• From our Affiliates
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    “Deal of the Century”: What Is It and Why Now?

    Feb 4, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    While the circumstances may seem favorable in the United States and Israel for the implementation of Trump’s so-called peace plan, it is unlikely to win popula…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    The American Jewish Community and the 2020 US Presidential Election

    Jan 31, 2020Lara Friedman

    The American Jewish community, for all its internal divisions and distinctions, has nonetheless long been characterized by remarkably consistent, and by all ap…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Five Most Dangerous Aspects of Trump’s “Peace Plan”

    Jan 30, 2020Tamara Kharroub

    Trump's supremacist plan redraws borders unilaterally, accepts war crimes as serious solutions, and presents nothing but repackaged Israeli apartheid.

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Steal of the Century: Two Double-Dealers and a Podium

    Jan 29, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    Trump and Netanyahu are a pair of crooks robbing Palestinians of their freedom and dignity. He urges Palestinian leaders to fundamentally recalculate their str…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Does Jared Kushner Even Believe in His Own “Peace Plan”?

    Jan 29, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    As President Trump and his advisor Jared Kushner unveil their so-called “peace plan” for Israel and Palestine, Marcus Montgomery questions whether Kushner trul…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance

    Repressing Criticism of Israel in the United States: Trump’s Executive Order

    Jan 3, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    In the long term, Trump’s executive order conflating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is another effort to silence the debate in the United States on Israel’s p…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Burgeoning Arab-Israeli Normalization? Not Quite What You Think

    Dec 11, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Efforts to normalize relations between Arab leaders and Israel will continue to collide with the overwhelming rejection of normalization by the peoples of the …

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance

    Desperate Netanyahu Pulls out All the Stops

    Nov 26, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    A desperate Netanyahu will use all tools in a demagogue’s box, including racist incitement against the Palestinians, in order to remain politically alive—or at…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    US Policy Reversal on Israeli Settlements

    Nov 21, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Khalil E. Jahshan believes that the Trump Administration’s policy reversal about Israeli settlements is an overture to the president’s evangelical supporters a…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelInternational Law

    Israel’s Arguments for the Legality of Settlements under International Law

    Nov 21, 2019Jonathan Kuttab

    Jonathan Kuttab lists Israel’s repeated arguments about its illegal settlements on the West Bank and rebuts them by referencing the Geneva Conventions and inte…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Presidential Candidates Open to Leveraging American Support for Israel

    Nov 12, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Yousef Munayyer says that some Democratic candidates for president may be open to taking concrete steps to decrease American complicity in Israel's abuses and …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    By Electing Kais Saied, Tunisians Recast Their National Politics

    Oct 17, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    The Tunisian electorate has handed the independent candidate Kais Saied a huge victory. With 73 percent of the vote against Nabil Karoui’s 27 percent, he now h…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    There Will Be a One-State Solution But What Kind of State Will It Be?

    Oct 17, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    For nearly three decades, the so-called two-state solution has dominated discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the idea of two states for two pe…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Abbas Calls for Elections, but Will They Be Held?

    Oct 16, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Yousef Munayyer discounts the possibility of holding new Palestinian presidential and legislative elections despite the parties’ repeated assertions that they …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Palestinian Arab Vote in Israel: Mere Protest or Significant Influence?

    Khalil E. Jahshan writes that until Israeli Jewish society undergoes serious change and accepts the Arab parties into the political process, the role of Palest…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Evangelicals and the 2020 Elections

    Oct 1, 2019Jonathan Kuttab

    Evangelical Americans constitute one of the largest voting blocs in the United States. They number about 74 million, or about 22.5 percent of a population of c…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    Israeli Election Do-Over Yields Similar Results

    Sep 25, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    This Israeli election, like the one before it, has largely been about Benjamin Netanyahu himself and not his policies. Yousef Munayyer considers the possible s…

  • External Readings
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    Israel after Netanyahu?

    Sep 19, 2019Marwan Bishara

    No leader of a national unity government in Israel will be willing, let alone capable of, taking any serious step towards peace

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Netanyahu’s Annexation Promises: Electioneering or Actual Plan?

    Sep 17, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Even if Netanyahu does not become the next prime minister of Israel, his ideas, including annexation, are likely to govern and shape Israeli politics for years…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Iraq’s Dilemma: The Uncertain Future of the Popular Mobilization Forces

    Sep 13, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    Although Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces were instrumental in defeating the Islamic State, their political influence has had a profound impact on the future…

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Assessing the Latest Conflagrations between Israel and Hezbollah

    Sep 11, 2019Joe Macaron

    The latest conflagrations between Israel and Hezbollah were an attempt to dictate new rules of engagement. Nevertheless, both sides appear to be committed to t…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Adiós, Jason: The Resignation of Jason Greenblatt

    The sudden resignation of Jason Greenblatt, a key architect of the Kushner Middle East peace plan, is apt to further diminish the prospects of its success.

  • 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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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.

  • 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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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…

  • 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
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    American Campaigning Elevates Netanyahu’s Election Chances to New Heights

    Mar 26, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    A historical look at shifting US policy positions demonstrates the significance of recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. The warm embrace and cam…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantInternational Law

    Trump and the Occupied Syrian Golan Heights

    Mar 25, 2019Radwan Ziadeh

    Trump’s presidential proclamation officially recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory will have serious implications for international law, US role i…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The New Shtayyeh Government in Palestine: Challenges and Prospects

    Mar 20, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    The newly designated Palestinian prime minister faces difficult challenges in forming an inclusive government at a time of serious divisions in Palestinian ran…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Mutually Connected Fronts between Israel and Iran

    Mar 18, 2019Joe Macaron

    Although a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran is improbable at this time, the two countries share three potential war fronts in Lebanon, Syria, and t…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantInternational Law

    Do Not Recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Occupied Golan

    Mar 15, 2019Imad K. Harb

    By agreeing to Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, the Trump Administration would be dealing a serious blow to its global influence––let alone its moral …

  • Viewpoint
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    It May Be Time to Go Beyond Zionism

    Mar 8, 2019Laurie King

    It is necessary to distinguish between hatred of Jews and valid and overdue criticism of Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law.

  • Viewpoint
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Bankrolling Kushner’s Mideast Plan

    The Palestinians have no option but to reject the Trump Administration’s peace plan because of its failure to publicly and explicitly guarantee Palestinian sta…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Can the 2020 Democratic Candidates Change the US-Israel Relationship?

    Mar 6, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Democratic presidential contenders have a difficult task reconciling their party’s traditional pro-Israel position with that of young and progressive activists…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanDemocracy and Governance

    How Netanyahu’s Dominance of Israeli Politics Has Shaped the Field

    Feb 5, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Whatever Netanyahu's fortunes in the coming elections, his brand of politics has already conquered Israel's political landscape, which is unlikely to change an…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    The Tragic Governance Crisis in Palestine

    Fatah and Hamas are underestimating the damage of their split on Palestinians and their strategic objectives to end Israel’s occupation and establish an indepe…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    ‘Does Israel Have a Right To Exist’ Is a Trick Question

    Jan 22, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Criticizing Israel’s policies toward the Palestinian people should never be conflated with eliminationism.

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    A Shift Begins on Israel/Palestine in the 116th Congress

    Jan 17, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    A shift in public opinion and a clash between the older establishment and the young activists in the Democratic Party will change how the 116th Congress looks …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    Israel’s Upcoming Elections: Netanyahu Seeking Shelter from Legal Troubles

    Jan 11, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Netanyahu’s fate lies in the hands of the attorney general who will personally decide whether and when to indict him.

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Abbas and Netanyahu Turn to Elections to Solidify Control

    Dec 28, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    As a new year begins in Israel/Palestine, leaders there are seeking to use elections to sideline challenges and challengers, solidify their grip on power, and …

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    Mohammed Bin Salman and the “Deal of the Century”

    Dec 17, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    MbS has proven that he is the wrong man for the job of marketing Trump’s deal. If Trump goes ahead with his peace plan with MbS as his salesman, expectations o…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    What If Trump’s Deal Materializes?

    The content of Trump’s “ultimate deal,” as leaked by its architects and fans, leaves little room for optimism, warm reception, and successful implementation am…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Israel and Gaza: From the Brink of War to the Brink of Elections

    Nov 27, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    After new elections in Israel, there is little reason to expect anything other than another right-wing Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Why is Netanyahu so desperate for a ceasefire with Hamas?

    Nov 20, 2018Ibrahim Fraihat

    The ceasefire in Gaza has destabilized Netanyahu's government, yet he has no other choice but to commit to it.

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    A Weakened Arab Gulf Should Not Normalize Relations with Israel

    Nov 9, 2018Imad K. Harb

    Today, Israel seems to be closer to officially normalizing its existence in the wider Arab world by aggressively pursuing relations with the monarchies of the …

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Trump, American Jews, and Israel: Driving a Deeper Wedge

    Nov 9, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    US support for Israel today is partisan in ways not seen before, thanks in part to shifting demographics and opinions and also to changes in the relationship b…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Haley Leaves the UN: Using Israel as Her Way to the White House

    Oct 17, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    On her ambitious quest to the presidency, Nikki Haley missed no opportunity to use her post at the United Nations to defend Israeli policies and to bash and pu…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantInternational Law

    A September to Forget: Trump, Netanyahu, and Abbas at the UNGA

    Oct 3, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    The major addresses by Trump, Netanyahu, and Abbas at the UN General Assembly failed to achieve any advances on the question of Palestine. The Palestinians con…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Oslo at 25: Long Dead and Now Finally Buried?

    Sep 24, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    For 25 years, the Oslo process has been dying a slow death because of Palestinian weakness, overemphasis on ensuring Israeli security, and the Trump Administra…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantInternational Law

    The Trump Administration’s “Peace Plan” Threatens Global Peace and Security

    Sep 12, 2018Tamara Kharroub

    On September 10, 2018, the United States ordered the closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) office in Washington, DC. A statement by the Depa…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs

    Defunding UNRWA: Ramifications for Countries Hosting Palestinian Refugees

    Disbanding UNRWA will not only be disastrous for registered Palestinian refugees, but it will also have a serious and adverse impact on the countries hosting t…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs

    Washington Adopts Israel’s Positions: The Refugee Chapter

    Aug 29, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    President Trump has presided over making American policy toward Israel and Palestine more in line with Israeli positions; now with respect to the Palestinian r…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantSecurity and Defense

    US Defense Budget Prioritizes Securing Israel over Deterring Iran

    Aug 24, 2018Joe Macaron

    The 2019 US defense budget reveals that the Trump administration has no clear way forward for Syria or Yemen and that its commitment to Israel exceeds the US d…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Shifting the Balance of Power from Ramallah to Gaza

    Aug 17, 2018Khalil E. Jahshan

    If successfully implemented, the latest agreement on a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas may pave the way for a radical change in Palestinian power from the …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Why Are Israel and Hamas Negotiating a Cease-fire Now?

    Aug 16, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    As the Trump Administration speaks of a “deal of the century,” questions arise about why Israel and Hamas are negotiating for a truce in the Gaza Strip.

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantInternational Law

    Israel Returns to Basics in Syria: “Better the devil you know”

    Aug 15, 2018Joe Macaron

    After nearly seven years of unrest next door, Israel opted to coexist with the Assad regime and to return to the stability in the occupied Golan Heights that l…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    Replacing Mahmoud Abbas: Issues and Likely Candidates

    Jul 30, 2018Bishara Bahbah

    Speculation has been rampant in the Palestinian, Arab, and international press about succession to Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who is g…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantIdentity Politics and Sectarianization

    Separate and Unequal in Israel: The Foundations of Discriminatory Law

    Jul 26, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    Israel’s new nation-state law enshrines discrimination, with constitutional weight, into the Israeli state’s legal system, spelling further marginalization and…

  • Research Paper
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    What does the “Jewish Nation” basic law mean?

    Jul 24, 2018Azmi Bishara

    A first glance at the law suffices to reveal that — unlike the rest of Israeli basic laws (the constitutional laws) — it does not include the expression “Israe…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantInternational Law

    Israel Legalizes Apartheid and Ethnocentric Supremacy

    Jul 20, 2018Khalil E. Jahshan

    For a government that has coined its own term—“Hasbara,” the Hebrew word for “explanation”—for its international propaganda efforts, Israel never fails to amaz…