• Policy Analysis
    IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Targeting Iran on Multiple Fronts: Israeli Calculations

    Aug 29, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    The recent Israeli attacks in three Arab countries are not expected to lead to a major confrontation, at least at this time

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Israel Shuts Out Tlaib and Omar, Stoking a Partisan Divide

    Aug 28, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    By 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 Resolution

    Will Somalia Share Yemen’s Fate?

    Aug 28, 2019Imad K. Harb

    The 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 Governance

    Transitional 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 Resolution

    Conflict 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 Governance

    Tunisia Struggles to Project Foreign Policy Independence

    Aug 22, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    Tunisia’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 Defense

    Should the United States Include Israel in the Gulf Maritime Coalition?

    Aug 21, 2019Joe Macaron

    Washington’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 Economics

    Positive Economic Growth in Egypt Belies Mounting Problems

    Opening 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 Resolution

    Changes 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 Resolution

    Iraq Enters the Israel-Iran Proxy War

    Israeli 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 Resolution

    The Drama since Manama: Kushner’s Failed Initiative

    Aug 15, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Jared 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 Rights

    In Saudi Arabia, Covering the Khashoggi Murder Is a State Affair

    Aug 13, 2019Connor Echols

    Over 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
    IraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Safe Zone Agreement in Northern Syria Improves Turkey’s Position

    On August 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened a military operation against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria. His declared objective was to…

  • Policy Analysis
    QatarConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Arabian Gulf Must Not Sleepwalk toward War

    Aug 7, 2019Imad K. Harb

    The 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 Sectarianization

    Partition and Spheres of Influence in Syria

    Aug 5, 2019Radwan Ziadeh

    Radwan 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 Governance

    Tunisia’s Fragile Democracy after Essebsi

    Aug 2, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    Daniel 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 Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Many Facets and Aspects to the 2020 Election: A Backgrounder

    Aug 1, 2019Imad K. Harb

    The 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 Geopolitics

    Hamas Plans a Comeback to Damascus: US and Regional Implications

    Jul 31, 2019Joe Macaron

    Hamas 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 Sectarianization

    Trump’s Sanctions on Hezbollah Threaten Lebanon’s Stability

    Jul 30, 2019Nabeel A. Khoury

    Current 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 Rights

    Trump and the Evangelicals Define Support for Israel

    Jul 26, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    President 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 Rights

    The Arab Spring May Still Be Alive in Northwestern Africa

    Jul 25, 2019Charles W. Dunne

    The 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 Resolution

    Various Players Maneuver for an Uncertain Future in Syria

    Russia, 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 Rights

    Turkey’s Nativist Turn against Syrian Refugees and Other Arabs

    Jul 23, 2019Mustafa Gurbuz

    The 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
    SudanDemocracy and Governance

    Will the Political Agreement Pave the Way for Democracy in Sudan?

    Jul 23, 2019Abdelkhalig Shaib

    On July 17, 2019, Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the main opposition group, the Alliance for Freedom and Change (AFC), signed a power-sharing …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Using Israel to Justify His Racist Attacks, Trump Sets a Dangerous Precedent

    Jul 17, 2019Tamara Kharroub

    To associate loyalty to the US with being white, and supporting Israel sets an extremely dangerous precedent.

  • Policy Analysis
    IranIdentity Politics and Sectarianization

    The Symbolism behind the Latest US Sanctions against Hezbollah

    Jul 17, 2019Joe Macaron

    The 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 Resolution

    Saudi Arabia May Be on Its Own in Yemen

    Jul 15, 2019Imad K. Harb

    The 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 Geopolitics

    Hard Choices Facing Tehran and Washington

    Jul 10, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    If 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 Resolution

    The Palestinian Public Rejects Kushner’s Plans

    Jul 8, 2019Imad K. Harb

    A 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 Resolution

    Child Soldiers in Yemen: One Element of a Humanitarian Disaster

    Jul 8, 2019Annelise Adrian

    ACW 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…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelEnergy and Economics

    An Economic Analysis of Kushner’s Failed Plan

    Jul 3, 2019Ibrahim Shikaki

    “Peace to Prosperity” brings little that is new to the table, follows an ill-suited fundamentalist market ideology, and ignores the Israeli occupation as the m…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Bahrain Workshop in Retrospect: Critical Israeli and American Jewish Responses

    The general Israeli approval of the Trump Administration’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan was not universal, noting that some Israeli peace groups, US and Israeli …

  • Policy Analysis
    BahrainConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Manama Meeting and Its Winners and Losers

    ACW fellows argue that neither Kushner’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan nor the Bahrain meeting addressed the political aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Kushner’s Economic Plan Liquidates the Cause of Palestinian Statehood

    Jun 27, 2019Imad K. Harb

    Imagine, 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 Resolution

    A US-Turkish Agreement Remains a Challenge in Northeastern Syria

    Jun 26, 2019Joe Macaron

    US 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 Geopolitics

    Saudi-Emirati-Egyptian Alliance Steering US Middle East Policy

    Jun 26, 2019Charles W. Dunne

    With 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 Governance

    Morsi’s Death: Conflicting Narratives, Escalating Repression, Deepening Polarization

    Jun 25, 2019Sahar Khamis

    Former 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 Defense

    Iran: How Trump is Emboldening the Hawks and Hardliners

    Jun 25, 2019Imad K. Harb

    US hawks, their Gulf allies and Israel will see Trump's preference for avoiding military confrontation as capitulation.

  • Policy Analysis
    AlgeriaDemocracy and Governance

    A Dangerous Algerian Struggle against Uncertainty

    Jun 21, 2019Imad K. Harb

    A 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 Resolution

    What Actually Ails the Palestinian Economy?

    Jun 20, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    The 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 Law

    The Greenblatt Fallacy

    Jun 19, 2019Imad K. Harb

    Mr. 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 Law

    Friedman’s West Bank Annexation Remarks: Political Implications

    Jun 17, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Ambassador 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 Governance

    Sudan’s Military: Following Egypt’s Playbook?

    Contrary 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 Resolution

    The Mecca Summits: Spinning the Wheels on Iran

    Jun 11, 2019Imad K. Harb

    By 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 Sectarianization

    Iraq’s Militias and the US-Iran Impasse

    The 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 …

  • Policy Analysis
    IranInternational Law

    On the Lebanese-Israeli Border, US and Iran Are Negotiating

    Jun 5, 2019Joe Macaron

    A breakthrough in Beirut is helping American mediation in the land and maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel, but many obstacles still prevent a q…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Idlib between Regional and International Imbalances

    Jun 5, 2019Radwan Ziadeh

    Radwan Ziadeh writes that the Trump Administration must look at Syria as more than merely a humanitarian crisis and help in reaching a political transition to …

  • Policy Analysis

    Identity Politics 2.0: Cyber Geopolitics and the Weaponization of Social Media

    Jun 1, 2019Tamara Kharroub

    This paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.In the months leading up to the attacks against the Rohingya Muslim minority in …

  • Policy Analysis

    Middle East Sectarianism: A Symptom to a Cause

    Jun 1, 2019Marwan J. Kabalan

    This paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Sectarianism and sectarian conflict in the Middle East are often presented as ce…

  • Policy Analysis

    The Dilemma of “Normalization”: Can Islamists Participate without Polarizing Politics?

    Jun 1, 2019Shadi Hamid

    This paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.The dislike, or even hatred, of mainstream Islamist parties1 is assumed to lead …

  • Policy Analysis

    Identity and Inclusion: Rethinking Citizenship in Arab Societies

    Jun 1, 2019Linda Bishai Elly Rostoum

    Linda Bishai and Elly Rostoum decry exclusivist identity politics in the Arab world and propose this remedy: a transition to democratic practices that respect …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    Inclusive Economic Growth in Arab States

    Jun 1, 2019Bessma Momani

    This paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.IntroductionThe global economy is undergoing considerable structural shifts that…

  • Policy Analysis

    A Collaborative Regional Reconstruction Strategy in the Arab World

    Jun 1, 2019Sultan Barakat

    Arab states can no longer pretend that poor economic, social, and environmental conditions and other consequential challenges affect only some of them and not …

  • Policy Analysis

    Time, Transition, and Justice in Arab States

    Jun 1, 2019Noha Aboueldahab

    This paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.What does it mean to pursue criminal accountability in the context of resurgent …

  • Policy Analysis
    AlgeriaDemocracy and Governance

    The Legacy of the Pillared Arab State

    Jun 1, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    This paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.IntroductionAmong other things, politics provides a means of managing conflicts.…

  • Policy Analysis

    Chronic Insecurity in the Middle East: Causes and Consequences

    Jun 1, 2019Mehran Kamrava

    This paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Even before the discovery of oil in southwestern Iran at the start of the 20th c…

  • Policy Analysis

    Government Survival Strategies in the Middle East

    Jun 1, 2019Sarah Leah Whitson

    This paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Regional and global geopolitics, intrigues, and rivalries often attract the most…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantEnergy and Economics

    Deep Socioeconomic Disparities Exacerbate Arab Tensions

    Jun 1, 2019Rami G. Khouri

    This paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.The far-reaching turmoil that plagues most Arab countries today reflects problem…

  • Policy Analysis

    The Path to Ending Conflicts: Prospects and Hindrances

    Jun 1, 2019Amatalalim Alsoswa

    These remarks are the edited transcript of the keynote address Dr. Alsoswa delivered at Arab Center Washington DC’s annual conference on September 20, 2018, “T…

  • Policy Analysis
    BahrainMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs

    The Kushner Bahrain Ordeal: Why Are the Palestinians Boycotting?

    May 31, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    The proposed US “Peace to Prosperity” workshop in Bahrain is destined to fail because it ignores Palestinian participation and avoids linking economic prosperi…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Insult of the Century: Assessing the Trump Administration’s Peace Plan

    May 30, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    The Trump Administration’s Palestinian-Israeli peace deal, leaked to the press, and the upcoming Bahrain meeting represent an insult to the Palestinians and ar…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranThe GCC

    Arab Leaders Trying to Decipher US Iran Policy

    May 30, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    The Trump Administration’s contradictory statements and signals about its approach to Iran are increasing the confusion for GCC states and Iraq as tensions mou…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranThe GCC

    “Maximum Pressure” on Iran Stresses US-Iraq Ties

    May 29, 2019Charles W. Dunne

    The US policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran intensifies pressure on the US-Iraq relationship, too. Baghdad is eager to step out of the fray, and Washington nee…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaSecurity and Defense

    How a Legal Loophole is Helping Trump Sell Arms to Saudi Arabia

    May 28, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    President Trump is using tensions with Iran to bypass Congress and push through weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Facing Pressure at Home and Abroad, Jordan’s King Shifts Strategy

    May 23, 2019Joe Macaron

    The Trump Administration’s anticipated Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative is pushing Jordan’s King Abdullah to realign interests with his country’s Muslim Br…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Is Partition Becoming a Reality in Yemen?

    May 22, 2019Imad K. Harb

    If Yemen’s southern secessionists succeed in establishing a UAE-controlled rump state, Saudi Arabia will have to contend with either continuing the conflict in…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Libya and the Outsiders: Games of Power

    May 22, 2019Federica Saini Fasanotti

    Despite President Trump’s ill-advised contact with Khalifa Haftar as the general attacked Tripoli, it is still possible for the United States to play an import…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Haftar’s Losing Hand and Scenarios for Libya

    May 17, 2019Karim Mezran

    To achieve peace and stability, Libyans must find common ground and shared goals to devise a cohesive plan for resolving domestic grievances in a constructive …

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    A US-Iranian Clash Presents Dangers and Opportunities for Russia

    May 10, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    Russia stands to benefit from the current standoff between the United States and Iran because President Putin has built good relations with all parties, which …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Syria for Sale: The Price of Assad’s Survival

    May 10, 2019Radwan Ziadeh

    Russia’s so-called investments in vital Syrian installations like the Tartous port and in strategic assets such as oil and gas illustrate that the country is b…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    The First Amendment Blocks Anti-BDS Legislation in the United States

    May 8, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Developments over the last several months have shown a shift in the battle over the right to boycott Israel in the United States, with the First Amendment pres…

  • Policy Analysis
    Democracy and Governance

    Trump versus Biden: US Politics and the Middle East

    May 7, 2019Joe Macaron

    A Trump-Biden contest in the 2020 presidential elections would likely be a battle between two opposing views of America and its foreign policy in the Middle Ea…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Is War Coming to the Arabian Gulf?

    Given current conditions and the parties’ limitations, the chance of a military confrontation with Iran is remote—although the sharp rhetoric and counter-accus…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Worrisome Competition in the Red Sea Subsystem

    The Red Sea subsystem involves many capable regional and international actors with competing agendas that, if not reconciled, could increase tensions and lead …

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptDemocracy and Governance

    Egypt’s New Constitutional Amendments: Moving toward Totalitarianism

    Apr 30, 2019Charles W. Dunne

    Egypt's new constitutional amendments, passed overwhelmingly in a national referendum, drive the country further along the road to totalitarianism. In reality,…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Horn of AfricaDemocracy and Governance

    Sudan’s Long Walk to Freedom: Will the Military Council Cede Power to Civilians?

    Apr 26, 2019Abdelkhalig Shaib

    Sudan’s Transitional Military Council and the opposition may have unintentionally entered into a power struggle and lost sight of the fact that they should hav…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantArab Americans/ Muslim Americans

    What the Ilhan Omar controversies reveal about US politics

    Apr 26, 2019Tamara Kharroub

    The attacks against Omar are part of a larger project to silence voices that advocate for Palestinian rights.

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Will Israel’s New Government Annex the West Bank?

    Apr 24, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    With growing domestic support and unquestioning backing from the Trump White House, Israeli leaders may decide that there is a rare opportunity to annex at lea…

  • External Readings
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    The logic behind US humiliation of the Palestinians

    Apr 24, 2019Marwan Bishara

    The Trump administration has launched an all-out diplomatic assault on the Palestinians, while preparing a new initiative to resolve the Middle East conflict.

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaReligion and Politics

    Haftar’s Attempted Coup and Trump’s Collusion over Libya

    Apr 23, 2019Imad K. Harb

    It is doubtful that Haftar’s campaign against Tripoli will end Libya’s chaos; indeed, it is likely to exacerbate and extend the country’s civil war and increas…

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