Deradicalizing Gaza could take 20 to 40 years, Prof. Assaf Moghadam told The Jerusalem Post.
The newspaper reported that Moghadam made the estimate conditional on undermining those with an active interest in radicalization. He said the goal remained possible, calling it an aspiration, while describing the work as difficult. Moghadam said it must address more than individual behavior: “We need to undermine individuals, undermine states, and institutional ideologies relentlessly.”
A February 2026 memorandum by Ofer Guterman and Tara Feldman of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) describes the challenge as embedded in Gaza's public life. The authors trace Hamas' influence across governance and social institutions to its 2007 takeover, citing schooling, religious life, welfare and media. They call for broad change across institutions and culture.
Guterman and Feldman describe radicalization as a process shaped over decades and intensified under Hamas rule. They argue reconstruction serves Israel's security interests and warn that failing to rebuild Gaza could leave conditions in place for a new generation of extremists hostile to Israel.
Moghadam also said reducing violence over time and enabling more normal relations would require greater sympathy between Israelis and Palestinians, The Jerusalem Post reported.
