Essays

The European Union’s foreign policy since the Arab Spring has fluctuated between outdated economic initiatives and political misreadings; instead the EU needs more internal unity and a better understanding of needs in the Arab World

The Inflection Point

By Jon B. Alterman

Fall 2018

Reduced American focus on the Middle East going forward is just one of many changes with which Arab leaders will have to grapple in the coming years, and it is disorienting

The Choice for the West: Focus or Strategic Failure

By Daniel Levy

Fall 2018

The Middle East and North Africa would be better off with diminished Western ambitions in the region. However, rather than coalescing around a more manageable and realistic set of goals, the West is beset by confusion and growing discord

An Overdue Reckoning

By David Wearing

Fall 2018

British foreign policy in the Middle East has shifted decisively from a long period of consensus to one of sharp contestation between an empire-2.0 right and a transformative left

In the Leopard’s Footprints

By Marco Pinfari

Fall 2018

Despite the rise of the continent’s first populist government, in its relations with the Middle East, Italy shows remarkable continuity with its recent past in its emphasis on migration and energy security

In Pursuit of a Grand Strategy

By Frédéric Charillon

Fall 2018

France’s diplomatic sojourns into the Middle East over the past quarter century have only yielded moderate success. Can the government of Emmanuel Macron reverse this slow downward spiral?

India’s Multipolar Commitment

By Kabir Taneja

Fall 2018

With a modern diplomatic history going back to Gandhi and Nehru, India views its role in the Middle East as a supporter of multiple powers. But how long can India’s commitment to a multipolar Middle East continue?

Russia’s Sharp Turns

By Dmitry Shlapentokh

Fall 2018

To get involved in Syria, Russia had to turn to Iran as an unexpected ally, yet as the conflict develops, it is ready to accommodate any and all players to strengthen its foothold in the region

Patrons of Peace and Conflict

By Nanjala Nyabola

Fall 2018

In Northeast Africa today, Middle Eastern states vie for influence, and African governments accede—with conditions

Building Fortress Europe

By Parastou Hassouri

Summer 2018

There is hypocrisy in Europe’s migration policies, which give lip service to human rights, but actually push back those seeking access to better lives.

Migration Myths and the Global South

By Ibrahim Awad and Usha Natarajan

Summer 2018

The discourse currently dominating international migration privileges a Northern agenda and obfuscates the real causes and consequences of why people move. A greater focus on the Global South is essential.

In a Storm Not of their Making

By Omer Karasapan

Summer 2018

The arrival of mass numbers of Syrian refugees in Europe has ignited a “perfect storm” for the surge of xenophobia and populist politics among Europeans. Its cause, however, originates in the West and not with the Syrians themselves.

A Horrible Game Changer

By Ghaith Al-Omari

Summer 2018

The Trump administration’s decision to cut aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East or UNRWA may highlight a need for institutional reform. Nonetheless, the humanitarian crisis and political unrest resulting from such a decision far outweigh any benefits.

A Compact for Syrian Refugee Women?

By Bethan Staton

Summer 2018

When the “Jordan Compact” was inked between European governments and Jordan in 2016, it was presented as a transformative experiment in employing and empowering Syrian refugees. Two years later, the Compact has failed to help Syrians and address the realities of working refugee women.

From Africa to Israel to Nowhere

By Mike Wagenheim

Summer 2018

Thousands of undocumented Africans in Israel present the Jewish-majority state with an existential question: how open is Israel—originally a safe haven for displaced Jews—to newly-arrived non-Jewish migrants?

Empowering Yemen’s Displaced Women

By Ghaidaa Motahar

Summer 2018

Since 2004, internal displacement in Yemen has hit women the hardest. Rather than narrowly focus on life-saving assistance, humanitarian organizations must develop policies with women’s strategic and long-term needs in mind.

Erdoğan’s Achilles Heel

By Gönül Tol

Summer 2018

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s policy toward Syrian refugees could become his downfall as anti-refugee sentiment in Turkey grows, especially if the economy weakens.

Loose Ends of a Deal

By Pınar Dost

Summer 2018

Turkey and the European Union signed a “Refugee Deal” to curb migration into Europe. But unfulfilled provisions of the deal are leading to problematic EU–Turkey relations.

Educated, But Will She Work?

By Ghada Barsoum

Spring 2018

Social and economic transformations are further integrating Arab women into the workforce. Yet economic and cultural norms continue to hinder their empowerment.

Iranian Women, Work, and the Gender Regime

By Valentine M. Moghadam

Spring 2018

Iranian women advance their political agency even as their government imposes a neo-patriarchal economic and political system in the Islamic Republic.

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