In a previous EconoLog post from 10 months ago, the discussion revolved around Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who spent nearly two decades in Israeli jails. It was reported by the Wall Street Journal that Sinwar understood the “Israeli psyche” due to his time in captivity. This understanding was thought to have played a role in his involvement in planning an operation that resulted in the deaths of 1200 Israelis and the taking of more than 200 hostages, mostly civilians, on October 7, 2023. The focus of the post was on the importance of methodological individualism in analyzing such actions rather than attributing them to a collective psyche (“Methodological Individualism and the Hamas Ruler,” December 14, 2023).
The post highlighted how a grasp of methodological individualism could have potentially led Sinwar down a different path. By adopting a broader individualist philosophy, he might have treated the people of Gaza better, refraining from using them as human shields and misappropriating public funds for tunnel construction. Understanding individual incentives and motivations is crucial in assessing the actions of social groups and organizations like the Israeli government.
Sadly, Sinwar, who later rose to become Hamas’s chief ruler, met his demise at the hands of the IDF on Wednesday.
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A surreal and sarcastic vision of Yahya Sinwar lying in state
