A History of Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Faith, Awareness, and Revolution in the Middle East

by Erik Skare

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is one of the most important yet least understood Palestinian armed factions, both in terms of its history and ideology. Labelled a terrorist organization by the US and the EU, it has grown to become the second largest armed movement in the Gaza Strip and the third largest in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Using a wealth of primary sources, this book traces the history of PIJ from its origins in the early 1980s to today. By looking at how the group was established, how it has developed in theory and practice, and how it understands religion and politics, Skare seeks to answer the key question of why the PIJ still exist despite the presence of its more powerful sister movement Hamas. In doing so, he fills an important empirical gap in the literature on Palestinian Islamism.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Islam

304 pages, Hardcover

Published January 28, 2021

Reviews

[Bill Perrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a number of books about the plight of the Palestinians and most of them have been rather non-specific in their approach. This book is different, written by an academic for a specialised reader, provides a reasonably detailed look at a Palestinian resistance movement. It suffers from the academic language and academic approach, but it is very interesting.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superbly researched and rather honest with its shortcomings, which made for an interesting and authentic reading experience. Quite academic in approach and scope, likely not for the "current events" type of reader. There is a wealth of historical information and few graphs or pictures to break things up. I loved the rigour of Skare's scholarship and the depth of his analyses. The PIJ is rather obtuse, or at least more difficult to understand or sympathize with, as they focus almost entirely on armed resistance and Islamic fundamentalism, though more of the Sunni than Shi'a strand. Lacking any political agenda or social program data, one is left to do serious thinking about how their armed actions fit into the puzzle of Palestinian Armed Resistance AND the Occupation of Palestine. Fiercely anti-colonial, this ethic drives their unending hatred of Israel as Western-supported/guided in their land thefts and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, and their desire to remove Israel from the map of the region has never wavered. Led by simple goals in a complex regional morass of actors, infiltrators, and enemies, the PIJ is a fascinating study.

[Ann Rudnicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have read related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Excellent and thorough analysis, and extremely well-written.