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- Policy AnalysisTurkeyEnergy and Economics
Turkey’s Ambitions in Iraq Play Out in Kirkuk
Oct 3, 2023Mustafa GurbuzIn late August, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani stirred the pot of existing tensions when he ordered the evacuation of the Iraqi military’s Joint…
- Policy AnalysisAlgeriaDemocracy and Governance
In Algeria, the More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same
Oct 3, 2023Patricia KaramMore than four years have passed since the Hirak protest movement threatened to upend Algeria’s political and military leadership structure. Since then, the co…
- Policy Analysis
Biden’s Gifts to Netanyahu: Making Sense of the Motivations
Sep 28, 2023Yousef MunayyerA Democratic presidential administration in Washington has coincided with the most far-right Israeli government in history, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, who on m…
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The Awkward Biden-Netanyahu Encounter Was a Dud
Sep 22, 2023Khalil E. JahshanAlthough the United States and Israel have enjoyed a uniquely close alliance since the latter’s declaration of statehood on May 14, 1948, the bilateral relatio…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelEducation and Development
Political Persecution of Palestinians Using the Education System and Israeli Universities
Sep 21, 2023Mada al-CarmelSince the formation of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s sixth government December 29, 2022, it has become clear—as outlined in previous papers from …
- Policy AnalysisYemenEnergy and Economics
Yemen’s War Economy: A Key Factor in the Ongoing Conflict
Sep 20, 2023Afrah NasserAs Houthi negotiators leave Saudi Arabia after five days of talks with Saudi officials regarding the contours of a compromise solution to Yemen’s ongoing confl…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Recent Libya-Israel Debacle Is Symptomatic of Larger Problems
Sep 13, 2023Gregory AftandilianThe controversy and severe public backlash surrounding news of a late-August meeting between the Libyan and Israeli foreign ministers in Rome is symptomatic of…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The International Criminal Court’s Failure to Hold Israel Accountable
Sep 12, 2023Jonathan KuttabAlthough the International Criminal Court was created by the Rome Statute in 1994, it has never successfully been used to hold Israel to account for its abuses…
- Policy AnalysisKuwaitDemocracy and Governance
Challenges Facing Kuwait’s Parliamentary Democracy
Sep 12, 2023Imad K. HarbWatching Kuwait’s seemingly dysfunctional political scene gives one the impression that the country is on a course toward endless instability and disorder. Las…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelEducation and Development
The Politics of Palestinian Universities
Sep 8, 2023Yara M. AsiMany have argued that in the absence of a unified Palestinian liberation movement, and even of the ability to participate in the current mechanisms of governan…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
The Threat of Renewed Sectarian Violence in Lebanon
Sep 5, 2023Patricia KaramTwo people were killed on August 9 in the village of Kahaleh in central Lebanon, in one of the deadliest shootouts since the bloody 2021 clashes in the Tayoune…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Assessing the Abraham Accords, Three Years On
Aug 31, 2023Dana El KurdArab-Israeli normalization is one of those curious policy areas where the Biden administration has enthusiastically pursued its predecessor’s positions, even i…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
The Saudi-Israeli Normalization Gambit: Deal or No Deal?
Aug 30, 2023Khalil E. JahshanAfter weeks of conflicting accounts from columnists and journalists about the outcome of the Biden administration’s intensive shuttle diplomacy aimed at convin…
- Policy AnalysisSudanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
In Sudan, Where Is the International Community’s Responsibility to Protect?
Aug 29, 2023Imad K. HarbIt has been more than four months since clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Ra…
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
Joe Biden’s Imaginary Middle East Policy
Aug 24, 2023Charles W. DunneOver his more than four decades of service as a US senator, vice president, and now as president, Joe Biden has cultivated an image of the consummate foreign p…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaThe War in Ukraine
The Russia-Ukraine Jeddah Meeting: A Win for MBS in a Changing Global Order
Aug 24, 2023Daniel BrumbergOver the first weekend of August 2023, Saudi Arabia convened an international summit on the war in Ukraine. Held in Jeddah and attended by representatives from…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Ending Military Aid to Israel: The Death of a Taboo?
Aug 21, 2023Yousef MunayyerIf there is one thing that characterizes American-Israeli relations more than any other it is US military aid to Israel, which currently amounts to nearly $4 b…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
US Troop Buildup in the Gulf Reemphasizes Military Power
Aug 15, 2023Gregory AftandilianThe US military has recently significantly increased its presence in the Arabian Gulf, a show of force aimed primarily at deterring Iran from attacking or hara…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
US Negotiations for a Tripartite Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Israel: Context and Calculations
Aug 14, 2023Arab Center for Research and Policy StudiesSaudi Arabia and the United States are conducting complex negotiations in order to achieve a tripartite agreement that would include normalization between the …
- Policy AnalysisLebanonMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs
The Plight and Politics of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
Aug 8, 2023Patricia KaramWhen Syria’s regime was readmitted into the Arab League and its president, Bashar al Assad, rehabilitated after years of ostracism for his brutal crackdown on …
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
The Persistent Illusion of Palestinian Reconciliation
Aug 7, 2023Khalil E. JahshanRepresentatives of 14 Palestinian political factions, including Fatah and Hamas, were invited to the Egyptian coastal city of El-Alamein on July 30, 2023 for r…
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Erdoğan Seeks Better Relations with the West after His Reelection
Aug 7, 2023Salim ÇevikTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seems to have changed course on his country’s foreign relations. At the last NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, he final…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Iran’s Hardliners on the March: The Quiet Before the Storm?
Aug 3, 2023Daniel BrumbergThe recent redeployment of Iran’s dreaded “morality police” signals much more than a victory for the country’s hardliners. Instead, it seems to be part and par…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
Fending for Themselves: The Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority
Aug 3, 2023Yara M. AsiOn July 3, 2023, Israeli forces raided the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, with a specific focus on the refugee camp that borders the municipality. Th…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptEnergy and Economics
Egypt Is in Serious Trouble Seven Decades after Its Free Officers Revolution
Jul 25, 2023Imad K. HarbSeventy-one years after its July 23, 1952 Revolution, organized by the Free Officers Movement, Egypt’s difficult economic conditions threaten to unravel the ve…
- Intern CornerTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Disinformation as a Tool of Regime Survival in Tunisia
Jul 21, 2023C. Ian DeHavenDisinformation—false information created with the intent to mislead others—swamped the 2019 Tunisian presidential election, creating a confused and volatile po…
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Americans Opt for a Democratic Israel, Not a Jewish State
Jul 20, 2023Imad K. HarbThe University of Maryland and Ipsos conducted a “Critical Issues Poll” from June 21 to 27 to probe Americans’ views on Israel, Zionism, and anti-Semitism. The…
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaSecurity and Defense
The Fate of the Wagner Group in Syria, Libya, and Sudan
Jul 18, 2023Gregory AftandilianThe failed mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin has put the fate of his Wagner Group doubt, not only in Ukraine but in several Arab states as well.
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Are the United States and Iran Moving Closer to a New Nuclear Deal?
Jul 14, 2023Arab Center for Research and Policy StudiesThe last few weeks have witnessed an active diplomatic movement between Tehran and Western countries, especially the United States, regarding resolving the cri…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Sudani’s Premiership Is Failing in the Iraqi Fight Against Corruption
Jul 12, 2023Patricia KaramWhen Mohammed Shia` al-Sudani became prime minister of Iraq, he made it a priority to combat endemic corruption in the country and help restore citizen trust i…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
US Visa Waiver Program: Israel Will Not Reciprocate
Jul 10, 2023Jonathan KuttabThe United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP) permits, on a reciprocal basis, the entry of citizens of about 40 countries for 90 days for business or tourism wit…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Egypt’s National Dialogue: A Lost Opportunity for National Salvage
Jul 7, 2023Khalil Al-AnaniThe Egyptian National Dialogue began in May 2023, following a one-year delay since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi suddenly announced plans for it in April 2022…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The UAE-Saudi Arabia Rivalry Becomes a Rift
Jul 6, 2023Charles W. DunneSaudi Arabia and the UAE are waging a quiet struggle to determine who will emerge as the Arabian Gulf’s—and maybe the Arab world’s—preeminent power.
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Israel’s Attack on Jenin Refugee Camp: The Next Stage of Apartheid
Jul 5, 2023Yousef MunayyerThe Jenin refugee camp sits adjacent to the Palestinian city of Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank. The camp’s registered population numbers around 2…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Saudi-US Relations in a Changing Global and Regional Landscape
Jun 29, 2023Kristian Coates UlrichsenKristian Coates Ulrichsen discusses the current state of Saudi-US relations as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seeks to chart a new course in domestic and for…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelInternational Law
Israel’s Practices and Its “Respect” for Jordan’s Role in Jerusalem: A Legal Study
Jun 27, 2023Anis Fawzi KassimMany 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…
- Policy AnalysisSudanUS Foreign Policy
The US and the Sudan Conflict: Motives and Ability to Influence Events
Jun 27, 2023Arab Center for Research and Policy StudiesThe United States and Saudi Arabia announced on June 17, 2023 that both sides to the conflict in Sudan—the Sudanese Army Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support For…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelReligion and Politics
A Soft “Status Quo”: The Gradual Collapse of the Jewish Religious Prohibition on Entering Jerusalem’s Noble Sanctuary
Jun 22, 2023Honaida GhanimThe “Status Quo” around Jerusalem’s Noble Sanctuary (al-Haram al-Sharif) has become part of the general discourse since the Israeli occupation of the West Bank…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Rebuilding Tunisia’s Democracy Will Require a Long-Term Strategy
Jun 22, 2023Daniel BrumbergFor now, neither the urban middle class nor the Tunisian General Labor Union seem ready for a full-on collision with the president.
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyDemocracy and Governance
The Erdoğan Doctrine in the Wake of Turkey’s Elections
Jun 22, 2023Mustafa GurbuzWhen Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his new cabinet following his victory in the May 2023 presidential election, a positive mood ensued. Turk…
- Policy AnalysisIranRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Despite US Efforts, Iran is Ascendant
Jun 21, 2023Charles W. DunneIran today is not nearly as isolated as Washington had hoped and it has scored some impressive successes in advancing its regional agenda.
- Policy AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
The Continuation of Lebanon’s Presidential Debacle
Jun 21, 2023Patricia KaramIt should come as no surprise to Lebanese citizens or the international community that the country remains without a president after more than 7 months and 12 …
- Policy AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
Shock and Awe: Life in Iraq Twenty Years after the US-led Invasion
Jun 16, 2023Yara M. AsiThis year marks a significant milestone in the American-led “Global War on Terror,” especially in relation to Iraq. It has been 20 years since former Secretary…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Despite Libya’s Progress on Election Laws, Deep Divisions Remain
Jun 13, 2023Gregory AftandilianRecent meetings in Morocco between representatives of Libya’s two main factions, the Government of National Unity (GNU) in the West and the House of Representa…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egypt and Iran: A Quest for Normalized Ties Amid Significant Obstacles
Jun 9, 2023Khalil Al-AnaniEgypt and Iran appear to be moving toward a closer relationship and a mending of ties. In recent months, officials from both countries have engaged in multiple…
- Policy AnalysisMoroccoDemocracy and Governance
Morocco’s Concerning Domestic and Foreign Policies
Jun 7, 2023Imad K. HarbAs Morocco works to become a pivotal power in northwest Africa’s security sphere, it continues to suffer from what can be seen as self-inflicted wounds caused …
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
Congress Is Not Ready to Leave the Middle East
May 31, 2023Douglas ChristensenOn March 29, 2023 the Senate voted to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) for Iraq, attempting to end the two-decade-l…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Jeddah Arab League Summit: MBS’s Final Crowning
May 31, 2023Imad K. HarbThe 32nd Arab League Summit was little more than the final crowning of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince as the leader of the current Arab political order.
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyDemocracy and Governance
Turkish Elections in a Post-Truth Political Landscape
May 24, 2023Mustafa GurbuzThe scene was all too familiar in the headquarters of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) on the day of the recent Turkish election. Giant portraits o…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Democrats and Republicans’ Positions on Israel Ahead of the 2024 Election
May 24, 2023Gregory AftandilianAlthough relations with Israel are usually foreign policy talking points for American politicians ahead of national elections, it seems that the issue has come…
- ViewpointUS Foreign Policy
Millions Dead from Post-9/11 US Wars: An Unconscionable Cost
May 23, 2023David KanbergsLast week, researchers working with Brown University’s Costs of War project released a substantial report detailing the number of indirect deaths caused by the…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs
The Nakba’s Coming Stages: Patterns, Process, and Predictability
May 15, 2023Yousef MunayyerThe Nakba, a term that describes events in Palestine surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel from 1947 to 1949, which included the ethnic cleansin…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Young Palestinians’ Aspirations for the Future
May 15, 2023Yara M. AsiOne night in December 2022, 15-year-old Jana Zakarneh was at home with her family in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. The night probably began like any ot…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Tunisia’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 AnalysisSudanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The 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 AnalysisSaudi ArabiaEnergy and Economics
Saudi 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 AnalysisYemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The 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 AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
Twenty 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 AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Kais 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 AnalysisThe Arab WorldGlobal Health and Health Policy
Challenges 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 AnalysisPalestine/IsraelRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Israel’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 AnalysisSyriaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
What 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…
- ViewpointSudanDemocracy and Governance
Sudan’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…
- ViewpointEgyptThe War in Ukraine
The 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 AnalysisPalestine/IsraelReligion and Politics
On 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 AnalysisClimate and Environment
Climate Change in the Middle East Is a Humanitarian Crisis
Apr 13, 2023David KanbergsIt has become undeniably clear that climate change is already wreaking havoc across the globe, destroying lives and livelihoods and drastically altering entire…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The 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 AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfClimate and Environment
The 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…