Politics
The Cost of Clean Water
How one village was hit by the demands of sustainable development.
Heat is on for Brazil’s Bolsonaro
Bolsonaro has shifted focus from an economic reforms agenda, which the country sorely needs amid recession fears, to a cultural one, which pleases his supporters.
Libya’s Dangerous Political Stalemate
Until now, most of the external actors involved in Libya relied on a Cold-War “zero sum game theory”, based on the dichotomic vision amicus/hostis (friend/enemy) of classical realpolitik. It is time this changes.
The End for Netanyahu?
After a murky election Netanyahu might be out and Gantz might be in, but it is Lieberman who is set to be kingmaker.
Reconstruction as a political-economy issue: The case of Syria
There can be no meaningful separation between state-building, peace-building, and revival at the end of a conflict, especially as post-conflict state institutions are the only apparatus which can be somewhat directly or indirectly accountable toward their populations for the management of the country.
Kushner’s New Plan for Palestine
The “Deal of the Century” is quickly shaping up to be the “Deception of the Century” and here’s why.
A Whole Government Effort
In reaffirming the U.S. role in the Middle East, anti-terrorism expert Gerald Feierstein explains that it is not enough to just fight violent networks; leaders must also address the root causes of extremism
A Man for All Ages
Leading diplomat and public servant William Burns calls for a reinvention of American foreign policy.
Sister of the Rebels
Meet the sister of the rebels.
Reinventing Peace in Syria
For Syria, and the rest of the world, the era of liberal peacebuilding has passed. But there are other ways to make peace, which call for a return to basics and a new kind of “software”
In Syria, Reconstruction Brings Little Hope for Peace
While maintaining the status quo for the time being might seem the easiest option, it is also the worst possible one
Rebuilding Iraq: Prospects and Challenges
Reconstruction in Iraq cannot be achieved without universal reconciliation, economic and education reform, and equitable application of the rule of law
Keeping Afghanistan in Afghanistan
As a possible peace and removal of American troops appears imminent, how do Afghanistan’s Turkic neighbors view the regional security situation?
Cohesion through Decentralization
The rebuilding process in Libya will be complex and arduous but must be done with a focus on local actors and an acknowledgment of the realities on the ground
Rethinking Gaza’s Reconstruction
With living conditions in the Palestinian enclave fast approaching breaking point, anything short of a comprehensive approach to peacebuilding and reconstruction will not work
End of War, but Not of Conflict
State (re)building in war-torn countries can only happen in a conducive political process on all levels ranging from the local to the international, which is exactly what seems lacking in MENA
Forward… But Where to?
The end of Bouteflika, the centrality of General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, and the parameters of change in Algeria
Opportunity of the Century?
Jared Kushner’s economic stimulus initiative to solve the Palestinian issue was introduced in the 80s and ended in failure.
An Iran Strategy Worth Fighting For
U.S. and Saudi confrontations with Iran are causing proxy-warfare in weak or failing Arab states and escalating tensions in the Gulf, but there might still be a chance for diplomatic progress with the right combination of measures targeting Gulf-specific, regional, and international issues.
Untold Futures
The American University in Cairo launched a massive research initiative that would ask Arab scholars and thinkers over the next three years to find answers to a crucial question: what does the future hold for the Middle East?
Civil Marriage in Limbo
In Lebanon, the recurring debate around civil marriage highlights the sectarian-patriarchal grip on personal status affairs and the state itself.
The Juggernaut’s Achilles Heel
The US may have recognized Israel’s 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights, but the Golan Druze, like East Jerusalem Palestinians, continue to reject Israeli citizenship and civic participation. If Israel is now empowered to annex parts of the West Bank, will Palestinians there break the pattern and embrace citizenship if offered?
Here We Go Again
In a right-wing power-play Avigdor Lieberman has forced Israelis back to the polls, but the former defense minister may not be in as strong a position as he reckons.
Arab Spring Revisited
From Algeria to Sudan, the time for good governance is now
Getting Back on Keel
Egypt’s first Fulbright specialist from the United States since 2013 Thomas De Luca critiques the past and the future of national exceptionalism, political polarization, and erosion of democratic values both at home and abroad
Thinking Arab Futures
Drivers, scenarios, and strategic choices for an improved Arab World
A Regional Order Contested
Extreme instability has prompted a fundamental reconfiguration of the contemporary Middle East; as the old order crumbles, a new one has yet to emerge
Erdoğan’s Failure on the Nile
How Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan went from being a regional Islamist leader in the Arab Spring to being the Middle East’s odd man out
Turkey’s Pan-Islamist Foreign Policy
Understanding Turkey’s diplomatic moves post-2011 by looking back to the Ottoman conception of ittihad-i Islam
A Win-Win for Iran and the Region
Iran’s role in the “end-state diplomatic model” of conflict resolution and crisis management in the Middle East
Swamped in a Triple Crisis
Following the 2017–18 uprising, Iran is sick, stuck in three endemic crises with a foreign policy unlikely to alleviate what ails it
Rule of the Rigid Compromiser
President Xi Jinping’s populist leadership of China, six years on, has been a lesson in the art of mixing strict policies with flexibility—alongside the ultimate goal of growing his own power and that of China
Can Israel Survive Netanyahu?
Following Benjamin Netanyahu’s reelection Israel is a land of contradictions, democratic and wealthy yet with dangerous demographic divisions
Kurdistan: A State or a State of Mind?
Can the Kurds, the largest ethnicity in the Middle East without their own nation, overcome their internal disunity and find ways to exist as an independent state or as autonomous regions?
Saudi Arabia’s Moment in the Sun
Although cooperation with China can help Saudi Arabia boost production of solar power, global trade dynamics may complicate the kingdom’s renewable energy goals.
What China Wants in Outer Space
On the final frontier, Beijing is bringing its A game. Can other Asian powers such as India compete?
Netanyahu’s Masterful Gaslighting
The recent Israeli election showed Bibi to be the king of Israel and a master of the status quo.
A Different Kind of Rationality
Iran continues its military presence in Syria even after the fight is won—a move which is underpinned by the Islamic Republic’s core deterrence and defense foreign policy against possible Israeli or US military action.
Syria and Regional Food Security
Syria and its neighbors all have a vested interest in resuming agricultural trade to increase food security across the region.
Russia’s Eye on Syrian Reconstruction
Russia is primed to benefit economically from an influx of foreign investment in Syria, but an emerging rivalry with China and Iran for contracts could erode its long-term leverage.
The Dream of a City
Will Neom, the Saudi leadership’s new “city of the future,” become a reality?
When the Shake-up Comes
Activist and former advisor to the PLO negotiating team Diana Buttu discusses what she calls the death of Oslo and her hopes for a radical new future
Lose Your Privileges or Gain a Homeland?
Hassan Asfour, senior Oslo-era negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization, discusses why the Oslo Accords were doomed and the next step: declaring an independent Palestinian nation
Keeping the Hope of Peace Alive
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini asserts that the Oslo and Camp David Accords must be complemented by the realization of a two-state solution for the Palestinian–Israeli conflict in order to secure a lasting peace for the Middle East.
No-Peace Solution
Peace did not prevail because certain ambiguous provisions contained in the Camp David Accords enabled Israel to deliberately evade its obligations and frustrate the entire peace process
The Players of Camp David
An insider Israeli view on the personalities and ideas that drove the history-making Camp David Accords
Reflections on Camp David at 40
How the Camp David Accords became a limited Egyptian–Israeli peace effort that ultimately transformed Arab–Israeli relations across the Middle East
Half Right and Still Waiting
Parsing the successes of the Israeli–Egyptian peace treaty against the failure of Camp David’s other framework agreement sheds light on the pillars of a successful security relationship, and the unique sticking points of the Palestinian–Israeli conflict
The Peacemakers’ War
After forty years, the Camp David summit continues to be the seminal shaper of the modern Middle East. However, it was an effort fraught with challenges for the peacemakers that could have resulted in its collapse
Lessons from the Thirteen Days in September
On the atmosphere, negotiating style, and mistakes made at Camp David