Israel, it may find that it can accept a workable formula of coexistence with Israel in place of armed struggle. Indeed, Sela and Mishal reprint a 25-page translation of the Hamas Charter whose terminology is militaristic, mobilized, and bellicose. The Koran is quoted dozens of times to justify terror directed at Jews. Islamic heroes are cited as examples for death and suicide. On the level of detached research, the book is instructive and detailed.
Nothing is left out.
And yet we are asked to join the authors in the belief that, at its essence, what we ought to know about Hamas is that it is a social movement. Mishal and Sela conclude that coexistence between a Jewish-Israeli state and Muslim Hamas seems unattainable but, they add, what once seemed improbable might become inevitable. Movements have been known to terrorize the entire world just to become part of it. One last point. That fact is not mentioned anywhere in the book nor is it listed in the bibliography.