Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle For Palestine

Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle For Palestine

by Schanzer (Author)

Synopsis

In June 2007 civil war broke out in the Gaza Strip between two rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah. Western peace efforts in the region always focused on reconciling two opposing fronts: Israel and Palestine. Now, this careful exploration of Middle East history over the last two decades reveals that the Palestinians have long been a house divided. What began as a political rivalry between Fatah's Yasir Arafat and Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin during the first intifada of 1987 evolved into a full-blown battle on the streets of Gaza between the forces of Arafat's successor, Mahmoud Abbas, and Ismael Haniyeh, one of Yassin's early proteges. Today, the battle continues between these two diametrically opposing forces over the role of Palestinian nationalism and Islamism in the West Bank and Gaza. In this thought-provoking book, Jonathan Schanzer questions the notion of Palestinian political unity, explaining how internal rivalries and violence have ultimately stymied American efforts to promote Middle East peace, and even the Palestinian quest for a homeland.

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More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 256
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 06 Nov 2008

ISBN 10: 0230609058
ISBN 13: 9780230609051

Media Reviews
'... a long overdue account of the importance of Palestinian politics on the politics of making peace.' - The Jerusalem Post '...for anyone wanting to understand the background to this war and the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this book is must reading.' - Washington Jewish Week 'Jonathan Schanzer has given us a very important book...accessible, lively, and instructive.' - Luis Fleischman, New Jersey Jewish News 'This book provides a comprehensive overview of this deep, hidden, bitter and often lethal conflict within Palestinian society' - Colin Shindler, Asian Affairs
Author Bio
JONATHAN SCHANZER is the Director of Policy at the Jewish Policy Center. He has served as counterterrorism analyst for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the U.S. Department of Treasury and as a research fellow at Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he authored the book Al Qaeda's Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups and the Next Generation of Terror. He has appeared on Fox News, CNN, and Al-Jazeera. He lives in Washington, D.C.