The Gaza Strip: The Political Economy of De-development

Reviwed by Paige Brownlowe, Institute of Palestinian Studies, 6 February 2016 (Institute of Palestinian Studies, expanded third edition, 2016)

“‘The De-development of the Gaza Strip has arguably reached its logical conclusion with the current, increasingly distorted, reconfiguration of economic activity,’ says renowned political economist and Harvard scholar, Dr. Sara Roy. The Gaza Strip: The Political Economy of De-development is the final edition of her much anticipated, comprehensive study of the economy of Gaza. For the first-time, Roy examines the past 15-years in Gaza in detail using economic theory and in-depth political analysis to argue that the de-development of Gaza is leading to unviability. Roy defines de-development, a concept she formulated and defined 30-years ago, as ‘he systematic dismantling of a normal economy and its rational functioning.’

“In this latest edition of The Gaza Strip, Roy enriches this meticulously detailed and pioneering political economy text with an in-depth and shocking reflection and analysis on the wars on Gaza. Written in the aftermath of the 2014 Operation Protective Edge (OPE), Roy serves as a scholar, and witness to unprecedented human, physical, and physiological destruction wrought on Gaza. Bringing her decades of experience in the region, and unrivaled knowledge of Gazan economy and politics, Roy reviews the impact of these most recent wars on Gaza from a multitude of perspectives. Beyond sophisticated data sets, The Gaza Strip chronicles shifting attitudes and the impact of massive long-term displaced people on societal cohesion, as well as the “new and relatively underreported consequence that has emerged from Gaza: “boat people,” Gazans fleeing by boat to Europe.” (more…)