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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
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
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
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
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
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
LebanonEnergy and EconomicsLebanon’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
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
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
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…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceLebanon Faces a Prolonged Presidential Vacuum
Nov 29, 2022Imad K. HarbLebanon has experienced a long presidential vacuum three times in its history: from September 1988 to November 1989, from November 2007 to May 2008, and from M…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptEnergy and EconomicsEgypt and the IMF: Greater Foreign Debt and Deeper Economic Decline
Nov 17, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniEgypt reached a new agreement with the IMF to borrow $3 billion over a 46-month period. The Egyptian economy has been struggling over the past couple of years …
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceKais Saied Sets the Stage for Tunisia’s December 17 Elections
Nov 11, 2022Daniel BrumbergAutocrats love elections, so long as they know they will win them, of course. But because they have zero tolerance for uncertainty at the polls, autocratic reg…
- Policy Analysis
Democracy and GovernanceThe Colonial Legacy in the Arab World: Health, Education, and Politics
Nov 9, 2022Yara M. AsiIn recent years, movements toward “decolonization” have taken hold throughout multiple disciplines, including cultural studies, health, economics, and educatio…
- Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and GovernanceA Scandal-Plagued Netanyahu Returns for His Fifth Term as Israeli Prime Minister
Nov 4, 2022Khalil E. JahshanWith final election results having been announced by Israel’s Central Elections Committee, Haaretz declared that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Lik…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptJustice, Equality, and Human RightsCongress Versus Biden on Foreign Assistance to Egypt
Nov 1, 2022Charles W. DunneThe Egypt Human Rights Caucus would like a word with President Joe Biden. The group, which was formed in January 2021 on the 10th anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 u…
- Policy Analysis
SudanDemocracy and GovernanceSudan: A Flicker of Hope Amid Mounting Problems
Oct 27, 2022Gregory AftandilianSince the October 2021 military coup that derailed Sudan’s political transition to a much hoped-for democracy, Sudan has been plagued by civil strife, deterior…
- Policy Analysis
KuwaitDemocracy and GovernanceParliamentary Elections Are Unlikely to Alter Kuwait’s Political Landscape
Oct 18, 2022Kristian Coates UlrichsenVoters in Kuwait went to the polls on September 29 to elect a new National Assembly in what was the country’s ninth general election in 16 years and the sixth …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and GovernanceIsraeli Elections: A Fifth Attempt at Forming a Stable Government
Oct 6, 2022Yousef MunayyerOnce again, and for the fifth time in four years, Israel is on the brink of an election, and is facing the all-too-familiar prospect of political deadlock—even…
- Policy Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIran’s Cautious Stance on Iraq’s Current Political Crisis
Sep 27, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniIraqi politicians have repeatedly failed to form a government in the eleven months that have passed since the country’s October 2021 elections, in large part d…
- Policy Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIn Iraq’s Political Stalemate, Sadr May Be in Charge
Aug 23, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniIraq’s political deadlock has grown more intense and complex in recent months. The stalemate that has reigned since the re-election of Speaker of Parliament Mo…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLibya’s Woes Persist in a Fractured Political Landscape
Aug 18, 2022Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian examines the latest developments in Libya following the derailment of parliamentary and presidential elections and the ongoing division and…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyRegional Relations and GeopoliticsErdoğan Bets on “Turkish Exceptionalism”
Aug 17, 2022Mustafa GurbuzMustafa Gurbuz analyzes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s calculations as he increases his cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite Tu…
- Policy Analysis
US Foreign PolicyBiden’s Embrace of Arab Autocrats Ends Hopes for Democracy in the Middle East
Aug 10, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani writes that President Biden’s recent meetings with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE sent a clear message to the world’s authorit…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceTunisia’s Three Post-Referendum Political Scenarios
Aug 8, 2022Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg offers three potential political scenarios for Tunisia following the country's July 25 referendum on a new constitution that President Kais Sai…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceLebanon’s Upcoming Presidential Race Is Riddled with Uncertainty
Jul 21, 2022Nabeel A. KhouryAmid political chaos, economic collapse, a dearth of public services, and shortages of basic foods and medications, Lebanon is nonetheless slated to hold anoth…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceTunisia’s New Constitution Will Hasten the Country’s Transition to Autocracy
Jul 14, 2022Daniel BrumbergThe gathering storm provoked by Tunisian President Kais Saied’s attempt to forge a new political system could reach a critical moment on July 25. On that day T…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceEgypt’s National Dialogue: Real Change or Merely a Mirage?
Jul 13, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniSisi’s call for a national dialogue could break through Egypt’s political stasis. However, there are several reasons to believe otherwise.
- Viewpoint
LibyaDemocracy and GovernanceLibya’s Belligerent Elites May Doom the Country’s Future
Jul 5, 2022Imad K. HarbOnce again, Libya is falling victim to its political elites’ failure to agree on a long-awaited election mechanism and constitutional provisions that would sec…
- Intern Corner
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIraq’s Opposition Builds a Blueprint for Dismantling a Corrupt Sectarian System
Jun 28, 2022Zahraa AlribeawiIraqi politicians’ continued failure to form a functioning government calls for a reexamination of the country’s current political system, al-muhasasa al-ta'if…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and GovernanceHere We Go Again: Israeli Government Collapses
Jun 28, 2022Yousef MunayyerThe Israeli Knesset once again voted to dissolve itself, setting the stage for new elections this fall, which will be the country’s fifth in just three years. …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptSecurity and DefenseInsurgency in Sinai: Challenges and Prospects
Jun 10, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniIn May 2022, at least 16 Egyptian troops were killed in two separate attacks in the Sinai Peninsula. The attacks were claimed by Wilayat Sinai or Sinai Provinc…
- Policy Analysis
Justice, Equality, and Human Rights“Free Them All”: The Trampled Rights of Political Prisoners in the Arab World
May 27, 2022Yara M. AsiIn December 2021, Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah was sentenced to prison for five years after being convicted of “spreading false news.” Alaa …
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceA Preliminary Reading into Lebanon’s Parliamentary Elections
May 18, 2022Halim ShebayaLebanon’s parliamentary elections, held on May 15, 2022, were the first chance to understand where Lebanese voters stand on a number of important issues since …
- Viewpoint
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceLebanon’s Voters Would Do Well to Support the Forces of Change
May 10, 2022Imad K. HarbOn May 15, resident Lebanese go to the polls to elect a new 128-member parliament to replace the one elected four years ago. Given the right to vote in 2018, e…
- Policy Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIraq’s Government Formation Hindered by Intra-Group Political Competitions
May 2, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniZeidon Alkinani argues that the current political deadlock in Iraq in choosing a president and a prime minister is fueled by intra-group competitions in the Sh…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceKais Saied Continues His Assault on the Tunisian State
Apr 8, 2022Daniel BrumbergIt is difficult to say whether Tunisian President Kais Saied’s March 30 announcement that he is dissolving the country’s parliament represents a turning point …
- Policy Analysis
LibyaDemocracy and GovernanceLibya: A Return to Uncertainty
Mar 16, 2022Imad K. HarbIt appears that all bets are off in Libya. Elections that were scheduled for last December were postponed as competing institutions and individuals interpret p…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsSisi Intensifies Arms Imports to Secure External Support for His Policies
Feb 28, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniEgypt has become the third largest arms importer in the world, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The institute’s “Trends i…
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceThe Quiet Kurdish Rivalry over Iraq’s Presidency
Feb 9, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniZeidon Alkinani discusses the rivalry between Iraq’s main Kurdish parties—the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)—and i…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and GovernanceProspects for the Israeli Governing Coalition
Feb 9, 2022Yousef MunayyerYousef Munayyer evaluates the prospects of survival of Israel’s current governing coalition, whose partners have little in common except that they coalesced ar…
- Policy Analysis
Media and TechnologyMapping Digital Authoritarianism in the Arab World
Feb 3, 2022Tamara KharroubThe Arab uprisings of 2011 gave rise to a utopian vision of information and communication technologies (ICTs), highlighting their abilities to bypass governmen…
- Policy Analysis
Justice, Equality, and Human RightsA Bleak Landscape for Democracy and Human Rights in the MENA Region in 2022
Feb 2, 2022Charles W. DunneAny survey of human rights in the Middle East and North Africa at the start of 2022 has to open with the bad news.Promising protest movements that began in 201…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptJustice, Equality, and Human RightsSisi’s Transnational Repression: Silencing Political Dissidents in Exile
Jan 26, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniOn January 6, the FBI arrested Pierre Girgis, an Egyptian American, for spying on critics of Egypt’s president in the United States. According to the US Depart…
- Policy Analysis
Democracy and GovernanceThe Democracy Deficit in the Arab World
Jan 14, 2022Imad K. HarbImad K. Harb examines the democracy deficit in the Arab world and the associated widespread violations of human rights, probing possible explanations of what h…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaDemocracy and GovernanceLibya: Political Paralysis and Continued Uncertainty
Jan 11, 2022Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian writes that the postponement of Libya’s presidential and parliamentary elections has helped plunge the country into another crisis that thr…
- Viewpoint
SudanDemocracy and GovernanceSudan’s Revolution Must Be Allowed to Continue
Jan 4, 2022Imad K. HarbIn a move that reflected his failure to garner the support of the Sudanese public, Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok submitted his resignation on January 2…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceCan Tunisia’s Leaders Forge a New Democratic Bargain?
Dec 29, 2021Daniel BrumbergNothing captures Tunisia’s crisis of democracy better than this act: the sentencing, in absentia, of former President Moncef Marzouki to four years in prison. …
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceIraq’s Post-Election Government Formation: Political Deadlock
Dec 28, 2021Zeidon AlkinaniMajor changes to the Iraqi political scene are awaiting the formation of a new government following the results of the early parliamentary election that took p…
- Policy Analysis
Education and DevelopmentWhat Future Exists for the Arab Youth of Today?
Dec 22, 2021Yara M. AsiIn December 2021, an unprecedented event happened in Saudi Arabia: a rave just north of Riyadh. Men and women danced in mixed company, alcohol and marijuana we…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernancePolitics, Geopolitical Conditions Pushing Lebanon into a Death Spiral
Dec 22, 2021Imad K. HarbConditions in Lebanon today betray a slide toward the total failure of state institutions amid a precipitous downturn of the country’s economic and social indi…
- Policy Analysis
Democracy and GovernanceBiden’s Summit for Democracy Ignored the Middle East
Dec 15, 2021Charles W. DunneThe Biden Administration’s recent Summit for Democracy should be regarded as a modest success, fulfilling a campaign promise by President Joe Biden and decisiv…
- Policy Analysis
SudanRegional Relations and GeopoliticsSudan Coup: The Regional Interference behind a Faltering Transition
Dec 11, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn October 25, 2021, Sudan’s General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan staged a coup, declared a state of emergency, dissolved the power-sharing Sovereign Council, sacked…
- Viewpoint
Democracy and GovernanceIs Biden Serious about His Summit for Democracy?
Dec 6, 2021Khalil E. JahshanSince his inauguration on January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden has been hinting at a renewed focus on democracy by his administration to reverse the dismal re…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceIs Tunisia Transitioning to a Liberalized Autocracy?
Nov 18, 2021Daniel BrumbergIf in the coming months Tunisia undergoes a transition, given current conditions, it will probably not be along a path back to democracy. Indeed, while Preside…
- Viewpoint
SyriaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Failure of Syria’s Constitutional Committee
Nov 16, 2021Radwan ZiadehIn October 2019, Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres enthusiastically welcomed the creation of Syria’s Constitutional Committee that would…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaDemocracy and GovernanceUncertainty Overshadows Libya’s Elections
Nov 11, 2021Imad K. HarbThe agreement governing Libya’s advancement toward presidential and legislative elections, which are slated to be held in December, ran into serious trouble th…
- Policy Analysis
IraqProtests and ActivismIraq’s Tishreen Protest Movement: The Exceptional Domestic Pressure Tool
Nov 10, 2021Zeidon AlkinaniIn October 2019, Iraq witnessed its most significant anti-government protests since the US-led invasion and occupation in 2003. The demonstrations blasted the …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptReligion and PoliticsEgypt’s Muslim Brotherhood: Old Problems and New Divisions
Nov 3, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniSince its removal from power in 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt continues to face many problems and challenges. Having always prided itself on being the …
- Policy Analysis
SudanUS Foreign PolicyBiden’s Chameleon-like Policy in the MENA Region
Nov 3, 2021Imad K. HarbHaving invested time, effort, and treasure in helping to sustain the 2019 political agreement between the Sudanese military and the civilian Forces of Freedom …
- Viewpoint
SudanDemocracy and GovernanceMilitary Takeover in Sudan: The Writing Is on the Wall
Oct 25, 2021Imad K. HarbWe have seen this before: military officers in the Arab world not quite enamored with sharing power with civilians—let alone ceding it to them peacefully—show …
- Policy Analysis
JordanRegional Relations and GeopoliticsJordan: Uptick in Diplomacy amid Pandora Papers Revelations
Oct 20, 2021Gregory AftandilianRevelations 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
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceForeign Influence in Lebanon and the Third Miqati Premiership
Oct 13, 2021Joe MacaronFor the third time in 16 years, Prime Minister Najib Miqati comes to office as a consensus candidate in a country with deep divisions within the Lebanese polit…
