Islam and Salvation in Palestine: The Islamic Jihad Movement

(The Dayan Center Papers, Number 127)

The Islamic Jihad, established in the Gaza Strip in 1981, became famous for its violent acts against Israeli targets during the mid-1980s. Although smaller than Hamas—the standard-bearer of Palestinian Islam—the Islamic Jihad played a key role in turning faith into a theology of liberation dedicated to uprooting the Israeli occupation. This study traces the rise of the Islamic Jihad, its ideological platform, and its relations with other political forces both within and outside the Palestinian arena.