Description

Publication Information

– Title: The Palestine Issue: Historical Background and Contemporary Developments
– Prepared by: Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh
– Published in: 2022
– Paperback: 290 pages.
– ISBN 978-614-494-020-4

Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations has issued the updated edition of its book: The Palestine Issue: Historical Background and Contemporary Developments by Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh, with additions and amendments, covering the Palestine issue until 2021.

This is one of the most popular books related to the Palestine issue, both in paper and electronic format. It has been printed in numerous editions, and was translated into many languages.

This 290-page book presents a general overview (with photos and maps) of the Palestine issue, by tracing its historical junctures and its current developments. For the reader, this will facilitate his comprehension of its overall picture, the intertwined factors connected to it, at any stage and in a logical sequence, up to 2021.

This book was written through a vision that believes in the right of the people of Palestine to their land, and that Palestine is an Arab and Islamic land. It is of special importance to the group of readers who wish to get a general idea of the Palestinian issue, or those who do not find time for detailed specialized studies. The book is written in a smooth English language, and is full of information updated until 2021; all the while retaining a scientific, academic and documented wording, far from emotional structural discourse. However, recent history and contemporary events, were discussed in some detail, so that the reader can find an answer to many of the events, changes and complications that are currently taking place.

This book is an updated and revised version of a number of Arabic editions issued since 2002, the last of which was al-Zaytouna Centre edition in 2012, which was printed in Beirut. A seventh chapter has been added to this new edition covering the period 2012–2021. This book was translated and also printed in English, Malay, Indonesian, Urdu, Persian, Albanian, Tatar and Turkish, where it was very popular.

In its first chapter, the book deals with the background of the Palestine issue until 1918. It reviews Palestine’s history through the ages, its geography, its Islamic standing, and the Jews’ religious and historical claims in Palestine, up to the emergence of the Palestine issue in modern history, in addition to its political developments up to the end of World War I in 1918.

The second chapter highlights the period of the British occupation of Palestine during 1918–1948. It discusses the development of the Zionist project, the emergence of the Palestinian National Movement and the 1936 Palestinian Revolt, as well as the political events that followed, up to the 1948 war and its repercussions.

The third chapter reviews the issue’s developments during the period 1949–1967, focusing on the development of the Palestinian national movement, the birth of Fatah movement, the establishment of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), and the war of June 1967 and its repercussions.

As for the fourth chapter, it addresses the period 1967–1987 up to the outbreak of the first Intifadah in 1987, shedding light on the emergence of the Palestinian national identity, the development of the Palestinian armed struggle, the Arab countries’ role in the Palestinian issue, and the emergence of the Palestinian Islamic Movement.

The fifth chapter deals with the period starting with the outbreak of the 1987 Intifadah until the failure of the Camp David negotiations in 2000, going through the inception of Hamas, the transition of the PLO from armed struggle to peaceful settlement, the formation of the Palestinian National Authority, and the developments that Israel had witnessed during the same period.

Chapter six reviews the developments that occurred following the outbreak of al-Aqsa Intifadah in September 2000 and until 2011. It is divided into subjects that include the aggression and Palestinian resistance 2000–2011, the Palestinian internal situation, the peace process, the Separation Wall, and the Israeli scene.

As for the added seventh chapter, it discusses the developments of the Palestine issue during the period 2012–2021, including the latest number of Palestinians in the world, the estimated number of Palestinians and Jews in historic Palestine 2020–2027, the developments of aggression and resistance during the period 2012–2021, the internal Palestinian situation, the peace process, the current status of Jerusalem, and the Israeli scene. The book has also an index of names, places and institutions.