Viewpoints

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Public Opinion
America Never Had the Arab World: The Ruins of the Liberal International Order
May 4, 2026Dana El Kurd
A recent Foreign Affairs article by Amaney Jamal and Michael Robbins of the Arab Barometer public opinion project carries a blunt headline: “America Has Lost t…
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UAEEnergy and Economics
Why the UAE’s OPEC Withdrawal Matters Beyond Oil
May 1, 2026Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
The UAE's withdrawal from OPEC is the most significant departure yet from the organization because it marks the first time that one of the major oil producing …
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Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance
The 2026 Israeli Election: Will Bennett and Lapid Oust Netanyahu?
Apr 30, 2026Khalil E. Jahshan
On April 26, 2026, right-wing Israeli politician Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid announced the formation of a new party, officially named Beyachad (Tog…
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TurkeyDemocracy and Governance
How to Topple an Autocrat: What Turkey’s Opposition Can Learn from Hungary
Apr 23, 2026Salim Çevik
Viktor Orbán's defeat in Hungary's April 2026 elections, after 16 years in power, showed that entrenched rulers can be defeated at the ballot box even when the…
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EgyptConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Egypt and the Gulf: A Relationship under Pressure
Apr 21, 2026Imad K. Harb
The US-Israeli war on Iran has put Egypt in a predicament. Since the 2013 coup that brought him to power, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi has enjoyed a…
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IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
After the Iran War: Regional Devastation and Future Instability
Apr 21, 2026Marc Lynch
The ferocity of the US-Israeli war with Iran that began on February 28, 2026, has given way to a shaky ceasefire, desultory negotiations, and competing blockad…
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LebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Without a National Consensus, Lebanon’s Talks with Israel Are Doomed to Fail
Apr 14, 2026Nabeel A. Khoury
Forcing Lebanon to accept an occupation will backfire, provoking even fiercer resistance, risking civil war, and sowing heightened anti-American sentiments acr…
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LebanonIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Lessons from Lebanon’s Frustration: From the Christians Yesterday to the Shia Today
Mar 30, 2026Mark Daou
After the civil war ended in 1990, Lebanon entered a new phase of rebuilding state institutions and ending internal conflict. However, that phase was not equit…