- Show all
- Arab Americans/ Muslim Americans
- Climate and Environment
- Conflicts and Conflict Resolution
- Democracy and Governance
- Diplomacy and Negotiations
- Economic Affairs
- Education and Development
- Energy and Economics
- Global Health and Health Policy
- Identity Politics and Sectarianization
- Infographics and Fact Sheets
- International Law
- International Law and International Bodies
- Israeli War Tactics and Genocide
- Justice, Equality, and Human Rights
- Media and Technology
- Migrants, Refugees, and IDPs
- Protests and Activism
- Public Opinion
- Public Opinion, Protest, and Debate
- Regional Implications and Geopolitics
- Regional Relations and Geopolitics
- Religion and Politics
- Security and Defense
- The GCC
- The War in Ukraine
- The War on Gaza
- Top 10 Readings on the Gaza War
- Topic-Test
- US Domestic Politics and Elections
- US Foreign Policy
- US Policy
- Violent Extremism
- Women & Gender Issues
- 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 …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceFailures of Authoritarian Governance in Egypt
Apr 28, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn March 23, the world's attention turned to Egypt as traffic in the strategic Suez Canal was disrupted after the 400-meter container ship, the Ever Given, ran…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyThe United States Ends its Combat Role in Iraq
Apr 26, 2021Gregory AftandilianAt the recent meeting of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue, negotiators decided to end the combat mission of US troops engaged in the fight against remnants of th…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyWill the Natanz Incident Produce Maximum Diplomacy?
Apr 23, 2021Daniel BrumbergJust two days after what appeared to be an Israeli-backed sabotage of Iran’s Natanz enrichment facilities, The Washington Post’s editorial board declared that …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and GovernanceThe Palestinian Elections and Jerusalem
Apr 20, 2021Jonathan KuttabFifteen years have elapsed since the last elections in Palestine, and now Palestinians are poised to hold a new round for the Legislative Council of the Palest…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaProtests and ActivismDemocratic Transition in Algeria: The Regime-Hirak Face-off
Apr 19, 2021Louisa Dris-Aït HamadoucheFor the first time in its history, Algeria is experiencing a political uprising that began in 2019 and is characterized as inclusive, peaceful, popular, and re…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonIdentity Politics and SectarianizationHezbollah in Moscow: Russia Flexes Its Diplomatic Muscles
Apr 14, 2021Joe MacaronIn a medium-sized van with no bodyguards, on a rainy March 15, 2021, a Hezbollah delegation quietly walked into the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyBiden’s Apparent Failure on Israel-Palestine
Apr 13, 2021Imad K. HarbPresident Joe Biden’s 100-day milestone is approaching with pronounced successes in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, righting the ship of the American econom…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Libyan Interim Government: Hopes and Challenges
Apr 6, 2021ACW Research and Analysis UnitLibya has suffered years of violence and volatility. Recently, Libyan delegates to a conference in Geneva approved the re-formation of two entities: the Presid…
- Policy Analysis
Energy and EconomicsStarving and Being Starved: Addressing Food Insecurity in Arab Populations
Apr 5, 2021Yara M. AsiAfter years of civil war and outside intervention, Yemen continues to be widely recognized as having the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. A significant contr…
- Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionNetanyahu Tries to Dictate a New Arrangement in Jerusalem in Violation of the Traditional Pre-1967 Status Quo
Apr 2, 2021ACW Research and Analysis UnitOn March 22nd, The New York Times published an article by its Jerusalem correspondent Isabel Kershner titled “Tensions With Arab Allies Undermine a Netanyahu P…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceAn Old, Ongoing Struggle: Domesticating Religious Institutions in Egypt
Apr 2, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniThe relationship between religion and the state is controversial and problematic in the Arab world, particularly with the absence of clear demarcations that co…
