Son of Hamas is both a controversial autobiography and a geopolitical shockwave. Written by Mosab Hassan Yousef, the book offers a stunning, insider account of the Palestinian militant group Hamas—told by the man who was not only the son of its founder, but also a secret agent for Israel’s internal security service, the Shin Bet.

Whether you view Mosab Yousef as a hero, a traitor, or a tragic figure, his story forces a chilling realization: In the bloody arithmetic of the Middle East, sometimes the son of the founder must become the enemy of his own people to become a friend of peace.

He was secretly baptized in a beachside ceremony in Tel Aviv. For his father and the Muslim world, this was the ultimate betrayal—far worse than spying for Israel. In Islam, apostasy is a capital offense. In the Palestinian national struggle, abandoning Islam for a Western faith is seen as siding with the Crusader-Zionist enemy. Mosab Yousef eventually fled to the United States, where he was granted political asylum. He remains a controversial and polarizing figure.