Syria And The Palestinians: The Clash Of Nation... May 2026

Palestinians in Syria have faced a "fundamental dilemma" of maintaining neutrality while being caught in the regime's violence.

Early chapters explore the transition from Ottoman rule to the mandates and the short-lived kingdom of Faysal. Syria and the Palestinians: The Clash of Nation...

A major section illustrates the pitfalls of the Syrian-Palestinian confrontation in Lebanon and its impact on the PLO. Palestinians in Syria have faced a "fundamental dilemma"

Reviewers from Middle East Policy and Gale called it a "major contribution" and "substantial new scholarship". Reviewers from Middle East Policy and Gale called

Critics still point to the Syrian regime's use of the Palestinian cause to bolster its own legitimacy while simultaneously suppressing Palestinian dissent.

Some critics, such as Jonathan Schanzer in the Middle East Quarterly , argued that Talhami shows "disdain for a diplomatic resolution" and sometimes ignores the imperialist goals of other Arab states.

Syria frequently toggled between aiding Palestinian groups (like Fatah in the 1960s) and suppressing them (in the 1970s) based on its own regime's interests.