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Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyThe Trump Term: An Israel-Palestine Damage Assessment
Nov 11, 2020Yousef MunayyerShortly after he was elected as president in November 2016, Donald Trump quickly got to work on advancing his Israel policy. In fact, he might have focused mor…
- Policy Analysis
Public OpinionHow Do People in the Middle East View the US Presidential Election?
Nov 6, 2020Khalil Al-Anani Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Jonathan Kuttab Joe Macaron Marcus Montgomery Yousef MunayyerWith the United States playing a major role in Middle East politics, US presidential elections are usually of utmost importance to the region’s leaders, elites…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyIran and the World Wait for Biden
Nov 5, 2020Daniel BrumbergIranian leaders have insisted that the November 3rd US elections would have no real significance for Iran’s basic interests. But such assertions should not be …
- Policy Analysis
UAEUS Foreign PolicyThe Middle East Accords: An Arab Perspective
Nov 2, 2020Imad K. HarbThe recent agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan will not help the cause of regional peace.On August 13, President D…
- Policy Analysis
Security and DefenseAs US Counterterrorism Policy Focus Wavers, a Thorough Review Is Needed
Oct 28, 2020Charles W. DunneThe struggle to defeat global terrorism has been a dominant issue in the last four presidential elections, but not so in 2020. As the race between Donald Trump…
- Policy Analysis
SudanUS Foreign PolicyUS Presses Sudan to Normalize Relations with Israel
Oct 14, 2020Gregory AftandilianThe Trump Administration is holding up the removal of Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) list because it wants Khartoum to establish diplomatic t…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicySaudi Arabia Prefers Implicit Normalization with Israel
Sep 18, 2020Daniel BrumbergSigned at the White House on September 15, the new peace agreements between Israel on the one side and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain on the other …
- Viewpoint
UAESecurity and DefenseComments on the UAE’s Acquisition of the F-35
Sep 8, 2020Abdulwahab Al-QassabIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have condoned the sale of the advanced American F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the United Arab Emirates afte…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonUS Foreign PolicyHow Can the United States Best Help Lebanon?
Aug 25, 2020Charles W. DunneWith Lebanon in crisis and the United States’ desire to help, Charles W. Dunne writes that Washington’s focus on sidelining Hezbollah and Iran should not under…
- Viewpoint
IraqUS Foreign PolicyIraq’s Mustafa Al-Kadhimi Comes to Washington
Aug 18, 2020Abdulwahab Al-QassabAbdulwahab Al-Qassab previews Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s upcoming visit to Washington and writes that the American capital may be too preoccupie…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyThe UAE-Israel Deal: Exploring the Motives
Aug 17, 2020Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan explores the political reasons behind the agreement to officially normalize relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, stating th…
- Viewpoint
US Foreign PolicyPompeo and His Unalienable Rights Scam
Aug 5, 2020Khalil E. JahshanCommenting on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s latest speech about support for human rights around the world, Khalil E. Jahshan argues that affiliating with mi…
- Policy Analysis
IraqUS Foreign PolicyUS-Iraq Strategic Dialogue: Important Achievements, but Much Remains to Be Done
Jul 14, 2020Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne reports that the first round of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue in June made progress on security issues, but many challenges remain for the tw…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaUS Foreign PolicyBy Sanctioning Turkey’s Role in Libya, Trump Emboldens Erdoğan in the Eastern Mediterranean
Jul 10, 2020Joe MacaronEvaluating the Trump Administration's policy toward Libya, Joe Macaron writes that from giving a green light to Haftar to march toward Tripoli to endorsing Tur…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaEnergy and EconomicsUS-Russian Competition and the M4 Highway in Syria
Jun 23, 2020Joe MacaronJoe Macaron argues that in Syria, implementing the Caesar Act sanctions and opening the east-west M4 Highway reflect intensified US-Russian competition while t…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and DefenseThe Arms Trade in the MENA Region: Drivers and Dangers
Jun 17, 2020Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne argues that international arms sales remain a huge business in the Middle East, making it the most militarized region globally. However, he wr…
- Policy Analysis
US Domestic Politics and ElectionsTrump Toys with Domestic Use of Military
Jun 10, 2020Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery discusses President Trump's gambit to use the American military domestically and the administration's new approach to Israel's annexation pla…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Threat of Israeli Annexation: The American Dimension
Jun 9, 2020Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan writes that there is nothing new about depopulating Palestine and confiscating and annexing Palestinian land, policies that have been necessa…
- Policy Analysis
Security and DefenseChina in the Middle East: Capitalizing on Washington’s Distractions
May 29, 2020Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne analyzes how China's efforts to expand and defend its interests in the Middle East may come at the expense of the United States, which has tra…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelInternational LawAssessing Options for a Palestinian Response to Israeli Annexation
May 28, 2020Yousef MunayyerAfter 18 months of false starts and three attempts, Israeli elections have finally yielded a governing coalition that has brought together its largest parties,…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyUS Middle East Policy in Free Fall
May 28, 2020Daniel BrumbergGulf Arab states have little choice but to rely for their security needs on the Trump Administration despite its feckless policy in the Middle East and poor ca…
- Policy Analysis
IraqViolent ExtremismThe US and Iraq Must Shore Up the Fight against the Islamic State
May 8, 2020Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne argues that the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq faces numerous setbacks, including the coronavirus, and that the upcoming US-Iraq Stra…
- Washington Policy Weekly
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyCapitol Hill Turns to Public Diplomacy to Challenge Trump’s Policies
May 6, 2020Marcus MontgomeryUntil May 4, the House of Representatives and Senate were steering clear of Capitol Hill in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease to lawma…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyWorrisome American Response to Iran in the Gulf
May 5, 2020Abdulwahab Al-QassabAbdulwahab Al-Qassab examines the muted US response to Iranian provocations in the Arabian Gulf, surmising that it reflects poorly on the reputation of the Uni…
- Policy Analysis
US Domestic Politics and ElectionsCOVID-19, Presidential Elections, and US Foreign Policy
Apr 29, 2020Joe MacaronJoe Macaron writes that Donald Trump's presidency and his administration's foreign policy may be defined this election year by the coronavirus pandemic and its…
- Washington Policy Weekly
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyDid the Saudi-Led Oil Deal Diminish Republicans’ 2020 Electoral Chances?
Apr 15, 2020Marcus MontgomeryBecause the health of the US economy is critical for Donald Trump's reelection hopes, Marcus Montgomery asks if the recent Saudi-led OPEC+ cuts will contribute…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsLibya: Between Proxy War and International Failure
Apr 14, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniThe domestic, regional, and international players of the Libyan conflict continue to fuel the civil war nine years after the toppling of Muammar Qadhafi.
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceThe Fakhoury Fiasco and US-Lebanese Relations
Apr 13, 2020Joe MacaronThe unconventional release of Lebanese-American Amer Fakhoury highlights the extent of Washington’s leverage in Beirut and raises questions about the status of…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyThe COVID-19 Pandemic Prompts Debate over Iran Sanctions
Apr 1, 2020Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery details splits in official Washington about how to deal with Iran at this delicate time of the coronavirus outbreak: some want to offer sanct…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyCOVID-19 and Iranian-American Relations
Apr 1, 2020Daniel BrumbergAs US-Iran relations suffer from continuing political and ideological differences, the coronavirus calamity could provide an opportunity for deescalation and c…
- Policy Analysis
JordanUS Foreign PolicyJordan and Trump’s Peace Plan
Mar 24, 2020Gregory AftandilianJordan’s relations with Israel have hit a low point following the unveiling of the Trump peace plan because of fears over annexation of Israeli settlements in …
- Policy Analysis
SyriaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsRussian-Turkish Tensions in Syria May Help Mend the US-Turkish Divide
Mar 20, 2020Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg studies the intricacies of Turkey's involvement in Syria and accommodation with Russia as it simultaneously hopes to enlist the assistance of t…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyTrump, Congress Lay Out Election Year Foreign Policy Priorities
Mar 11, 2020Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery discusses how the Trump Administration is pressing forward with its campaign against Iran as many in Congress are trying to constrain the pre…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyThe Bernie Sanders Factor in US Policy toward Israel
Mar 4, 2020Yousef MunayyerThe Sanders candidacy represents a shift in public opinion on Israel and that Sanders’s position on Palestinian rights opens a political space that is increasi…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyWhat Does Bipartisan Support for Israel Look Like?
Mar 4, 2020Marcus MontgomeryThe AIPAC and CPAC conferences in Washington became the venue for the Republican Party to seek to redefine the parameters of bipartisan support for Israel.
- Policy Analysis
IraqRegional Relations and GeopoliticsThe United States and Iran Continue to Maneuver in Iraq
Feb 21, 2020Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian contends that after the very tense period of December 2019-January 2020, the United States and Iran are seeking to restore their credibilit…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyGlobal Reactions to the Trump Peace Plan
Feb 20, 2020Yousef MunayyerYousef Munayyer cautions that Trump’s position and weight as president of the United States influence how the international community reacts to his plan for Pa…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyBipartisan Hysteria Erupts in Washington After UNHRC Unveils Database
Feb 20, 2020Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery reports on the unified bipartisan response to the recently released UNHCR report detailing the business ties of illegal Israeli settlements a…
- Policy Analysis
Regional Relations and GeopoliticsThe Dangerous Consequence of Marginalizing the Arab “Moderates”
Feb 18, 2020Joe MacaronBy prioritizing Arab-Israeli normalization in order to deter Iran, the Trump Administration is enabling Arab authoritarians and reinforcing the dangerous possi…
- Washington Policy Weekly
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy“Your Proposal Attempts to Make a Genuine Two-State Solution Impossible”
Feb 12, 2020Marcus MontgomeryCongressional Democrats, Palestinians, and the broader international community still see too many problems with Trump’s proposed plan for Palestinian-Israeli p…
- Washington Policy Weekly
IranUS Foreign PolicyWhat is Congress Willing to Do to Avoid War with Iran?
Feb 6, 2020Marcus MontgomeryThis week, the House of Representatives took further decisive steps to try and prevent President Donald Trump from embroiling the United States in another war …
- From our Affiliates
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy“Deal of the Century”: What Is It and Why Now?
Feb 4, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)While the circumstances may seem favorable in the United States and Israel for the implementation of Trump’s so-called peace plan, it is unlikely to win popula…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Domestic Politics and ElectionsThe American Jewish Community and the 2020 US Presidential Election
Jan 31, 2020Lara FriedmanThe American Jewish community, for all its internal divisions and distinctions, has nonetheless long been characterized by remarkably consistent, and by all ap…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyThe Five Most Dangerous Aspects of Trump’s “Peace Plan”
Jan 30, 2020Tamara KharroubTrump's supremacist plan redraws borders unilaterally, accepts war crimes as serious solutions, and presents nothing but repackaged Israeli apartheid.
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicySteal of the Century: Two Double-Dealers and a Podium
Jan 29, 2020Yousef MunayyerTrump and Netanyahu are a pair of crooks robbing Palestinians of their freedom and dignity. He urges Palestinian leaders to fundamentally recalculate their str…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonUS Foreign PolicyUS, Iran Prolong Détente in Lebanon with a Status Quo Cabinet
Jan 29, 2020Joe MacaronJoe Macaron contends that the new Lebanese government of Hassan Diab is a continuation of the old oligarchic status quo and appears to prolong the US-Iran déte…
- Washington Policy Weekly
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyDoes Jared Kushner Even Believe in His Own “Peace Plan”?
Jan 29, 2020Marcus MontgomeryAs President Trump and his advisor Jared Kushner unveil their so-called “peace plan” for Israel and Palestine, Marcus Montgomery questions whether Kushner trul…
- Policy Analysis
US Foreign PolicyThere’s No Consensus on US Middle East Policy; Time to Apply the War Powers Act
Jan 23, 2020Charles W. DunneApplying the War Powers Act is one way of addressing the absence of a coherent American policy in the Middle East and avoiding a new US military engagement in …
- Policy Analysis
IranSecurity and DefenseGulf Arab States Still Worried about a US-Iran War
Jan 23, 2020Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian argues that Gulf Arab states increasingly view the United States as an unreliable and erratic ally and are urging restraint by Washington a…
- Washington Policy Weekly
US Foreign PolicyWhat Is Next for Mike Pompeo?
Jan 23, 2020Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery examines the future political ambitions of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, one of the most influential members of the Trump Administration, a…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyWashington’s Strategy in the Post-Soleimani Middle East
Jan 15, 2020Joe MacaronJoe Macaron writes that the post-Soleimani Middle East offers both challenges and opportunities but the Trump Administration does not seem to have a strategy t…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicySoleimani’s Assassination Backfires Big Time
Jan 7, 2020Daniel BrumbergWashington’s killing of Qassem Soleimani violates the red lines that the United States and Iran had previously respected in order to avoid escalation, and make…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and GovernanceRepressing Criticism of Israel in the United States: Trump’s Executive Order
Jan 3, 2020Yousef MunayyerIn the long term, Trump’s executive order conflating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is another effort to silence the debate in the United States on Israel’s p…
- Viewpoint
IranUS Foreign PolicyA Middle East Calamity Is about to Unfold
Jan 3, 2020Imad K. HarbKilling Soleimani has put the Middle East at the edge of a dangerous abyss and hastened an inevitable confrontation between the United States and Iran.
- Viewpoint
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyThe Khashoggi Verdict: Whitewashing a Murder
Dec 26, 2019Imad K. HarbSaudi Arabia's reputation remains on the line despite the whitewashing and the convoluted twists of Khashoggi’s killing. For now, at least, in Jamal’s case “ju…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsThe United States and Iran Readjust to New Realities in Iraq and Lebanon
Dec 18, 2019Joe MacaronAfter 15 years of rivalry in Iraq and Lebanon, the United States and Iran are adjusting their policies based on a new reality of popular uprisings that challen…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaUS Foreign PolicyThe Trump Administration Tries a New Policy in Libya
Dec 18, 2019Gregory AftandilianWashington is now firmly pressing Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar to stop his offensive on Tripoli and allow for a negotiated settlement with the GNA. With so …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionBurgeoning Arab-Israeli Normalization? Not Quite What You Think
Dec 11, 2019Yousef MunayyerEfforts to normalize relations between Arab leaders and Israel will continue to collide with the overwhelming rejection of normalization by the peoples of the …
- Washington Policy Weekly
LevantUS Foreign PolicyWashington Grapples with How to Respond to Turbulent Middle East
Dec 11, 2019Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery examines the administration’s reassessment of its posture in the Middle East as officials grappled this week with how best to use military as…
- Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceIs Iran on the Edge of a Precipice?
Nov 27, 2019Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg questions whether the latest protests in Iran will produce a wider political movement, one that has the support of an urban professional and bu…
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceWith Iraq’s Mounting Chaos Spreading, Time for a US Policy Reboot
Nov 27, 2019Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne argues that in light of Iraq’s current crisis, the United States must take bold steps to help stabilize the country, enhance anti-corruption a…
- Washington Policy Weekly
LibyaUS Foreign PolicyThe Conflict in Libya Resurfaces on Washington’s Agenda
Nov 27, 2019Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery discusses the renewed interest in both Congress and the Trump Administration to address the ongoing conflict in Libya and asks whether the Un…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsCloser Egyptian-Russian Relations Causing a Headache in Washington
Nov 26, 2019Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian states that US officials are warning Egypt not to move ahead with the purchase of advanced Russian jet fighters; however, developing ties b…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and GovernanceDesperate Netanyahu Pulls out All the Stops
Nov 26, 2019Yousef MunayyerA desperate Netanyahu will use all tools in a demagogue’s box, including racist incitement against the Palestinians, in order to remain politically alive—or at…
- Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyUS Policy Reversal on Israeli Settlements
Nov 21, 2019Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan believes that the Trump Administration’s policy reversal about Israeli settlements is an overture to the president’s evangelical supporters a…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyPresidential Candidates Open to Leveraging American Support for Israel
Nov 12, 2019Yousef MunayyerYousef Munayyer says that some Democratic candidates for president may be open to taking concrete steps to decrease American complicity in Israel's abuses and …
- Policy AnalysisUS Domestic Politics and Elections
2020 Election Issues
Nov 1, 2019Imad K. HarbWhile presidential elections in the United States depend to a great degree on the personalities of the Republican and Democratic candidates, each election has …
- Viewpoint
IraqUS Foreign PolicyPutting al-Baghdadi’s Demise in Perspective
Oct 30, 2019Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan looks at the deeper meaning of the United States’ killing of IS leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi and doubts if his demise will portend the end of …
- Policy Analysis
LevantMigrants, Refugees, and IDPsTrump’s Syria Decision and the Damage to US Foreign Policy
Oct 22, 2019Charles W. DunneThe fallout from President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision on October 6 to order US troops to stand aside as Turkey launched a long-planned incursion into north…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Turkish Military Operation in Northeastern Syria: Scope, Aims and Reactions
Oct 17, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Turkey seems to be in a hurry to achieve its operational goals before pressure increases to bring the operation to an end or in order to pre-empt any operation…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionTrump’s Syria Decision and the Turkish Operation
Oct 10, 2019Radwan ZiadehWithout American forces on the ground, Washington will not be able to realize its objectives in Syria, especially in confronting the Iran-affiliated militias t…
- Policy Analysis
Security and DefenseTrump Puts His Stamp on a Generational Shift at the Pentagon
Oct 9, 2019Joe MacaronAs Trump backs away from US commitments in the Middle East, a new generation of Pentagon leadership is being tested in how to navigate war and peace decisions …
