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IranDemocracy and GovernanceSucceeding Khamenei: Can Iran’s Leaders Reinvent Their Islamic Republic?
Feb 3, 2023Daniel BrumbergIran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is 83 years old. And while he has lived long enough to see the 44th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, the s…
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceIraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani Upstages His Benefactors in the Coordination Framework
Jan 31, 2023Rend Al-RahimIraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, who was sworn in on October 27, 2022, has nearly completed the first 100 days of his tenure. In this short perio…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Lebanon’s Politicians Are Incapable of Productive Dialogue
Jan 12, 2023Halim ShebayaLebanon has now entered the fourth year of its devastating economic crisis and collapse, with no end in sight and no hint regarding the possible launch of a re…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Only Tunisians Can Save Tunisia
Jan 3, 2023Daniel BrumbergWhat if an aspiring autocrat held an election and barely anyone showed up? This question looms large following Tunisia’s December 17 parliamentary election. Wi…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Libya’s Impasse Continues Amid Mounting Migrant Problems
Dec 21, 2022Gregory AftandilianNearly a year after national elections were supposed to be held in Libya, the country is still not any closer to resolving the deep political and geographical …
- Policy AnalysisIranProtests and Activism
Have Iran’s Leaders Come to Another Crossroads?
Dec 14, 2022Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg examines the ongoing protests in Iran and the country’s hardline response, stressing that the disturbances are unlikely to lead to the collapse…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Lebanon Faces a Prolonged Presidential Vacuum
Nov 29, 2022Imad K. HarbLebanon has experienced a long presidential vacuum three times in its history: from September 1988 to November 1989, from November 2007 to May 2008, and from M…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Kais Saied Sets the Stage for Tunisia’s December 17 Elections
Nov 11, 2022Daniel BrumbergAutocrats love elections, so long as they know they will win them, of course. But because they have zero tolerance for uncertainty at the polls, autocratic reg…
- Policy AnalysisDemocracy and Governance
The Colonial Legacy in the Arab World: Health, Education, and Politics
Nov 9, 2022Yara M. AsiIn recent years, movements toward “decolonization” have taken hold throughout multiple disciplines, including cultural studies, health, economics, and educatio…
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
A Scandal-Plagued Netanyahu Returns for His Fifth Term as Israeli Prime Minister
Nov 4, 2022Khalil E. JahshanWith final election results having been announced by Israel’s Central Elections Committee, Haaretz declared that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Lik…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Congress Versus Biden on Foreign Assistance to Egypt
Nov 1, 2022Charles W. DunneThe Egypt Human Rights Caucus would like a word with President Joe Biden. The group, which was formed in January 2021 on the 10th anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 u…
- Policy AnalysisSudanDemocracy and Governance
Sudan: A Flicker of Hope Amid Mounting Problems
Oct 27, 2022Gregory AftandilianSince the October 2021 military coup that derailed Sudan’s political transition to a much hoped-for democracy, Sudan has been plagued by civil strife, deterior…
- Policy AnalysisKuwaitDemocracy and Governance
Parliamentary Elections Are Unlikely to Alter Kuwait’s Political Landscape
Oct 18, 2022Kristian Coates UlrichsenVoters in Kuwait went to the polls on September 29 to elect a new National Assembly in what was the country’s ninth general election in 16 years and the sixth …
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
Israeli Elections: A Fifth Attempt at Forming a Stable Government
Oct 6, 2022Yousef MunayyerOnce again, and for the fifth time in four years, Israel is on the brink of an election, and is facing the all-too-familiar prospect of political deadlock—even…
- Policy AnalysisIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iran’s Cautious Stance on Iraq’s Current Political Crisis
Sep 27, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniIraqi politicians have repeatedly failed to form a government in the eleven months that have passed since the country’s October 2021 elections, in large part d…
- Policy AnalysisIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
In Iraq’s Political Stalemate, Sadr May Be in Charge
Aug 23, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniIraq’s political deadlock has grown more intense and complex in recent months. The stalemate that has reigned since the re-election of Speaker of Parliament Mo…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Libya’s Woes Persist in a Fractured Political Landscape
Aug 18, 2022Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian examines the latest developments in Libya following the derailment of parliamentary and presidential elections and the ongoing division and…
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Erdoğan Bets on “Turkish Exceptionalism”
Aug 17, 2022Mustafa GurbuzMustafa Gurbuz analyzes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s calculations as he increases his cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite Tu…
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
Biden’s Embrace of Arab Autocrats Ends Hopes for Democracy in the Middle East
Aug 10, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani writes that President Biden’s recent meetings with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE sent a clear message to the world’s authorit…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Tunisia’s Three Post-Referendum Political Scenarios
Aug 8, 2022Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg offers three potential political scenarios for Tunisia following the country's July 25 referendum on a new constitution that President Kais Sai…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Lebanon’s Upcoming Presidential Race Is Riddled with Uncertainty
Jul 21, 2022Nabeel A. KhouryAmid political chaos, economic collapse, a dearth of public services, and shortages of basic foods and medications, Lebanon is nonetheless slated to hold anoth…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Tunisia’s New Constitution Will Hasten the Country’s Transition to Autocracy
Jul 14, 2022Daniel BrumbergThe gathering storm provoked by Tunisian President Kais Saied’s attempt to forge a new political system could reach a critical moment on July 25. On that day T…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Egypt’s National Dialogue: Real Change or Merely a Mirage?
Jul 13, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniSisi’s call for a national dialogue could break through Egypt’s political stasis. However, there are several reasons to believe otherwise.
- ViewpointLibyaDemocracy and Governance
Libya’s Belligerent Elites May Doom the Country’s Future
Jul 5, 2022Imad K. HarbOnce again, Libya is falling victim to its political elites’ failure to agree on a long-awaited election mechanism and constitutional provisions that would sec…
- Intern CornerIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iraq’s Opposition Builds a Blueprint for Dismantling a Corrupt Sectarian System
Jun 28, 2022Zahraa AlribeawiIraqi politicians’ continued failure to form a functioning government calls for a reexamination of the country’s current political system, al-muhasasa al-ta'if…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
Here We Go Again: Israeli Government Collapses
Jun 28, 2022Yousef MunayyerThe Israeli Knesset once again voted to dissolve itself, setting the stage for new elections this fall, which will be the country’s fifth in just three years. …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptSecurity and Defense
Insurgency in Sinai: Challenges and Prospects
Jun 10, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniIn May 2022, at least 16 Egyptian troops were killed in two separate attacks in the Sinai Peninsula. The attacks were claimed by Wilayat Sinai or Sinai Provinc…
- Policy AnalysisJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
“Free Them All”: The Trampled Rights of Political Prisoners in the Arab World
May 27, 2022Yara M. AsiIn December 2021, Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah was sentenced to prison for five years after being convicted of “spreading false news.” Alaa …
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
A Preliminary Reading into Lebanon’s Parliamentary Elections
May 18, 2022Halim ShebayaLebanon’s parliamentary elections, held on May 15, 2022, were the first chance to understand where Lebanese voters stand on a number of important issues since …
- ViewpointLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Lebanon’s Voters Would Do Well to Support the Forces of Change
May 10, 2022Imad K. HarbOn May 15, resident Lebanese go to the polls to elect a new 128-member parliament to replace the one elected four years ago. Given the right to vote in 2018, e…
- Policy AnalysisIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iraq’s Government Formation Hindered by Intra-Group Political Competitions
May 2, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniZeidon Alkinani argues that the current political deadlock in Iraq in choosing a president and a prime minister is fueled by intra-group competitions in the Sh…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Kais Saied Continues His Assault on the Tunisian State
Apr 8, 2022Daniel BrumbergIt is difficult to say whether Tunisian President Kais Saied’s March 30 announcement that he is dissolving the country’s parliament represents a turning point …
- Policy AnalysisLibyaDemocracy and Governance
Libya: A Return to Uncertainty
Mar 16, 2022Imad K. HarbIt appears that all bets are off in Libya. Elections that were scheduled for last December were postponed as competing institutions and individuals interpret p…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Sisi Intensifies Arms Imports to Secure External Support for His Policies
Feb 28, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniEgypt has become the third largest arms importer in the world, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The institute’s “Trends i…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
The Quiet Kurdish Rivalry over Iraq’s Presidency
Feb 9, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniZeidon Alkinani discusses the rivalry between Iraq’s main Kurdish parties—the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)—and i…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
Prospects for the Israeli Governing Coalition
Feb 9, 2022Yousef MunayyerYousef Munayyer evaluates the prospects of survival of Israel’s current governing coalition, whose partners have little in common except that they coalesced ar…
- Policy AnalysisMedia and Technology
Mapping Digital Authoritarianism in the Arab World
Feb 3, 2022Tamara KharroubThe Arab uprisings of 2011 gave rise to a utopian vision of information and communication technologies (ICTs), highlighting their abilities to bypass governmen…
- Policy AnalysisJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
A Bleak Landscape for Democracy and Human Rights in the MENA Region in 2022
Feb 2, 2022Charles W. DunneAny survey of human rights in the Middle East and North Africa at the start of 2022 has to open with the bad news.Promising protest movements that began in 201…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Sisi’s Transnational Repression: Silencing Political Dissidents in Exile
Jan 26, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniOn January 6, the FBI arrested Pierre Girgis, an Egyptian American, for spying on critics of Egypt’s president in the United States. According to the US Depart…
- Policy AnalysisDemocracy and Governance
The Democracy Deficit in the Arab World
Jan 14, 2022Imad K. HarbImad K. Harb examines the democracy deficit in the Arab world and the associated widespread violations of human rights, probing possible explanations of what h…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaDemocracy and Governance
Libya: Political Paralysis and Continued Uncertainty
Jan 11, 2022Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian writes that the postponement of Libya’s presidential and parliamentary elections has helped plunge the country into another crisis that thr…
- ViewpointSudanDemocracy and Governance
Sudan’s Revolution Must Be Allowed to Continue
Jan 4, 2022Imad K. HarbIn a move that reflected his failure to garner the support of the Sudanese public, Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok submitted his resignation on January 2…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Can Tunisia’s Leaders Forge a New Democratic Bargain?
Dec 29, 2021Daniel BrumbergNothing captures Tunisia’s crisis of democracy better than this act: the sentencing, in absentia, of former President Moncef Marzouki to four years in prison. …
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Iraq’s Post-Election Government Formation: Political Deadlock
Dec 28, 2021Zeidon AlkinaniMajor changes to the Iraqi political scene are awaiting the formation of a new government following the results of the early parliamentary election that took p…
- Policy AnalysisEducation and Development
What Future Exists for the Arab Youth of Today?
Dec 22, 2021Yara M. AsiIn December 2021, an unprecedented event happened in Saudi Arabia: a rave just north of Riyadh. Men and women danced in mixed company, alcohol and marijuana we…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Politics, Geopolitical Conditions Pushing Lebanon into a Death Spiral
Dec 22, 2021Imad K. HarbConditions in Lebanon today betray a slide toward the total failure of state institutions amid a precipitous downturn of the country’s economic and social indi…
- Policy AnalysisDemocracy and Governance
Biden’s Summit for Democracy Ignored the Middle East
Dec 15, 2021Charles W. DunneThe Biden Administration’s recent Summit for Democracy should be regarded as a modest success, fulfilling a campaign promise by President Joe Biden and decisiv…
- Policy AnalysisSudanRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Sudan Coup: The Regional Interference behind a Faltering Transition
Dec 11, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn October 25, 2021, Sudan’s General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan staged a coup, declared a state of emergency, dissolved the power-sharing Sovereign Council, sacked…
- ViewpointDemocracy and Governance
Is Biden Serious about His Summit for Democracy?
Dec 6, 2021Khalil E. JahshanSince his inauguration on January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden has been hinting at a renewed focus on democracy by his administration to reverse the dismal re…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Is Tunisia Transitioning to a Liberalized Autocracy?
Nov 18, 2021Daniel BrumbergIf in the coming months Tunisia undergoes a transition, given current conditions, it will probably not be along a path back to democracy. Indeed, while Preside…
- ViewpointSyriaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Failure of Syria’s Constitutional Committee
Nov 16, 2021Radwan ZiadehIn October 2019, Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres enthusiastically welcomed the creation of Syria’s Constitutional Committee that would…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaDemocracy and Governance
Uncertainty Overshadows Libya’s Elections
Nov 11, 2021Imad K. HarbThe agreement governing Libya’s advancement toward presidential and legislative elections, which are slated to be held in December, ran into serious trouble th…
- Policy AnalysisIraqProtests and Activism
Iraq’s Tishreen Protest Movement: The Exceptional Domestic Pressure Tool
Nov 10, 2021Zeidon AlkinaniIn October 2019, Iraq witnessed its most significant anti-government protests since the US-led invasion and occupation in 2003. The demonstrations blasted the …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptReligion and Politics
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood: Old Problems and New Divisions
Nov 3, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniSince its removal from power in 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt continues to face many problems and challenges. Having always prided itself on being the …
- Policy AnalysisSudanUS Foreign Policy
Biden’s Chameleon-like Policy in the MENA Region
Nov 3, 2021Imad K. HarbHaving invested time, effort, and treasure in helping to sustain the 2019 political agreement between the Sudanese military and the civilian Forces of Freedom …
- ViewpointSudanDemocracy and Governance
Military Takeover in Sudan: The Writing Is on the Wall
Oct 25, 2021Imad K. HarbWe have seen this before: military officers in the Arab world not quite enamored with sharing power with civilians—let alone ceding it to them peacefully—show …
- Policy AnalysisJordanRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Jordan: Uptick in Diplomacy amid Pandora Papers Revelations
Oct 20, 2021Gregory AftandilianRevelations in the so-called Pandora Papers about King Abdullah II’s substantial real estate acquisitions of luxury homes in the United States and United Kingd…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Foreign Influence in Lebanon and the Third Miqati Premiership
Oct 13, 2021Joe MacaronFor the third time in 16 years, Prime Minister Najib Miqati comes to office as a consensus candidate in a country with deep divisions within the Lebanese polit…
- ViewpointLebanonDemocracy and Governance
No 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 AnalysisLebanonEnergy and Economics
Lebanon’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 AnalysisTunisiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Risky 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 …
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Kais 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…
- Policy AnalysisKuwaitDemocracy and Governance
Kuwait 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 AnalysisSomaliaDemocracy and Governance
Many 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 AnalysisAlgeriaDemocracy and Governance
Algeria 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…
