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US Foreign PolicyDemocracy and Human Rights in the Middle East: The Biden Agenda
Nov 25, 2020Charles W. DunneAs news that former Vice President Joe Biden had won the American presidential election began to circulate on Saturday, November 7, messages of congratulations…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCC
The Biden Presidency and the Gulf Arab States
Nov 24, 2020Kristian Coates UlrichsenAssessing the Biden Administration’s future relations with the Gulf, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen writes that it faces a set of difficult challenges on a number o…
- ViewpointSaudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
MbS Also Gets Nothing for Normalizing with Israel
Nov 23, 2020Imad K. HarbOnce again, Arab solidarity with the Palestinian cause suffered a setback. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) reportedly met with Israeli Pr…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Yemen May Be a Priority for Biden and the Democrats
Nov 20, 2020Gregory AftandilianAs President-elect Joe Biden assembles his team and sets his priorities for the next four years, there has been much speculation as to what he will focus on in…
- ViewpointMorocco
Does Arab Public Opinion on Palestine Still Count in 2020?
Nov 18, 2020Khalil E. JahshanAlthough public opinion research in the Arab world has evolved significantly in recent years, it does not seem to be taken seriously by American policymakers i…
- ViewpointThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfDemocracy and Governance
Arab Public Opinion on National Security and Foreign Intervention
Nov 17, 2020Joe MacaronThe Arab League celebrated its 75th anniversary this year in the midst of regional politics that have never been more polarized, with continuous foreign interv…
- Policy AnalysisSecurity and Defense
Military Institutions and Poor Governance in the Arab World
Nov 16, 2020Imad K. HarbThe latest Arab Opinion Index (AOI) from the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) in Doha, Qatar, reveals an interesting combination of views ab…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The Trump Term: An Israel-Palestine Damage Assessment
Nov 11, 2020Yousef MunayyerShortly after he was elected as president in November 2016, Donald Trump quickly got to work on advancing his Israel policy. In fact, he might have focused mor…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Lebanon Risks Becoming Irrelevant
Nov 11, 2020Imad K. HarbFor the third time in the span of a year, Lebanese politicians are trying to go back to the proverbial drawing board. On October 22nd, President Michel Aoun ap…
- Policy AnalysisPublic Opinion
How Do People in the Middle East View the US Presidential Election?
Nov 6, 2020Khalil Al-Anani Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Jonathan Kuttab Joe Macaron Marcus Montgomery Yousef MunayyerWith the United States playing a major role in Middle East politics, US presidential elections are usually of utmost importance to the region’s leaders, elites…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Iran and the World Wait for Biden
Nov 5, 2020Daniel BrumbergIranian leaders have insisted that the November 3rd US elections would have no real significance for Iran’s basic interests. But such assertions should not be …
- Policy AnalysisUAEUS Foreign Policy
The Middle East Accords: An Arab Perspective
Nov 2, 2020Imad K. HarbThe recent agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan will not help the cause of regional peace.On August 13, President D…
- Policy AnalysisSecurity and Defense
As US Counterterrorism Policy Focus Wavers, a Thorough Review Is Needed
Oct 28, 2020Charles W. DunneThe struggle to defeat global terrorism has been a dominant issue in the last four presidential elections, but not so in 2020. As the race between Donald Trump…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelGlobal Health and Health Policy
Another Test of Palestinian Sumud: COVID-19 in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem
Oct 27, 2020Yara M. AsiAs the world has endured the crushing outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past seven months, a common refrain often heard is that “the virus knows no bo…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptProtests and Activism
Protests of the Poor in Egypt: Causes and Implications
Oct 21, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniOn September 20th, a series of anti-government demonstrations broke out in a number of Egyptian governorates and villages protesting the social and economic co…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Where Can Palestinian Leaders Turn as Gulf Arabs Turn Away?
Oct 15, 2020Yousef MunayyerThe recent normalization agreements between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain with Israel have sent shock waves throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds and ha…
- Policy AnalysisSudanUS Foreign Policy
US Presses Sudan to Normalize Relations with Israel
Oct 14, 2020Gregory AftandilianThe Trump Administration is holding up the removal of Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) list because it wants Khartoum to establish diplomatic t…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Prospects of US Mediation in the Lebanon-Israel Border Talks
Oct 14, 2020Joe MacaronOn October 14, Lebanon and Israel started the long-awaited US-mediated talks to demarcate their maritime borders under the supervision of the United Nations. T…
- Policy AnalysisRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Arab League’s Many Failures
Oct 8, 2020Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Imad K. Harb Radwan Ziadeh Nabeel A. Khoury Sheila CarapicoOver its 75-year history, the 22-member League of Arab States (LAS) has declined as an organization—from one that represents and pushes for collective, purpose…
- Policy AnalysisUS Domestic Politics and Elections
US Foreign Policy in the 2020 Elections: Bold Choices in the Middle East
Oct 7, 2020Charles W. DunneThe 2020 US presidential campaign has been driven by a few key issues—the pandemic and its damaging economic effects, massive protests in favor of racial justi…
- Policy AnalysisUAEReligion and Politics
The UAE’s Manipulative Utilization of Religion
Sep 29, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniThe August announcement of normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has led to a backlash among Arabs and Muslims around the wor…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Saudi Arabia Prefers Implicit Normalization with Israel
Sep 18, 2020Daniel BrumbergSigned at the White House on September 15, the new peace agreements between Israel on the one side and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain on the other …
- Policy AnalysisLebanonRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The French Initiative in Lebanon: Endgame and Challenges
Sep 16, 2020Joe MacaronFrench President Emmanuel Macron has been leading a charm offensive in Lebanon since the August 4th Beirut explosion as Paris seeks to reinvigorate its role in…
- Policy AnalysisJordanRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egypt-Iraq-Jordan Alliance Tries to Change Middle East Dynamics
Sep 16, 2020Curtis R. RyanOn August 25, 2020, the leaders of Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan met in Amman for the third in a succession of meetings marking ever-closer relations between the thr…
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaGlobal Health and Health Policy
North African Autocrats Use the Pandemic to Expand Power, Settle Scores
Sep 15, 2020Charles W. DunneMany months have passed since the novel coronavirus epidemic began, with wide-ranging and often devastating health, economic, and social ramifications. The pol…
- Policy AnalysisJordanEducation and Development
Teachers’ Anger Reflects Jordan’s Economic and Political Strains
Sep 9, 2020Gregory AftandilianThe crackdown on the Jordanian Teachers Syndicate this summer is in many ways emblematic of mounting political and economic problems facing the Hashemite Kingd…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Russian-Turkish-Iranian Cross-Purposes on Syria’s Future
Sep 8, 2020Daniel BrumbergOn August 24, the United Nations-sponsored Syrian Constitutional Committee meetings reconvened in Geneva. UN Envoy Geir Peterson, the chair of the meeting, dec…
- ViewpointUAESecurity and Defense
Comments on the UAE’s Acquisition of the F-35
Sep 8, 2020Abdulwahab Al-QassabIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have condoned the sale of the advanced American F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the United Arab Emirates afte…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Spinning the Wheels: Syria’s Useless Political Negotiations
Sep 2, 2020Radwan ZiadehRadwan Ziadeh contends that the many rounds of negotiations to resolve the Syrian crisis have failed because of the imbalance of power between the Syrian regim…
- ViewpointLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Lebanon Chooses a Prime Minister, Thwarting the Protesters Again
Aug 31, 2020Imad K. HarbImad K. Harb writes that Lebanon’s new and largely unknown prime minister-designate, Mustafa Adib, is relatively inexperienced in politics. Nevertheless, his c…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/Israel
The Collapsing Arab Consensus and Options for the Palestinian Leadership
Aug 28, 2020Yousef MunayyerYousef Munayyer argues that Palestinians cannot rely on outside actors to help them in their struggle, and that their leadership must harness or rebuild endoge…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptViolent Extremism
Egypt’s Counterterrorism Strategy in Sinai: Challenges and Failures
Aug 28, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniLooking at Egypt’s counterterrorism strategy against the Sinai insurgency, Khalil al-Anani writes that it is counterproductive and creates fertile ground for e…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonRegional Relations and Geopolitics
After the Beirut Blast: Hezbollah and Iran Walk a Tricky Line
Aug 26, 2020Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg argues that Hezbollah and Iran are vested in preserving the current political system in Lebanon whose confessional institutions enable the part…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonUS Foreign Policy
How Can the United States Best Help Lebanon?
Aug 25, 2020Charles W. DunneWith Lebanon in crisis and the United States’ desire to help, Charles W. Dunne writes that Washington’s focus on sidelining Hezbollah and Iran should not under…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs
Loss of a Generation: The Education of Syria’s Refugee Children
Aug 25, 2020Yara M. AsiYara M. Asi reports that almost ten years of homelessness, poverty, and trauma have deprived millions of Syria’s children and youth—displaced inside the countr…
- Policy AnalysisYemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Riyadh Agreement 2.0 Changes Nothing in Yemen
Aug 19, 2020Nabeel A. KhouryNabeel Khoury contends that the lack of trust between Yemen’s Hadi government and southern secessionists is likely to at least delay the implementation of the …
- Policy AnalysisSudanDemocracy and Governance
Despite Some Progress, Sudan’s Transition Faces Mounting Hurdles
Aug 18, 2020Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian states that although the government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has instituted a number of political and social reforms, Sudan’s democ…
- ViewpointIraqUS Foreign Policy
Iraq’s Mustafa Al-Kadhimi Comes to Washington
Aug 18, 2020Abdulwahab Al-QassabAbdulwahab Al-Qassab previews Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s upcoming visit to Washington and writes that the American capital may be too preoccupie…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The UAE-Israel Deal: Exploring the Motives
Aug 17, 2020Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan explores the political reasons behind the agreement to officially normalize relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, stating th…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
The Beirut Explosion Will Have a Lasting Impact on Lebanon
Aug 14, 2020Joe MacaronJoe Macaron argues that the Beirut explosion and its repercussions will have a profound impact on Lebanon’s future, whatever political scenario emerges followi…
- ViewpointLebanonDemocracy and Governance
The Hezbollah-Aoun Political Process Has Failed in Lebanon
Aug 11, 2020Imad K. HarbImad K. Harb posits that the resignation of the Lebanese government exposes the failure of the Hezbollah-Aoun political process but opens an opportunity for th…
- Intern CornerThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfWomen & Gender Issues
Barriers to Women’s Workforce Participation in the Gulf Arab States
Aug 11, 2020Alainna LiloiaAlainna Liloia argues that a societal shift in the Gulf states is needed for greater support to working women so they can make their own personal and professio…
- ViewpointLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Lebanon: A Failed State Explodes
Aug 6, 2020Imad K. HarbImad K. Harb contends that the failing Lebanese state will only begin to restore its legitimacy when the country’s political elites either step down or alter t…
- ViewpointUS Foreign Policy
Pompeo and His Unalienable Rights Scam
Aug 5, 2020Khalil E. JahshanCommenting on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s latest speech about support for human rights around the world, Khalil E. Jahshan argues that affiliating with mi…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/Israel
Beinart’s “Earthquake”: The Fallout and What It Means
Aug 4, 2020Yousef MunayyerYousef Munayyer examines the different responses to Peter Beinart’s ideological shift about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and contends that more changes nee…
- Policy AnalysisLevantRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Lebanon’s Other Problem: Neutrality in Regional Affairs
Aug 3, 2020Imad K. HarbExamining Lebanon’s traditional neutrality in regional affairs, Imad K. Harb writes that Hezbollah’s push to follow Iran’s policies is placing the country in a…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Egypt’s Military Options
Jul 30, 2020Charles W. DunneWith talks between Egypt and Ethiopia failing to break the impasse over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Charles W. Dunne evaluates Cairo’s military option…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Political Crisis, Regional Power Struggles, and Creeping Presidentialism in Tunisia
Jul 29, 2020Daniel BrumbergAnalyzing Tunisia’s political problems, Daniel Brumberg writes that nearly a decade into the country’s democratic experiment, many of its leaders appear incapa…
- Policy AnalysisUAE
Reflections on Mohammed bin Zayed’s Preferences Regarding UAE Foreign Policy
Jul 24, 2020Kristian Coates UlrichsenAssessing the UAE’s foreign policy, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen contends that Mohammed bin Zayed’s personalistic rather than institutionalist style exposes his c…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaSecurity and Defense
Can Saudi Arabia and the UAE Develop National Arms Industries?
Jul 22, 2020David B. Des RochesWith a speed rarely seen in history, the Gulf Arab states have evolved from mere afterthoughts of colonialism to advanced countries. Located in a strategic reg…
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Turkey’s Activist Regional Policies Are a Double-Edged Sword
Jul 21, 2020Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian explains that although Turkey has scored points in the Arab world with its support for the Palestinians, its activist posture and intervent…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/Israel
Annexation: Why Hasn’t It Happened?
Jul 20, 2020Yousef MunayyerEvaluating the reasons for the delay in announcing Israel’s annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, Yousef Munayyer writes that a de facto annexation ha…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/Israel
By Hedging, the UAE Abandons the Palestinians
Jul 17, 2020Imad K. HarbImad K. Harb writes that the UAE’s hedging strategy explains its headlong openness on Israel. It is thus abandoning the Palestine question just as the Israeli …
- Policy AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue: Important Achievements, but Much Remains to Be Done
Jul 14, 2020Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne reports that the first round of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue in June made progress on security issues, but many challenges remain for the tw…
- Policy AnalysisIranRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Iran’s Hard-liners Grapple with the Trap of Securitizing the State
Jul 13, 2020Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg argues that Iran's hard-liners have savored the victory of last February's parliamentary elections and are now preparing for the 2021 president…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaUS Foreign Policy
By Sanctioning Turkey’s Role in Libya, Trump Emboldens Erdoğan in the Eastern Mediterranean
Jul 10, 2020Joe MacaronEvaluating the Trump Administration's policy toward Libya, Joe Macaron writes that from giving a green light to Haftar to march toward Tripoli to endorsing Tur…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Understanding Egypt’s Strategy in Libya
Jul 8, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani discounts the chances for a direct Egyptian military intervention in Libya despite the dangers of instability and chaos there and their impact …
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Migrant Workers’ Health and COVID-19 in GCC Countries
Jul 7, 2020Yara M. AsiYara M. Asi writes that poor health care provisions and crowded living conditions of migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries have made them e…
- Policy AnalysisYemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Unabated War and Descent into Chaos in Yemen
Jun 30, 2020Nabeel A. KhouryNabeel Khoury argues that despite the many mistakes made by Yemen's political leaders and factions and the regional and international communities, the country'…
- Policy AnalysisUS Domestic Politics and Elections
American Uprising: From Local to Global Implications
Jun 29, 2020Yousef MunayyerYousef Munayyer proposes that changes in American society and existing trends in public opinion, especially among the younger generation, suggest that a welcom…
- ViewpointPalestine/Israel
Netanyahu Tackles Multiple Annexation Hurdles
Jun 26, 2020Khalil E. JahshanWriting about Israel’s annexation plan this coming July, Khalil E. Jahshan states that whether the Trump Administration fully approves of Netanyahu’s ideas or …
- Policy AnalysisRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Middle East Settles in for a Long, Hot, and Dangerous Summer
Jun 24, 2020Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg examines the conditions that could make this summer a dangerous period in the Middle East as contentious issues weigh heavily on competing regi…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaEnergy and Economics
US-Russian Competition and the M4 Highway in Syria
Jun 23, 2020Joe MacaronJoe Macaron argues that in Syria, implementing the Caesar Act sanctions and opening the east-west M4 Highway reflect intensified US-Russian competition while t…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and Defense
The Arms Trade in the MENA Region: Drivers and Dangers
Jun 17, 2020Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne argues that international arms sales remain a huge business in the Middle East, making it the most militarized region globally. However, he wr…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptClimate and Environment
Water Conflict Between Egypt and Ethiopia: A Defining Moment for Both Countries
Jun 16, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani discusses the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project between Egypt and Ethiopia and argues that it constitutes a turning poin…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Mechanics of Israel’s Annexation in the West Bank
Jun 16, 2020Jonathan KuttabLooking ahead at likely scenarios after Israel annexes areas of the West Bank, Jonathan Kuttab posits that it will be impossible to deny that the act represent…
- From our AffiliatesUS Domestic Politics and Elections
US Protests against Police Brutality: Election Disaster for Trump?
Jun 11, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)The United States of America is witnessing massive protests against the killing of a black citizen, George Floyd, by a white policeman who was filmed kneeling …
- Policy AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Hezbollah Cannot Solve Lebanon’s Worsening Conditions
Jun 10, 2020Imad K. HarbImad K. Harb contends that Hezbollah has not succeeded in helping to repair Lebanon's domestic political and economic problems, has made the country hostage to…
- Policy AnalysisUS Domestic Politics and Elections
Trump Toys with Domestic Use of Military
Jun 10, 2020Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery discusses President Trump's gambit to use the American military domestically and the administration's new approach to Israel's annexation pla…
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Threat of Israeli Annexation: The American Dimension
Jun 9, 2020Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan writes that there is nothing new about depopulating Palestine and confiscating and annexing Palestinian land, policies that have been necessa…
- Policy AnalysisGlobal Health and Health Policy
Do Arab Women Need Saving? The Health of Women in the Arab World
Jun 8, 2020Yara M. AsiYara M. Asi argues that the complexity of Arab women's lives necessitates powerful ways to protect their health and well-being that should be grounded in gende…
- Policy AnalysisJordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Israeli Annexation Plan and Jordan’s West Bank Moment
Jun 3, 2020Joe MacaronJoe Macaron argues that as Netanyahu makes plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, Jordan faces difficult choices in appeasing domestic critics and pre…
