Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices

After yet another suicide attack, Shin Bet scrambled to get answers on the bombmaker Abdullah Barghouti, whose work was becoming deadlier. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) identified a suspect, whom Arafat promptly had arrested and placed under house arrest. Yousef states, however, “I believe Arafat would have preferred to give Abdullah Barghouti a medal rather than a prison sentence” (165). Shin Bet then asked Yousef to identify a deadly Hamas operative named Muhaned Abu Halawa; with great reluctance, he bypassed the Bible’s prohibition on taking a human life. Yousef watched an Israeli missile strike his car, but Halawa survived until another team of Israeli agents killed him a few months later. Soon afterward, Hassan learned from Abdullah about a plot to assassinate the Israeli foreign minister. Hassan and Yousef were able to pass a message to Abdullah, who insisted to his contact that he call off the operation. The Palestinian Authority instead decided to release Abdullah, after which Yousef claims “everything got really crazy” (171).

In August 2001, Israel assassinated the political leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, even though he was not credibly tied to any acts of violence. Then, in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the Palestinian cause was tainted in the public eye “as the world shouted with one