two-part article series about Palestinian politics and the power struggle that risks to ensue when Mr Mahmoud Abbas leaves the presidency. Article summary in English The struggle for who to Read More
‘The Deradicalisation of Islamists by Islamists: Hamas’s kid-glove approach to Salafi-Jihadists in the Gaza Strip 2010-2015’, Strategic Assessment, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2017. Abstract The Hamas administration in Gaza first set out to crush the territory’s Salafi-Jihadi groups by force. Gradually, however, Hamas’s approach shifted, from a strategy of attempted elimination to one of containment and Read More
ARTICLE BY BJÖRN BRENNER The latest issue of Palestine-Israel Journal features an article by Björn Brenner on the growth of Salafi-Jihadism in Gaza under Hamas. “The killing of Vittorio Arrigoni: A result of the unsustainable situation in Gaza”, Palestine-Israel Journal, vol. 23, no. 1, 2018. (now out in print, soon available online as well) During the past decade of Read More
In an article for the Journal of the Swedish Institute for International Affairs, Björn Brenner analyses the recent Middle East peace initiative by France. Among other things, his analysis concludes: “The French initiative may be using an untested method for conducting international negotiations; however, the French approach is well engineered to fit the current, deadlocked, Read More
On 15–17 December, Sweden’s foreign minister Margot Wallström visited the Palestinian territories for bilateral talks with president of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki. According to a Swedish official statement, the talks focused on ‘how Sweden and Palestine can deepen their relations following Sweden’s recognition of Palestine, the importance of democratic development, Read More
