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- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
‘Does Israel Have a Right To Exist’ Is a Trick Question
Jan 22, 2019Yousef MunayyerCriticizing Israel’s policies toward the Palestinian people should never be conflated with eliminationism.
- Policy AnalysisJordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
A Shift Begins on Israel/Palestine in the 116th Congress
Jan 17, 2019Yousef MunayyerA 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 AnalysisSaudi ArabiaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The Khashoggi Murder and US Middle East Strategy in 2019
Jan 10, 2019Joe MacaronThe Khashoggi affair and Trump’s hasty withdrawal from Syria are expected to cast a cloud over Washington’s Middle East strategy in 2019.
- ViewpointSaudi ArabiaDemocracy and Governance
The Saudi Shake-Up to Consolidate One-Man Rule
Jan 2, 2019Imad K. HarbKing Salman’s cabinet reshuffle was to divert attention away from MbS’s responsibility for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi; but it will likely not succeed.
- Policy AnalysisIranIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iran’s Hardliners and Reformists and the Syria Gambit
Dec 27, 2018Daniel BrumbergIranian hardliners have tried to isolate reformists by asserting that in times of growing security threats, all political forces must unite behind the drive fo…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaDemocracy and Governance
The Aftermath of the Khashoggi Murder: Freedom of the Press in 2018
Dec 21, 2018Tamara KharroubThe rise of populism and anti-globalism has contributed to erosion of the international rights system, with governments moving away from accountability and tra…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Mohammed Bin Salman and the “Deal of the Century”
Dec 17, 2018Yousef MunayyerMbS has proven that he is the wrong man for the job of marketing Trump’s deal. If Trump goes ahead with his peace plan with MbS as his salesman, expectations o…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Assad Begins a Three-Year Plan to Refurbish His Regime
Dec 12, 2018Joe MacaronThe Assad regime is consolidating itself and laying the groundwork to reap the benefits of postwar Syria and strengthen control over territories it recaptured.
- Policy AnalysisJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Political Prisoners in the Middle East: The Quiet Crisis
Dec 6, 2018Charles W. DunneHolding political prisoners in the Middle East is not only a human rights abuse in and of itself; it is symptomatic of a much more pervasive and dangerous patt…
- ViewpointSaudi ArabiaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Pompeo and Mattis Strongly Support Saudi Arabia in the US Senate
Nov 28, 2018Marcus MontgomeryThe Trump Administration likely dealt itself a blow when it sent Secretaries Pompeo and Mattis to the Senate but prevented Haspel from testifying as well.
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The Now-Halted War in Hodeida: Was It a Cover for Khashoggi’s Murder?
Nov 15, 2018Imad K. HarbThe resumption of fighting around Hodeida cannot be separated from the Saudi attempt to deflect the international community’s attention away from its responsib…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The Developing GCC-Damascus Rapprochement
Nov 15, 2018Joe MacaronA rapprochement between GCC countries and the Syrian regime is becoming more possible and is being reinforced by recent regional developments.
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Trump, American Jews, and Israel: Driving a Deeper Wedge
Nov 9, 2018Yousef MunayyerUS support for Israel today is partisan in ways not seen before, thanks in part to shifting demographics and opinions and also to changes in the relationship b…
- ViewpointSaudi ArabiaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The Khashoggi Affair: The Five Stages of Saudi Denial
Oct 27, 2018Khalil E. JahshanComing to terms with the heinous crime and its implications for the kingdom was a slow and painful process reminiscent of the five stages of grief model associ…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaDemocracy and Governance
Has Saudi Arabia Become a Monarchy of Fear?
Oct 24, 2018Daniel BrumbergWith increasing authoritarian tendencies in the current Arab political order, the Khashoggi killing may point to Saudi Arabia as approaching being a monarchy o…
- Policy AnalysisMoroccoJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Assessing Morocco’s Human Rights Picture: Constitutional Reform May Not Be Enough
Oct 11, 2018Charles W. DunneWhile Morocco’s constitutional changes were meant to limit the powers of the absolute monarchy, the Moroccan king remains the final arbiter of the political sy…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Oslo at 25: Long Dead and Now Finally Buried?
Sep 24, 2018Yousef MunayyerFor 25 years, the Oslo process has been dying a slow death because of Palestinian weakness, overemphasis on ensuring Israeli security, and the Trump Administra…
- ViewpointLevantInternational Law
The Trump Administration’s “Peace Plan” Threatens Global Peace and Security
Sep 12, 2018Tamara KharroubOn September 10, 2018, the United States ordered the closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) office in Washington, DC. A statement by the Depa…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Five Years after Sisi’s Coup: Soul Searching, Resistance, and Division
Sep 12, 2018Daniel BrumbergSisi is building a full autocracy in Egypt. He will not be intimidated by pushback from state-linked elites but by a genuine healing of the Islamist-secular br…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Saudi Arabia’s Extrajudicial Arrests: Between Reforms, Modernization, and Human Rights Violations
Aug 31, 2018Tamara KharroubThe White House deals another blow to Palestinians, cutting millions of dollars in aid; Trump Administration officials pan Washington to talk Syria, Yemen, Ira…
- ViewpointSaudi ArabiaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The Latest Example of Erratic Saudi Foreign Policy
Aug 9, 2018Imad K. HarbOnce again, impulsive, ill-advised, and harmful foreign policy decisions are negatively impacting Saudi Arabia’s global standing. The kingdom has expelled the …
- Policy AnalysisLevantIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Separate and Unequal in Israel: The Foundations of Discriminatory Law
Jul 26, 2018Yousef MunayyerIsrael’s new nation-state law enshrines discrimination, with constitutional weight, into the Israeli state’s legal system, spelling further marginalization and…
- ViewpointLevantInternational Law
Israel Legalizes Apartheid and Ethnocentric Supremacy
Jul 20, 2018Khalil E. JahshanFor a government that has coined its own term—“Hasbara,” the Hebrew word for “explanation”—for its international propaganda efforts, Israel never fails to amaz…
- ViewpointEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Five Years after Sisi’s Coup: More Repression and a President for Life
Jul 20, 2018Imad K. HarbFive years after the military coup of July 2013, Egypt’s domestic conditions appear to be heading toward increased authoritarianism, state repression, and regi…
- Policy AnalysisLevantIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
BDS and Palestinian Rights: An Assessment
Jul 18, 2018Yousef MunayyerThe aim of BDS is to pressure Israel to abide by international law, focusing on three principal demands: ending military occupation of Palestinian land, securi…
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
Proposed Basic Law: Israel – The Nation State of the Jewish People
Jul 16, 2018Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in IsraelThe Basic Law states that "the State of Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people" and that the realization of national self-determination in the State o…
- Policy AnalysisJordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The 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 AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
The Aftermath of Egypt’s 2018 Presidential Election: Stormy Weather Ahead
Jun 26, 2018Charles W. DunneEgyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's return to office in a rigged election this March failed to provide a strong mandate for difficult economic and politi…
- Policy AnalysisLevantIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
US 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 AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
The 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 AnalysisLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Human 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 AnalysisLevantInternational Law
US 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…
- ViewpointLevantInternational Law
The 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 AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
Palestinian 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…
- ViewpointLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Seventy 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 AnalysisNorth AfricaDemocracy and Governance
Major Stakes in Tunisia’s Municipal Elections
Apr 24, 2018Charles W. DunneTunisia, the only true success story from the Arab Spring thus far, finds itself at a crossroads as it approaches major national elections over the next year 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 AnalysisLevantInternational Law
The 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 AnalysisJordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
A 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…
- Policy AnalysisJordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Trump’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 AnalysisJordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Repercussions 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Hell 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 AnalysisJordanJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Mahmoud 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 AnalysisMoroccoDemocracy and Governance
The Moroccan King’s “Political Earthquake”: Old Medicine in New Bottles?
Jan 17, 2018Mohammed CherkaouiThe real promise of political and economic reforms in Morocco mostly depends on whether King Mohammed VI is sincere about implementing them and if he succeeds …
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
The 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 AnalysisLibyaDemocracy and Governance
Libya’s Modern Slavery and the Politics of Denial
Dec 18, 2017Mohammed CherkaouiThe treatment of refugees and migrants in Libya raises new questions about three major political, socioeconomic, and moral dilemmas for the Libyan government, …
- Policy AnalysisJordanInternational Law
Trump’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 AnalysisNorth AfricaDemocracy and Governance
Challenges to Tunisia’s Transition to Democracy
Nov 21, 2017Mohammed CherkaouiRecent moves by the Tunisian executive suggest that the Jasmine Revolution is not unfolding as smoothly as expected and that the country may not be the excepti…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaDemocracy and Governance
Is Mohammed bin Salman Overplaying His Hand?
Nov 6, 2017Imad K. HarbMohammed bin Salman may think that consolidating power in his hands will help the kingdom face its challenges, but he would do well to know that sidelining imp…
- Policy AnalysisArab Americans/ Muslim Americans
Countering Violent Extremism under the Trump Administration: Shortsighted and Counterproductive
Oct 11, 2017Tamara KharroubTo counter violent extremism, the Trump Administration would better serve US interests and security by focusing on fostering democratic governance, investing i…
- Policy AnalysisMoroccoDemocracy and Governance
Morocco’s Rif Rises against the Makhzen’s Power
Oct 4, 2017Mohammed CherkaouiMorocco’s popular protests highlight three intersecting dilemmas: the future legitimacy of the monarchy, poor governance and widespread corruption, and the pot…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Egypt’s Role in Arab Politics: Punching Below its Weight
Oct 4, 2017Charles W. DunneEgypt’s traditional influence in the Arab world is a function of its ability to help resolve its problems. This influence is today on a downward trajectory as …
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
A New Tunisian Law Tackles Violence Against Women
Sep 12, 2017Sahar KhamisThe new Tunisian law against violence against women sets a new model for the Arab world to emulate and raises the bar in the struggle for women’s rights and ge…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Troubling Ambiguities in the UAE’s Role in Yemen
Sep 8, 2017Imad K. HarbThe UAE’s ambiguous policies in Yemen expose the entire restoration of Yemeni legitimacy to uncertain circumstances, put it and Saudi Arabia at cross purposes,…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Is the Trump-Sisi Honeymoon Over?
Aug 28, 2017Imad K. HarbThe State Department’s decision on aid to Egypt shows that the Trump Administration cannot sidestep established law or Congress’s power of appropriation despit…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Existential Questions: Iraq Gears up for Elections
Aug 7, 2017Charles W. DunneIraqi political forces are beginning to come together, pick fights, ingratiate themselves with potential foreign patrons, and evaluate the mood of the country …
- Policy AnalysisDemocracy and Governance
A Case for Human Rights and Democracy in US Middle East Policy
Jul 5, 2017Charles W. DunneAmerican advocacy of human rights has helped defend US security in the long term, stabilize US allies and the international system, and build the moral capital…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Gaza Crisis and the Politics of the Light Switch
Jun 26, 2017Yousef MunayyerThe Gaza Strip is under unprecedented pressure. The situation on the ground has reached a climax over the past few months, making it ripe for either an implosi…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A Discussion of the UN Report on “Israeli Practices Regarding the Palestinians and the Question of Apartheid”
Jun 8, 2017Virginia TilleyThe two-state solution will allow Israel as an apartheid state to rule over a smaller portion of historical Palestine but will not be a just solution for the c…
- Policy AnalysisLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Gaping Holes in Trump’s Well-Received Speech
May 26, 2017Imad K. HarbPresident Trump’s speech on better relations with Muslims exposed flaws and gaping holes the Administration will have to correct if it wants to advance its int…
- Policy AnalysisIranDemocracy and Governance
Challenges Facing Iran’s Presidential Contenders
May 9, 2017Imad K. HarbIran’s presidential candidates are acutely aware that if elected, they would have to hew to the wishes and ultimate desires of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
President Abbas Spins the Wheel in Washington
May 2, 2017Imad K. HarbRealities on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territories and an obvious pro-Israel American bias dash any hope for an equitable peace deal from the Trum…
- Research PaperMoroccoConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Four-Approach Dilemma of the Western Sahara Conflict
Apr 25, 2017Mohammed CherkaouiWhile awaiting the perennial renewal of the mandate for the UN monitoring force (MINURSO, or Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara) in Western Sahara at…
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
The Quandary of Bad Governance in the Arab World
Apr 24, 2017Imad K. HarbPolling in the Arab world shows that Arabs in general have little confidence in their civilian institutions and believe that their governments are not doing en…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Israel’s “New” Settlement Policy Ploy
Apr 21, 2017Yousef MunayyerTo reach a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, President Trump has to press the former to end violations of international law and settlement building.
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
The Trump Administration’s Complicated Middle East Map
Apr 12, 2017Charles W. DunneAs the 2016 US presidential campaign wound its way through a long string of primaries, fundraisers, and an almost unimaginable marathon of candidate debates, d…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Egypt’s Fragile Stability: Erosion of the Rule of Law and Institutions of Governance
Mar 30, 2017Moataz El FegieryThis paper addresses the erosion of the rule of law and institutions of governance in Egypt by discussing the significant expansion of legal repression, the cl…
- Policy AnalysisLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The US at the UN and the Apartheid Report on Palestine
Mar 29, 2017Yousef MunayyerEarlier this month and for the first time in the history of the United Nations, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)—a UN institution—is…
- Policy AnalysisIranDemocracy and Governance
Syria Peace Talks in Geneva: A Road to Nowhere
Mar 27, 2017Radwan ZiadehOn March 3, 2017, the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, concluded the last round of Syria peace negotiations in Geneva by saying tha…
- Policy AnalysisLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The Difficult Tasks for the Arab League
Mar 22, 2017Imad K. HarbAs the Arab League limps through its eighth decade, its problems increase in number and intensity while the Arab state system continues to be burdened with pol…