Freedom without Permission

By Holly Oberle / Spring 2018

How can we upturn narratives about the Arab Spring uprisings?

Syria Podcast, Part 1

By Sean David Hobbs / May 15, 2018

Nader Hashemi, Middle East and Syria expert, speaks with the Cairo Review’s Senior Editor Sean David Hobbs about ISIS, Russia, and Iran’s Influence on the Syrian Civil War.

Trump’s Dangerous Gamble

By Peter Jones / May 13, 2018

The consequences of Trump’s short-sighted decision on the Iran Nuclear Pact and an analysis of the JCPOA’s pros and cons.

Consuming Snow in Desert Shopping Malls

By Mona Abaza / May 3, 2018

Mega-mall development in Cairo’s suburbs follows a neoliberal model of consumerism popular across the Middle East.

Libya’s Foreign Militias

By Thomas Howes-Ward / April 29, 2018

The presence of foreign armed groups in Libya’s south poses an increasing threat to local security and regional political ties.

Breaking North Africa’s Border Security Conundrum

By Jacques Roussellier / April 20, 2018

Although Maghreb states have tended to pursue border security unilaterally, increased transnational coordination at the local level offers a more sustainable approach.

Kuwait’s Foreign Labor Quandary

By Scott Weiner / April 13, 2018

Recent tensions with the Philippines regarding mistreatment of domestic workers highlight Kuwait’s dependence on foreign labor for lower-paying jobs.

Morocco’s Difficult Path to ECOWAS Membership

By Riccardo Fabiani / April 10, 2018

Although Morocco is aiming to diversify its trade relations into West Africa, political and social opposition within ECOWAS raises questions about its real intentions.

Video: The Three Mindsets of Egyptian Voters

By Abdel Monem Said Aly / March 28, 2018

In this Tahrir Dialogue talk, Abdel Monem Said Aly speaks about three “stories” or narratives about the state of Egyptian politics, which represent how people are voting in these elections.

Former secretary general of the League of Arab States, Amre Moussa, offers eight recommendations for establishing a new regional order that would see Arab countries end instability and regain control of their futures.

The Meaning of Eastern Ghouta and Assad’s “Victory”

By Nabeel Khoury / March 6, 2018

The Assad regime has won the war; it cannot, however, win the peace.

Failure of the International Security System

By Nabil Elaraby / March 3, 2018

Since its inception, the United Nations Security Council has been paralyzed by the political agendas of the great powers. If the Council is to achieve its main goal of maintaining peace and security, the international community must reconsider the veto power and its impact on the Council’s effectiveness.

Iraq’s Status Quo Election

By Kirk H. Sowell / February 26, 2018

After several early stumbles in his campaign, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi will likely end up with a narrow plurality in a highly fragmented field.

Countering Extremist Ideology

By Milo Comerford and Rachel Bryson / February 21, 2018

Many efforts to provide counter-narratives for Salafi-jihadism are currently failing to address extremists’ abuse of religious scripture directly.

Turkey’s Risky Adventure in Afrin

By Pinar Tank / February 19, 2018

Turkey’s military incursion into Kurdish-controlled northern Syria risks straining diplomatic ties and exposing Turkey to increased terror threats.

Time for a New World Order

By Nabil Fahmy / Winter 2018

The rise of populist governments worldwide is not the byproduct of winning or losing political systems, but rather of a failing world order.

Reflections of a Statesman

By Asmaa Abdallah / Winter 2018

Amre Moussa is one of Egypt’s most widely respected diplomats and politicians. He speaks to Cairo Review Associate Editor Asmaa Abdallah about the way out of the Arab World’s crises, and the need for a political system in Egypt that reflects the “spirit of the twenty-first century.”

Russia’s New Energy Gamble

By Bruno Maçães / Winter 2018

Russia aims to position itself as a leader among energy-producing equals in Eurasia. Since 2015, Russia has sought to play a more active role in the Middle East, setting its sights on the region’s energy resources to achieve this strategic goal.

The Widening Saudi–Iran Divide

By Seyed Hossein Mousavian / Winter 2018

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran marks a deepening division between regional powers and international hegemons in the Persian Gulf. The Saudis and Iranians have to learn to cooperate or risk further confrontation.

Flawed Diplomacy in Libya

By Elissa Miller and Karim Mezran / Winter 2018

For years, many actors have tried to mediate peace efforts for the Libyan crisis, but instead of an end to hostilities, conflicts remain.

India’s Teflon Man

By Michael Kugelman / Winter 2018

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be a global pop star, but at home he
is struggling. Yet, despite many domestic challenges and crises, he has managed
to maintain his popularity in India.

Mashhad’s Rebuke to Rouhani

By Mohammad Ali Shabani / January 31, 2018

Entrenched interests based beyond Tehran stand to gain politically from the Iran protests of late December and early January, leaving President Rouhani’s administration at a crossroads.

Questioning Iran’s Regional Ambitions

By Holly Dagres / January 29, 2018

Now that the Islamic State has all but been defeated, some Iranians are beginning to wonder what they will receive in return for supporting regional allies.

A Wiser U.S. Policy for Iran?

By Thomas Buonomo / January 19, 2018

As U.S.-Iranian tensions rise, the Trump administration should adopt a political-military strategy that will counter the causes and effects of Iranian aggression.

On the Politics behind Tunisia’s Protests

By Issandr El Amrani and Michael Ayari / January 17, 2018

Analysis on why the recent protests erupted in Tunisia.

The Iranian-Israeli Confrontation in Western Syria

By Maysam Behravesh / January 14, 2018

With Iran’s deepening engagement in Syria following the expulsion of the Islamic State (IS), the old Iranian-Israeli feud is reigniting.

Video Podcasts: The Future of Europe and the Middle East

By Sean David Hobbs / December 21, 2017

Senior Editor Sean David Hobbs speaks to the Ambassadors of UK and France about the future of Europe and the Middle East.

The Real Turning Point in Yemen Has Yet to Come

By Kierat Ranautta-Sambhi and Miriam Eps / December 20, 2017

Ali Abdullah Saleh’s death could be the end of the Houthis, or a blessing in disguise. The future course of the Yemeni conflict hinges on whether and how Houthis will prevail without him.

عبء اللورد بلفور

By Mahmoud Abbas /

قبل مائة عام مهّد وعد بلفور الطريق لإقامة دولة يهودية في فلسطين، وقد طالب رئيس دولة فلسطين الحكومة البريطانية الاعتذار عن الوثيقة التي أطلقت مائة عام من المعاناة والتشرد للشعب الفلسطيني.

Saudi Crown Prince Bets on Economy

By David Dumke / November 14, 2017

The success of Mohammed Bin Salman’s “revolution” hinges on neither local nor foreign politics, but on whether Vision 2030 can create jobs for the Saudi youth.

Winds of Change in Riyadh

By Robert Mason / November 13, 2017

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince pushes for big changes at home and abroad, while consolidating his grip on power.

Lessons of History, Old and New

By Nabeel Khoury / November 13, 2017

Rebuilding Iraq and Syria, and addressing separatist movements, require learning from the mistakes of a century’s misrule.

Oriental Hall, etc.

By Elena Habersky and Jessie Steinhauer / Fall 2017

Happenings, speakers, and events at the American University in Cairo in Fall 2017.

Lord Balfour’s Burden

By Mahmoud Abbas / Fall 2017

A century ago, the Balfour Declaration paved the way for the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The President of the State of Palestine asks the United Kingdom’s government to apologize for a document that set off a century of suffering and dispossession for the Palestinian people.

Israel at a Crossroads

By Shlomo Ben Ami / Fall 2017

Israel’s occupation of the West bank raises the question of whether the Jewish state wants peace. Fifty years later, apartheid policies pose a threat not only to the future of the Palestinian people, but also of Israeli democracy.

Palestine and the Law of Nations

By Nabil Elaraby / Fall 2017

The United nations holds a “sacred trust” to establish Palestinian statehood and independence. Yet repeated failures to enforce decisions against Israel’s occupation have shaken the credibility of international law and the universal human rights it upholds.

A European Call for Palestinian Independence

By Miguel Ángel Moratinos / Fall 2017

Europe’s role in the Middle East has evolved from colonial overlord into a partner for peace between Jews and Arabs. European leaders should no longer delay in showing equal respect to Palestinian and Israeli national aspirations: they should recognize Palestinian statehood now.

Global Palestine

By Nasser S. Judeh / Fall 2017

The Arab World should accept responsibility for its leading role in achieving peace in Palestine, but global leaders should remember that the “Palestinian question” remains central to both regional and international relations.

Waiting for Uncle Sam

By Daniel C. Kurtzer / Fall 2017

For decades, the United States has billed itself as an “honest broker” in the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. Ten principles for renewing confidence in U.S. leadership, and the Arab-Israeli peace process.

Trump’s Toughest Deal

By Shai Feldman and Khalil Shikaki

Fall 2017

President Donald Trump has boasted “We will get this done” on peace in the Middle East. Negotiations between wary Israeli and Palestinian leaders might need a provocative jolt in order to stop the slide toward a “one-state reality.”

A Century’s Legacy of Conflict

By Abdel Monem Said Aly / Fall 2017

Understanding the lessons of a conflict deeply steeped in history is essential to resolving it. The strength of facts on the ground, the futility of “might makes right,” and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict’s persistent role in the region’s instability are all part of a legacy that must be acknowledged to achieve peace.

Peace versus the People

By Khalil Shikaki / Fall 2017

Palestinian and Israeli leaders could never reach an agreement on a permanent peace settlement. But what do public opinion surveys reveal about popular, and increasingly ambivalent, support for the peace process’ promised two-state solution among Palestinians and Israelis?

Modi in Israel

By P. R. Kumaraswamy / Fall 2017

Narendra Modi was the first Indian prime minister to visit the Jewish state. Now India, Asia’s rising giant, is stuck between a rock and a hard place: caught at once between its historical support for the Palestinian cause, and its rapidly growing business and technology relations with Israel.

From Russia, With Fear

By David J. Kramer / Fall 2017

How did Putin’s regime of fear and paranoia push Russia toward a new confrontation with the West?

Jerusalem and its Holy Sites

By Jessie Steinhauer / Fall 2017

Timeline of the struggle over Jerusalem and its holy sites since 70 AD.

Beyond “Land for Peace”

By Allison Hodgkins / Fall 2017

Peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis in the last quarter-century were never designed to support the establishment of a two-state solution. Brokers of the conflict should look beyond the “land for peace” formula and return to some of the finer details of UN General Assembly Resolution 181 on the partition of Palestine.