Road to October 7 A Brief History of Palestinian Islamism

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. Skare reveals how the phenomenon has been continuously shaped and developed by the fierce discussion and competition between moderates and hardliners. These discussions have largely been settled by external drivers — intra-Palestinian competition, Israeli violence and repression, or shifts in the regional power balance. Through a meticulous study of the cyclical nature of these internal struggles, Skare offers a nuanced understanding of how and why Palestinian Islamism has evolved the way it has.

Erik Skare is a historian at the University of Oslo and the author of the award-winning A History of Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Faith, Awareness, and Revolution in the Middle East. He specializes on Palestinian history with a particular focus on religion and secular politics. Skare has published extensively on Palestinian Islamism and resistance, and his work has been cited in The Washington Post, Le Monde Diplomatique, and other international news outlets.