This book analyzes Palestinian attempts to create an organized military force from the period of the Mandate up to the present day.

1. The Quest for an Army, the Reality of Militias 2. From Revolt to Communal Defeat 1936-1948 3. Serving Others or Themselves? Palestinians in Arab Armies 4. The PLO and the Palestine Liberation Army 5. The Security Forces under the Palestinian Authority 6. The Security Forces and the Al-Aqsa Intifada 7. Politics, Law and Security 8. The Palestinian Security Forces under Abbas 9. From One Military to Two: The Triumph of Hamas. Conclusion

Hillel Frisch is a senior lecturer in the Departments of Political Studies and Middle Eastern History in Bar-Ilan University, Israel.