Palestinian Documents for the Year 2008

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The Palestinian Documents of 2008 is the fourth book in the Palestinian Documents series issued by Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations since 2005. It is edited by Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh, Wael Sa’ad and ‘Abdul-Hameed al-Kayyali.

The 928-page book contains 382 documents which map the internal and external events associated with the Palestinian issue throughout 2008, thus presenting a comprehensive and objective view of these events.

The book covers a variety of documents including written manuscripts, statements, and declarations, meetings minutes, official decrees and interviews with prominent figures who have influenced the course of the Palestinian issue. These documents reveal the ongoing state of division and partial legitimacy in the Palestinian arena in 2008.

Arabic

Title: al-Watha’iq al-Filastiniyyah li Sanat 2008 ((Palestinian Documents for the Year 2008)

Editors: Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh, Wael A. Sa‘ad and ‘Abdul-Hameed F. al-Kayyali

Number of Documents Included: 382

Published in: 2011 (1st Edition)
Physical details: 928 pages, 17*24 cm, hardcover

The continued Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people, whether in Operation Hot Winter at the beginning of 2008 or Operation Cast Lead at the end of the year, and the Israeli siege on Gaza Strip and its repercussions are also documented. The book tackles the return of the PLO to negotiations with Israel parallel to the settlement building and Judaization projects in the West Bank, especially in Jerusalem, in addition to the continued security coordination between the PLO apparatuses and Israel. On another hand, the book sheds light on the weakness of the Arab and Muslim worlds, while the US leads international action regarding the Palestinian issue and grants its usual support for Israel.

Palestinian Documents is considered one of the most important periodic books published by Al-Zaytouna Centre. The documents are meticulously selected and categorized according to their priority and role in changing the course of the Palestinian issue. This book series is adamant about ensuring balance between the different forces which are effective and influential on the Palestinian, Arab, Islamic, Israeli and international levels. It takes into consideration the weight and role of theses forces and their impact on the course of events throughout the year.

The book is important as it has enriched the Arabic library with a reference that can be used by researchers and those interested in Palestinian studies, in addition to universities and research centers.

Worth of mention is that the time and effort needed to prepare the book delayed its publication. It took around a year of continuous work by the preparatory team for the documents to be gathered and then arranged chronologically and their titles to be indexed according to the content of each document. The book is also enriched with indexes of names, places, organizations, conferences, agreements and initiatives to facilitate the work of researchers.