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.

Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle For Palestine

History

Schanzer, Jonathan

Middle East

St.Martin's Press

In 2005, Washington supported the decision to hold Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006. Decision-makers trusted polling data that all but guaranteed a victory for the secular Fatah faction over Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. In retrospect, this was a grave error; Hamas won the election by a wide margin. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice later admitted, "It does say something about us not having a good enough pulse." Four years later, amidst a new U.S. drive for Middle East peace, has our ability to gauge Palestinian political sentiment improved? The Foundation for Defense of Democracies commissioned a study, using proprietary software usually deployed on behalf of the U.S. military, to explore the Arabic-language social media websites that are popular among Palestinians. This study reveals the trends, thoughts, and perceptions of Palestinians on a range of issues, with a focus on those that could impact current U.S. policies.

Palestinian Pulse: What Policymakers Can Learn From Palestinian Social Media

Politics & Social Sciences

Dubowitz, Mark

Politics & Government

Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Following al-Qaeda’s violent campaign against Saudi Arabia in 2003 and 2004, Saudi authorities launched a crackdown on radicalism in the Kingdom. This included tighter controls on terror finance, dismantling al Qaeda’s local cells, monitoring the country’s mosques, and a state-sponsored de-radicalization program designed to combat what Saudi authorities call “deviant” ideologies. But what of the problems associated with internet radicalization? Is Saudi-sponsored radicalization still a problem online? Or has it waned as a result of the Saudi authorities’ efforts? A decade after the September 11 attacks that prompted a deep and protracted crisis in U.S.-Saudi relations, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) commissioned a study to gauge the sentiment, influence, and reach of Saudi clerics on the internet. Facebook Fatwa provides a glimpse of the religious establishment’s online activities during a critical moment in the Middle East.

Facebook Fatwa: Saudi Clerics, Wahhabi Islam and Social Media

Miller, Steven

The biggest obstacle to Palestinian statehood may not be Israel
In September 2011, president Mahmoud Abbas stood before the United Nations General Assembly and dramatically announced his intention to achieve recognition of Palestinian statehood. The United States roundly opposed the move then, but two years later, Washington revived dreams for Palestinian statehood through bilateral diplomacy with Israel. But are the Palestinians prepared for the next step? In State of Failure, Middle East expert Jonathan Schanzer argues that the reasons behind Palestine's inertia are far more complex than we realize. Despite broad international support, Palestinian independence is stalling because of internal mismanagement, not necessarily because of Israeli intransigence. Drawing on exclusive sources, the author shows how the PLO under Yasser Arafat was ill prepared for the task of statebuilding. Arafat's successor, Mahmoud Abbas, used President George W. Bush's support to catapult himself into the presidency. But the aging leader, now four years past the end of his elected term, has not only failed to implement much needed reforms but huge sums of international aid continue to be squandered, and the Palestinian people stand to lose everything as a result. Supporters of Palestine and Israel alike will find Schanzer's narrative compelling at this critical juncture in Middle Eastern politics.

State of Failure: Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Unmaking of the Palestinian State

Al-Qaeda still threatens the West despite the fact that thousands of its fighters have been killed or captured. Attacks continue, even as Usama bin Laden and his top lieutenants hide in distant caves. The terror network’s resiliency lies in the existence of "affiliate groups." Numbering more than two-dozen worldwide, these groups maintain operatives from al-Qaeda’s training camps and battlefields. They are local and autonomous, but fight in the name of al-Qaeda’s global jihad. 
Using never-before published material, Arabic language sources, and personal interviews from the Middle East, Schanzer examines affiliates in Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Yemen and Iraq. The author also shares research from a fact-finding mission in Iraq, where he interviewed al-Qaeda fighters and one of Saddam Hussein’s former intelligence officers. 
Fighting affiliate groups will likely be the next challenge in the war on terror. Schanzer provides a field guide to al-Qaeda’s Middle East armies and explores what it will take to successfully combat them.

Al-Qaeda's Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups & The Next Generation of Terror

Ross, Dennis

Social Sciences

S.P.I. Books

The May 2021 conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas generated headlines around the world. However, much of the reporting ignored the history, funding, political dynamics, and other key components of the story. Hamas initiates conflict every few years. But the reporting rarely improves. Social media has only further clouded the picture. Hamas is rarely held responsible for its use of "human shields," blindly firing rockets at civilian areas in Israel, or diverting aid that should benefit the people of Gaza. The Islamic Republic of Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism, has been the primary patron of Hamas since the group's inception in the late 1980s. Hamas has received additional assistance over the years from Qatar, Turkey and Malaysia. These countries are fomenting conflict, while others, such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, have tried to minimize it. Gaza is therefore ground zero in a struggle for the future stability of the Middle East. The Biden administration has important choices to make. Its intent to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal could have significant consequences, given that sanctions relief to Iran will likely yield a financial boon for Hamas, along with other Iranian proxies. The Biden administration must also come to terms with "The Squad," a small but loud faction of the Democratic Party that seeks to undermine the US-Israel relationship.

Gaza Conflict 2021

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