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- Policy AnalysisLebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Hezbollah-Israel War Is Becoming Inevitable, and the United States May Not Prevent It
Apr 10, 2024Patricia KaramPatricia Karam evaluates the possibility of a war between Hezbollah and Israel that would be a major escalation in the Middle East as the United States tries t…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Gaza, Biden, and an American Intifada
Mar 27, 2024Charles W. DunneAs Israel’s devastating Gaza invasion wears on, tensions between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are spiking, endangering the…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Saudi Arabia May Be Taking Center Stage in Post-Gaza Peace
Feb 28, 2024Kristian Coates UlrichsenWith Israel’s war on Gaza in its fifth month amid ongoing international pressure for a ceasefire, Saudi Arabia has become the focus of much attention over what…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Instead of Houthi Designation, the United States Should Embrace a Comprehensive Approach
Feb 28, 2024Afrah NasserOn January 17, the United States designated the Houthis in Yemen, also known as Ansar Allah, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in response to t…
- Policy AnalysisLevantUS Foreign Policy
US Troops to Stay in Syria and Iraq but Perhaps Not for Long
Feb 22, 2024Gregory AftandilianIn recent weeks, there have been meetings in Washington and in Baghdad about the presence in Iraq and Syria of US troops, whose official mandate is to aid loca…
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Congress Works to Give More Aid to Israel, None for UNRWA
Feb 16, 2024Ethan Mayer-RichOn February 13, the Senate voted 70-29 to pass a $95.3 billion national security supplemental package (H.R.815) to provide additional security assistance to Uk…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration’s Confused Response to Israel’s Rafah Operation
Feb 15, 2024Hanna AlshaikhAt the center of US coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza in recent days is the rift between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding …
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
How the Gaza War Is Upending US Middle East Policy
Feb 2, 2024Patricia KaramAs the Israel-Hamas war threatens to pull the United States into a broader conflict that would potentially upend US standing and policy, peace and stability in…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
From Gaza to Yemen and Back: The Biden Administration’s Confused Strategy
Feb 1, 2024Nabeel A. KhouryOn January 17, the Biden administration announced it was adding Yemen’s Houthis (also called Ansar Allah) to the US terrorist list. The move returned the rebel…
- Policy AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Iran Between Managing Allies and Modulating Its Deterrence
Jan 25, 2024Daniel BrumbergThis is a bad time for Iran to become embroiled in an expanding regional war that pits the Islamic Republic and its allies in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen against …
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration Is Strong in the Red Sea but Weak in Gaza
Jan 24, 2024Gregory AftandilianAfter enduring weeks of regional tension, including Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and on American commercial vessels, the Biden administratio…
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Deciphering Blinken’s Unguarded Optimism
Jan 18, 2024Khalil E. JahshanThe Biden administration announced its first Middle East initiative of the new year on January 4, 2024, by dispatching Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Russia and China on Gaza: Sidelined, Lurking—or Winning?
Dec 22, 2023Charles W. DunneIt wasn’t that long ago that Russia and China seemed to dominate the Middle East, and the United States was on the brink of relegation to the sidelines.Russia …
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The Israel-Hamas War in American Politics
Dec 21, 2023Gregory AftandilianAny rational discourse in the United States about the Israel-Hamas war increasingly has been subject to political litmus tests, as Israel supporters and Republ…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Are Israel and the United States on a Collision Course?
Dec 13, 2023Daniel BrumbergIn a December 8 story that seems to have received little attention in western press coverage of Israel’s expanding military campaign in Gaza was this nugget of…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Gaza, the Ruin of US Policy, and a Transformed Middle East
Nov 16, 2023Charles W. DunneThe Biden administration must act quickly and offer specific plans and timelines to shape post-conflict expectations and establish its priorities with the part…
- Policy AnalysisLevantUS Foreign Policy
US Military Presence in the Middle East: Deterrence and Retaliation
Nov 14, 2023Gregory AftandilianThe United States has recently bolstered its military presence in the Middle East as the Israeli war on Gaza escalated. Bolstering this presence is meant to de…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The War on Gaza: Deterrence or Inching toward Direct US Involvement?
Oct 17, 2023Khalil E. JahshanThe official American position has passed through three phases in less than ten days. First, like Israel itself, Washington and its western allies suffered fro…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A New Diplomatic Path Is Urgent after Gaza, But Without the Previous Mistakes
Oct 16, 2023Charles W. DunneThe horrifying October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants has left the world aghast. The murder of Israelis (and Americans, French, Russians, Ukrainians, an…
- ViewpointEgyptUS Foreign Policy
The Menendez Fiasco: Implications for US-Egyptian Relations
Oct 4, 2023Khalil E. JahshanWashington has been abuzz lately over the shocking political intrigue involving the Egyptian government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the powerful former chairma…
- 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/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 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 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 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…
- 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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…
- 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 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…
- 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/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 AnalysisIranSecurity and Defense
Iran’s Nuclear Program Poses Challenges for China and the United States
Mar 29, 2023Daniel BrumbergNow that China has brokered a renewal of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, it must translate that achievement into real tangible benefits. After all, fo…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arab WorldUS Foreign Policy
US Middle East Policy: The Trump-Biden Doctrine in Action
Mar 22, 2023Charles W. DunneAll US presidents, it seems, need their own foreign policy “doctrine.” President James Monroe famously started the trend in 1823, and many others—Truman, Eisen…
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The Aqaba Joint Communique Dies in Huwwara
Feb 28, 2023Khalil E. JahshanOn Sunday, February 26, 2023, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan hosted Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, and US officials in Aqaba, Jordan to try to stem the worri…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaSecurity and Defense
Syrian Kurds Are Hoping for, but Not Banking On, Continued US Partnership
Feb 24, 2023Gregory AftandilianThe massive earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria has given the Syrian Kurds a reprieve from a possible Turkish military invasion of ar…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arab WorldUS Foreign Policy
Washington Doubles Down on Middle East Ties
Feb 15, 2023Charles W. DunneReducing US commitments in the Middle East and pivoting to Asia has been a hot topic among foreign policy analysts and Middle East experts since the idea was p…
- Policy AnalysisAlgeriaUS Foreign Policy
US-Algeria Relations Remain Troubled, but Neither Side Wants a Break
Jan 25, 2023Gregory AftandilianRelations between Washington and Algiers have remained at a low point ever since the Trump administration, in its last month in office, recognized Moroccan sov…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arab WorldUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration and the Middle East in 2023
Jan 4, 2023Khalil Al-Anani Yara M. Asi Amal Ghazal Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe first two years of the Biden administration, although short, have offered insight into the ways in which the reality of governing can clash with declared h…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The Gordian Knot: A Bird’s Eye View of US-Israel Relations
Dec 20, 2022Nabeel A. KhouryNabeel Khoury takes a broad view of American-Israeli relations, highlighting the issue of robust US military aid to Israel and intelligence sharing between the…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
What Lies Ahead for Saudi Arabia in the 118th US Congress
Dec 7, 2022Charles W. DunneNew challenges abound for President Joe Biden in 2023. The loss of a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives for the 118th Congress promises to lea…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Domestic Politics and Elections
The US Midterm Elections Spell Further Trouble for the JCPOA
Dec 2, 2022Douglas ChristensenIn November, Americans went to the polls to cast their votes in the congressional midterm elections. In the end, voters dealt a major blow to Republican party …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Congress 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 AnalysisSyriaUS Foreign Policy
Biden’s Syria Policy: Steady Non-commitment and Persistent Failure
Sep 20, 2022Nabeel A. KhouryThe Biden administration’s Syria policy, as well as its policy for the Middle East in general, stems from priorities and practices set in place during the eigh…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
No Plan B for the US as Geostrategic Shifts Threaten to Scuttle Iran Nuclear Deal
Sep 20, 2022Daniel BrumbergWhat a difference a few days can make in the Middle East. On August 28 National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby addressed the diplomatic maneuvering t…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Gauging Gulf Responses to President Biden’s Middle East Diplomacy
Aug 31, 2022Jon HoffmanWhen examining how the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) perceived and reacted to US President Joe Biden’s July visit to the Middle East, the Gulf …
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelReligion and Politics
American Evangelicals, the Gulf States, and Israel: A Cynical Covenant
Aug 24, 2022Mimi KirkEach July, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States, holds a multi-day conference that culminates in a day…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Comparing the Palestinian and Irish-Catholic Struggles
Aug 18, 2022Daoud KuttabDaoud Kuttab compares Irish and Palestinian experiences with occupation and settlement, building on a remark made by President Biden during his July 2022 trip …
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
Biden Fails to Counter Russia and China in the Middle East
Aug 17, 2022Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne writes that President Biden’s July 2022 trip to the Middle East to reassert American supremacy in the region and among US allies ran into the …
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
Biden’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 AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
US Diplomacy with Iran Is Needed to Achieve Security in the Middle East
Jul 28, 2022Daniel BrumbergNow that President Joe Biden has completed his trip to the Middle East, his administration will likely make one last bid to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, …
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Mohammed bin Salman’s Political Precarity Persists, Despite Perceived Successes
Jul 26, 2022Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe paths of US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) crossed briefly on July 15 and 16 when Biden stopped in Jeddah, Saudi Arab…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Biden’s Trip to the Middle East Failed to Serve US Interests
Jul 22, 2022Jon HoffmanWith President Joe Biden concluding his Middle East visit, many in the United States are left wondering what tangible benefits the American people gained as a …
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Reflections on President Biden’s Predictably Disappointing Middle East Trip
US President Joe Biden visited Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia from July 13 to 16 to meet with various regional leaders. This was Biden’s first visit as pr…
- Policy AnalysisUS Domestic Politics and Elections
Democratic Congressional Primaries Will Impact US Middle East Policy
Jul 6, 2022Marcus MontgomeryPresident Joe Biden is only months away from his first midterm election as commander in chief, and with many analysts projecting potentially historic losses fo…
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
Biden’s Trip to the Middle East: What Is in Store?
Jun 23, 2022Charles W. DunnePresident Joe Biden has finally scheduled his first trip to the Middle East as chief executive. The visit, which was postponed from June to July 13-16 because …
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration Is Struggling to Develop a Middle East Strategy
Jun 10, 2022Daniel BrumbergDespite the declining capacity of the United States to shape the Middle East’s strategic architecture, it is unlikely that effective regional solutions to secu…
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
The Middle East’s Well-Documented Human Rights Abuses Have Little Impact on US Policy
Jun 7, 2022Charles W. DunneOn April 12, the US Department of State released its annual country reports on human rights. The reports are a key resource for human rights scholars and gover…