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TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceTunisia’s Broken Democracy: A Preliminary Assessment
May 12, 2023Daniel BrumbergWith Tunisia’s slide into autocracy accelerating every day, this hardly seems the best moment to undertake a frank assessment of its democratic experiment. To …
- Policy Analysis
SudanConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Sudan Crisis: How Regional Actors’ Competing Interests Fuel the Conflict
May 11, 2023Khalil Al-AnaniThe outbreak of military clashes between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have resulted in the deaths of hundreds and t…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyDemocracy and GovernanceTurkey’s Upcoming Elections: A Country at a Crossroads
May 10, 2023Salim ÇevikOn May 14, Turkey will be heading to the polls for what many have deemed the most important election of 2023. For the first time in two decades, President Rece…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaEnergy and EconomicsSaudi Oil Production Cuts: A Self-Interested Move
May 10, 2023Patricia KaramSaudi Arabia’s announcement last month of surprise oil production cuts reverberated around the world. The cuts consisted of a voluntary reduction of 500,000 ba…
- Policy Analysis
YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Thorny Relationship between Yemen’s Government and the Southern Transitional Council
May 3, 2023Afrah NasserIn Yemen, the Southern Movement calling for separation between the North and South of Yemen is controversial. For those who oppose it, it is a simple secession…
- Policy Analysis
IraqUS Foreign PolicyTwenty Years after “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq: A Critical Assessment
May 2, 2023Charles W. DunneThe crisis had been building for months when, on March 20, 2003, this author stood with a group of military officers deep inside the Pentagon, watching a telev…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceKais Saied’s Fantasies Are Drowning Tunisia
Apr 27, 2023Daniel BrumbergThe April 18 arrest of Rached Ghannouchi represents a dramatic escalation of Tunisian President Kais Saied’s assault on the political opposition. The leader of…
- Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldGlobal Health and Health PolicyChallenges Facing the Arab World’s Health Care Professionals
Apr 26, 2023Yara M. AsiIn 2022, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate released a shocking report, finding that over 10,000 Egyptian doctors resigned from positions in government hospitals d…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and GeopoliticsIsrael’s Normalization with Arab States Slows as Repression of Palestinians Rises
Apr 19, 2023Gregory AftandilianIsrael’s extreme right-wing government and its draconian policies toward the Palestinians have slowed down efforts to expand the so-called Abraham Accords, a p…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaJustice, Equality, and Human RightsWhat Does Normalization with Assad Mean for Accountability and a Political Resolution?
Apr 18, 2023Patricia KaramAgainst the backdrop of Syria’s impending return to the Arab fold, French judges this month ordered three high-ranking Syrian intelligence officers to stand tr…
- Viewpoint
SudanDemocracy and GovernanceSudan’s Transitional Process Is Dead and Buried
Apr 17, 2023Imad K. HarbIt would be very difficult to consider the ongoing intra-military conflict in Sudan as a struggle to advance the cause of democratic development in the country…
- Viewpoint
EgyptThe War in UkraineThe Fallout of Sisi’s Gambit with Russia
Apr 14, 2023Khalil Al-AnaniA leaked US intelligence document has revealed that Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi allegedly instructed officials to secretly produce and ship rockets,…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelReligion and PoliticsOn the Struggle Between the Founding Colonialists and the New Colonialists of Israel
Apr 14, 2023Honaida GhanimIsrael today is witnessing an unprecedented internal struggle that has split Israeli society into two contentious groups separated by what is, at least at the …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyThe United States’ Weak Response to the Netanyahu Government
Apr 12, 2023Douglas ChristensenIn December of last year, Benjamin Netanyahu once again returned to the position of prime minister in Israel, leading a new far-right governing coalition that …
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfClimate and EnvironmentThe Costs and Benefits of Water Desalination in the Gulf
Apr 12, 2023Achref ChibaniDesalination has been identified as one technology that could help solve Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’ water scarcity problem. Desalination is a co…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsIsrael’s Policy of Fragmentation Harms Palestinian Hopes for a Sovereign State
Apr 6, 2023Jonathan KuttabRecent reports by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, and others have labeled Israel an apartheid state. Thi…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionCan Libya’s Stalemate Be Overcome?
Apr 4, 2023Patricia KaramAfter riveting the world in 2011 with a revolution that led to the fall of Muammar Qaddafi, one of the world’s most brutal dictators, Libya has largely receded…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsDiscrimination Fuels Intra-Palestinian Violence and Crime in Israel
Mar 30, 2023Yara M. AsiIn recent weeks, it has been impossible to miss the protests taking place in Israel against proposed judicial reforms laid out by the country’s new extreme rig…
- Policy Analysis
IranSecurity and DefenseIran’s Nuclear Program Poses Challenges for China and the United States
Mar 29, 2023Daniel BrumbergNow that China has brokered a renewal of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, it must translate that achievement into real tangible benefits. After all, fo…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsGeopolitics of Small Islands: The Stalemate of Tiran and Sanafir’s Transfer Impacts Egypt-Saudi Relations
Mar 29, 2023Khalil Al-AnaniIn June 2017, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi consented to ceding sovereignty over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. However, nearly si…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyConflicts and Conflict ResolutionObstacles to a Turkey-Syria Reconciliation
Mar 29, 2023Salim ÇevikSyrian President Bashar al-Assad paid an important visit to Moscow in mid-March 2023. One of the main agenda items was the Turkish-Syrian reconciliation that R…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsArab States Are Normalizing with Syria’s Assad Regime
Mar 28, 2023Gregory AftandilianTaking advantage of the devastating earthquake that ravaged parts of northwestern Syria in February, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has tried to use the trag…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfRegional Relations and GeopoliticsThe GCC Is On Board with the Saudi-Iran Agreement
Mar 27, 2023Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe signing of a joint trilateral statement by senior national security officials from Saudi Arabia and Iran in the presence of Chinese officials in Beijing on…
- Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldUS Foreign PolicyUS Middle East Policy: The Trump-Biden Doctrine in Action
Mar 22, 2023Charles W. DunneAll US presidents, it seems, need their own foreign policy “doctrine.” President James Monroe famously started the trend in 1823, and many others—Truman, Eisen…
- Policy Analysis
YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionYemen and the Saudi-Iran Rapprochement
Mar 22, 2023Nabeel A. KhouryIn the closing scene of the 1942 film Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart, walking off into the fog with his occasional nemesis as they plan their next move together, …
- Policy Analysis
LebanonRegional Relations and GeopoliticsLebanon and Syria and the Saudi-Iran Detente
Mar 21, 2023Imad K. HarbThe recent China-brokered agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran is expected to have a de-escalating effect on many issues in the Midd…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfRegional Relations and GeopoliticsChina as Middle East Matchmaker
Mar 16, 2023Daniel BrumbergWhile the central role that China recently played in renewing diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia underscores the United States’ declining influ…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaMigrants, Refugees, and IDPsPolitics, Displacement, and the Human Toll of the Recent Earthquake in Syria
Mar 15, 2023Heba GowayedOn February 6, 2023, the earth shifted at the fault line that runs along the Turkey-Syria border, resulting in a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which was followed j…
- Policy Analysis
YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionOman’s Interests and Role in the Conflict in Yemen
Mar 14, 2023Afrah NasserIn the course of the conflict in Yemen, Oman’s role has evolved substantially and in various ways. Currently, expectations are high that the sultanate will be …
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceA New Model for Presidential Elections in Lebanon
Mar 9, 2023Patricia KaramIt has been four months since former Lebanese President Michel Aoun left office in October 2022, after a presidential term marred by a series of catastrophic e…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelViolent ExtremismThe Rapid and Predictable Rise of Israeli Settler Violence Against Palestinians
Mar 8, 2023Yara M. AsiHuwwara is a small town outside of Nablus that, largely due to its location on a prominent route in the occupied West Bank, has been subject to a significant I…
- Policy Analysis
OmanRegional Relations and GeopoliticsWalking a Tightrope: Oman and Normalization with Israel
Mar 7, 2023Imad K. HarbAs the mechanisms of normalization between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan continue to take shape, other Arab states are ponde…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceThe Success of Tunisian President Kais Saied’s Neofascist Populism
Mar 2, 2023Daniel BrumbergIf there was any doubt that Tunisian President Kais Saied is building a new autocracy on the rubble of Tunisia’s imperfect and short-lived democracy, that doub…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsImpacting Elusive Transitions: Egypt’s Policy Toward Sudan and Libya
Mar 1, 2023Khalil Al-AnaniThe recent political developments in Sudan and Libya have generated some optimism for a potential resolution to the protracted political crises that have plagu…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaClimate and EnvironmentGreen Power Politics in North African Countries: Continuity or Change?
Mar 1, 2023Achref ChibaniIn 2023, environmental and climate issues will again be at the top of the policy agenda in the Middle East and North Africa. The upcoming COP28 climate confere…
- Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyThe Aqaba Joint Communique Dies in Huwwara
Feb 28, 2023Khalil E. JahshanOn Sunday, February 26, 2023, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan hosted Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, and US officials in Aqaba, Jordan to try to stem the worri…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaSecurity and DefenseSyrian Kurds Are Hoping for, but Not Banking On, Continued US Partnership
Feb 24, 2023Gregory AftandilianThe massive earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria has given the Syrian Kurds a reprieve from a possible Turkish military invasion of ar…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and GovernanceThe Settler Colonial Origins of Israel’s Constitutional Crisis
Feb 22, 2023Yousef MunayyerTens of thousands of Israelis have filled the streets of major cities in recent weeks to protest significant judicial reforms that the new far-right Israeli go…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceTurkey’s Presidential Election in the Shadow of Devastating Earthquakes
Feb 22, 2023Mustafa GurbuzThe devastating February 6 earthquakes in Turkey, which caused nearly 45,000 deaths in Turkey and Syria and rendered hundreds of thousands of people homeless, …
- Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldUS Foreign PolicyWashington Doubles Down on Middle East Ties
Feb 15, 2023Charles W. DunneReducing US commitments in the Middle East and pivoting to Asia has been a hot topic among foreign policy analysts and Middle East experts since the idea was p…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceLebanon’s New Opposition MPs Must Work Together for Political Change
Feb 14, 2023Patricia KaramAlthough the October 2019 protests in Lebanon rallied every sector, class, and gender in a moment of enthusiasm with the expectation of revolutionary change, t…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonIdentity Politics and SectarianizationBeirut Port Explosion: A “Judicial Coup” to Bury the Investigation?
Feb 9, 2023Halim ShebayaThere is broad consensus in Lebanon regarding the need to reform the country’s judiciary and to work toward enhancing its independence, as stipulated by both t…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAnnual Palestine Forum: Opening Keynote by Azmi Bishara
Feb 7, 2023Azmi BisharaThe Annual Palestine Forum: Considerations and PurposesThis forum, the need for which was given considerable thought, embodies three main considerations.The fi…
- Policy Analysis
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
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsIsrael Sees Palestinian Family Reunification as a Demographic “Threat”
Feb 2, 2023Yara M. AsiIn 2015, the Hebrew-language novel Gader Haya (published in English as Borderlife) was banned in Israeli high schools by the Ministry of Education. The book, a…
- Policy Analysis
YemenInternational LawChild Soldiers in Yemen: Cannon Fodder for an Unnecessary War
Feb 2, 2023Afrah NasserRecruitment of children as actual or auxiliary soldiers in Yemen’s ongoing war is one of the most dire developments in the conflict since its initial eruption …
- Policy Analysis
SyriaMigrants, Refugees, and IDPsErdoğan’s Rapprochement with Assad Spells Trouble for Syrian Refugees
Feb 1, 2023Nabeel A. KhouryTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s interest in a rapprochement with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is the latest chapter in his delicate domestic and r…
- 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 Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsEgypt’s Strategic Partnership with China: Opportunities and Implications
Jan 27, 2023Khalil Al-AnaniOn December 8, 2022, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the inaugural China-Ar…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaUS Foreign PolicyUS-Algeria Relations Remain Troubled, but Neither Side Wants a Break
Jan 25, 2023Gregory AftandilianRelations between Washington and Algiers have remained at a low point ever since the Trump administration, in its last month in office, recognized Moroccan sov…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyRegional Relations and GeopoliticsTurkey Faces a Dilemma in its Foreign Policy Toward Libya
Jan 24, 2023Mustafa GurbuzOn January 9, 2023, a Libyan court suspended an energy exploration deal between Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) that was or…
- Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldThe War in UkraineArab and Israeli Positions on Ukraine War Continue to Frustrate the US
Jan 18, 2023Charles W. DunneThe positions taken by many governments in the Middle East have proven a notable exception to the global groundswell of support for Kyiv.
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceLebanon’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 Analysis
IraqRegional Relations and GeopoliticsDepoliticizing Iraq-Gulf Relations Through Soccer
Jan 11, 2023Zeidon AlkinaniIraq is defying its reputation and fighting against all odds in its attempt to depoliticize its regional image through the use of soccer. Between January 6 and…
- Policy Analysis
SomaliaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSomalia Continues to Face Crises on Several Fronts in 2023
Jan 10, 2023Imad K. HarbFollowing the conclusion in spring 2022 of its parliamentary and presidential constitutional requirements, Somalia began the process of attempting to re-establ…
- Policy Analysis
QatarRegional Relations and GeopoliticsQatar’s Successful World Cup Signals a New Era in the Gulf and Beyond
Jan 5, 2023Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe 22nd FIFA Men’s World Cup came to an end in Doha, Qatar on December 18 with one of the most thrilling finals in the nearly century-long history of the comp…
- Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldUS Foreign PolicyThe Biden Administration and the Middle East in 2023
Jan 4, 2023Khalil Al-Anani Yara M. Asi Amal Ghazal Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe first two years of the Biden administration, although short, have offered insight into the ways in which the reality of governing can clash with declared h…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceOnly 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 Analysis
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsIsrael’s New Government and the Rapid Acceleration of Apartheid
Dec 29, 2022Yousef MunayyerIn 2012, while standing in the Beit El settlement in the occupied West Bank, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “There is no government that s…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyConflicts and Conflict ResolutionHow Realistic Is an Erdoğan-Assad Rapprochement?
Dec 28, 2022Mustafa GurbuzDespite Turkey’s frequent threats that it will soon undertake a new military ground offensive in northern Syria, no such operation has yet materialized. This h…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLibya’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 Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyThe Gordian Knot: A Bird’s Eye View of US-Israel Relations
Dec 20, 2022Nabeel A. KhouryNabeel Khoury takes a broad view of American-Israeli relations, highlighting the issue of robust US military aid to Israel and intelligence sharing between the…
- Policy Analysis
YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionYemen in Limbo: No War, Yet Still No Peace
Dec 15, 2022Afrah NasserAfrah Nasser discusses the current stalemate in Yemen following the expiration of a UN-sponsored ceasefire agreement, looking at actions by all parties to the …
- Policy Analysis
IranProtests and ActivismHave 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…















