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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…
- Intern Corner
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…
- 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…
- 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…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyRegional Relations and GeopoliticsTurkey’s Relentless Bid for Afghanistan
Aug 31, 2021Mustafa GurbuzThe Taliban’s astonishing seizure of all of Afghanistan dashed the Turkish government’s earlier hope to take charge of Kabul Airport. Turkey’s President Recep …
- 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…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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 …
- 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…
- Viewpoint
SyriaUS Foreign PolicyRearranging American Priorities in Syria
Jul 27, 2021Radwan ZiadehOn July 17, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad took his oath of office in front of parliament after winning the presidential election with 95 percent of the popu…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and GeopoliticsHamas and Its Regional Role Post-Gaza War
Jul 21, 2021Joe MacaronAs the Palestinian Authority, with Fatah at its core, is struggling to redefine its legitimacy and mandate, Hamas is emerging as a key player in the post-Gaza …
- Policy Analysis
KuwaitDemocracy and GovernanceKuwait Muddles through Its Confusing Politics
Jul 20, 2021Kristian Coates UlrichsenNearly a year has passed since the death, on September 29, 2020, of Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah, the respected elder statesman of Gu…
- Policy Analysis
SomaliaDemocracy and GovernanceMany Challenges to Address as Somalis Go to the Polls
Jul 19, 2021Imad K. HarbThe recent agreement on Somali presidential and parliamentary elections is a good but insufficient sign that Somalia’s many antagonists will allow the credible…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and DefenseUS Middle East Influence in Afghanistan’s Shadow
Jul 15, 2021Daniel BrumbergWill the departure of some 3,000 American troops from Afghanistan be a harbinger of a more fundamental realignment of US Middle East security policy? Presently…
- Policy Analysis
JordanUS Foreign PolicyKing Abdullah Visits Washington amid Jordan’s Woes
Jul 14, 2021Gregory AftandilianKing Abdullah II’s upcoming meetings with President Joe Biden on July 19, and subsequently with leading members of Congress, come at a time when the Hashemite …
- Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelArab Americans/ Muslim AmericansThe Changing Arab American Activism for Palestine in the United States
Jul 12, 2021Hani J. BawardiAdvocacy for Palestine in the United States has entered a new phase, given the higher level of veracity social media injected into coverage of the latest Israe…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and GeopoliticsMoroccan Normalization with Israel: Temporary Deal or Permanent Peace?
Jul 8, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn June 16, 2021, King Mohammed VI of Morocco sent a congratulatory letter to Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett. This might not have been surprising…
- Viewpoint
Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsIs a Saudi-Emirati Rift on the Horizon?
Jul 7, 2021Imad K. HarbThe Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) appears to be approaching another unwelcome rift, this time between its two most vocal and influential members, Saudi Arabia…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaDemocracy and GovernanceAlgeria Reestablishes Authoritarianism through Elections
Jul 1, 2021Imad K. HarbOn June 12, Algeria held an early parliamentary election whose results reflected both Algerian voters’ apathy about the system they inherited from former Presi…
- Viewpoint
IraqIran’s Presidential Election as Viewed in Iraq
Jun 29, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabAll political developments in Iran have serious repercussions in Iraq, and the election of Ibrahim Raisi as president of the Islamic Republic is no different. …
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyRaisi’s Election Creates Opportunities and Pitfalls for Iran’s Islamic Republic
Jun 25, 2021Daniel BrumbergIn the weeks leading up to Iran’s June 18 presidential elections, one joke making the rounds was that Ebrahim Raisi, then a candidate and now the winner, was r…
- Policy Analysis
Regional Relations and GeopoliticsUS-Russian Cooperation in the Middle East after the Biden-Putin Summit
Jun 24, 2021Joe MacaronThe June 16 summit between President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, was meant to defuse tensions between the United States and Russia, …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptJustice, Equality, and Human RightsDoubts Surround Egypt’s Draft National Human Rights Strategy
Jun 24, 2021Charles W. DunneLong hounded by international criticism of its deteriorating human rights record, the government of Egypt is preparing to respond by launching a new national h…
- Policy Analysis
MoroccoConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Polisario Front, Morocco, and the Western Sahara Conflict
Jun 22, 2021Houda ChograniThe simmering 46-year-old conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, a Northwest African area of around 25…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionRebuilding Gaza, Yet Again
Jun 17, 2021Yara M. AsiIn 2012, the United Nations issued a dire warning: change the situation, now, or the Gaza Strip may no longer be a livable place by 2020. Unemployment, poverty…
- Research Paper
LebanonIdentity Politics and SectarianizationYouth in Lebanon: Policy Narratives, Attitudes, and Forms of Mobilization
Jun 17, 2021Mona HarbIntroductionAs Lebanon is undergoing one of the worst economic and financial collapses in the world, one that was caused by the deliberate inaction1 of its rul…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaDemocracy and GovernanceThe Challenges and Opportunities in Libya Today
Jun 14, 2021Imad K. HarbAfter the uprising against former strongman Muammar Qadhafi in 2011, Libya’s road to stability and order—let alone to full democratic governance—has not been s…
- Policy Analysis
YemenUS Foreign PolicyAttaining the Difficult Peace in Yemen
Jun 9, 2021Gregory AftandilianAfter displaying some optimism about reaching a cease-fire and peace deal in Yemen, the Biden Administration is facing the stark reality that these objectives …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelMedia and TechnologySystematic Digital Repression: Social Media Censoring of Palestinian Voices
Jun 8, 2021Tamara KharroubThe events of the last few weeks and the escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel have spotlighted the issue of media bias and censorship of Palestinian …
- Viewpoint
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationTime to Address Impunity in Iraq
Jun 4, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabOn May 26, Iraqi security forces arrested General Qasim Muslih, commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Anbar province, basing their action on…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsExplaining Egypt’s Role during the Gaza War
Jun 3, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn May 21, 2021, a cease-fire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas after an 11-day military confrontation. Egypt played a vital role in securing the …
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyA Tough Nut to Crack: Rebalancing the US-Saudi Relationship
Jun 2, 2021Charles W. DunneOut on the campaign trail in 2019, presidential candidate Joe Biden made it clear that when it came to a principled US foreign policy, he intended to be the an…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaDemocracy and GovernanceSyria’s Presidential Election and the Absence of the American Role
Jun 1, 2021Radwan ZiadehOn May 26, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth seven-year term in a practically uncontested election. No one was surprised by the original announceme…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaUS Foreign PolicyThe Biden Administration and the GCC Rapprochement with Damascus
May 27, 2021Joe MacaronWith Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on his way to a fourth term in the Syrian presidential election held this week, Moscow is expected to resume its diplomat…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsIran Plays a Diplomatically Cautious (and Smart) Game on Gaza
May 22, 2021Daniel BrumbergIt’s not every day that Hamas leaders openly plead for Tehran’s support. But this is apparently what happened when, as the battle between Gaza’s militant grou…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsThe Time Has Come for an American Change on Israel
May 20, 2021Imad K. HarbPresident Joe Biden has finally uttered the magic word of cease-fire in a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they discussed the o…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsContingencies Undergird Saudi Foreign Policy
May 18, 2021Kristian Coates UlrichsenA flurry of diplomatic outreach involving Iran, Syria, and Turkey, and a continuing warming of relations with other Gulf countries, have sparked questions over…
- Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSheikh Jarrah: A Welcome Palestinian Moment of Enthusiasm
May 14, 2021Khalil E. JahshanProtracted political conflicts are unpredictable phenomena. They tend to develop an internal momentum while awaiting their own uncertain future, often confusin…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsIsrael’s Screen of Legality behind the Sheikh Jarrah Dispossession
May 12, 2021Jonathan KuttabThe situation in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood represents a microcosm of the ongoing Judaization process that has been taking place since the creation…
- Policy Analysis
Women & Gender IssuesThe (Slowly) Changing Gender Dynamics in Arab Countries
May 11, 2021Yara M. AsiA now infamous image from 2014 captured the moment Loujain al-Hathloul’s life changed: it shows her sitting behind the wheel of a car, a small smile on her fac…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceIs Tunisia’s President Endangering Democracy?
May 7, 2021Daniel BrumbergRecently, Tunisia has witnessed a political dynamic that is all too rare in the Arab world: Islamists have joined forces with some secularly oriented Members o…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyUS Foreign PolicyThe Path to Armenian Genocide Recognition: A Lesson for Palestine Activists?
May 6, 2021Gregory AftandilianThe century-old struggle by the Armenian American community for US recognition that the large-scale massacres and deportations of their people in the Ottoman E…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyThe Israeli Factor in the US-Iran Nuclear Talks
May 6, 2021Joe MacaronAs US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel on April 11, Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency orchestrated a mysterious explosion in Iran’s Natanz …
- Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsHuman Rights Watch Exposes Israeli Apartheid
May 3, 2021Jonathan KuttabOn April 27, 2021, Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a 213-page report entitled “A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecu…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEducation and DevelopmentArab Space Programs Level Up
Apr 30, 2021Charles W. DunnePeople in the Arab world have gazed at the stars with curiosity and genius for centuries. The first observatory was built in the 8th century by Abbasid Caliph …














































































