The Palestinian Military: Between Militias and Armies

This book analyzes Palestinian attempts to create an organized military force from the period of the Mandate up to the present day. Beginning with a comparative overview of the relationship between insurgent movements and the quest to build up a standard military, the book looks, first, at how the 1936 revolt galvanized the Palestinian leadership to attempt to create a military. It then goes on to examines other major topics such as: the 1948 failure to create an organized armed force; Palestinian participation in other Arab armed forces; the creation of the PLA; attempts to develop a security apparatus after Oslo; and, finally, the question of security reform and peace-making. The book concludes by identifying the lessons from the Palestinian experience that can be applied in promoting healthy civil-military relations within political entities located in major conflict zones.

1: The Quest for an Army, the Reality of Militias 2: From Revolt to Communal Defeat 1936-1948 3: Serving Others or Themselves? Palestinians in Arab Armies 4: The PLO and the Palestine Liberation Army 5: The Security Forces under the Palestinian Authority 6: The Security Forces and the Al-Aqsa Intifada 7: Politics, Law and Security 8: The Palestinian Security Forces under Abbas 9: From One Military to Two: The Triumph of Hamas Conclusion References