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JordanJustice, Equality, and Human RightsThe Kushner-Greenblatt “Deal of the Century”: A Dealmaker Morphs into a Dealbreaker?
Jun 29, 2018Khalil E. JahshanWhat 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 IDPsSyrian Refugees in Jordan and Lebanon: The Politics of their Return
Jun 28, 2018Joe MacaronOverwhelmed 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
LevantIdentity Politics and SectarianizationUS Withdrawal from UN Human Rights Council Has Little to Do with Human Rights
Jun 22, 2018Tamara KharroubUS withdrawal weakens the council’s credibility and empowers Israel in its neglect for the council’s investigations and resolutions. The UNHRC is the premier i…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceThe Problem of Legitimacy for the Palestinian Authority
Jun 21, 2018Yousef MunayyerRecent damaging decisions by the Palestinian Authority cannot be solely blamed for the popular discontent with it. Instead, the Palestinians’ anger stems from …
- Policy Analysis
JordanSecurity and DefenseIt May Be Time to Restructure American Assistance to Jordan
Jun 15, 2018Marcus MontgomerySince 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…
- Policy Analysis
LevantReligion and PoliticsThe Damascus-Aleppo Highway and Stabilizing Northwest Syria
Jun 7, 2018Joe MacaronWhile Russia, Turkey and Iran are stabilizing northwest Syria along the Damascus-Aleppo highway, they are also normalizing an irregular situation that could ul…
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsHuman Rights, Democracy, and the Changing Middle East: A Status Report
Jun 6, 2018Charles W. DunneDemands for democracy, wider political space, and guarantees of basic human rights have been turned aside by more effective authoritarian responses for now, bu…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyThe End of an American Era in Palestine and Israel
Jun 6, 2018Yousef MunayyerThis is the end of an era in US relations with Palestine and Israel, and the transition to a new era may resemble a moment from the past—the first intifada.
- Viewpoint
JordanDemocracy and GovernanceIn Jordan’s Case, Rent Collection May No Longer Work
Jun 5, 2018Imad K. HarbOnce 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
LevantUS Domestic Politics and ElectionsOne year on, Trump remains the cause of – and solution to – the Qatar crisis
May 23, 2018Andreas KriegWhen it turned out the statements released by Qatar's news agency were the product of an external cyber-attack, and not the actual words of the country's emir,…
- Viewpoint
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Crack in the Russian-Iranian Alliance in Syria?
May 23, 2018Joe MacaronIn a rare instance since the Russian intervention in Syria in September 2015, the policy differences between Moscow and Tehran have become public. This raised …
- Policy Analysis
LevantInternational LawUS Jerusalem Embassy vs. Nakba: A Moment of Truth for World Leaders
May 17, 2018Tamara KharroubTrump has walked back his declaration to bring US troops in Syria home “very soon” in light of pressure from advisors and allies, but he risks embroiling the U…
- Viewpoint
LevantInternational LawThe United States Abdicates Its Responsibilities in the Middle East
May 17, 2018Imad K. HarbIt is impossible to see how the massacre of unarmed Palestinian protesters in Gaza or the moving of the American embassy to Jerusalem will help chart a way out…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyHas Trump Opted for a Longer US Presence in Syria?
May 16, 2018Gregory AftandilianTrump has walked back his declaration to bring US troops in Syria home “very soon” in light of pressure from advisors and allies, but he risks embroiling the U…
- Viewpoint
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Dangerous Israeli-Iranian Escalation in Syria
May 11, 2018Joe MacaronIn the most dangerous escalation since the establishment of the Golan Heights ceasefire line in 1973, Israel and Iran exchanged fire in southwestern Syria unde…
- ViewpointLebanonIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Lebanon’s Elections Provide No Serious Change
May 10, 2018Imad K. HarbLebanon has just finished a feverish election campaign for its 128-seat Chamber of Deputies. This round followed a nine-year period in which this basic democra…
- ViewpointEgyptConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Deploying Arab Forces in Syria is not Advisable, nor Possible
May 10, 2018Radwan ZiadehOver the last few months, President Donald Trump has made announcements that regional states should bear more of the burden of ridding Syria of the so-called I…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernancePalestinian National Council Reconvenes in Ramallah: We’ve seen this movie before!
May 4, 2018Khalil E. JahshanThe 23rd PNC meeting in Ramallah did not generate a new Palestinian strategy and the session did not rise to the Palestinian national challenge in 2018. In tha…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceLebanon’s Elections to Rearrange the Country’s Political Landscape
May 3, 2018Joe MacaronFor the first time since 2009, Lebanese will elect a new parliament on May 6, a decisive election that will redraw the representation of powers of the ruling c…
- Viewpoint
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsSeventy Years of Nakba: Ending a Process that Has Not Stopped
May 3, 2018Yousef MunayyerOn May 15, 2018, Palestinians commemorate 70 years of their Nakba, the catastrophe of dispossession and homelessness that unfolded when the state of Israel was…
- ViewpointLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Mohammed bin Salman Is Wrong on Palestine
May 2, 2018Imad K. HarbCritics allege that impetuousness and impatience are driving Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s actions and statements. What could also be drivi…
- Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceThe Many Challenges of Iraq’s Upcoming Elections
May 1, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabTranscending ethnic and sectarian divisions could be one of the most significant outcomes of the upcoming Iraqi elections that can transform the currently divi…
- Policy Analysis
LevantEnergy and EconomicsBetween Idealism and Realpolitik: Erdoğan’s Quest for Palestine
Apr 26, 2018Mustafa GurbuzTurkey’s active policy for Palestine enables Ankara to strengthen its ties to the Palestinian Authority and Hamas simultaneously and thus to bolster its role a…
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Kosovo Model for Syria
Apr 17, 2018Radwan ZiadehThe April 13, 2018, American-British-French strike on Syria was wider in scope and effect than that of April 2017 on Shairat Air Base; both conducted as punish…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Mysterious Strike Renews Israel-US Coordination in Syria
Apr 10, 2018Joe MacaronThe Israeli strike on Iranian assets in Syria last Monday and the imminent US strike on Syria renew the US-Israeli coordination there for the first time since …
- Policy Analysis
LevantIdentity Politics and SectarianizationThe Looming Threat of Kurdish-Arab Strife in Northern Syria
Apr 9, 2018Mustafa GurbuzThe latest developments in northern Syria signal a clear threat of rising Arab-Kurdish tensions that could boil over if local, regional, and international play…
- Policy Analysis
LevantInternational LawThe Gaza “Great March of Return”: Regional and International Reactions
Apr 6, 2018Khalil E. JahshanDespite the bloodshed, from a Palestinian perspective the Great March of Return was a resounding success, beating expectations and fueling enthusiasm for more …
- ViewpointLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Covering Gaza: Is the Mainstream Media Discourse Changing on Palestine/Israel
Apr 6, 2018Tamara KharroubAs Israeli occupation forces carried out a brutal response against 30,000 Palestinians protesters in Gaza, Washington, DC—and much of the international communi…
- ViewpointLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Netanyahu Tries to Shore Himself Up
Apr 4, 2018Imad K. HarbThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not need the people of Gaza demonstrating on their border to create what amounted to a target-shooting opportunity that kil…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Domestic Politics and ElectionsIs This the End of AIPAC’s Reign?
Apr 3, 2018Tamara KharroubThe month of March in Washington DC is known for cherry blossom and AIPAC's annual conference. From 4-6 March, the 2018 AIPAC policy conference took place in D…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceWhere Is Syria Headed?
Apr 3, 2018Radwan ZiadehThe scenarios for Syria’s future after the fall of Eastern Ghouta now look very different from those drawn in 2012 or 2013, which depicted a peaceful political…
- Policy Analysis
JordanConflicts and Conflict ResolutionJordan’s Four Worst-case Scenarios on Its Syrian Border
Mar 30, 2018Joe MacaronJordan 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
LevantUS Foreign PolicyPompeo Unlikely to Press for Human Rights in the Arab Region
Mar 29, 2018Gregory AftandilianIn contrast to Tillerson, who raised human rights and democracy concerns in some Arab states, Pompeo is unlikely to do so given his ideology and desire to stay…
- Policy Analysis
IranSecurity and DefenseWho is John Bolton? A Political Profile of the Next National Security Advisor
Mar 23, 2018Marcus MontgomeryWith the appointment of John Bolton as national security advisor, the United States risks turning the National Security Council into an echo chamber of hyper-n…
- Policy Analysis
JordanJustice, Equality, and Human RightsA Palestinian Landscape of Unknowns
Mar 23, 2018Yousef MunayyerUnable to even pretend that Washington can deliver on brokering peace, Palestinian leaders seem stuck, having already devoted fruitless heavy political investm…
- ViewpointLevantMedia and Technology
Where on Earth is the Palestinian Press?
Mar 16, 2018Khalil E. JahshanAs a long-term observer of Middle East politics, I have always been intrigued by the surprisingly limited impact exerted by the Palestinian media on Palestinia…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Domestic Politics and ElectionsFiring Tillerson Leaves US Diplomacy in Limbo
Mar 15, 2018Joe MacaronTillerson’s firing comes at a critical time in US foreign policy. New dynamics are emerging in the Trump Administration and the successor Mike Pompeo should ba…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonEnergy and EconomicsA Saudi Comeback to Lebanese Politics?
Mar 14, 2018Joe MacaronNearly 100 days after his mysterious “captivity” in the Saudi capital, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri visited Riyadh again on February 28. The timing c…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyWho is Mike Pompeo? A Political Profile of the Nominee for US Secretary of State
Mar 13, 2018Marcus MontgomeryWhen considering his policy positions, temperament, and personal relationship with President Trump, Pompeo is almost the polar opposite of outgoing Secretary o…
- ViewpointLevantUS Foreign Policy
Tillerson’s Departure: Implications for Middle East Policy
Mar 13, 2018Imad K. HarbPresident Donald Trump’s sacking of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has important ramifications for US policy in the Middle East, and specifically toward the …
- Policy Analysis
LevantSecurity and DefenseUS Syria Policy: Juggling Contradictory Interests
Mar 13, 2018Gregory AftandilianUS policy in Syria, as articulated by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, remains focused on the Islamic State, but it does little to bring about other stated go…
- Policy Analysis
JordanJustice, Equality, and Human RightsTrump’s UNRWA Decision Buys into Israel’s Argument
Mar 8, 2018Tamara KharroubUS 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 RightsRepercussions of Trump’s Jerusalem Policy Change: An Interview with 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
LevantSecurity and DefenseWill Trump Further Militarize the Arab World?
Feb 28, 2018Marcus MontgomeryUnder the leadership of President Donald Trump, the Arab world may be poised for increased militarization as he pushes for military sales and it experiences nu…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionHell on Earth: The World Forsakes Syria’s Eastern Ghouta
Feb 28, 2018Radwan ZiadehThe people of this district near Damascus are being exposed to relentless aerial bombing and ground attacks that have killed over 500 civilians, including many…
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Eastern Ghouta: Syria’s “Hell on Earth”
Feb 23, 2018Khalil E. JahshanIn recent weeks, the Assad regime and its supporters have subjected the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta to one of the most violent attacks of the seven-year …
- Policy Analysis
LevantEnergy and EconomicsTurkey’s Challenge to Arab Interests in the Horn of Africa
Feb 22, 2018Mustafa GurbuzTurkey’s policies and many activities around the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa have added complications to the already complex strategic picture of the Middle…
- Policy Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIs There a US Policy Toward the Kurds in Iraq and Syria?
Feb 21, 2018Gregory AftandilianRecent tensions between the United States and Turkey over US support for the Syrian Kurds have brought to the forefront the issue of US policy toward the Kurdi…
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Abbas Reassures UNSC of Palestinian Commitment to Just and Lasting Peace
Feb 20, 2018Khalil E. JahshanPalestinian president Mahmoud Abbas delivered today his long-anticipated speech to the UN Security Council. His objective was essentially two-fold, he wanted f…
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Mahmoud Abbas at the UN Security Council
Feb 20, 2018Imad K. HarbWhat was most noticeable in Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s peace plan was his reaffirmation that the Arab Peace Initiative (API) of 2002 remai…
- Policy Analysis
LevantSecurity and DefenseThe War of Others on Syria’s Soil
Feb 20, 2018Radwan ZiadehThe late diplomat, politician, and publisher of the influential Lebanese daily An-Nahar, Ghassan Tueni, characterized the 15-year Lebanese civil war as “a war …
- Policy Analysis
JordanJustice, Equality, and Human RightsMahmoud Abbas’s Disappearing Options
Feb 15, 2018Yousef MunayyerAbbas’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
LebanonConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLike Quicksand, Many Issues Threaten to Engulf Lebanon
Feb 13, 2018Imad K. HarbAs it approaches the highly anticipated round of legislative elections on May 6, Lebanon finds itself bereft of a cohesive political center that can withstand …
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A change in the American rules of engagement in Syria
Feb 9, 2018Radwan ZiadehThe American forces in northeastern Syria intervened in the Deir Ezzor area to protect and defend their local ally, the Syrian Democratic Forces. An estimated …
- Policy Analysis
IraqEnergy and EconomicsJordanian-Iraqi Relations on the Mend, but Problems Remain
Feb 8, 2018Gregory AftandilianEconomic necessities and opposition to the so-called Islamic State have brought Jordan and Iraq closer together, but Amman remains concerned about Baghdad’s li…
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Russia has abandoned all restraint in its support of Assad
Feb 8, 2018Imad K. HarbIt appears that Russia has decided to fully throw in its weight behind Bashar al-Assad’s regime and in fact take part in bombing civilian targets. I think Russ…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAn Unsettling Overview of the Middle East in 2018
Feb 2, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabIt is clear from ongoing developments in the Middle East that the United States and Russia will continue to play a role that meets their own national interests…
- Policy Analysis
LevantSecurity and DefenseThe Battle of Afrin and the Future of the Free Syrian Army
Feb 2, 2018Radwan ZiadehLow levels of mutual confidence between Washington and Ankara have subjected the American-Turkish strategic relationship to unwarranted dangers and challenges.
- Policy Analysis
EgyptUS Foreign PolicyThe Middle East Nuclear Picture: Peaceful Programs or Not, Cause for Concern
Feb 2, 2018Charles W. DunneFocusing solely on the Iranian nuclear program has made Washington oblivious to some significant nuclear developments in other parts of the Middle East.
- Policy Analysis
JordanConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Palestinian Bet on the EU Could be an Opportunity for Washington
Jan 25, 2018Joe MacaronThe 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
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionTurkey’s Kurdish Conundrum in Syria
Jan 24, 2018Mustafa GurbuzAs Turkey conducts its military operations against Syrian Kurdish militiamen ostensibly to secure its border with Syria, it finds itself needing to reconcile d…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceTillerson’s Syria Policy: Ambitious but Short on Detail
Jan 23, 2018Radwan ZiadehWhile the United States remains concerned about many different and complicating factors in Syria, Tillerson’s pronouncements represent an ambitious policy that…
- Policy Analysis
JordanInternational LawTrump Has Upended the Foundation of the Middle East Peace Process
Jan 18, 2018Yousef MunayyerAfter 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 PolicyWill Trump’s Jerusalem Move Unravel US-Jordanian Relations?
Jan 11, 2018Joe MacaronPresident 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 ResolutionEgyptian and Jordanian Relations with Israel under Strain
Jan 10, 2018Gregory AftandilianGenerally cordial and cooperative, Egyptian and Jordanian relations with Israel are currently strained following provocative actions by the U.S. and Israel on …
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceUnsettling Times for Iraqi Kurdistan
Jan 10, 2018Mustafa GurbuzThe Sulaymaniyah protests last December have revealed a deep split in Iraqi Kurdistan. By pitting Sulaymaniyah against Irbil, Baghdad aims to capitalize on the…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyThe Middle East in 2018: A Trump Administration To-Do List
Jan 9, 2018Charles W. DunneUS Middle East priorities in 2018 include Iran, the fate of the two-state solution, and managing instability in Iraq and Syria. US policy confusion and lack of…
- Policy Analysis
LevantReligion and PoliticsThe Many Angles of Turkey’s Fight for Jerusalem
Dec 28, 2017Mustafa GurbuzTurkey’s championing of the cause of Jerusalem is genuine but also serves its interest in restoring its relations with the Arab countries and increasing its so…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceThe Syrian Opposition Faces an Existential Crisis
Dec 21, 2017Joe MacaronAfter losing important bargaining chips such as control of territory and ability to declare a ceasefire, the Syrian opposition may not be able to influence the…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionUsing Its Syrian Foothold, Russia Expands in the Middle East
Dec 14, 2017Charles W. DunneRussia’s victory in Syria does not merely prop up the Assad regime but, more broadly, helps propel Moscow’s strategic interests in the wider Middle East.
- Policy AnalysisLevantInternational Law
Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration: The Oslo Era’s Final Act
Dec 13, 2017Yousef MunayyerTrump’s declaration about Jerusalem isolated the United States, unified the Arab and Muslim worlds, and may have given the Europeans a chance to play a role as…
- Policy Analysis
LevantEnergy and EconomicsTurkey’s Policy toward a Fractured Libya
Dec 12, 2017Mustafa GurbuzTurkey is interested in being on good terms with all Libyan factions but is caught up in the complex relations between Libya’s political forces and their regio…
- Policy Analysis
JordanInternational LawTrump’s Jerusalem Announcement: Big Gambit, Little Gain
Dec 6, 2017Tamara KharroubThis is indeed a shameful day for the United States, where accrediting military force, violating international law, and supporting apartheid in Jerusalem mark …
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyMissing Considerations of the Counterterrorism Alliance
Nov 29, 2017Imad K. HarbThe first meeting of the Islamic Military Counterterrorism Coalition, which took place in Riyadh, may have provided recognition of MbS’s leadership of the Musl…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyUS Military Planning in the Middle East: Increasing Challenges, Vague Strategies
Nov 28, 2017Charles W. DunneUncertainties about US military policy, intentions, and ambitions in the Middle East together with many political challenges and developments increase the conf…
