Inside the Belly of the Whale: Islamism in the Jewish State explores the rise of Islamism in Israel and the challenges faced by the Islamist movement as it navigates the intersection of Islam as a universal faith with the principles of democracy, nationalism, and Zionism. It examines how the movement leverages religion to shape the cultural, political, economic, and social realities of the Palestinian Arab minority and the broader Israeli landscape. Additionally, it raises compelling questions about whether the movement remains aligned with the principles of political Islam or has it evolved into a democratic Islamic party functioning within a Jewish state with limited democratic practices. The discussion situates the rise of Islamism within the historical context that saw Palestinians-once the majority and indigenous inhabitants of Palestine-reduced to a minority under the governance of the Jewish state since 1948.

Suheir Abu Oksa Daoud is a Palestinian writer and professor of Politics from Mi'ilya village in Western Galilee (northern Israel). She earned a bachelor's degree in political science and international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a master's degree in international development and social change from Clark University in Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in political science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.