The Palestinian national movement in Lebanon: a political history of the 'ayn al-hilwe' camp

The Palestinian national movement in Lebanon: a political history of the 'ayn al-hilwe' camp
Publisher: I.b.tauris, Bloomsbury Publishing
Published Date: June 2021
ISBN-13: 9780755602834

Hosting over 50,000 inhabitants and governed by competing militias, 'Ayn Al-Hilwe [Ein Al-Hilweh] in the south of Lebanon is one of the most contested refugee camps in the Middle East. It is known as the 'capital of the Palestinian diaspora' and has endured a long history of internal power struggles and external influence and intervention. Based on extensive ethnographic research in the camp - focused on the actors who have shaped its modern political trajectory – this book looks at the role of exile leaderships, camp-based militia commanders and shape-shifting networks of patronage in the political landscape of the Palestinian movement in Lebanon.

Review(s):

Reviewed by: Omar Ahmed

Of the 12 official Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, Ain El-Hilweh (‘Ayn Al-Hilwe) is the largest in both area and population and is known among its 33,000 or so inhabitants as the “Capital of the Diaspora”. This title is fitting considering the unmatched degree of political and territorial autonomy the Palestinians enjoy, arguably...