The Islamic State: How Viable Is It? - Paperback

by Omer Einav (Author), Yoram Schweitzer (Author)

The Islamic State burst onto the Middle East scene as an entity whose conduct and very essence challenge the existing regional order. With its military conquests in Iraq and Syria, its establishment of branches elsewhere in the Middle East and beyond, its state-like governance in the areas under its control, and the cruelty it typically exhibits, the Islamic State has become the focus of regional and international interest and concern. The articles compiled in The Islamic State: How Viable Is It? examine ways of dealing with one of the most salient military, sociopolitical, cultural, and intellectual challenges on today's global agenda. There are numerous question marks surrounding the future of the Islamic State. Relating to historical, religious, military, economic, social, cultural, and geopolitical aspects, the articles in this volume address many of the questions prompted by the dramatic emergence of the Islamic State and examine ideas on how to grapple with this phenomenon. Taken together, they paint a portrait of the complex reality that has evolved in the Middle East in recent years, and attempt to outline future trends. In addition to this multidisciplinary interpretation of the Islamic State and its related challenges, the collection presents insights that can assist in formulating policies to cope with this challenging situation.

Author Biography

Yoram Schweitzer is a senior research fellow and head of the Program on Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict at INSS. He served in Israel's intelligence establishment as head of the International Terror section of the IDF, and as a member of the POW-MIA Task Force in the Prime Minister's Office. He has also served as a consultant in counterterrorism in the Ministry of Defense and the Prime Minister's Office, and lectures frequently on the subject both in Israel and abroad. He is the co-author of The Globalization of Terror: The Challenge of al-Qaida and the Response of the International Community; Al-Qaeda and the Internationalization of Suicide Terrorism; and Al-Qaeda's Odyssey to the Global Jihad. Omer Einav, a doctoral student in history at Tel Aviv University, is a research associate at INSS and the editor of the INSS Hebrew blog. His research focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Syria, and Lebanon. His doctoral thesis deals with football as a tool for examining relations between Jews and Arabs in Palestine under the Mandate. He holds a BA in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an MA in the history of the Middle East and Africa from Tel Aviv University.