- Show all
- Arab Americans/ Muslim Americans
- Climate and Environment
- Conflicts and Conflict Resolution
- Democracy and Governance
- Education and Development
- Energy and Economics
- Global Health and Health Policy
- Identity Politics and Sectarianization
- International Law
- Justice, Equality, and Human Rights
- Media and Technology
- Migrants, Refugees, and IDPs
- Protests and Activism
- Public Opinion
- Regional Relations and Geopolitics
- Religion and Politics
- Security and Defense
- The GCC
- The War in Ukraine
- Top 10 Readings on the Gaza War
- Topic-Test
- US Domestic Politics and Elections
- US Foreign Policy
- Violent Extremism
- Women & Gender Issues
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Israel and the US Visa Waiver Program: Not a Done Deal
May 12, 2022Yousef MunayyerIsrael has long sought entry into the United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP) with limited success, despite years of efforts and the close strategic and bilate…
- Policy AnalysisThe War in Ukraine
The Water’s Edge: Ukraine, the United States, and the Middle East
Mar 30, 2022Charles W. Dunne“Politics must stop at the water’s edge,” Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg famously asserted in1947, as he helped Democratic President Harry S. Truman lay …
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Yemen: The Failure of International Diplomacy
Mar 3, 2022Nabeel A. KhouryThe latest escalation in Yemen, particularly the cross-border rocket fire by the Ansar Allah militia (the Houthis) and the retaliatory aerial bombardment by th…
- Policy AnalysisQatarUS Foreign Policy
Qatar’s New Designation as US Non-NATO Ally Serves Multiple Purposes
Feb 4, 2022Imad K. HarbLess than five years after the eruption of the Gulf crisis of June 2017 that seriously threatened Qatar’s security, President Joe Biden designated the Gulf Ara…
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
Biden’s Non-Doctrine in the Middle East: One Year On
Jan 27, 2022Daniel BrumbergTo understand the actual forces shaping US foreign policy, it is imperative to put aside the alluring but misleading notion that a “doctrine” provides a useful…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Abbas-Gantz Encounter: Much Ado about Nothing in the Middle East
Jan 18, 2022Khalil E. JahshanOn December 28, 2021, a surprising development took place in the Middle East: Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas held a rare meeting in Israel,…
- Policy AnalysisIranRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Ukraine’s Geostrategic Tremors Reach into the Middle East
Jan 13, 2022Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg disentangles the complications arising from the current tensions between Ukraine and Russia and their impact on US-Russian relations as well as…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Biden and the Israeli Settlement Elephant in the Room
Jan 5, 2022Yousef MunayyerOne of Barack Obama’s first acts as president was to create the position of envoy for “Middle East peace.” George Mitchell, whom the president named for this p…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
US-Palestinian Economic Talks Serve Israeli Interests
Dec 29, 2021Jonathan KuttabThe recent resumption of discussions about economic ties between the US government and the Palestinian Authority (PA) after a five-year hiatus must be understo…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Houthi Intransigence Is Changing the US View of the Conflict in Yemen
Dec 21, 2021Gregory AftandilianA combination of offensive military actions by the Houthi rebels and stalled peace talks to try to end the civil war in Yemen have changed the way the United S…
- Policy AnalysisDemocracy and Governance
Biden’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 AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
High Stakes at the Vienna Nuclear Talks with Iran
Dec 8, 2021Daniel BrumbergThe ongoing indirect US-Iran negotiations in Vienna on the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have thus far made little progress. Already…
- ViewpointDemocracy and Governance
Is 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 AnalysisEgyptUS Foreign Policy
Agreements and Tensions in US-Egyptian Relations
Dec 2, 2021Sahar KhamisThe US-Egypt strategic dialogue was held in Washington, DC in early November between Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his American counterpart, Secre…
- Policy AnalysisSudanUS Foreign Policy
Biden’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 …
- Policy AnalysisJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
A “Crisis of Relevance”: UN Failures in the MENA Region
Oct 5, 2021Yara M. AsiOn September 21, 2021, in front of the same green marble tile where many of his predecessors and other prominent world leaders have spoken, US President Joe Bi…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Southwestern Syria Tests US-Russia Cooperation
Sep 22, 2021Joe MacaronThe US-Russian agreement of July 2017 that led to a fragile stability in southwestern Syria has recently unraveled, testing President Joe Biden’s approach in S…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
US-Israel Relations: Time for a Reset or Reevaluation?
Sep 8, 2021Yousef MunayyerAs Israel’s prime minister for nearly 12 years in a row, Benjamin Netanyahu greatly shaped the US-Israel relationship in recent history. After his exit from th…
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
Humanitarian Lessons from a Century of Conflict in the Middle East
Aug 26, 2021Yara M. AsiFor most of the past 20 years, the heavy presence of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan remained in the backdrop of public discourse. While some poli…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonEnergy and Economics
Lebanon’s Energy Crisis Fuels US-Iran Tensions
Aug 25, 2021Joe MacaronIn the midst of an economic collapse and an energy crisis, Lebanon has found itself in a tug of war between the United States and Iran. On August 19, Hezbollah…
- ViewpointThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and Defense
After Afghanistan, a New Biden Middle East Doctrine Takes Shape
Aug 19, 2021Imad K. HarbIf there are lessons to be learned from the disastrous end of the American war in Afghanistan, they would be most applicable to the countries of the Arab Middl…
- ViewpointUS Foreign Policy
A Tale of Two Donalds: Rumsfeld and Trump
Jul 28, 2021Laurie KingIn late June, a long forgotten name popped up in news broadcasts: former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had died at the age of 88 after enjoying a cha…
- ViewpointSyriaUS Foreign Policy
Rearranging American Priorities in Syria
Jul 27, 2021Radwan ZiadehOn July 17, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad took his oath of office in front of parliament after winning the presidential election with 95 percent of the popu…
- Policy AnalysisJordanUS Foreign Policy
King Abdullah Visits Washington amid Jordan’s Woes
Jul 14, 2021Gregory AftandilianKing Abdullah II’s upcoming meetings with President Joe Biden on July 19, and subsequently with leading members of Congress, come at a time when the Hashemite …
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelArab Americans/ Muslim Americans
The Changing Arab American Activism for Palestine in the United States
Jul 12, 2021Hani J. BawardiAdvocacy for Palestine in the United States has entered a new phase, given the higher level of veracity social media injected into coverage of the latest Israe…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Moroccan Normalization with Israel: Temporary Deal or Permanent Peace?
Jul 8, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn June 16, 2021, King Mohammed VI of Morocco sent a congratulatory letter to Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett. This might not have been surprising…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Raisi’s Election Creates Opportunities and Pitfalls for Iran’s Islamic Republic
Jun 25, 2021Daniel BrumbergIn the weeks leading up to Iran’s June 18 presidential elections, one joke making the rounds was that Ebrahim Raisi, then a candidate and now the winner, was r…
- Policy AnalysisRegional Relations and Geopolitics
US-Russian Cooperation in the Middle East after the Biden-Putin Summit
Jun 24, 2021Joe MacaronThe June 16 summit between President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, was meant to defuse tensions between the United States and Russia, …
- 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 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 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 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 …
- 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/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 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 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 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 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…
- 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 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 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 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 AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
China’s Belt and Road Initiative and US Middle East Policy
Jan 13, 2021Charles W. DunneMore than seven years after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his country’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the vast infrastructure and economic developme…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration’s Foreign Policy: Key Features and Likely Changes
Jan 6, 2021Unit for Political StudiesHaving won the American presidential election, and despite incumbent President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede, Democratic candidate and President-elect Joe …
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
The Limits of American Multilateral Diplomacy in the Middle East
Dec 21, 2020Daniel BrumbergPerhaps the hardest among the many challenges that the new Biden Administration will face is renewing the spirit and practice of multilateral diplomacy in regi…
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration and US Foreign Policy Decision-Making
Dec 15, 2020Joe MacaronPresident-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration will have a lasting impact on the American foreign policy decision-making process, most notably when it com…
- Policy AnalysisMoroccoUS Foreign Policy
Morocco, Too, Signs on to Trump’s Lawlessness
Dec 11, 2020Imad K. HarbMorocco became the fourth Arab country to normalize relations with Israel without linking the move to progress regarding Palestine. In fact, the agreement had …
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyUS Foreign Policy
What Awaits US-Turkey Relations in the Biden Era?
Dec 9, 2020Mustafa GurbuzA few weeks before the November elections, a video clip of then-presidential candidate Joe Biden went viral in Turkey and caused a stir inside the Turkish gove…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaUS Foreign Policy
Biden Has a New Opportunity in Syria
Dec 7, 2020Radwan ZiadehThe exceptional nature of the 2020 American presidential election, held in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic that has so far killed over a quarter million…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Biden and Israel: The Constraints Are Plentiful
Dec 4, 2020Yousef MunayyerAs inauguration nears and President-elect Joe Biden assembles his cabinet and broader domestic and foreign policy teams, they collectively stare at four years …
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaUS Foreign Policy
The Complications Confronting Biden in Northwest Africa
Dec 2, 2020Imad K. HarbFollowing four years of American disarray and the absence of an effective foreign policy, the Joe Biden presidency faces both serious challenges in dealing wit…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration and Egypt: A New Course or Business as Usual?
Dec 1, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniSince the announcement of Joe Biden’s victory in the US election, a state of anxiety and unease has gripped Egypt. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi will now lose…
- Policy AnalysisUS Foreign Policy
Democracy and Human Rights in the Middle East: The Biden Agenda
Nov 25, 2020Charles W. DunneAs news that former Vice President Joe Biden had won the American presidential election began to circulate on Saturday, November 7, messages of congratulations…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCC
The Biden Presidency and the Gulf Arab States
Nov 24, 2020Kristian Coates UlrichsenAssessing the Biden Administration’s future relations with the Gulf, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen writes that it faces a set of difficult challenges on a number o…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Yemen May Be a Priority for Biden and the Democrats
Nov 20, 2020Gregory AftandilianAs President-elect Joe Biden assembles his team and sets his priorities for the next four years, there has been much speculation as to what he will focus on in…