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- Policy AnalysisLibyaDemocracy and Governance
The Challenges and Opportunities in Libya Today
Jun 14, 2021Imad K. HarbAfter the uprising against former strongman Muammar Qadhafi in 2011, Libya’s road to stability and order—let alone to full democratic governance—has not been s…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Attaining the Difficult Peace in Yemen
Jun 9, 2021Gregory AftandilianAfter displaying some optimism about reaching a cease-fire and peace deal in Yemen, the Biden Administration is facing the stark reality that these objectives …
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelMedia and Technology
Systematic Digital Repression: Social Media Censoring of Palestinian Voices
Jun 8, 2021Tamara KharroubThe events of the last few weeks and the escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel have spotlighted the issue of media bias and censorship of Palestinian …
- ViewpointIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Time to Address Impunity in Iraq
Jun 4, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabOn May 26, Iraqi security forces arrested General Qasim Muslih, commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Anbar province, basing their action on…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Explaining Egypt’s Role during the Gaza War
Jun 3, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn May 21, 2021, a cease-fire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas after an 11-day military confrontation. Egypt played a vital role in securing the …
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
A Tough Nut to Crack: Rebalancing the US-Saudi Relationship
Jun 2, 2021Charles W. DunneOut on the campaign trail in 2019, presidential candidate Joe Biden made it clear that when it came to a principled US foreign policy, he intended to be the an…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaDemocracy and Governance
Syria’s Presidential Election and the Absence of the American Role
Jun 1, 2021Radwan ZiadehOn May 26, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth seven-year term in a practically uncontested election. No one was surprised by the original announceme…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration and the GCC Rapprochement with Damascus
May 27, 2021Joe MacaronWith Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on his way to a fourth term in the Syrian presidential election held this week, Moscow is expected to resume its diplomat…
- Policy AnalysisIranRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Iran Plays a Diplomatically Cautious (and Smart) Game on Gaza
May 22, 2021Daniel BrumbergIt’s not every day that Hamas leaders openly plead for Tehran’s support. But this is apparently what happened when, as the battle between Gaza’s militant grou…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The Time Has Come for an American Change on Israel
May 20, 2021Imad K. HarbPresident Joe Biden has finally uttered the magic word of cease-fire in a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they discussed the o…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Contingencies Undergird Saudi Foreign Policy
May 18, 2021Kristian Coates UlrichsenA flurry of diplomatic outreach involving Iran, Syria, and Turkey, and a continuing warming of relations with other Gulf countries, have sparked questions over…
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Sheikh Jarrah: A Welcome Palestinian Moment of Enthusiasm
May 14, 2021Khalil E. JahshanProtracted political conflicts are unpredictable phenomena. They tend to develop an internal momentum while awaiting their own uncertain future, often confusin…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Israel’s Screen of Legality behind the Sheikh Jarrah Dispossession
May 12, 2021Jonathan KuttabThe situation in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood represents a microcosm of the ongoing Judaization process that has been taking place since the creation…
- Policy AnalysisWomen & Gender Issues
The (Slowly) Changing Gender Dynamics in Arab Countries
May 11, 2021Yara M. AsiA now infamous image from 2014 captured the moment Loujain al-Hathloul’s life changed: it shows her sitting behind the wheel of a car, a small smile on her fac…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Is Tunisia’s President Endangering Democracy?
May 7, 2021Daniel BrumbergRecently, Tunisia has witnessed a political dynamic that is all too rare in the Arab world: Islamists have joined forces with some secularly oriented Members o…
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyUS Foreign Policy
The Path to Armenian Genocide Recognition: A Lesson for Palestine Activists?
May 6, 2021Gregory AftandilianThe century-old struggle by the Armenian American community for US recognition that the large-scale massacres and deportations of their people in the Ottoman E…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
The Israeli Factor in the US-Iran Nuclear Talks
May 6, 2021Joe MacaronAs US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel on April 11, Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency orchestrated a mysterious explosion in Iran’s Natanz …
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Human Rights Watch Exposes Israeli Apartheid
May 3, 2021Jonathan KuttabOn April 27, 2021, Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a 213-page report entitled “A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecu…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEducation and Development
Arab Space Programs Level Up
Apr 30, 2021Charles W. DunnePeople in the Arab world have gazed at the stars with curiosity and genius for centuries. The first observatory was built in the 8th century by Abbasid Caliph …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Failures of Authoritarian Governance in Egypt
Apr 28, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn March 23, the world's attention turned to Egypt as traffic in the strategic Suez Canal was disrupted after the 400-meter container ship, the Ever Given, ran…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
The United States Ends its Combat Role in Iraq
Apr 26, 2021Gregory AftandilianAt the recent meeting of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue, negotiators decided to end the combat mission of US troops engaged in the fight against remnants of th…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Will the Natanz Incident Produce Maximum Diplomacy?
Apr 23, 2021Daniel BrumbergJust two days after what appeared to be an Israeli-backed sabotage of Iran’s Natanz enrichment facilities, The Washington Post’s editorial board declared that …
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
The Palestinian Elections and Jerusalem
Apr 20, 2021Jonathan KuttabFifteen years have elapsed since the last elections in Palestine, and now Palestinians are poised to hold a new round for the Legislative Council of the Palest…
- Policy AnalysisAlgeriaProtests and Activism
Democratic Transition in Algeria: The Regime-Hirak Face-off
Apr 19, 2021Louisa Dris-Aït HamadoucheFor the first time in its history, Algeria is experiencing a political uprising that began in 2019 and is characterized as inclusive, peaceful, popular, and re…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Hezbollah in Moscow: Russia Flexes Its Diplomatic Muscles
Apr 14, 2021Joe MacaronIn a medium-sized van with no bodyguards, on a rainy March 15, 2021, a Hezbollah delegation quietly walked into the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Biden’s Apparent Failure on Israel-Palestine
Apr 13, 2021Imad K. HarbPresident Joe Biden’s 100-day milestone is approaching with pronounced successes in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, righting the ship of the American econom…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Libyan Interim Government: Hopes and Challenges
Apr 6, 2021ACW Research and Analysis UnitLibya has suffered years of violence and volatility. Recently, Libyan delegates to a conference in Geneva approved the re-formation of two entities: the Presid…
- Policy AnalysisEnergy and Economics
Starving and Being Starved: Addressing Food Insecurity in Arab Populations
Apr 5, 2021Yara M. AsiAfter years of civil war and outside intervention, Yemen continues to be widely recognized as having the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. A significant contr…
- ViewpointPalestine/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 UnitOn 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 AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
An Old, Ongoing Struggle: Domesticating Religious Institutions in Egypt
Apr 2, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniThe relationship between religion and the state is controversial and problematic in the Arab world, particularly with the absence of clear demarcations that co…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Congressional Advocacy for Palestinian Rights in the Post-Trump Era
Apr 2, 2021Yousef MunayyerFor nearly 15 years, a partisan divide around the US-Israel relationship has been exacerbated in American politics. It became clear and consistent during the O…
- Policy AnalysisDemocracy and Governance
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Autocrats: Key Strategies That Beat Down the Arab Spring and Keep Regimes in Power
Mar 31, 2021Charles W. DunneThe 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring has unleashed a torrent of retrospectives focused on the legacy of the uprisings, mostly their failures. All these year…
- Intern CornerThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and Economics
China’s Maritime Challenge to the United States in the Gulf
Mar 30, 2021Gabriella HaedeltThe Arabian Gulf has emerged as a theater of investment, international integration, and rivalry for global powers, especially after Chinese President Xi Jinpin…
- ViewpointIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
A Struggle of Wills over Iraq’s Identity
Mar 30, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe last few days witnessed serious efforts by some Arab countries to influence developments in Iran-friendly Iraq. On March 24, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohamm…
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Turkish-Egyptian Reconciliation Efforts Echo a Shifting Regional Order
Mar 26, 2021Daniel BrumbergOver the past month, Turkey has taken steps to restore diplomatic relations with Egypt. That President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spearheaded this effort is para…
- Policy AnalysisJordanUS Foreign Policy
Jordan’s Monarchy Reclaims Regional Role under Biden
Mar 25, 2021Joe MacaronTo 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 AnalysisLebanonDemocracy and Governance
Lebanon Faces a Civil War, a Prospect of Its Own Making
Mar 23, 2021Imad K. HarbThe socioeconomic and political crises gripping Lebanon today are unprecedented in the country’s 100-year history, one that has witnessed intercommunal unrest …
- Policy AnalysisLevant
Egypt’s Ties to Israel Deepen Despite Public Misgivings
Mar 19, 2021Gregory AftandilianThe Egyptian government has deepened its cooperation with Israel on strategic and economic matters in order to root out the extremist threat in the Sinai Penin…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Hard-liners Fight for Iran’s Presidency and Foreign Policy
Mar 17, 2021Daniel BrumbergFormer US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, who during the Obama Administration played a pivotal role in negotiating the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, recently asserted…
- Policy AnalysisIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iraq’s Complicated and Challenging Security Situation
Mar 16, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabMany of Iraq’s pro-Iran militias were encouraged with Joe Biden’s election as president of the United States and the ensuing Democratic control of both houses …
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
Israel’s 2021 Elections: Background, Scenarios, and Expectations
Mar 16, 2021Honaida GhanimOn March 23rd, Israel holds its fourth round of parliamentary elections in less than two years, amid what in Israel has become known as “the political crisis” …
- Policy AnalysisJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Challenges to Biden’s Human Rights Agenda in the Middle East
Mar 9, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniIn his speech at the US State Department on February 4, 2021, US President Joe Biden pledged to support democracy and confront authoritarianism globally, sayin…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration and the Palestinians: Early Policy Indications
Mar 9, 2021Yousef MunayyerThe new administration in Washington, about half way through its first 100 days in office, is shaping its foreign policy. President Joe Biden and his team have…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Cautious Optimism a Decade after Libya’s Revolution
Mar 5, 2021Imad K. HarbThe Arab Spring protests that started 10 years ago in Libya and the ensuing collapse of the Muammar Qadhafi regime set in motion a decade of instability that c…
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
No Light at the End of Lebanon’s Long and Dark Tunnel
Mar 3, 2021Joe MacaronBy all accounts, Lebanon is a desperate case. The severe fiscal crises portend an extended economic depression ahead. The country has been in political paralys…
- Policy AnalysisClimate and Environment
Climate Change in the Arab World: An Existential Threat in an Unstable Region
Mar 2, 2021Yara M. AsiIn the mid-2010s, several years into Syria’s brutal civil war, a theory emerged that perhaps the conflict was even more complicated than originally conceived. …
- ViewpointSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Mohammed bin Salman in the Hot Seat
Feb 26, 2021Imad K. HarbThe Biden Administration’s release on February 26 of a declassified intelligence report implicating Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) in the assassi…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
The US and Iran: From Brinkmanship to Negotiations?
Feb 25, 2021Daniel BrumbergIn his far-ranging February 21 interview with Iran’s Press TV, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated a bottom line: that Iran would step awa…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration Contemplates a New Pivot to Asia
Feb 23, 2021Charles W. DunneIs the pivot to Asia for real this time?That is one of the key questions Washington policy analysts, pundits, and diplomats are asking themselves as President …
- Policy AnalysisSyriaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A Decade of War in Syria: Political Transition Is Still the Answer
Feb 22, 2021Radwan ZiadehThe middle of March marks the tenth anniversary of the civil war in Syria. It began in the south of the country when regime forces resorted to violence to quel…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptProtests and Activism
Ten Years Later: Reflections on Egypt’s 2011 Uprising
Feb 19, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani appraises the January 2011 Egyptian revolution that led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. He writes that the revolutionary forces …
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
Palestinian Elections 2021: Reconciling Competing Motives
Feb 18, 2021Khalil E. JahshanOn January 15, 2021, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority (PA) issued a decreecalling for legislative, presidential, and National Council elect…
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
The Limits of US-French Coordination in the Middle East
Feb 17, 2021Joe MacaronJoe Macaron explores the current state of American-French relations regarding the Middle East at the start of the Biden Administration. He lists three main rea…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelInternational Law
Is International Criminal Justice Coming for Israel?
Feb 17, 2021Jonathan KuttabOn February 5, the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled, for purposes of its jurisdiction, that Palestine is a state. The chief prosecutor who sought this …
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Tunisia’s Multiple Crises Threaten Its Brittle Democracy
Feb 16, 2021Daniel BrumbergOn January 26, Tunisia witnessed a scene that echoed the dramatic events of January 6 in Washington, DC. Outside the Tunisian parliament in Tunis, hundreds of …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egyptian-Saudi Relations: Strategic Ties with Some Political Strains
Feb 9, 2021Gregory AftandilianEgypt and Saudi Arabia continue to be strategic partners in the Middle East, buoyed by shared interests and certain threat perceptions. Saudi Arabia values Egy…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Is Israel an Apartheid State?
Feb 6, 2021Jonathan KuttabJonathan Kuttab explains the fundamental elements of the crime of apartheid committed by Israel against the Palestinians under its control, including legislati…
- ViewpointLebanonIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
The Assassination of Lebanon’s Lokman Slim
Feb 4, 2021Imad K. HarbAssassination reared its ugly head once again in Lebanon when unknown assailants killed political analyst and activist Lokman Slim in southern Lebanon in the e…
- ViewpointIraqViolent Extremism
The Terrorist Attacks in Baghdad: A New Chapter in Iraq’s Instability?
Feb 3, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabAbdulwahab Al-Qassab writes that the latest suicide bombings in Baghdad portend a feared return of the Islamic State after it was supposedly vanquished in Dece…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Biden will Contend with Divergent Middle East Preferences on Iran
Jan 27, 2021Daniel BrumbergThe Middle East is experiencing a period of diplomatic and strategic readjustment that will create both challenges and opportunities for the Biden Administrati…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Iran between Avenging Soleimani and Engaging Biden
Jan 27, 2021Joe MacaronTwo events in January serve as reminders of how US-Iran dynamics are pulled in two different directions: the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20,…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/Israel
Netanyahu’s Latest Election Scheme: The Arab Vote?
Jan 27, 2021Yousef MunayyerAs the State of Israel once again heads to a new election, its prime minister—who infamously fearmongered against Arab citizens to drive Israeli right-wing vot…
- Policy AnalysisMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs
The “Unhealable Rift” of Exile: The Plight of Arab Refugees
Jan 26, 2021Yara M. AsiYara M. Asi studies the current conditions of refugees in the Arab world--focusing on those from Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, and Palestine--who have fled their …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egypt’s Changing policy in Libya: Opportunities and Challenges
Jan 21, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn December 27, 2020, a high-ranking Egyptian diplomatic and security delegation visited the Libyan capital of Tripoli to hold talks with the United Nations-ba…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Pompeo’s Departing Sabotage in Yemen
Jan 19, 2021Imad K. HarbWith less than two weeks in office before he checks out of Foggy Bottom, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated Yemen’s Houthi movement a foreign terrorist …
- Policy AnalysisSyriaIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Kurdish Dilemmas in Syria
Jan 13, 2021Gregory AftandilianThe Syrian Kurds, who constitute about 10 percent of Syria’s population, are at a crossroads, trying to preserve their shrunken statelet in the northeastern pa…