Book Description

This 224 page book presents a general overview of the Palestinian issue, by tracing its historical junctures and its current developments. For the reader, this will facilitate his comprehension of its overall picture, the intertwined factors connected to it, at any stage and in a logical sequence, up to the present stage. This book is of special importance to the group of readers who wish to get a general idea of the Palestinian issue, or those who do not find time for detailed specialized studies. The book is written in a smooth English language, and is full of information updated till 2013; all the while retaining a scientific, academic and documented wording, far from emotional structural discourse. In its first chapter, the book deals with the background of the Palestinian issue until 1918. It reviews Palestine’s history through the ages, its geography, its Islamic standing, and the Jews’ religious and historical claims in Palestine, up to the emergence of the Palestinian issue in modern history, in addition to its political developments up to the end of World War I in 1918. The second chapter highlights the period of the British occupation of Palestine during 1918–1948. It discusses the development of the Zionist project, the emergence of the Palestinian National Movement and the 1936 Palestinian Revolt, as well as the political events that followed, up to the 1948 war and its repercussions. The third chapter reviews the issue’s developments during the period 1948–1967, focusing on the development of the Palestinian national movement, the birth of Fatah movement, the establishment of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), and the war of June 1967 and its repercussions. As for the fourth chapter, it addresses the period 1967–1987 up to the outbreak of the first Intifadah in 1987, shedding light on the emergence of the Palestinian national identity, the development of the Palestinian armed struggle, the Arab countries’ role in the Palestinian issue, and the emergence of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). The fifth chapter deals with the period starting with the outbreak of the 1987 Intifadah until the failure of the Camp David negotiations in 2000, going through the inception of Hamas, the transition of the PLO from armed struggle to peaceful settlement, the formation of the Palestinian National Authority, and the developments that Israel had witnessed during the same period. The last chapter in the book reviews the developments that occurred following the outbreak of al-Aqsa Intifadah in September 2000 and until 2013. It is divided into subjects that include the Palestinian resistance, the Palestinian internal situation, the path of the peaceful negotiations, Jerusalem and the status quo, the Separation Wall, and the Israeli internal situation. This book is an important source for readers seeking to acquaint themselves with the Palestinian issue, and to become informed of the pertinent facts in a balanced manner. It can also serve as an introduction to further studies of the Palestinian issue.