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When Shaykh 'Izz al-Dīn al-Qassām died in a gunfight with the Palestine Police Force in November 1935, the Government of the British Mandate for Palestine was ill prepared for the public outpouring of popular support and inspiration the imām from Haifa's death would give to Arab Palestinian political aspirations. Al-Qassām soon became a powerful symbol in the nationalist fight against the British colonial power and subsequently the State of Israel. Al-Qassām remains a potent figure in Arab nationalist, Palestinian nationalist, and modern \"Islamist\" circles. The purpose of this paper is thus twofold: first, to provide an overview of the current state of the historiography on al-Qassām; and second, to add to that historiography with a recontextualized narrative of al-Qassām's life and death. This latter part of the paper aims to fill some of the gaps with additional sources and place the findings alongside contemporary historical scholarship on political identity and nationalist movements in Palestine and the wider Mashriq. This article contends that the claims made on al-Qassām by contemporary Palestinian, \"Islamic\" nationalists have silenced the multiple contexts available if one considers the entirety of al-Qassām's life. Viewed in this light, it is possible that al-Qassām never considered himself a \"Palestinian\" at all.

A review essay on a book by Hanna Abu Hanna (Ed), Mudhakkarat Najati Sidqui ([The Memoirs of Najati Sidqi] Beirut: Instit Palestine Studies, 2001). The memoirs give a detailed account of life during the Bolshevik movement in Jerusalem, 1920s-1930s, & provide a valuable record of Syrian & Palestinian politics, as well as an account of how Arab socialists & communists lived in the USSR during the Stalin era. However, the work is faulted for leaving questions unanswered & issues unresolved as if the author feared posthumous disclosure of secrets. Although Abu Hanna is credited with meticulous editing & for providing extensive annotations & a glossary, he is criticized for not clarifying such information in his editing process. Excerpts from the memoirs are included with notes by the editor. I. Sharp

In a speech following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Peres and PLO Chairman Arafat, U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher said, \"I am convinced that Israel and Syria are now laying the foundation, laying the groundwork, for the peace treaty which we all hope will come. They have deepened their understanding in this very last round of each other's security needs. They have deepened their understanding as to what is necessary for normalization. They began addressing ways to meet each other's security needs which, of course, lie at the foundation of these discussions. Clearly, much work remains to be done, but I would say that there is no doubt that in these negotiations, and especially with the acceleration of the Wye Plantation talks, we have come a long way; come a long way toward the historic peace between Israel and Syria--a peace with dignity and with security.\" (DISPATCH) Comments from Christopher, Peres, and Arafat regarding peace negotiations in the Middle East are provided.