Road to October 7

Road to October 7:A Brief History of Palestinian Islamism

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HOW ISLAMISM BECAME A LEADING FORCE IN THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE

In Road to October 7, Erik Skare argues that Palestinian Islamism is far more complex and dynamic than generally assumed. The phenomenon has continuously developed through disputes between moderates and hardliners. These struggles have largely been settled by external drivers – intra-Palestinian competition, Israeli violence and repression, or shifts in the regional power balance.

Reviews

  • This is a meticulously detailed account of Palestinian Islamism as a political phenomenon. The author addresses the formation of a number of groups under the Islamist umbrella - including Palestine Islamic Jihad and Hamas - and the interactions between them, using primary sources and an original dataset. Importantly, the author approaches the subject matter with the basic assumption that Palestinians are humans. An invaluable resource for all those concerned about Palestine.

    Dana El Kurd, author of Polarized and Demobilized: Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestine
  • Erik Skare’s Brief History of Palestinian Islamism is a timely and meticulously researched work, combining insightful analysis and objective assessment. By integrating the latest developments around and after October 7 with a long-evolving historical context, this book stands as an exemplary piece of modern historiography on the Palestinian cause and its Islamist movements. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the colonial context in which Palestinian Islamist movements emerged and responded.

    Khaled Al Hroub, author of Hamas: Political Thought and Practice
  • This deeply researched and engagingly written book makes sense of a Palestinian Islamist world far more complex than usually presented. By drawing out the shifting balance between Islamist groups and among their internal factions, Skare shows how the frustrations of Gaza and the peace process shaped Hamas in the years leading up to October 7.

    Marc Lynch, author of The New Arab Wars