The Saudi Gambit in Washington

By Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy /

Saudi Arabia is in a position to become a major international player but to sustain such a role it needs to consolidate its leadership in the Middle East.
The Arab Summit, which concluded in Jeddah last weekend, may well have just confirmed the Kingdom’s leadership of the Arab World. But now Riyadh needs to transform that into a regional leadership role.
Such a regional undertaking requires—in addition to taking the lead on the political settlement of the various crises that have plagued the region—the sagacious management of its relationships with both the United States and Israel. » Read more about: The Saudi Gambit in Washington »

COP27: Kick the Climate Can Down the Road Another Year

By Peter J. Jacques / Spring 2023

With one COP after another kicking the can down the road, the prospective loss and damage fund is threatened by the same diversionary tactics. To succeed in the climate battle, we need transformative institutions and courageous leadership

All Policy is Climate Policy

By Ana Davis / Spring 2023

Scholar and activist Jennie Stephens discusses the future of climate policy, emphasizing a “people-first” perspective and the need for larger societal structural transformation

Fear and Power: Christian Nationalism in America

By Leslie Cohen /

What draws people to the movement, its threat to democracy, and what the far right gains in its association with faith.

What Losing the Iran Deal Could Mean for the Region

By Seyed Hossein Mousavian / Fall 2022/Winter 2023

If President Joe Biden is seeking to restore sustainable peace and security in the region, he has to start with reviving the JCPOA

The West’s Stigma, and Why it Loses Global Support By its Own Actions

By Ayman Zaineldine / Fall 2022/Winter 2023

The Ukraine war has exposed, yet again, the deep skepticism of Western intentions across the Global South, undermining efforts to strengthen the rules-based liberal global order. But this is not inevitable as it is a result of policies the West has been pursuing for a long time, which it now must change if it wants to fix its credibility

OPEC+ versus the United States and World Democracies

By Giacomo Luciani / Fall 2022/Winter 2023

The OPEC+ decision to cut oil production opens the door to further politicization of the global oil industry, particularly between the United States and Saudi Arabia

Russia, Ukraine, and U.S. Policy in the Middle East

By Daniel C. Kurtzer / Fall 2022/Winter 2023

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has influenced U.S. policy in the Middle East, the future of which depends on the outcome of the war, as well as Washington’s commitment to the region

A History of Whistleblowers and Document Leaks

By Jamie Ruchser / Summer 2022

The dissemination of classified and sometimes sensitive information to the public often sparks debate about freedom of information—for example, what information should be shared and what should be withheld? The rapid rise of the internet in the early twenty-first century has provided the public with access to documents leaked through whistleblowing. This timeline aims to identify key whistleblowers and document leaks in recent history.

Time to Stop Talking of the Shiite-Sunni Divide

By Abdullah Hamidaddin / Summer 2022

When Western media frames the Middle East in terms of sectarianism, not only does it do a grave disservice to its audience, but also to the people of this region, with far-reaching consequences

Red Lines in Global Media

By Khaled Ezzelarab / Summer 2022

Whether in liberal democracies or across the Arab World, journalists today are struggling to navigate a difficult route amid government restrictions, ambiguous red lines, and non-state actors affecting how the media is run

An Insider’s Attempt at Syrian–Israeli Peace

By Farah Bassyouni and Nadeen Shaker /

Frederic Hof discusses a lesser-known track in the Arab-Israeli peace process: a Syrian-Israeli mediation that came closer to a deal than expected

A Revolution and A War: How Iran Transformed Today’s Middle East

By Seyed Hossein Mousavian /

How the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the eight-year Iran–Iraq War greatly and irreversibly influenced the geopolitics and regional dynamics of the Middle East

The Changing Middle East Regional Order

By Paul Salem / Winter 2022

A history of the Arab state system starting from the second half of the twentieth century to the present

Managing Crises, the Least-Bad Option

By Joost Hiltermann / Winter 2022

Conflict management in the MENA region has little chance of succeeding as conflicts increasingly intersect and tensions driven by larger, regional triggers become even more unpredictable

The End of the Road

By Khaled Elgindy / Winter 2022

Why has the two-state solution fallen apart and are there alternative approaches for lasting peace between Israel and Palestine?

Is It Time to Bury the Two-State Solution?

By Hesham Youssef / Winter 2022

While many may be dismissive of the two-state solution, there are no viable alternatives for peace between Israel and Palestine

Afghanistan and the New Taliban

By Spyridon Litsas / January 17, 2022

What happens if the United States and other Western powers make a fresh beginning with the Taliban?

Who Feels Climate Anxiety?

By Sarah Jaquette Ray / Fall 2021

In the simplest terms, the answer is: it depends on who perceives it as a threat, and what “anxiety” means to them.

This Watershed Moment for the Land(s) between the River and the Sea

By Richard Silverstein / June 21, 2021

The recent war between Israel and Hamas has transformed the moral calculus of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Shifting the Conversation on Palestine

By Nour Odeh / May 28, 2021

Arab states and the world community must counter Israel’s impunity as well as put an end to the profitable occupation enterprise… otherwise it’s another futile ceasefire.

The Rise of the United Arab Emirates

By Abdulkhaleq Abdulla / Spring 2021

By harnessing national confidence, proactively dealing with regional security concerns and exercising geopolitical cooperation, the UAE is positioning itself as a regional powerhouse.

Maintaining the U.S.-Saudi Relationship

By Hussein Ibish / Spring 2021

The once booming strategic alliance between Riyadh and Washington has weathered a number of regional storms but is beginning to show wear and tear.

Solving the Nuclear Stalemate between Iran and the United States

By Gawdat Bahgat / Spring 2021

To reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and provide an effective security apparatus across the region, all Middle Eastern countries need to move beyond a zero-sum mentality.

The Normalization of Antidemocratic Extremism in the United States

By Risa Kitagawa / May 4, 2021

To dissect the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol requires an understanding of the language of American political violence.

Transforming Domestic Extremism in the United States

By Chris Bosley / April 28, 2021

In the aftermath of the Capitol insurrection, efforts to counter domestic extremism should address the social and structural dynamics that contribute to violence.

Egypt, United States Must Navigate a New Alliance

By Mahmoud El Shabba /

Strategic priorities in Cairo and Washington have shifted somewhat in recent years leaving what was once a critical relationship out of unison.

The Arab World Between Regime Change and Political Reform

By Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid / Winter 2021

The American tendency to overthrow existing governments in sovereign states has been fuel and fodder for conspiracy theories of the last decade.

Non-Western Theater Elevates Local Culture

By Ibrahim Elzayat and Omar Auf /

Theater Professor Jillian Campana discusses the richness of local theater traditions and the ways in which they can engage Western-dominated theater.

Funding Feminism: Grantmaking for Women’s Rights

By Sydney Wise / Winter 2021

Anne Firth Murray, founding president of the Global Fund for Women, chronologizes a lifetime of harms faced by women and posits community as a remedy.

Biden Bolstering Diplomacy

By Sydney Wise / Winter 2021

PART II: Director of the Boston Consortium for Arab Region Studies, Denis Sullivan, discusses U.S. President Joe Biden’s foreign policy plans in the Middle East.

Biden Negotiating the Balance of Power

By Sydney Wise / Winter 2021

Director of the Boston Consortium for Arab Region Studies, Denis Sullivan, discusses U.S. President Joe Biden’s foreign policy plans in the Middle East.

The Iran Nuclear Deal: A Springboard for a New Middle East Security Architecture

By Nabil Fahmy / February 25, 2021

The Iran nuclear deal could be the first building block in a new Middle East security architecture.

What to Expect from Biden in the Middle East

By William B. Quandt / February 24, 2021

A Biden administration is likely to rewrite a lot of Trump’s Middle East policies, but the Israel-Palestine issue may not be a priority.

Explaining Egypt’s January 2011 Revolution between Conspiracy and Conventional Wisdom

By Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid / Winter 2021

Ten years on, conspiracy theories about the root causes of the 2011 Egyptian uprising still abound.

Africa and the United States: Reengaging with Africa’s Prosperity in Mind

By Carl Manlan / Winter 2021

With China as a dominant foreign power in Africa, the only option left for United States to engage with the continent is to follow its priorities: namely, prioritizing African youth.

Does the Biden Administration Have Time for Foreign Policy?

By Basant Samhout / Winter 2021

As the United States moves back to a more traditional presidency, the world questions the new administration’s ability, much less willingness, to take a leading role in world politics amid more demanding issues at home

The United States and Egypt: Constant Interests Require Consistent Policies

By Frank G. Wisner /

The United States and Egypt have long standing common interests requiring both to pursue consistent and sustained policies.

Why the Phrase “Arab Spring” Should be Retired

By Sean David Hobbs / Winter 2021

It’s time to stop using a Western-based concept ten years on from the events that began the Arab Uprisings.

In the Zone: The Long and Winding Road to Middle East Disarmament

By Karim Haggag / Winter 2021

As the international community grapples with the immediate challenge of Iran’s nuclear program, those in Washington and other capitals should consult Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Emad Kiyaei’s book and perhaps devise a more considered approach to rid the Middle East of the threat of mass destruction that continues to hang over the region.

Messages to America

By Nabil Fahmy / Winter 2021

I look forward to a more positive U.S. posture in the world arena, however I also call on the international community to take initiatives toward reforming the international system. The matter isn’t an American issue or responsibility alone and should not be. It affects us all.

United States of America