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SyriaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsRussia’s Multifaceted Policy in Syria
Nov 23, 2021Gregory AftandilianMore than six years after Russia began its military intervention in the Syrian civil war, President Vladimir Putin has chalked up some important victories amid…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceIs Tunisia Transitioning to a Liberalized Autocracy?
Nov 18, 2021Daniel BrumbergIf in the coming months Tunisia undergoes a transition, given current conditions, it will probably not be along a path back to democracy. Indeed, while Preside…
- Policy Analysis
Global Health and Health PolicyThe Overlooked Threat of Cancer in the Arab Region
Nov 18, 2021Yara M. AsiSince its founding in 1985, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has been held in October every year. Originally an American enterprise, the event has become global, …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Tip of the Spear: Israeli Settler Terror
Nov 17, 2021Yousef MunayyerFor people around the world, autumn brings cooler temperatures and bright orange leaves on trees. But for Palestinians in the Israeli occupied West Bank, autum…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelMigrants, Refugees, and IDPsThe Nakba in Israeli Public Discourse and School History Curriculum
Nov 17, 2021Amal JamalThe ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their villages by Israel’s armed forces during the 1948 war and the creation of the ongoing refugee problem is rarely…
- Viewpoint
SyriaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Failure of Syria’s Constitutional Committee
Nov 16, 2021Radwan ZiadehIn October 2019, Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres enthusiastically welcomed the creation of Syria’s Constitutional Committee that would…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaDemocracy and GovernanceUncertainty Overshadows Libya’s Elections
Nov 11, 2021Imad K. HarbThe agreement governing Libya’s advancement toward presidential and legislative elections, which are slated to be held in December, ran into serious trouble th…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonIdentity Politics and SectarianizationSaudi Arabia’s Third “Shock and Awe” Move in Lebanon
Nov 9, 2021Joe MacaronOn October 29th, Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Beirut and suspended Lebanon’s imports into Saudi Arabia. These actions were aimed to force the resignation of…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWestern Sahara Figures Prominently in Algeria-Morocco Tensions
Nov 4, 2021Hasni Abidi Aboubakr JamaiAlgeria’s Reasons for Its Dispute with MoroccoHasni Abidi is Senior Lecturer at Geneva University and Director of the Centre d’Étude et de Recherche sur le Mon…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptReligion and PoliticsEgypt’s Muslim Brotherhood: Old Problems and New Divisions
Nov 3, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniSince its removal from power in 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt continues to face many problems and challenges. Having always prided itself on being the …
- Policy Analysis
SudanUS Foreign PolicyBiden’s Chameleon-like Policy in the MENA Region
Nov 3, 2021Imad K. HarbHaving invested time, effort, and treasure in helping to sustain the 2019 political agreement between the Sudanese military and the civilian Forces of Freedom …
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsThe Limits of Saudi-Iranian Détente
Oct 29, 2021Daniel BrumbergDuring his years in the Nixon White House in the 1970s, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger sought to manage the US-Soviet rivalry by creating arenas of …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelProtests and ActivismPost-Sheikh Jarrah Palestinian Citizen Activism: New Prospects and Persistent Challenges
Oct 29, 2021Sahar KhamisThe Israeli-Palestinian conflict, often labeled as the world’s longest running, has been going on for more than 70 years. During this time, the Israeli narrat…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsIsrael Is Almost Done Absorbing Area C of the Occupied West Bank
Oct 28, 2021Jonathan KuttabAttacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and their property in Area C of the occupied West Bank have increased in scope and geographic reach. Developments i…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonIdentity Politics and SectarianizationBeirut Port Explosion: The Investigation That Will Shape Lebanon’s Future
Oct 27, 2021Halim ShebayaFor a country that is notorious for both a legacy of violence and a culture of impunity surrounding that violence, it is no surprise that the ongoing investiga…
- Policy Analysis
The Horn of AfricaThe Complicated Nature of Red Sea Geopolitics
Oct 27, 2021Charles W. DunneThe Red Sea is a vital economic artery and is likely to become more so in the coming decades. In geopolitical terms, it should increasingly be seen as worthy o…
- Viewpoint
SudanDemocracy and GovernanceMilitary Takeover in Sudan: The Writing Is on the Wall
Oct 25, 2021Imad K. HarbWe have seen this before: military officers in the Arab world not quite enamored with sharing power with civilians—let alone ceding it to them peacefully—show …
- Policy Analysis
JordanRegional Relations and GeopoliticsJordan: Uptick in Diplomacy amid Pandora Papers Revelations
Oct 20, 2021Gregory AftandilianRevelations in the so-called Pandora Papers about King Abdullah II’s substantial real estate acquisitions of luxury homes in the United States and United Kingd…
- Viewpoint
LebanonIdentity Politics and SectarianizationLebanon Courts Civil War, Again
Oct 14, 2021Imad K. HarbOnce again, Lebanon teeters on the abyss of a civil war, this time over conflicts related to the investigation into the disastrous August 4, 2020 explosion at …
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceForeign Influence in Lebanon and the Third Miqati Premiership
Oct 13, 2021Joe MacaronFor the third time in 16 years, Prime Minister Najib Miqati comes to office as a consensus candidate in a country with deep divisions within the Lebanese polit…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and GeopoliticsThe Erbil Conference: Iraq Rejects Normalizing with Israel
Oct 12, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabOn September 24th, some 300 Iraqi tribal and political leaders, mostly from Iraq’s six Sunni-majority governorates, met at a conference in Erbil, capital of th…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionPalestine in Speeches at the UN General Assembly: Reading between the Lines
Oct 8, 2021Yousef MunayyerThe speeches of the US president, the Israeli prime minister, and the Palestinian president during general debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaSaied’s New Decree Deepens Tunisia’s Crisis
Oct 7, 2021Daniel BrumbergTwo telling events unfolded in Tunisia on October 3rd. The first was a demonstration by thousands of flag-waving citizens proclaiming their support for Preside…
- Policy Analysis
Justice, Equality, and Human RightsA “Crisis of Relevance”: UN Failures in the MENA Region
Oct 5, 2021Yara M. AsiOn September 21, 2021, in front of the same green marble tile where many of his predecessors and other prominent world leaders have spoken, US President Joe Bi…
- Viewpoint
SyriaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsSyria’s Return to the Arab League Is Imminent
Oct 5, 2021Imad K. HarbA decade after the start of the Syrian revolution against authoritarian rule and the suspension of Syria’s membership in the League of Arab States, the country…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionPalestinian Youth and the Futility of the Two-State Solution
Sep 30, 2021Kerent BenjumeaFollowing Israel’s expulsions of Palestinians in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and its war on Gaza this year, pro-Palestine movements revitalized the …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptSecurity and DefenseGrowing Relations between Egypt and Russia: Strategic Alliance or Marriage of Convenience?
Sep 27, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn August 22nd, Egypt’s Minister of Defense and Military Production Mohammad Zaki made a trip to Russia with a high-level military delegation. Zaki attended th…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfRegional Relations and GeopoliticsA New Strategic Architecture Is Emerging in the Gulf
Sep 24, 2021Imad K. HarbAs the Gulf crisis of 2017 recedes into memory, following the reconciliation in January at the “solidarity and stability” summit in Saudi Arabia’s al-Ula on th…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsIran’s Hard-liners Pursue a Complex Resistance Strategy
Sep 23, 2021Daniel BrumbergWhile the election of Ebrahim Raisi to the Iranian presidency and the appointment of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as foreign minister signal a clear victory for th…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSouthwestern Syria Tests US-Russia Cooperation
Sep 22, 2021Joe MacaronThe US-Russian agreement of July 2017 that led to a fragile stability in southwestern Syria has recently unraveled, testing President Joe Biden’s approach in S…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsA Saudi-Iranian Rapprochement Still Has a Long Way to Go
Sep 21, 2021Gregory AftandilianTalks in Baghdad between officials of Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have been held periodically since April, have fueled speculation that these two regional pow…
- Washington Policy Weekly
US Foreign PolicyWashington Policy Weekly
Sep 13, 2021Marcus MontgomeryA bipartisan group of House members introduced H.R. 5148 to establish a joint US-Israel center to study and develop artificial intelligence. This bill, which i…
- Viewpoint
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceNo Rest for the Weary: Lebanon’s Miqati Must Hit the Ground Running
Sep 10, 2021Imad K. HarbNajib Miqati, the billionaire tasked over a year ago with forming the Lebanese government, has finally finished putting it together, but not before President M…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs“Shoulder to Shoulder with Sorrow”: Afghan Refugees, Past and Present
Sep 9, 2021Yara M. AsiFor weeks, images and stories of Afghans leaving their homeland have flooded all forms of media. Recent events only emphasized just how difficult life is for t…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptJustice, Equality, and Human RightsArab Women Political Prisoners Jailed by US Middle East Allies
Sep 9, 2021Sahar KhamisWhen President Joe Biden was sworn in on January 20th as the 46th president of the United States, America’s friends in particular hoped that his administration…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyUS-Israel Relations: Time for a Reset or Reevaluation?
Sep 8, 2021Yousef MunayyerAs Israel’s prime minister for nearly 12 years in a row, Benjamin Netanyahu greatly shaped the US-Israel relationship in recent history. After his exit from th…
- Washington Policy WeeklyUS Foreign Policy
Washington Policy Weekly
Sep 7, 2021Marcus MontgomeryThe fallout from the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has been fierce and partisan. Although it is largely symbolic and has no effect on US policy in the Middle …
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsIran Prepares for a New “Great Game” in Afghanistan
Sep 2, 2021Daniel BrumbergUntil the horrific August 26 attack outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, Iran’s bottom line on a new Afghan political order was in fact similar …
- Policy Analysis
IraqRegional Relations and GeopoliticsKadhimi Tries to Boost His Domestic Standing
Sep 1, 2021Imad K. HarbAs a basic principle, foreign policy serves as an extension of a country’s domestic politics and an instrument wielded by policy-makers to enhance their domest…
- Washington Policy Weekly
US Foreign PolicyWashington Policy Weekly
Aug 30, 2021Marcus MontgomeryDemocratic members of the House draft legislation to help Iraqi and Afghan refugees settle and find employment in the United States; progressive members’ criti…
- Policy Analysis
US Foreign PolicyHumanitarian Lessons from a Century of Conflict in the Middle East
Aug 26, 2021Yara M. AsiFor most of the past 20 years, the heavy presence of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan remained in the backdrop of public discourse. While some poli…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonEnergy and EconomicsLebanon’s Energy Crisis Fuels US-Iran Tensions
Aug 25, 2021Joe MacaronIn the midst of an economic collapse and an energy crisis, Lebanon has found itself in a tug of war between the United States and Iran. On August 19, Hezbollah…
- Washington Policy WeeklyUS Foreign Policy
Washington Policy Weekly
Aug 23, 2021Marcus MontgomeryI. Congress Congress is still observing its August recess. The House is expected to make an earlier return than previously scheduled to consider President Joe …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionBennett’s Agenda on Palestine: Shrinking the Conflict
Aug 20, 2021Khalil E. JahshanEven before winning formal approval on June 13, 2021, the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid rotation government has raised many questions as to its durability, the un…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsRisky Business: Kais Saied’s Regional Alliances
Aug 20, 2021Daniel BrumbergThree weeks after President Kais Saied used Article 80 of the constitution to impose what can be called a ‘state of exceptionalism,’ Tunisians are waiting for …
- Viewpoint
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and DefenseAfter Afghanistan, a New Biden Middle East Doctrine Takes Shape
Aug 19, 2021Imad K. HarbIf there are lessons to be learned from the disastrous end of the American war in Afghanistan, they would be most applicable to the countries of the Arab Middl…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptEnergy and EconomicsWill Egypt Live with GERD as a Bitter Reality?
Aug 19, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn July 19, Ethiopia announced that it had completed the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). This unilateral step had been rejected b…
- Policy Analysis
LevantViolent ExtremismAlthough Diminished, the Islamic State Remains an Ongoing Threat
Aug 17, 2021Gregory AftandilianDespite the territorial defeat of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq a few years ago, which was heralded as a major achievement by the large in…
- Washington Policy WeeklyUS Foreign Policy
Washington Policy Weekly
Aug 16, 2021Marcus MontgomerySenate hearings on US arms sales to the Middle East and the state of human rights in Morocco; Department of State communications with Arab officials; new sanct…
- Viewpoint
LebanonConflicts and Conflict ResolutionHezbollah Is Not Interested in a War with Israel
Aug 11, 2021Imad K. HarbAs Lebanon reels from seemingly unsolvable political, economic, social, and security crises, an exchange of rocket and artillery fire on August 6th between Hez…
- Washington Policy Weekly
Security and DefenseMomentum Builds for War Powers Reform
Aug 9, 2021Marcus MontgomeryOn August 3rd, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) held its long-awaited open hearing on authorizations for use of military force (AUMFs). This marks…
- Viewpoint
LebanonIdentity Politics and SectarianizationA Year after the Beirut Explosion, a Dreaded Civil War in Lebanon
Aug 3, 2021Imad K. HarbEvents over the last few days in Lebanon portended a serious escalation in sectarian tensions and a possible widespread resort to arms that could quickly lead …
- Washington Policy Weekly
IraqUS Foreign PolicyIs Washington Rethinking Its Partnerships in the Middle East?
Aug 2, 2021Marcus MontgomeryThere appears to be a slow but noticeable shift in Democratically-controlled Washington as to the countries with which the United States seeks to work closer a…
- Policy Analysis
Energy and EconomicsChallenges Facing Sustainable Development Goals in Arab States
Jul 30, 2021Yara M. AsiThe end of the twentieth century was a tumultuous period for much of the world. Many countries were experiencing economic turmoil, and many hard-won gains in h…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelMedia and TechnologyThe Full Story behind the NSO Hack: The Israeli-Military-Allied Surveillance Industry and Transnational Repression
Jul 28, 2021Tamara KharroubThe recent investigation into the NSO Group exposed a widespread global targeting of journalists and human rights activists and revealed evidence that their sm…
- Viewpoint
US Foreign PolicyA Tale of Two Donalds: Rumsfeld and Trump
Jul 28, 2021Laurie KingIn late June, a long forgotten name popped up in news broadcasts: former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had died at the age of 88 after enjoying a cha…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceKais Saied Can Either Save or Destroy Tunisia’s Democracy
Jul 27, 2021Daniel BrumbergThe political earthquake that rocked Tunisia July 25th—65 years after the country’s independence from France—seems all too familiar. Declaring that he was dete…
