Rashid Khalidi, author of Palestinian Identity
Two Israeli scholars weigh in with a provocative argument that runs counter to much of the false received wisdom on the subject. . . . A convincing intervention in the public debate regarding Hamas-a debate that is mainly dominated by the group's demonization.
Book Description
Since it emerged as a challenger to the PLO during the Palestinian Intifada, Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement) has been associated in the public mind with terror and violence. Now two Israeli experts show that, contrary to its image, Hamas is essentially a social and political movement, providing extensive community services and responding constantly to political realities through bargaining and power brokering. The authors lift the veil on Hamas´s strategic decision-making methods at each of the crucial crossroads it has confronted: the Intifada and the struggle with the PLO, the Oslo accords and the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority, and the dilemmas surrounding the choice between absolute Jihad against Israel versus the option of controlled violence.
