MER Article An Islamic State? How applicable are the classic concepts of “state” and “politics” to the world of Islam? The current prominence of Islamic politics and the establishment of an Islamic Republic in Iran poses this question anew. Sami Zubaida • 13 min read
MER Article From the Editors (July/August 1988) This issue continues MERIP’s inquiry into the dynamic relationship of religion and politics in the Middle East. Our authors pay particular attention to the various ways in which Islam, the dominant religion in the region, enters into the equations of state power and popular opposition in countries a The Editors • 2 min read
MER Article Letters (May/June 1988) Human Rights Internet Objects (Author not identified) • 13 min read
MER Article Editor's Bookshelf (May/June 1988) The human dimensions of the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and the social contradictions of Palestinian society under occupation are nowhere better portrayed than in Sahar Khalifeh’s novel Wild Thorns, translated from the Arabic by Trevor LeGassick and Elizabeth Fernea (London: Saqi, 1 Joel Beinin • 2 min read
MER Article Young, Missed Opportunities for Peace Ronald J. Young, Missed Opportunities for Peace (Philadelphia: American Friends Service Committee, 1987). Joe Stork • 1 min read
MER Article Tucker, Women in Nineteenth-Century Egypt Judith Tucker, Women in Nineteenth-Century Egypt (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985). This is more than a general treatise about women in Egypt. It is a subtle and adroit analysis of gender and class during the transformation of Egyptian society in the nineteenth century and it is this un Cynthia Nelson • 5 min read
MER Article Original Sin Benny Morris, The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988). Tom Segev, 1949: The First Israelis (New York: The Free Press, 1986). Simha Flapan, The Birth of Israel: Myths and Realities (New York: Pantheon, 1987). Zachary Lockman • 29 min read
MER Article Document: Shamir on Terrorism (1943) The following excerpts are from an article by Yitzhak Shamir, prime minister of Israel from 1983-1984 and 1986-1992. The article first appeared in the LEHI underground organization journal Hehazit (The Front) in the summer of 1943. (Author not identified) • 2 min read
MER Article Italian Communists' New Historic Compromise The revolt in the Occupied Territories broke out at a time when support for the Palestinian cause was at a low ebb in Europe. The Italian Communist Party (PCI), for example, had for the past couple of years been giving priority to building relations with the mainstream Israeli left rather than with Diana Johnstone • 5 min read
MER Article "The Ship of Return" Some day, an Israeli intelligence officer will write his memoirs. He will recount his brave deeds and reveal how his cunning strategy thwarted the enemy at every turn. The book will not be banned in Israel. The retired officer will appear on television to promote the book. Some interviewer, whose re Charles Glass • 6 min read
MER Article "Something Was in the Air All of 1987" Mahmoud and Naji, both in their early twenties, are full-time participants in the uprising. Both were politically active before the uprising and, in addition to joining demonstrations, they play leading roles in local neighborhood committees. Both are college students. Mahmoud majors in civil engine Beshara Doumani • 5 min read
