The Palestinian national movement reached a dead-end and came close to disintegration at the beginning of the present century. The struggle for power after the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004 signaled the end of a path toward statehood prepared by the Oslo Accords a decade before. The reasons for the failure of the movement are deeply rooted in modern Palestinian history. As'ad Ghanem analyzes the internal and external events that unfolded as the Palestinian national movement became a "failed national movement," marked by internecine struggle and collapse, the failure to secure establishment of a separate state and achieve a stable peace with Israel, and the movement's declining stature within the Arab world and the international community.
Author(s): As'ad Ghanem
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 222
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 10
Introduction: Theoretical Framework and Historical Background......Page 14
1 The Israeli Post-Oslo Strategy: The Demographic Threat and the Shift from Conflict Resolution to Conflict Management......Page 34
2 Israeli Public Attitudes toward Peace with the Palestinians: Which Peace?......Page 52
3 Arafat’s Heritage of Political Control......Page 84
4 The Politics of Reform in the Palestinian National Authority......Page 104
5 Palestinians in Search of Authoritative Leadership after Arafat......Page 122
6 The Empowerment of Hamas and the Outbreak of Palestinian Infighting......Page 156
Conclusion: Is There a Way Out of the Crisis?......Page 184
Epilogue......Page 200
Notes......Page 202
Bibliography......Page 212
Index......Page 216
