Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis
SyriaSecurity and Defense
Turkey, Israel, and the Struggle over Syria’s New Order
Oct 14, 2026Salim Çevik
Israel’s August 18, 2026, airstrike on the Abu al-Dhuhour airbase, about 70 kilometers from the Turkish border, marked a new escalation in Turkish-Israeli comp…
Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelThe War on Gaza
Hamas and the Politics of Decommissioning in Gaza
Oct 2, 2026Muhammad Shehada
For almost three years, Israel and the United States have repeatedly claimed that the war in Gaza would end if Hamas laid down its arms. In July 2026, however,…
Collective Analysis
The Arab WorldEducation and Development
UNGA 2026: War, Diplomacy, and the Middle East’s Changing Order
Sep 28, 2026Nur Arafeh Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Negar Mortazavi Yousef Munayyer Daniel Neep
Nearly 130 world leaders attended the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held in New York from September 22 to 2…
Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldRegional Relations and Geopolitics
What the Iran War Reveals about China’s Middle East Strategy
Sep 22, 2026Andrea Ghiselli
On September 24, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet President Donald Trump for the second time since the start of the US-Israeli war on Ira…
Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelViolent Extremism
From Hilltops to Houses: A New Phase of Israeli Settlement Expansion
Sep 18, 2026Dalia Hatuqa
On August 9, 2026, Israeli settlers surrounded three houses in the Ras al-Ain area of Qusra, a Palestinian village southeast of Nablus in the West Bank. The se…
Policy Analysis
IraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Turkey and Iraq’s Emerging Partnership in a Changing Regional Order
Aug 26, 2026Salim Çevik
Turkey-Iraq relations have undergone a significant transformation over the past two years. For much of the post-2003 period, relations between Ankara and Baghd…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaSecurity and Defense
Diversification Without Substitution: What the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement Offers Saudi Arabia
Aug 19, 2026The Unit for Political Studies
Despite the headlines, the Mecca agreement is unlikely to produce a real military response if an attack happens. Not only has the text of the accord not been m…
Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Israeli Public Supports Wars, but Is Dissatisfied with the Results
Aug 17, 2026Mtanes Shihadeh
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and most Israeli political and security leaders have repeatedly said that they will continue to use military means to deal wi…
Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Can the Board of Peace’s Gaza Roadmap Survive the Disarmament Deadlock?
Aug 13, 2026Mohammed Samhouri
On July 30, 2026, Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace (BoP) High Representative for Gaza and the plan’s lead architect, announced a 15-point framework for a …
Policy Analysis
LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections
Changing Democratic Party Views on Israel and Palestine Boost US Democratic Socialists
Aug 5, 2026Gregory Aftandilian
The Israeli war on Gaza that has resulted in at least 73,000 Palestinian deaths, more than half of whom have been women and children, has made Democrats in gen…
Policy Analysis
LebanonRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Neither Iran nor Israel: Saudi Arabia’s Vision for Lebanon
Jul 28, 2026Giorgio Cafiero
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)’s recent reaffirmation of support for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun underscores an increasingl…
Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Israel’s Policy of Irreversible Occupation
Jul 22, 2026Imad K. Harb
Since October 2023, Israel’s quest to establish itself as the preeminent power in the Middle East and to expand its territory at the expense of its neighbors h…