Robert Satloff
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Robert Satloff
“The best scholars look at what everyone else looks at but see what others don't see. In 'Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine,' Jonathan Schanzer joins the ranks of the most insightful observers of the dynamics of the Arab-Israeli conflict by focusing his attention on 'the struggle' that may have the greatest impact on the future disposition of the Palestinian independence movement - the intra-Palestinian contest between rival factions Hamas and Fatah, not the clash between Palestinians and Israelis. His fresh, timely, and accessible account of the internal battle to control Palestinian identity over the past two decades is a signal contribution. This is must-reading for our current and would-be secretaries of state.” (from Amazon)
by Jonathan Schanzer, Daniel Pipes·You?
by Jonathan Schanzer, Daniel Pipes·You?
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 protégés. 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.