Publisher's Synopsis
After presenting an overview of Palestine's place in regional and global history, this work examines the social, economic and political development of the people of Palestine from antiquity to the present. It discusses Palestinian society before and after the catastrophic division of the country in 1948, and explores the forces and constraints affecting the formation of Palestinian national identity, as embodied in popular institutions, the PLO and resistance movements. The final chapter considers the prospects for Palestinian self-determination and statehood despite the limitations imposed by the Oslo Accords, as well as Palestine's future viability.