Islamic Politics in Palestine

The growth of fundamentalist Islam among the Palestinians is a topic of increasing interest and relevance. The author (Queen's Univ., Belfast) argues that this phenomenon has intensified in the past 15 years, and especially since the intifada began at the end of 1987. Unfortunately, Milton-Edwards's apologetic approach to fundamentalists nullifies much of the benefit of her research. "Islamic groups," she argues, "have engaged largely in activities which promote the peaceful transformation of society." As for the terrorism conducted by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, she seeks to throw "some light on the logic of [their] political violence." Also, she makes mistakes small and large, from getting the date of the Six Day War wrong (by six days, coincidentally) to an inaccurate title (where is the place called Palestine?). In all, little here improves on Ziad Abu-Amr's Islamic Fundamentalism in the West Bank and Gaza (CH, Jul'94), which remains the standard account.