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  • Policy Analysis
    JordanDemocracy and Governance

    Jordan Bans the Muslim Brotherhood Amid Increasing Regional Strife

    May 1, 2025Curtis Ryan

    The Jordanian government made a dramatic move on April 23 against the oldest opposition movement in the country when it declared the Muslim Brotherhood illegal…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arab WorldConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    An Arab Plan for Gaza: Obstacles and Possibilities

    Mar 7, 2025Yara M. Asi Heba Gowayed Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Yousef Munayyer Annelle Sheline

    In response to President Donald Trump’s February 4 proposal to take over the Gaza Strip, displacing its indigenous Palestinians and transforming it into “the R…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptUS Foreign Policy

    Trump’s Favorite Dictator Feels the Heat

    Feb 28, 2025Imad K. Harb

    US President Donald Trump appears to have developed different ideas about Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi upon whom he bestowed the moniker “favorite d…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Recent Arab Moves Deserve Bold Follow-Up

    Feb 21, 2025Rami G. Khouri

    Four key political actors in the Middle East have recently made surprising moves that offered hints of how Arab states and non-state actors can collectively en…

  • Viewpoint
    JordanUS Foreign Policy

    An Existential Oval Office Moment for Jordan—and All Arabs

    Feb 14, 2025Rami G. Khouri

    The scene in the White House on February 11 was startling. King Abdullah II of Jordan listened to President Donald Trump ramble on about how the United States …

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanUS Foreign Policy

    For Jordan, Trump’s Latest Pronouncements Threaten an Existential Disaster

    Feb 7, 2025Curtis Ryan

    With US President Donald Trump pushing Jordan to permanently resettle Palestinians from Gaza, the Hashemite Kingdom once again faces a crisis that is nothing s…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanDemocracy and Governance

    Jordanian Elections in the Shadow of Domestic and Regional Tensions

    Sep 29, 2024Curtis Ryan

    As the Middle East edges closer to a broader war, both regional tensions and domestic politics have put the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan increasingly on edge. W…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The Gaza War and Threats to Jordan’s Domestic and Regional Stability

    Jul 9, 2024Curtis Ryan

    Jordanians of all walks of life have watched the relentless war in Gaza with deepening alarm. By latest count, at least 38,000 Palestinians have been killed, m…

  • Viewpoint
    JordanProtests and Activism

    Path of Least Cost: Assuaging Public Protests in Jordan

    Apr 1, 2024Imad K. Harb

    Once again, events in Gaza are showing up in the form of indignant protests in Jordan that, if not properly handled, could lead to serious challenges for the J…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    From Gaza to the Syrian Border, Jordan Is Increasingly in the Line of Fire  

    Feb 9, 2024Curtis Ryan

    Since Israel launched its current war on Gaza last October, Jordanians have been closely watching the enclave, and the rising tensions in the region, with deep…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelInternational Law

    Israel’s Practices and Its “Respect” for Jordan’s Role in Jerusalem: A Legal Study

    Jun 27, 2023Anis Fawzi Kassim

    Many observers have objected to the Abraham Accords that were signed between Israel and various Arab states, each for their own reasons. I myself staunchly opp…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Aqaba Joint Communique Dies in Huwwara

    Feb 28, 2023Khalil E. Jahshan

    On 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
    JordanProtests and Activism

    The Deeper Context to Political Unrest and Protests in Jordan

    Dec 21, 2022Curtis Ryan

    Protests have once again rocked the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, with truckers, bus and taxi drivers, and others in the transportation sector having staged var…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    Reflections on President Biden’s Predictably Disappointing Middle East Trip

    Jul 21, 2022Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Laurie King Rend Al-Rahim

    US President Joe Biden visited Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia from July 13 to 16 to meet with various regional leaders. This was Biden’s first visit as pr…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Iraq-Jordan-Egypt Entente Moves Ahead Despite the GCC’s Shadow

    Jul 19, 2022Gregory Aftandilian

    In recent years, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan have come together to form a sort of alliance based on shared security, political, and economic interests. Since 2019,…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Middle East Leaders Contend with Strains in an Evolving Regional Entente

    May 13, 2022Daniel Brumberg

    In its unfolding bid to expand ties with Middle East governments, Israel must grapple with a basic challenge: how to ensure that events in the Palestinian-Isra…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanDemocracy and Governance

    Royal Rifts and Other Challenges in Jordan

    Apr 14, 2022Curtis Ryan

    Jordan’s former crown prince, Hamza bin Al Hussein, posted a rare message on social media in early April 2022, announcing that he was relinquishing his royal t…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The “Jordan Is Palestine” Idea Resurfaces Again

    Nov 11, 2021Daoud Kuttab

    Relations between Jordan and Palestine have evolved through a series of changes and challenges that continue over the years. While Palestine before 1948 used t…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanDemocracy and Governance

    A New Cycle of Reform in Jordan

    Oct 21, 2021Curtis Ryan

    Jordan’s latest reform committee completed its work this month on modernizing the Jordanian political system. As with the many earlier reform committees and ca…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Jordan: Uptick in Diplomacy amid Pandora Papers Revelations

    Oct 20, 2021Gregory Aftandilian

    Revelations 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 Analysis
    JordanDemocracy and Governance

    Jordan’s Decade-long Path to Democracy Might Have Just Begun

    Sep 3, 2021Daoud Kuttab

    In June, Jordan’s King Abdullah II appointed a 92-member commission, headed by former Prime Minister Samir Rifai, and charged it with creating a plan to modern…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    King Abdullah’s Visit: Resetting American-Jordanian Relations

    Jul 22, 2021Curtis Ryan

    On July 19, 2021, King Abdullah II of Jordan became the first Arab leader to visit President Joe Biden at the White House. The symbolism alone was significant,…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanUS Foreign Policy

    King Abdullah Visits Washington amid Jordan’s Woes

    Jul 14, 2021Gregory Aftandilian

    King 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 …

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanDemocracy and Governance

    Family Matters: Plots and Accusations in Jordan’s Hashemite Monarchy

    Apr 8, 2021Curtis Ryan

    Jordan’s carefully crafted international image was jolted recently when news broke of multiple arrests, the alleged detention of a Hashemite prince, and announ…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Netanyahu Tries to Dictate a New Arrangement in Jerusalem in Violation of the Traditional Pre-1967 Status Quo

    Apr 2, 2021ACW Research and Analysis Unit

    On 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
    JordanUS Foreign Policy

    Jordan’s Monarchy Reclaims Regional Role under Biden

    Mar 25, 2021Joe Macaron

    To describe the last four years as challenging ones for US-Jordanian relations would be an understatement. President Donald Trump’s absolute support for Israel…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanUS Foreign Policy

    Will Biden Help to Restore Jordan’s Position in the Middle East?

    Dec 8, 2020Curtis Ryan

    Jordan’s relations with the United States are almost as old as the kingdom itself, with the country enjoying a generally strengthening relationship over the ye…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Egypt-Iraq-Jordan Alliance Tries to Change Middle East Dynamics

    Sep 16, 2020Curtis R. Ryan

    On August 25, 2020, the leaders of Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan met in Amman for the third in a succession of meetings marking ever-closer relations between the thr…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanEducation and Development

    Teachers’ Anger Reflects Jordan’s Economic and Political Strains

    Sep 9, 2020Gregory Aftandilian

    The crackdown on the Jordanian Teachers Syndicate this summer is in many ways emblematic of mounting political and economic problems facing the Hashemite Kingd…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Israeli Annexation Plan and Jordan’s West Bank Moment

    Jun 3, 2020Joe Macaron

    Joe Macaron argues that as Netanyahu makes plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, Jordan faces difficult choices in appeasing domestic critics and pre…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanThe GCC

    Jordan Maneuvers in GCC Politics to Protect Its Interests

    May 27, 2020Gregory Aftandilian

    Despite its heavy dependence on the GCC for economic aid and employment for its workforce, Jordan has been able to pursue political positions not always in syn…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanUS Foreign Policy

    Jordan and Trump’s Peace Plan

    Mar 24, 2020Gregory Aftandilian

    Jordan’s relations with Israel have hit a low point following the unveiling of the Trump peace plan because of fears over annexation of Israeli settlements in …

  • 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
    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
    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…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Iran Should Worry about New Iraq-Jordan Relations

    Feb 13, 2019Abdulwahab Al-Qassab

    The recent economic agreement between Iraq and Jordan sends signals to Iran that Iraq may find Arab alternatives to its relations with the Islamic Republic.

  • 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…

  • 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
    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
    IraqEnergy and Economics

    Controlling the Nasib Crossing Is a Game Changer for the Syrian Regime

    Jul 19, 2018Joe Macaron

    The imminent opening of the Nasib crossing on the Syrian-Jordanian border could revitalize commercial activities in the Levant; but challenges lie ahead, inclu…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    The Kushner-Greenblatt “Deal of the Century”: A Dealmaker Morphs into a Dealbreaker?

    Jun 29, 2018Khalil E. Jahshan

    What was most insulting to Kushner’s Palestinian audience was his attempt to wittingly or unwittingly reduce their political aspirations and yearning for natio…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs

    Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Lebanon: The Politics of their Return

    Jun 28, 2018Joe Macaron

    Overwhelmed by their own economic woes, Jordan and Lebanon are employing different tactics to achieve the same objective: to secure the return of Syrian refuge…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Jared Kushner’s Misguided Appeal to the Palestinian People

    Jun 26, 2018Khalil E. Jahshan Michael C. Hudson Yousef Munayyer Tamara Kharroub Joe Macaron

    President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, gave an interview to the Palestinian Al Quds newspaper on June 24 (original Arabic, Engl…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanSecurity and Defense

    It May Be Time to Restructure American Assistance to Jordan

    Jun 15, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Since May 30, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has seen a wave of massive, largely peaceful protests that have King Abdullah II in a bind. The current turmoil h…

  • Viewpoint
    JordanDemocracy and Governance

    In Jordan’s Case, Rent Collection May No Longer Work

    Jun 5, 2018Imad K. Harb

    Once again, socioeconomic conditions are at the center of Jordan’s political instability. Thousands of Jordanians over the last few days have participated in p…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Jordan’s Four Worst-case Scenarios on Its Syrian Border

    Mar 30, 2018Joe Macaron

    Jordan faces four worst-case scenarios as the US-Russia ceasefire agreement is gradually collapsing in southwestern Syria. Amman’s options to limit the damage …

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    A Palestinian Landscape of Unknowns

    Mar 23, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    Unable to even pretend that Washington can deliver on brokering peace, Palestinian leaders seem stuck, having already devoted fruitless heavy political investm…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Trump’s UNRWA Decision Buys into Israel’s Argument

    Mar 8, 2018Tamara Kharroub

    US funding cuts to UNRWA open the door for further US policies that espouse Israeli far-right positions regarding the status of Palestinian refugees and the ri…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Repercussions of Trump’s Jerusalem Policy Change: An Interview with Khalil E. Jahshan

    Mar 1, 2018Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan

    President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his administration’s decision to move the American embassy there have probably t…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Mahmoud Abbas’s Disappearing Options

    Feb 15, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    Abbas’s options have significantly narrowed after Trump’s position change on Jerusalem; but his limited choices are not beneficial for anyone given the ambigui…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqEnergy and Economics

    Jordanian-Iraqi Relations on the Mend, but Problems Remain

    Feb 8, 2018Gregory Aftandilian

    Economic necessities and opposition to the so-called Islamic State have brought Jordan and Iraq closer together, but Amman remains concerned about Baghdad’s li…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Palestinian Bet on the EU Could be an Opportunity for Washington

    Jan 25, 2018Joe Macaron

    The United States should remain engaged in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and President Abbas’ visit to Europe may have provided the Trump Administratio…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanInternational Law

    Trump Has Upended the Foundation of the Middle East Peace Process

    Jan 18, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    After the Jerusalem decision, questions remain about whether Trump and his circle will realize the folly of their policies and the tremendous damage they will …

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanUS Foreign Policy

    Will Trump’s Jerusalem Move Unravel US-Jordanian Relations?

    Jan 11, 2018Joe Macaron

    President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is testing US-Jordanian relations and shifting how Amman views its regional role.

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Egyptian and Jordanian Relations with Israel under Strain

    Jan 10, 2018Gregory Aftandilian

    Generally cordial and cooperative, Egyptian and Jordanian relations with Israel are currently strained following provocative actions by the U.S. and Israel on …

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanInternational Law

    Trump’s Jerusalem Announcement: Big Gambit, Little Gain

    Dec 6, 2017Tamara Kharroub

    This is indeed a shameful day for the United States, where accrediting military force, violating international law, and supporting apartheid in Jerusalem mark …

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Bilateral Disagreements Aside, Jordan and Israel Agree on Syria

    Nov 7, 2017Gregory Aftandilian

    Jordan and Israel view military activities by Sunni extremists groups and by Hezbollah as threats and are using their developing ties with Russia to try to mit…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Strategic Implications of Reopening the Baghdad-Amman Highway

    Sep 29, 2017Joe Macaron

    While pivotal for Jordan’s and Iraq’s economies, the recent re-opening of the Amman-Baghdad highway has strategic and security implications for faraway powers …

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Jordan and the US-Russia Deal in Southern Syria

    Jul 12, 2017Joe Macaron

    The recent ceasefire agreement for southern Syria and the Syrian regime’s military campaigns may be turning points in Jordan’s position on the war in Syria.

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanSecurity and Defense

    Jordan’s King Abdallah in Washington: ISIL and Jerusalem

    Feb 1, 2017Joe Macaron

    In what was described as a working visit, Jordan’s King Abdullah II arrived on January 30, 2017, and became the first Arab leader to come to Washington since t…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Forget Paris. It Won’t be Hard

    Jan 25, 2017Yousef Munayyer

    The Paris Peace Conference of January 15, 2017, barely amounted to a singular blip on radar. Some 70 countries participated in what was among the largest inter…

  • Research Paper
    JordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Jordan’s Azraq Refugee Camp – A Pictorial Essay

    Mar 25, 2016Priscilla Philippi

    When the conflict in Syria broke out in March of  2011, there was no indication as to the duration or the enormity of the ensuing humanitarian crisis.  Accordi…

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