Viewpoints

Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelThe War on Gaza
Reading Palestinian Polls—and Misreading Palestinian Politics
Sep 3, 2026Yousef Munayyer
While the polling data may be eye-catching, interpreting the numbers requires reading Palestinian public sentiment correctly at an unprecedented moment. Misrea…
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JordanProtests and Activism
The Domestic Costs of Jordan’s US Alliance
Aug 24, 2026Jillian Schwedler
Since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in February 2026, dozens of citizens of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have been injured by debris falling from i…
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LebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Lebanon’s False Bet on US Mediation
Aug 20, 2026Imad K. Harb
Earlier this month, Lebanon and Israel wrapped up another negotiating session in Rome—the seventh since their signing of the June 26, 2026, US-brokered Framewo…
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SyriaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
What Are Syria’s Political Trials For?
Aug 18, 2026Daniel Neep
On August 11, 2026, the Fourth Syrian Criminal Court sentenced to death former President Bashar al-Assad and seven other regime insiders—including his brother …
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LibyaDemocracy and Governance
Libya’s Heatwave Exposes a Crisis of Governance
Aug 6, 2026Virginie Collombier
In July 2026, a major heatwave swept the western Mediterranean, causing extreme temperatures and fueling wildfires in France, Italy, Spain, and North Africa. L…
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SudanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
How to Fail at Preventing Atrocities: Sudan’s Unlearned Lessons
Jul 30, 2026Kholood Khair
Since June 2026, the United Nations, the United States, several European governments, and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Ri…
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AlgeriaDemocracy and Governance
What Algeria’s Elections Really Revealed
Jul 28, 2026Patricia Karam
The results of Algeria’s July 2, 2026, parliamentary elections were entirely predictable. The National Liberation Front (FLN), the party that has dominated pol…
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YemenUS Foreign Policy
Trump Threatens “Major Military Punishment” for Yemen’s Houthis
Jul 23, 2026Nabeel A. Khoury
Until this week, the Houthis had been waiting to see whether their military involvement might be needed or called for in the conflict between the United States…