• Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Receiving Netanyahu, Trump Must Emphasize America’s Interests

    Feb 14, 2017Imad K. Harb

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to Washington this week to officially reset US-Israeli relations after the chill of the last few years of the Obama Adm…

  • Op-Eds

    Radwan Ziadeh: Is Trump a Threat to American Democracy (in Arabic)

    Feb 11, 2017Radwan Ziadeh

    Analysts are debating whether the different branches of government in the United States are strong enough to withstand the populace wave that brought Trump to …

  • Op-Eds

    Imad K. Harb: Trump’s Tug-of-war with America’s Political Establishment

    Feb 10, 2017Imad K. Harb

    President Donald Trump's executive orders are ready-made mechanisms that his administration believes will help it to institutionalise his campaign promises. Th…

  • Op-Eds

    Radwan Ziadeh: Russia Writes a Constitution for Syrians (in Arabic)

    Feb 9, 2017Radwan Ziadeh

    Russia has distributed a draft for a new Syrian constitution during the Astana Conference in order to "expedite negotiations to end the Syrian conflict." Why h…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCC

    Developments in Yemen and American Strategic Calculations

    Feb 8, 2017Imad K. Harb

    It has been three years since Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference concluded its work to set the stage for a constitution for a six-region federated state. Thi…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Iran and Trump’s Strategy in the Gulf Region: What’s Next?

    Iran’s recent launch of a medium range ballistic missile played to the Trump Administration’s expectations of Iranian behavior regarding strategic weaponry in …

  • Policy Analysis
    Security and Defense

    “America First” Will Compromise Homeland Security and Disrupt American Soft Power

    Feb 7, 2017Mustafa Gurbuz

    The Trump Administration’s two promises—pursuing an “America first” policy and exterminating radical jihadism—require an investment in American soft power that…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranIdentity Politics and Sectarianization

    General Mattis and Iraq: Motivations and Apprehensions

    The appointment of retired US General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense comes during cautious times for both Iraqis and Americans. The Iraqis are anticipati…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs

    Congressional Update, February 3, 2017

    Feb 3, 2017

    I. “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” referred to as the Muslim BanPresident Donald Trump’s January 27 Executive Order…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Netanyahu Unrestrained: The Trump Effect on Israeli Politics

    Feb 3, 2017Yousef Munayyer

    BackgroundSince 2009, there have been two constants in the American-Israeli relationship: Barack Obama was President of the United States and Benjamin Netanyah…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanSecurity and Defense

    Jordan’s King Abdallah in Washington: ISIL and Jerusalem

    Feb 1, 2017Joe Macaron

    In what was described as a working visit, Jordan’s King Abdullah II arrived on January 30, 2017, and became the first Arab leader to come to Washington since t…