Anti-Statist Party of Gaza

The Anti-Statist Party is a Gazan based upon the ideals of. The Anti-Statist Party is considered to be the catalyst of change in what is traditionally referred to as Fosterism, a form of anarchism that embraces a form of which promotes a stateless society through the gradual elimination of the political system from inside itself. In organising Gazan society into a loose confederation of small, localised communities, then each member of Gazan society as a whole would be essentially, in that regard, free of tyranny or marginalisation by a larger state. While sometimes considered to not be true anarchism, Fosterism and the Anti-Statist Party are sometimes compared to the principle of and, with Gaza still existing as a separate, sovereign place in the world. Fosterism is more simply the rejection of an organised nation state, and instead promotes a regional collective of communities to be represented as a single entity when absolutely necessary.

The Anti-Statist Party was founded on 17 May 1994 as a student organisation in the University of Gaza known as the Anti-Statist League. Over time, as its members became more politically involved, and Frederick Foster became a more influential person within the organisation, the Anti-Statist League eventually became a legitimate means to convey anarchist thought and principle into the government. After regional instability culminated in the, the Anti-Statist Party gained a significant following of younger, more radically inclined members of the Gazan political spectrum, and Fosterism became widely regarded as a principle ideology of the party. The in the Middle East and North Africa brought a sense of rebellion to some members of the party, famously resulting in the 2011 Gazan anarchist protest, which saw the near shutdown of the central parts of Gaza City. Since then, the Anti-Statist Party has won political legitimacy as a movement within Gaza, and is the largest unseated party in the country.

As of the 2015 Gazan leadership elections, the Anti-Statist Party is lead by Frederick Foster and has an approximate membership of about 2,330 people. The largest area of support for the Anti-Statist Party is Gaza City, with most of its members located near or on the campus of the University of Gaza.