The Promise and Perils of the “Policy Dial” in Syria

Calibrated sanctions relief is replacing “maximum pressure” in post-Assad Syria. Can incremental engagement survive strongmen, regional war, and distracted donors?

Independence and Self-Determination as Settler-Colonial Ideologies

By Jacob Blau /

A study of the last 1,000 years of conflict reveals a need to unveil the true meaning of independence and self-determination as “ruses for settler colonialism”, argues Visiting Professor Joseph Massad.

Three Years Later

Building a future that gives the Palestinians their right to self-determination is difficult, but absolutely necessary.

The Arrogance and Limits of American Power in the Latest Gulf War

By Alaa Elhadidi / Summer 2026

With waning confidence in American influence and power to maintain peace in the region, Arab middle powers are moving toward a security equation characterized by multi-lateralism and regional defence pacts.

Libya’s Managed Chaos: Why the ‘Failed State’ Narrative is a Lie

By Youssef Mohammad Sawani / Summer 2026

For over a decade, international commentary on Libya has been trapped in a patronizing loop. It’s time to emerge from that narrative.

Europe’s Credibility Crisis in the Middle East

By Klara Vlahčević Lisinski / Summer 2026

Europe talks about rules but follows power. When power shifts, Europe shifts with it, belatedly and uncertainly.

Will Washington and Beijing Nationalize AI Labs?

By Paul Triolo / Summer 2026

Both countries are increasing government oversight on artificial intelligence, but whether (or when) they enact total state control depends on their own perceptions of risk and potential leaps in AI development.

Reconciling a Fractured Sudan

By Nureldin Satti / Spring 2026

To address Sudan’s problems, the efforts of the Sudanese people and international mediators must be synchronized.

Empowering Peacemakers: The Pathways to Hope Project

Spring 2026

How can we build peace in a region embroiled in conflict? The project’s team shares more about their mission to strengthen mediation efforts.

The War in Sudan Is Fought Over the Bodies of Women

By Tahani Abbas / Spring 2026

Women should play more than symbolic roles in any peacemaking efforts in Sudan; they must be allowed genuine political participation to protect themselves and build a more inclusive country.

Sudan’s Water Crisis Worsened by War, But There is Hope

By Lama Elhatow / Spring 2026

As Sudan continues to face numerous obstacles, including a lack of multilateral governance for hydrological stability, water remains a potential entry point for cooperation domestically, regionally, and internationally.

Between Ambition and Abandonment: Lessons from Mediating the Syria Conflict

By Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy / Spring 2026

The ruins of failed negotiations, committees, and conferences on the Syrian issue can offer guidance to future peacemakers.

Prologue

Spring 2026

This special issue is dedicated to highlighting the work of the Peacemakers.

What’s New Is Old: The Enduring Challenge of Non-State Armed Actors in the Post-October 7 Landscape

By Grace Wermenbol / Spring 2026

While these groups may not have the resources or structure of traditional states, they play a major role in the continuation, or cessation, of conflict in the region.

Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property On the Global Agenda

By Abigail Flynn / Spring/Summer 2025

Multilateral organizations are still working on how to design institutional frameworks to harness the rapid development of AI across the globe

Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

By Raphael Cohen-Almagor / Fall 2025

Building a new future for Israelis and Palestinians will require flexibility, compromise, and dedication from both sides as well as the international community

Beyond Its Wildest Dreams: Israel’s Campaign for Geo-Strategic Dominance in the Middle East

By Richard Silverstein / Fall 2025

Israeli hubris as it celebrates the demise of its enemies will be its ultimate downfall

The Double Genocide in Gaza

By Gregory H. Stanton / Fall 2025

Israel’s disproportionate response to Hamas’ October 7, 2023 massacre includes genocide against Palestinians in Gaza

A State is not Built with Rhetoric Alone—with H.A. Hellyer: CR Amplified ep. 5

By Abigail Flynn / Fall 2025

Verbal gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state mean little without practical policies to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law

Israel and Iran: Major Threats to Middle East Stability

By Erwin van Veen / Fall 2025

Both states have violated international law and instigated regional chaos

Israel is Erasing Palestine and the West is Complicit

By Nour Odeh / Fall 2025

The genocide unfolding in the Gaza Strip has allowed Israel to speed up its takeover and ethnic cleansing of the occupied West Bank in stealth mode

What Palestinian Statehood Must Mean to Mean Anything

By Omar Auf / Fall 2025

As more governments prepare to recognize Palestine this September, the gesture risks being performative unless matched with concrete policies such as sanctions and legal obligations, and a decolonial vision of statehood that challenges occupation at its roots

Ending the War In Gaza: What Must Be Done Now

By Gershon Baskin / Fall 2025

Israel’s military juggernaut will not be stopped in Gaza without significant international pressure and a range of conditional sanctions

Governing AI Under Fire in Ukraine

By Anna Mysyshyn / Spring/Summer 2025

Ukraine offers an opportunity to examine how democracies may balance innovation, accountability, and human rights in the age of autonomous warfare

What Counts as Legal Knowledge in the Age of AI?

By Thomas Skouteris / Spring/Summer 2025

AI is here—like it or not. Educators need to create new ways to facilitate the entrance of this technology into legal and academic spaces

Who are Palestine’s Overlooked Refugees? Investigating Stateless Palestinians in Jordan

By Francesca Maria Lorenzini /

Stateless Palestinian refugees originally from Gaza who now live in Jordan face a precarious legal and economic situation as they lack adequate support systems. Scant attention is paid to their struggles

In Jordan, Trump is a Divisive Figure

By Laila Shadid / Winter 2025

Before Trump officially took office, some Jordanians believed that he was the “lesser of two evils”. Now, two months into his presidency, Trump has few fans in Amman

The Consequences and Prospects of Israel’s Ban of UNRWA

By Jørgen Jensehaugen and Kjersti G. Berg and Lex Takkenberg / Winter 2025

As the UN agency’s operations continue to be obstructed, its outright ban will continue the perpetuation of severe human suffering and have multidimensional ramifications, from illegality on the international level to political considerations regarding the tenuous ceasefire

International Law