Reproducing a Culture of Martyrdom

Abstract

Nestled between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is the state of Israel, which since 1967 has occupied the Palestinian territories. After decades of failed negotiations, the Jewish state now competes with Palestinian militants and paramilitaries in an ongoing cycle of retaliatory violence. The West Bank, the larger of the Palestinian territories, is currently segmented into ever-shrinking enclaves of land, separated by military installations, Israeli settlements, and the vast infrastructure designed to control the Palestinian populace and guarantee the safety of Israeli citizens. As a result of the conflict, Palestine is host to a variety of Palestinian paramilitary, militant, and terrorist groups. These groups have large-scale social service, political, religious, media, and military wings—and while some are Islamist, others are secular nationalists or have their roots in anticolonialist leftist movements. Groups like Islamic Jihad—an Islamist paramilitary group—and Fatah—the ruling secular nationalist party—compete for popularity by waging a bloody war with the state of Israel fought through both military strikes and the rhetoric of propaganda.