A Resistance Economy: What is it and can it provide an alternative?

For the purposes of this paper, we are defining the Resistance Economy (RE) as an institutionalizedform of economic struggle that envisages a transitional reorganization of the economy andsocial relations to be in harmony with the political requirements and objectives of the Palestiniannational liberation process. In other words, RE is a politically driven economic developmentstrategy underpinned by a set of social values and norms. Therefore, by its very nature, RE is amultifunctional and multidimensional strategy that aims to lay the foundation for the emergence ofan emancipatory social order and solid political base in order to assist Palestinians in their struggleto achieve liberation and self-determination. Thus, the use of the term “resistance” in this paperrefers to its economic and social dimensions and not its military ones.