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  • Washington Policy Weekly
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    100 Days in, and Congress Looks to Press Biden on Middle East Priorities

    May 3, 2021Marcus Montgomery

    President Joe Biden surpassed his first 100 days in office, a time span by which successive administrations have tried to prove to the American public that the…

  • Viewpoint
    Arab Americans/ Muslim Americans

    Including Arab Americans in the Biden Administration Is Not Enough

    Mar 11, 2021Nadine S. Naber

    In a series of unprecedented moves, President Joe Biden took steps seen as helping to politically and socially integrate the Arab American community. He includ…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Donald Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial: Procedure and Prospects

    Feb 10, 2021Marcus Montgomery

    On February 9, the US Senate commenced the second impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump to examine his role in inciting the January 6, 2021 rio…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    US Foreign Policy in the 2020 Elections: Bold Choices in the Middle East

    Oct 7, 2020Charles W. Dunne

    The 2020 US presidential campaign has been driven by a few key issues—the pandemic and its damaging economic effects, massive protests in favor of racial justi…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    American Uprising: From Local to Global Implications

    Jun 29, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    Yousef Munayyer proposes that changes in American society and existing trends in public opinion, especially among the younger generation, suggest that a welcom…

  • From our Affiliates
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    US Protests against Police Brutality: Election Disaster for Trump?

    Jun 11, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    The United States of America is witnessing massive protests against the killing of a black citizen, George Floyd, by a white policeman who was filmed kneeling …

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Trump Toys with Domestic Use of Military

    Jun 10, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery discusses President Trump's gambit to use the American military domestically and the administration's new approach to Israel's annexation pla…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Capitol Hill Turns to Public Diplomacy to Challenge Trump’s Policies

    May 6, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Until 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
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    COVID-19, Presidential Elections, and US Foreign Policy

    Apr 29, 2020Joe Macaron

    Joe 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 Policy

    Did the Saudi-Led Oil Deal Diminish Republicans’ 2020 Electoral Chances?

    Apr 15, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Because 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
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    Trump, Congress Lay Out Election Year Foreign Policy Priorities

    Mar 11, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus 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 Policy

    The Bernie Sanders Factor in US Policy toward Israel

    Mar 4, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    The 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
    LevantUS Foreign Policy

    Bipartisan Hysteria Erupts in Washington After UNHRC Unveils Database

    Feb 20, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery reports on the unified bipartisan response to the recently released UNHCR report detailing the business ties of illegal Israeli settlements a…

  • Policy Analysis

    The American Jewish Community and the 2020 US Presidential Election

    Jan 31, 2020Lara Friedman

    The American Jewish community, for all its internal divisions and distinctions, has nonetheless long been characterized by remarkably consistent, and by all ap…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    US Foreign Policy

    What Is Next for Mike Pompeo?

    Jan 23, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery examines the future political ambitions of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, one of the most influential members of the Trump Administration, a…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    US Foreign Policy

    War Powers: An Overview

    Jan 15, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery discusses congressional efforts to prevent a potential war with Iran, providing important background information on the authorities that memb…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance

    Repressing Criticism of Israel in the United States: Trump’s Executive Order

    Jan 3, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    In 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…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Presidential Candidates Open to Leveraging American Support for Israel

    Nov 12, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Yousef 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 Analysis

    2020 Election Issues

    Nov 1, 2019Imad K. Harb

    While presidential elections in the United States depend to a great degree on the personalities of the Republican and Democratic candidates, each election has …

  • Policy Analysis

    Trump’s Chances in the 2020 Presidential Election: Will Americans Reelect Trump?

    Nov 1, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Although a year is a long time in American politics, at least in conventional electoral terms, many political analysts, pollsters and pundits are already hard …

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    On Palestine, Congress Is Not Quite Different from Trump

    Oct 9, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery reports that Congress wants to deliver more aid to the Palestinians than the Trump Administration had planned. However, the coercive conditio…

  • Policy Analysis
    Security and Defense

    Trump Puts His Stamp on a Generational Shift at the Pentagon

    Oct 9, 2019Joe Macaron

    As 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 …

  • Policy Analysis

    Congress and the 2020 Elections

    Oct 1, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    The highly anticipated 2020 US elections are garnering great attention because they will determine whether or not President Donald Trump remains in the White H…

  • Policy Analysis

    Evangelicals and the 2020 Elections

    Oct 1, 2019Jonathan Kuttab

    Evangelical Americans constitute one of the largest voting blocs in the United States. They number about 74 million, or about 22.5 percent of a population of c…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Pompeo’s Rising Influence in the Trump Administration

    Sep 24, 2019Joe Macaron

    Having outlasted many of his colleagues, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the most connected official in Trump’s inner circle. But what is the extent of his i…

  • Viewpoint
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Trump Fires Bolton Over Policy Disagreements: The Middle East Reacts

    Sep 16, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Observing the Trump presidency is a dizzying process that leaves one in a constant state of perplexity, frantically groping for the most accessible rational ex…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Adiós, Jason: The Resignation of Jason Greenblatt

    Sep 6, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    The sudden resignation of Jason Greenblatt, a key architect of the Kushner Middle East peace plan, is apt to further diminish the prospects of its success.

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Congress’s Post-Recess Middle East Priorities

    Sep 5, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    As Congress reconvenes after its August recess, groups of lawmakers will put forward initiatives to end the war in Yemen, buttress US-Israel relations, and inc…

  • Policy Analysis

    The Role of the Electoral College in Electing the American President

    Sep 1, 2019Imad K. Harb

    The United States is understood to be a democratic republic whose constitution protects the individual’s right to choose his/her representatives, from the loca…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Washington Policy Weekly

    Aug 21, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery posits that after Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar were barred entry to Israel and the Palestinian territories, will House Democrat…

  • Policy Analysis

    Many Facets and Aspects to the 2020 Election: A Backgrounder

    Aug 1, 2019Imad K. Harb

    The 2020 election cycle is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in American history. Arguably the most divisive American president, Donald J. Trump, …

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantSecurity and Defense

    Are Democrats Alone in Challenging Saudi Arabia?

    Jul 31, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    Bipartisan consensus in Congress on recalibrating US-Saudi relations has dissipated amid partisanship and apathy. As the Trump Administration moves forward in …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Trump and the Evangelicals Define Support for Israel

    Jul 26, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    President Trump is instrumentalizing Israel to keep his right-wing Christian Evangelical base energized and supportive as he comes under attack for other contr…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Using Israel to Justify His Racist Attacks, Trump Sets a Dangerous Precedent

    Jul 17, 2019Tamara Kharroub

    To associate loyalty to the US with being white, and supporting Israel sets an extremely dangerous precedent.

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranProtests and Activism

    Republicans Define What It Means to Be Pro-Israel

    Jul 10, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    The definition of “standing with Israel,” one held by high profile Republican officials and members of Congress who spoke at the Christians United for Israel a…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranSecurity and Defense

    How Congress Is Trying to Prevent Another Middle East War

    Jun 26, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    With tensions escalating between the United States and Iran, Congress is trying to reassert its own war powers to prevent the Trump Administration from startin…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranSecurity and Defense

    Would Trump Really Go to War with Iran?

    Jun 19, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    With multiple miscalculations and missteps that could develop, should we be worried about another war in the Middle East?

  • Policy Analysis
    BahrainMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs

    The Kushner Bahrain Ordeal: Why Are the Palestinians Boycotting?

    May 31, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    The proposed US “Peace to Prosperity” workshop in Bahrain is destined to fail because it ignores Palestinian participation and avoids linking economic prosperi…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Insult of the Century: Assessing the Trump Administration’s Peace Plan

    May 30, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    The Trump Administration’s Palestinian-Israeli peace deal, leaked to the press, and the upcoming Bahrain meeting represent an insult to the Palestinians and ar…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    A US-Iranian Clash Presents Dangers and Opportunities for Russia

    May 10, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    Russia stands to benefit from the current standoff between the United States and Iran because President Putin has built good relations with all parties, which …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    The First Amendment Blocks Anti-BDS Legislation in the United States

    May 8, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Developments over the last several months have shown a shift in the battle over the right to boycott Israel in the United States, with the First Amendment pres…

  • Policy Analysis
    Democracy and Governance

    Trump versus Biden: US Politics and the Middle East

    May 7, 2019Joe Macaron

    A Trump-Biden contest in the 2020 presidential elections would likely be a battle between two opposing views of America and its foreign policy in the Middle Ea…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantArab Americans/ Muslim Americans

    What the Ilhan Omar controversies reveal about US politics

    Apr 26, 2019Tamara Kharroub

    The attacks against Omar are part of a larger project to silence voices that advocate for Palestinian rights.

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    The logic behind US humiliation of the Palestinians

    Apr 24, 2019Marwan Bishara

    The Trump administration has launched an all-out diplomatic assault on the Palestinians, while preparing a new initiative to resolve the Middle East conflict.

  • Policy Analysis
    Democracy and Governance

    The Post-Mattis US Administration and the Rise of Trumpism

    Apr 9, 2019Joe Macaron

    Following the resignation of former Defense Secretary James Mattis, conservatives in the Trump Administration are consolidating and applying their far-reaching…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Can the 2020 Democratic Candidates Change the US-Israel Relationship?

    Mar 6, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Democratic presidential contenders have a difficult task reconciling their party’s traditional pro-Israel position with that of young and progressive activists…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantSecurity and Defense

    Democrats Grapple with US Role in the Middle East

    Mar 6, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    Democrats scrutinize the first two years of Trump’s foreign policy and grapple with a new path moving forward. Read this and more from the week in Washington.

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantSecurity and Defense

    Saudi Arabia Between Congress and the Trump Administration

    Feb 27, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    After a brief respite, tempers on Capitol Hill are again starting to flare up over Saudi Arabia, pitting Congress against President Trump. Read about this and …

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    Saudi ArabiaSecurity and Defense

    Washington Policy Weekly

    Feb 8, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    This week’s legislation focuses on Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and War Powers Resolution; Rep. Engel and Sen. Cruz outline their visions of Congress’s role in foreign…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantSecurity and Defense

    Washington Policy Weekly

    Jan 11, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    I. Congress1) LegislationStrengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act. S. 1 was introduced last week, as detailed here, but it experienced some oppo…

  • Policy Analysis
    Democracy and Governance

    Who Will Be Driving the 2019 Washington Policy Agenda?

    Jan 4, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    While President Trump enjoys constitutional prerogatives over American policy in the Middle East, a Democratic-controlled House is likely to impact his choices…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IraqSecurity and Defense

    Washington Policy Weekly

    Jan 4, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    New Congress kicks off with a diverse House majority; senators look to get involved in US foreign policy early on; fallout continues from Trump’s decision to w…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Washington Policy Weekly – November 9, 2018

    Nov 9, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Democrats control the House of Representatives; three Arab American women enter Congress; Washington mobilizes support for Iran sanctions; Trump Administration…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Congress and President Trump after the 2018 Midterm Elections

    Nov 8, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Divided government and increased polarization in Congress are likely to make routine legislative business extremely difficult.

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranSecurity and Defense

    Washington Policy Weekly – November 2, 2018

    Nov 2, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Senators call on Trump to halt nuclear talks with Saudi Arabia; Nauert tapped to be ambassador to United Nations; Pompeo, Mattis call on both sides of Yemen wa…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    The 2018 Midterm Elections: What Do They Mean for the Middle East?

    Nov 1, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    President Trump is potentially days away from being handed a divided Congress; a Democratic-led House could challenge Republican orthodoxy over US policy regar…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Haley Leaves the UN: Using Israel as Her Way to the White House

    Oct 17, 2018Yousef Munayyer

    On her ambitious quest to the presidency, Nikki Haley missed no opportunity to use her post at the United Nations to defend Israeli policies and to bash and pu…

  • Policy Analysis
    International Law

    Trump’s Unprincipled “Principled Realism” Benefits Trump, Not the World

    Oct 5, 2018Daniel Brumberg

    Trump’s speech at the UNGA set out the basic dividing line that separates the Trump Administration from the normative, institutional, and legal consensus that …

  • Policy Analysis
    International Law

    Trump’s UN Performance: Does the US Have a Strategy?

    Sep 28, 2018Joe Macaron

    The Trump Administration's performance at the United Nations General Assembly raises questions about whether Washington has a clear and consistent strategy to …

  • Policy Analysis
    International Law

    Trump Brings His “America First” Agenda to the United Nations

    Sep 25, 2018Joe Macaron

    For the second time since assuming power last year, President Donald Trump comes to the United Nations (UN) with his “America First” agenda, his Administration…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Congressional Update – Week Ending September 14, 2018

    Sep 14, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    I. Congress1) LegislationIranian Proxies Terrorist Sanctions Act. This week, a cadre of GOP senators introduced S. 3431 to place pressure on Iraqi militias tha…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Congressional Update – Week Ending September 7, 2018

    Sep 7, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Senator Lankford seeks to reform UNRWA aid while House members seek to end US support for the Yemen war; details emerge on White House peace plan and Trump opt…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs

    Congressional Update – Week Ending August 24, 2018

    Aug 24, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    I. CongressThe House remains on recess, but the Senate worked its first full week since taking a brief recess earlier in August. The upper chamber is looking t…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Congressional Update – Week Ending August 10, 2018

    Aug 10, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    A Palestinian-American is poised to become first female Muslim elected to Congress; White House tackles Iran sanctions at the same time its peace plan for Isra…

  • Viewpoint
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Citizenship Question on Census Form is Counterproductive

    Jul 25, 2018Imad Hamad

    The U.S. Constitution requires a census of the population every 10 years. The census is a treasure trove of information for the private and the public sector. …

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Congressional Update – Week Ending July 6, 2018

    Jul 6, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Senators make an unexpected trip to Syria while Trump officials visit northern Iraq; Bolton reshuffles Middle East personnel on NSC; the Trump Administration i…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Congressional Update – Week Ending June 15, 2018

    Jun 15, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    I. Congress1) LegislationS. Res. 541. A bipartisan trio of senators proposed a resolution this week that, should it pass, would express the sense of Congress t…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranSecurity and Defense

    Congressional Update – Week Ending June 8, 2018

    Jun 8, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    I. CongressThe House of Representatives and the Senate both returned to Washington this week to tackle legislative business and move toward securing the federa…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    One year on, Trump remains the cause of – and solution to – the Qatar crisis

    May 23, 2018Andreas Krieg

    When it turned out the statements released by Qatar's news agency were the product of an external cyber-attack, and not the actual words of the country's emir,…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantSecurity and Defense

    Congressional Update – Week Ending May 18, 2018

    May 18, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    I. Congress1) HearingsAuthorizing the Use of Military Force. On May 16, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) held an open hearing to vet a proposed ne…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranSecurity and Defense

    Congressional Update – Week Ending May 11, 2018

    May 11, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    I. Congress 1) Legislation H.R. 5677. On May 7, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Ed Royce (R-California) introduced a bill to revise the…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranThe GCC

    Congressional Update – Week Ending April 27, 2018

    Apr 27, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Congress assesses counterterrorism cooperation with GCC states; Pompeo confirmed as Secretary of State; Macron, Merkel lobby Trump for JCPOA; Supreme Court hea…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranSecurity and Defense

    Congressional Update – Week Ending April 20, 2018

    Apr 20, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    I. Congress1) Legislation J. Res. 59. On April 16, a bipartisan group of senators, including Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Chairman Bob Corker (R-T…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Congressional Update – Week Ending April 13, 2018

    Apr 13, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Much talk in Washington about strikes against the Syrian regime; confirmation hearing for Mike Pompeo as new Secretary of State; John Bolton enters the White H…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Is This the End of AIPAC’s Reign?

    Apr 3, 2018Tamara Kharroub

    The month of March in Washington DC is known for cherry blossom and AIPAC's annual conference. From 4-6 March, the 2018 AIPAC policy conference took place in D…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Congressional Update – Week Ending March 30, 2018

    Mar 30, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    I. CongressLawmakers in both chambers had the week off and the recess will extend through next week as well. The Senate is scheduled to hold legislative busine…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Congressional Update – Week Ending March 23, 2018

    Mar 23, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Congress averts another shutdown and funds the government through September; lawmakers hold hearings on Lebanon and a nuclear Saudi Arabia; Trump ousts moderat…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IranSecurity and Defense

    Congressional Update – Week Ending March 16, 2018

    Mar 16, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Senate expected to vote on a Yemen resolution next week; top military brass around Washington talk security and humanitarian concerns; multilateral conferences…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Firing Tillerson Leaves US Diplomacy in Limbo

    Mar 15, 2018Joe Macaron

    Tillerson’s firing comes at a critical time in US foreign policy. New dynamics are emerging in the Trump Administration and the successor Mike Pompeo should ba…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantSecurity and Defense

    Congressional Update – Week Ending March 9, 2018

    Mar 9, 2018Marcus Montgomery

    Congress considers new anti-BDS bill; lawmakers probe officials about global security; Trump looks into strikes in Syria as White House is mired in drama.