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North AfricaDemocracy and GovernanceThe Tunisian Elections: Surprise Results and Challenges Ahead
Oct 21, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Tunisia after its elections will be ruled by a governmental coalition the nature of which will depend on the relationship between the new president and the new…
- Viewpoint
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceLebanon’s Protests Cannot Be Ignored
Oct 18, 2019Imad K. HarbImad K. Harb writes that Lebanon’s current protests are a reminder that the Arab Spring is alive and well and that Lebanese politicians have no choice but to h…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceBy Electing Kais Saied, Tunisians Recast Their National Politics
Oct 17, 2019Daniel BrumbergThe Tunisian electorate has handed the independent candidate Kais Saied a huge victory. With 73 percent of the vote against Nabil Karoui’s 27 percent, he now h…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Turkish Military Operation in Northeastern Syria: Scope, Aims and Reactions
Oct 17, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Turkey seems to be in a hurry to achieve its operational goals before pressure increases to bring the operation to an end or in order to pre-empt any operation…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThere Will Be a One-State Solution But What Kind of State Will It Be?
Oct 17, 2019Yousef MunayyerFor nearly three decades, the so-called two-state solution has dominated discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the idea of two states for two pe…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAbbas Calls for Elections, but Will They Be Held?
Oct 16, 2019Yousef MunayyerYousef Munayyer discounts the possibility of holding new Palestinian presidential and legislative elections despite the parties’ repeated assertions that they …
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionTrump’s Syria Decision and the Turkish Operation
Oct 10, 2019Radwan ZiadehWithout American forces on the ground, Washington will not be able to realize its objectives in Syria, especially in confronting the Iran-affiliated militias t…
- Policy Analysis
Security and DefenseTrump Puts His Stamp on a Generational Shift at the Pentagon
Oct 9, 2019Joe MacaronAs Trump backs away from US commitments in the Middle East, a new generation of Pentagon leadership is being tested in how to navigate war and peace decisions …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionConfusion in Turkey’s Regional Foreign Policy
Oct 8, 2019Mustafa GurbuzTurkish foreign policy choices in Syria, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia are plagued with contradictions that may lead to self-defeating outcomes.
- Viewpoint
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIraq’s Cruel Killings Will Not Stop Mass Protests
Oct 8, 2019Imad K. HarbProtests have again rocked Iraq’s streets as thousands of young people voiced their opposition to rampant corruption and sectarian politics. While the demonstr…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Palestinian Arab Vote in Israel: Mere Protest or Significant Influence?
Oct 2, 2019Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan writes that until Israeli Jewish society undergoes serious change and accepts the Arab parties into the political process, the role of Palest…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaJustice, Equality, and Human RightsAlgeria’s Standoff between Protesters and the Regime
Oct 2, 2019Gregory AftandilianThere is a dangerous standoff in Algeria between the protesters, who are demanding regime change, and the military establishment, which wants to maintain the s…
- Policy Analysis
Security and DefenseA Balance Sheet on America’s “War on Terror” in the Middle East
Oct 2, 2019Charles W. DunneAlthough al-Qaeda and the Islamic State may have lost much of their ability to mount major mass-casualty attacks in the United States and Europe, splinter grou…
- Policy Analysis
US Domestic Politics and ElectionsCongress and the 2020 Elections
Oct 1, 2019Marcus MontgomeryThe highly anticipated 2020 US elections are garnering great attention because they will determine whether or not President Donald Trump remains in the White H…
- Policy AnalysisLevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections
Evangelicals and the 2020 Elections
Oct 1, 2019Jonathan KuttabEvangelical Americans constitute one of the largest voting blocs in the United States. They number about 74 million, or about 22.5 percent of a population of c…
- Viewpoint
IraqRegional Relations and GeopoliticsDisturbing Developments in Iraq’s Security Establishments
Oct 1, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabInterference by Iran and Iraqi political groups in the functioning of the Iraqi armed forces and security services has resulted in deteriorating discipline amo…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLearning to Say “No” To Saudi Arabia on Iran and Yemen
Sep 25, 2019Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg writes that against the background of the White House’s escalating conflict with Tehran, Washington seems unwilling or unable to break its habi…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceIsraeli Election Do-Over Yields Similar Results
Sep 25, 2019Yousef MunayyerThis Israeli election, like the one before it, has largely been about Benjamin Netanyahu himself and not his policies. Yousef Munayyer considers the possible s…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaDemocracy and GovernancePresidential Elections in Tunisia: Reading the First Round Results
Sep 25, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)The results of the first round of the 2019 presidential elections in Tunisia represent an early crisis for a regime marked by the fragmentation of the party ma…
- Policy Analysis
US Domestic Politics and ElectionsPompeo’s Rising Influence in the Trump Administration
Sep 24, 2019Joe MacaronHaving outlasted many of his colleagues, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the most connected official in Trump’s inner circle. But what is the extent of his i…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceEgypt’s Protests: A Sign the Arab Spring Is Alive
Sep 24, 2019Imad K. HarbAlthough the protests today are unlike those that garnered millions at public squares in 2011, the struggle of the Egyptian people against repression remains a…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLibya’s Stalemate Could Lead to Dreaded Partition
Sep 17, 2019Imad K. HarbWhile domestic competition and outside intervention are fueling the dangerous Libyan conflict, General Haftar’s challenge to the GNA and rejection of UN mediat…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionNetanyahu’s Annexation Promises: Electioneering or Actual Plan?
Sep 17, 2019Yousef MunayyerEven if Netanyahu does not become the next prime minister of Israel, his ideas, including annexation, are likely to govern and shape Israeli politics for years…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Attacks on Saudi Oil Installations are a Game Changer
Sep 17, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan Kristian Coates Ulrichsen Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Joe Macaron Imad K. HarbThe latest attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations are a game changer in Saudi domestic politics and in regional and international affairs.
- Viewpoint
US Domestic Politics and ElectionsTrump Fires Bolton Over Policy Disagreements: The Middle East Reacts
Sep 16, 2019Khalil E. JahshanObserving the Trump presidency is a dizzying process that leaves one in a constant state of perplexity, frantically groping for the most accessible rational ex…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIraq’s Dilemma: The Uncertain Future of the Popular Mobilization Forces
Sep 13, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Although Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces were instrumental in defeating the Islamic State, their political influence has had a profound impact on the future…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe US Decision to Disengage from the Syrian Crisis
Sep 11, 2019Radwan ZiadehWith Syrian and Russian forces aggravating the situation in northern Syria, President Erdoğan needs to protect Turkish interests in Syria and himself against d…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAssessing the Latest Conflagrations between Israel and Hezbollah
Sep 11, 2019Joe MacaronThe latest conflagrations between Israel and Hezbollah were an attempt to dictate new rules of engagement. Nevertheless, both sides appear to be committed to t…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAdiós, Jason: The Resignation of Jason Greenblatt
Sep 6, 2019Khalil E. JahshanThe sudden resignation of Jason Greenblatt, a key architect of the Kushner Middle East peace plan, is apt to further diminish the prospects of its success.
- Policy Analysis
IranSecurity and DefenseIs an American-Iranian Dialogue Coming?
Sep 4, 2019Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg writes that with increasing tensions in the Middle East and the strengthening position of Iranian hard-liners, Rouhani and Zarif might have mor…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Crumbling Saudi-Emirati Alliance in Yemen May Change US Gulf Policy
Sep 4, 2019Charles W. DunneThe UAE's backing of Yemen’s southern separatists has angered Saudi Arabia and helped lead to a reevaluation of American policy toward the conflict. More volat…
- Policy AnalysisUS Domestic Politics and Elections
The Role of the Electoral College in Electing the American President
Sep 1, 2019Imad K. HarbThe United States is understood to be a democratic republic whose constitution protects the individual’s right to choose his/her representatives, from the loca…
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsIsrael Shuts Out Tlaib and Omar, Stoking a Partisan Divide
Aug 28, 2019Yousef MunayyerBy shutting the door on Representatives Tlaib and Omar, Netanyahu may have broken open the floodgates of partisan politics on Israel that establishment Democra…
- Policy Analysis
SomaliaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWill Somalia Share Yemen’s Fate?
Aug 28, 2019Imad K. HarbThe UAE’s support of the secessionist leaders of Somaliland and Puntland in realizing their costly dream of independence is likely to throw Somalia and the sur…
- Policy Analysis
The Horn of AfricaDemocracy and GovernanceTransitional Period Agreement in Sudan: Opportunities for Success and Threats of Failure
Aug 26, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)There remain serious obstacles on the road to secession by Yemen's Southern Transitional Council, especially the contrary aims and programs in the various sout…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionConflict in Aden: Implications of the Pro-Hadi Forces’ Defeat
Aug 26, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)There remain serious obstacles on the road to secession by Yemen's Southern Transitional Council, especially the contrary aims and programs in the various sout…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaDemocracy and GovernanceTunisia Struggles to Project Foreign Policy Independence
Aug 22, 2019Daniel BrumbergTunisia’s leaders would do well to balance their hopes for democracy and human rights with the pragmatic exigencies of an independent foreign policy that prote…
- Policy Analysis
LevantSecurity and DefenseShould the United States Include Israel in the Gulf Maritime Coalition?
Aug 21, 2019Joe MacaronWashington’s decision to include Israel in the US-led maritime Gulf coalition might expand the theater of conflict between Israel and Iran, weaken Gulf allies,…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptEnergy and EconomicsPositive Economic Growth in Egypt Belies Mounting Problems
Aug 21, 2019Gregory AftandilianOpening up the political and economic systems in Egypt would allow for sustained private sector growth and a free flow of ideas—and criticism—that would keep t…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionChanges in UAE Policy: Reasons and Motivations
Aug 20, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)he UAE considers this as the right moment to distance itself from confrontation, anticipating US-Iranian negotiations that might leave it to harvest the fruits…
- Viewpoint
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIraq Enters the Israel-Iran Proxy War
Aug 20, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabIsraeli strikes against the Popular Mobilization Units in Iraq may have created another battleground in the proxy war between Israel and the Islamic Republic o…
- Policy Analysis
BahrainConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Drama since Manama: Kushner’s Failed Initiative
Aug 15, 2019Yousef MunayyerJared Kushner’s latest trip to the Middle East appears to have failed in charting a way forward for the Trump Administration’s illusive peace deal between Pale…
- Policy Analysis
QatarJustice, Equality, and Human RightsIn Saudi Arabia, Covering the Khashoggi Murder Is a State Affair
Aug 13, 2019Connor EcholsOver the last decade, stories about the potential for freedom of the press in the Arab world have alternated between hopeful and hopeless. The 2011 Arab uprisi…
- Policy Analysis
QatarConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Arabian Gulf Must Not Sleepwalk toward War
Aug 7, 2019Imad K. HarbThe volatile situation in the Arabian Gulf has put the region on edge and increased anxiety about intra-Gulf peace, safety of navigation in the strategic Strai…
- Policy Analysis
LevantIdentity Politics and SectarianizationPartition and Spheres of Influence in Syria
Aug 5, 2019Radwan ZiadehRadwan Ziadeh opines that Syria can no longer be considered a homeland for all Syrians and that its partition has become a reality. Restoring its societal make…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaDemocracy and GovernanceTunisia’s Fragile Democracy after Essebsi
Aug 2, 2019Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg argues that Tunisia’s Essebsi leaves behind a political crisis that is partly rooted in a convoluted constitutional language that does not clea…
- Policy AnalysisUS Domestic Politics and Elections
Many Facets and Aspects to the 2020 Election: A Backgrounder
Aug 1, 2019Imad K. HarbThe 2020 election cycle is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in American history. Arguably the most divisive American president, Donald J. Trump, …
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsHamas Plans a Comeback to Damascus: US and Regional Implications
Jul 31, 2019Joe MacaronHamas is looking to realign itself with Syria as the Trump Administration floats ideas about Palestinian-Israeli peace; however, it appears that the Syrian reg…
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationTrump’s Sanctions on Hezbollah Threaten Lebanon’s Stability
Jul 30, 2019Nabeel A. KhouryCurrent conditions in the Middle East and American sanctions against Hezbollah could upset the delicate balance of power in Lebanon and potentially lead to an …
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsTrump and the Evangelicals Define Support for Israel
Jul 26, 2019Yousef MunayyerPresident Trump is instrumentalizing Israel to keep his right-wing Christian Evangelical base energized and supportive as he comes under attack for other contr…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaJustice, Equality, and Human RightsThe Arab Spring May Still Be Alive in Northwestern Africa
Jul 25, 2019Charles W. DunneThe popular uprisings and challenges to the regimes in Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania indicate that the Arab Spring may not have ended and that authoritarian…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionVarious Players Maneuver for an Uncertain Future in Syria
Jul 24, 2019Gregory AftandilianRussia, Iran, Turkey, and Israel are positioning themselves to play a role in Syria’s uncertain future now that the Assad regime is defeating the opposition in…
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsTurkey’s Nativist Turn against Syrian Refugees and Other Arabs
Jul 23, 2019Mustafa GurbuzThe key drivers that fuel the recent nativist sentiment in Turkey are the worsening economy and the politicization of the refugee issue by divisive election ca…
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsUsing Israel to Justify His Racist Attacks, Trump Sets a Dangerous Precedent
Jul 17, 2019Tamara KharroubTo associate loyalty to the US with being white, and supporting Israel sets an extremely dangerous precedent.
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationThe Symbolism behind the Latest US Sanctions against Hezbollah
Jul 17, 2019Joe MacaronThe latest US sanctions against Hezbollah--and their impact on domestic Lebanese politics--are largely symbolic. In reality, the Trump Administration may have …
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSaudi Arabia May Be on Its Own in Yemen
Jul 15, 2019Imad K. HarbThe UAE’s withdrawal from Yemen highlights the serious problems facing the war effort there. This situation puts Saudi Arabia in a difficult position and force…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsHard Choices Facing Tehran and Washington
Jul 10, 2019Daniel BrumbergIf the Trump Administration decides to adhere to a strategy of pushing for regime change in Tehran, Iran’s leaders might eventually embrace a fraught nucleariz…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Palestinian Public Rejects Kushner’s Plans
Jul 8, 2019Imad K. HarbA recent survey in the West Bank and Gaza Strip shows that 79 percent of Palestinians approved of boycotting the Manama workshop and 76 percent doubt Kushner’s…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionChild Soldiers in Yemen: One Element of a Humanitarian Disaster
Jul 8, 2019Annelise AdrianACW intern Annelise Adrian reports on the use of child soldiers in the Yemen war by both the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebel group. This is one of the…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Bahrain Workshop in Retrospect: Critical Israeli and American Jewish Responses
Jul 2, 2019Khalil E. JahshanThe general Israeli approval of the Trump Administration’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan was not universal, noting that some Israeli peace groups, US and Israeli …
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionKushner’s Economic Plan Liquidates the Cause of Palestinian Statehood
Jun 27, 2019Imad K. HarbImagine, if you will, that it is Spring 2017 and you are Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the newly sworn-in American president. He has anointed you special envoy …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA US-Turkish Agreement Remains a Challenge in Northeastern Syria
Jun 26, 2019Joe MacaronUS officials may be rushing a deal with Turkey in northeastern Syria that could lead to a Turkish-Kurdish confrontation and stall the American withdrawal from …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsSaudi-Emirati-Egyptian Alliance Steering US Middle East Policy
Jun 26, 2019Charles W. DunneWith the American retreat from the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt are presenting themselves as reliable allies. However, they are pursuing an ag…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceMorsi’s Death: Conflicting Narratives, Escalating Repression, Deepening Polarization
Jun 25, 2019Sahar KhamisFormer President Mohamed Morsi’s death is emblematic of continuing government repression and unchecked violations of human rights in Egypt that threaten the li…
- Policy Analysis
IranSecurity and DefenseIran: How Trump is Emboldening the Hawks and Hardliners
Jun 25, 2019Imad K. HarbUS hawks, their Gulf allies and Israel will see Trump's preference for avoiding military confrontation as capitulation.
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaDemocracy and GovernanceA Dangerous Algerian Struggle against Uncertainty
Jun 21, 2019Imad K. HarbA multilateral dialogue involving different segments of society and moderate military elements is imperative to end the current stalemate and lay the foundatio…
- Policy Analysis
JordanConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWhat Actually Ails the Palestinian Economy?
Jun 20, 2019Yousef MunayyerThe Israeli occupation and lack of freedom for Palestinians are the most salient factors that hamper the Palestinian economy, and this should be blindingly obv…
- Policy Analysis
LevantInternational LawThe Greenblatt Fallacy
Jun 19, 2019Imad K. HarbMr. Greenblatt’s extolling the virtues of the Bahrain meeting later in the month to supposedly improve the Palestinians’ economic conditions is condescending a…
- Policy Analysis
LevantInternational LawFriedman’s West Bank Annexation Remarks: Political Implications
Jun 17, 2019Khalil E. JahshanAmbassador Friedman’s remarks about Israel’s right to annex parts of the West Bank signal that the Trump Administration may be ready to endorse another Israeli…
- Policy Analysis
SudanDemocracy and GovernanceSudan’s Military: Following Egypt’s Playbook?
Jun 12, 2019Gregory AftandilianContrary to their opposition to Islamists in Egypt and elsewhere, Saudi Arabia and the UAE do not seem concerned that Sudan’s Islamists are the Transitional Mi…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Mecca Summits: Spinning the Wheels on Iran
Jun 11, 2019Imad K. HarbBy devoting its three Mecca summit meetings to vilifying and criticizing Iran, Saudi Arabia missed a good opportunity to address the many problems facing the G…
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIraq’s Militias and the US-Iran Impasse
Jun 6, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Iraqi government has a difficult time managing its mutual relations with Iran and the United States because of the influence of Iran-supported militias in …
