Books by Jonathan Schanzer

Hamas vs. Fatah The Struggle for Palestine by Jonathan Schanzer Palgrave Macmillan. 256pp. $26.95 November 11, 2008 Reviews: Daniel Diker, The Journal of International Security Affairs  •  Luis Fleischman, New Jersey Jewish News  •  Aaron Leibel, Washington Jewish Week  •  Sol Schindler, The Washington Times  •  Daniel Halper, Doublethink  •  Kirkus Reviews  •  Publishers Weekly  •  Clare M. Lopez, The American Thinker  •  Hillel Frisch, Jerusalem Post  •  Maayan Jaffe, Baltimore Jewish Times  •  Rafael Bardaji, Libertad Digital  •  Shari Hillman, RJC Bulletin

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 is available at amazon.com.