Hezbollah and Hamas are major players in Middle Eastern politics and have a growing involvement in global events. Despite their strikingly different beginnings, they share a common denominatoran adversary in Israel. Hezbollah and Hamas draws from primary interviews and documents coupled with a thorough review of current scholarship. This is a portrait of the organizations roots, histories, ideologies, relationships, tactics, political outlooks, and futures. Joshua L. Gleis and Benedetta Berti present organization charts, maps, and a case study of the TriBorder Area in South America, which frequently serves as an operational center for terrorist groups. Recognizing that these two groups are increasingly relevant to U.S. national security, Gleis and Berti provide a comparative analysis of their histories and political missions that moves beyond reductionist portrayals of the organizations' military operations.
Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations and Acronyms Introduction Part 1: Hezbollah 1. The Lebanese Players: A Background The Shiites and Amal The Maronites Maronite Christian Parties Today The Palestinians The Sunnis Lebanese Salafi-Jihadist Groups The Lebanese Political System 2. Hezbollah: History and Development The Beginning Hezbollah in Post-Taif Lebanon 3. Ideals and Belief System The Religious Pillars A View of the World: External Enemies and Allies Hezbollah in Lebanon: A Political and Military Platform 4. Structure Political and Military Structure Social Welfare Fundraising Latin America and the Tri-Border Area as a Case Study 5. Strategies and Tactics Military Operations Terrorism Regional Involvement: A Growing Trend Propaganda and Psychological Warfare Part II: Hamas and Militancy in the Palestinian Territories 6. The Palestinian Players: A Background The PLO and Fatah Palestinian Islamic Jihad Salafi-Jihadist Groups in Gaza 7. Hamas: History and Development The Beginning Political and Social Development 8. Ideals and Belief System Islamist Roots and Religious Pillars A View of the World and of the State of Israel Hamas in the Palestinian Territories: Political Agenda and Activities 9. Structure Political and Military Structure Social Activism and Grass-Roots Support Fundraising 10. Strategies and Tactics Military Operations Terrorism Propaganda and Psychological Warfare Part III: COuntering Hezbollah and Hamas 11. Israeli Counterinsurgency and Counterterrorism Conclusions Notes Glossary For Further Reading Index
""While Hamas and Hizbullah have vastly different origins, they share a common adversary: Israel. As the groups become increasingly relevant to US national security, the authors provide a thorough overview of their histories, ideologies, tactics and futures'combining scholarship and primary sources in their analysis.""
