An Insider’s Attempt at Syrian–Israeli Peace

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

AlMostaqbal: Envisioning a Better Arab Future

/ Winter 2022

An excerpt from the American University in Cairo’s blue-ribbon report, “AlMostaqbal: Envisioning a Better Arab Future”.

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

Framing the Partition Plan for Palestine

By Lorenzo Kamel / Winter 2022

Many different opinions abound concerning Resolution 181, but one fact cannot be denied or overlooked: it was not a solution born out of the “free and sovereign” world states of the time

A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

By Muhamed H. Almaliky / Winter 2022

Did Saudi Arabia miss a huge opportunity at an early engagement with Iraq?

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?

Climate Change and the Global South: The Case of Africa

By Agnes Babugura / Fall 2021

Should climate change continue unaddressed, it is estimated that of the additional 30–170 million people who are likely to suffer from malnutrition or under-nutrition globally in the coming years, three-quarters will be in Africa.

Locked-in Emissions: The Climate Change Arms Trade

By Wendela de Vries / Fall 2021

With militaries’ locked-in fossil fuel systems and looming climate chaos, the arms industry continues to take advantage of nefarious profit opportunities.

A Climate Crisis in Africa: The Case of South Sudan

By Nhial Tiitmamer / Fall 2021

The African continent will be the most severely affected by climate change. Within Africa, the least developed and politically unstable nations like South Sudan are likely to be the hardest hit. What can be done, and who should be at the forefront of these changes?

The Slow Violence of Climate Change

By Garret Barnwell and Savo Heleta / Fall 2021

A warming planet places the heaviest burden on the countries and people least responsible for climate destruction. Survival necessitates justice, redress, and structural change.

Failed Coups But Successful Transition?: On Textualizing Sudan’s Latest Coup Plot

By Jonathan Powell and Salah Ben Hammou /

On September 21, 2021, members of the Sudanese military attempted to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in a failed coup d’etat.

Syria: The Illusive Settlement Part 2

By Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy /

Resolving the Syrian conflict offers an opportunity to bring stability to the Middle East, but only if compromises can be made, starting with UN resolution 2254.

False Assumptions and Ethical Shortcomings in Kabul

By Nabil Fahmy / August 28, 2021

What happened in Kabul has taught us that countries must avoid over-relying on America, and Washington needs to better understand foreign theaters.

Syria: The Illusive Settlement

By Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy /

The best way to describe the current Syrian quandary is to borrow from Winston Churchill’s assessment of what he considered the complex nature of the former Soviet Union: popular grievances wrapped in regional rivalries inside big power competition.

Africa is Climbing the Prosperity Ladder but Some Rungs are Broken

By Musaazi Namiti / Summer 2021

Africa is a continent with six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies, but can it overcome its major challenges?

Millions of People Continue to be Forcibly Displaced in Africa

By Maysa Ayoub / Summer 2021

Even though forced displacement is a global crisis, it is no more obvious than in Africa.

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.

Yemen’s Peace Process: A Path to Conflict?

By Abdullah Hamidaddin / Spring 2021

The possibilities and risks of Yemen embracing peace and stability after a long period of internal civil war remain bleak.

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 Most Recent Israeli Crime

By Nasser Alkidwa / May 27, 2021

In attacking Gaza, the Israeli military and government seeks to keep Palestine divided and Palestinians in Gaza politically and economically crippled. The goal of all Palestinians must now be to resist Israel’s settler colonialism.

Enough with Words

By Nabil Fahmy / May 17, 2021

It is time that Arab states lead the world community in standing up against Israeli practices which jeopardize the national and human rights of the Palestinian people.

State, Media, and Political Messaging in Contemporary Turkey

By Özge Özdüzen / Spring 2021

The AKP’s political messaging tactics have undergone significant change over time, but remain an important strategic tool for the party.

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.

Iran and the GCC: Prospects for a Grand Reconciliation

By Sharmine Narwani / Spring 2021

To realize shared priorities and fulfill the Persian Gulf’s potential as a global cornerstone for energy and trade, hardline Gulf states must acquiesce to waning U.S. hegemony and pursue reconciliation with Iran.

Summers of Strife: From Libya to Ethiopia

By Nabil Fahmy / Spring 2021

Ethiopia’s obstinance puts the region at a sensitive crossroads again

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.

Shaping Africa’s New Normal

By Amina Abdel-Halim / April 28, 2021

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, African nations are working through the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development to set the continent back on track with its developmental Agenda 2063.

Breaking the Historic Taboo

By Allison Hodgkins / Winter 2021

The only way for Israelis to escape perpetual deadlock is to shatter the taboo on inviting Non-Zionist parties into the government. Like Menachem Begin and the Sinai, Netanyahu may be the one to do it.

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.

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.

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.