Policy Analysis

The following summary of the Syrian conflict by Andrew J. Tabler appeared as a sidebar to the October Atlantic Monthly article, " The Syrian Civil War: What?" The Syrian Civil War is arguably the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War, with over a quarter million killed, roughly the

By test-firing a new ballistic missile and flaunting a secret underground tunnel complex, Tehran hopes to reassure hardliners at home while defiantly showing the international community that it is still pursuing active deterrence and missile development.

In a country where public opinion tends to matter more than elsewhere in the region, the Kuwaiti people and government seem bent on maintaining their delicate balancing act between unfriendly neighbors and uncertain foreign friends.

Two scholars discuss how the brushfire prompted by Prime Minister Netanyahu's comments concerning the Mufti of Jerusalem and the Holocaust can serve as a learning moment.

After months of bureaucratic foul-ups, Israel may be close to approving a new regulatory framework to develop its offshore natural gas resources, but another political fumble could have dire economic repercussions.

A German diplomat and a former Syrian official join two American experts to discuss how various parties are handling the ongoing mass refugee flow, and what more they can do to address the cause of the problem, not just its symptoms.

Prospects appear bleak for the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas: a stalled peace process with Israel, a failed reconciliation effort with its rival Hamas, and historically low trust from Palestinian constituents. These dynamics add urgency to the Palestinian succession question, which has grown in prominence given Abbas's advanced

An in-depth conversation with two former senior U.S. officials on the past, present, and future of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Sustaining U.S. and Turkish assistance to the Syrian Kurds is crucial to blocking ISIS and stemming Russian influence, as is resolving Ankara's Kurdish problems at home, but sending heavy weapons to the PYD would likely have unintended consequences.

Frustrated youths largely boycotted the first phase of the parliamentary elections, and tensions could once again boil over unless political elites put aside their personal interests and commit to achieving the goals of the 2011 revolution.

Without stronger American military efforts to hurt ISIS and help the rebels, the Vienna summit has little chance of preventing Moscow from taking the driver's seat in Syria.

If Palestinians do not publicly acknowledge the Jewish connection to holy sites, violence could continue and possibly intensify.

Recent survey results reveal the nuances in Saudi public opinion on a wide variety of pressing regional issues, and the role of foreign powers in resolving them.

Poll results and political statements offer ample insight into how Israelis and Palestinians view the city's future, but public concerns about violence would be the most likely driver of any concrete change on the ground, such as rerouting the security barrier.

Instead of parsing the contradictions faced by Palestinian militants, Arab culture has engaged in a decades-long project of crime normalization.

An Israeli journalist and a former Palestinian advisor discuss the implications of the violence in Jerusalem. Watch video or read a summary.

The next president will have a rough start if the next fifteen months are marked by more U.S.-Israeli fighting over the root causes of violence with the Palestinians, unfettered Russian and Iranian military operations just north of the Israel-Syria border, and deepening holes in the Iran nuclear agreement.

President Erdogan needs to focus on fighting the terrorist threat, not his political opponents.

Given the latest redistricting efforts and the absence of major Islamist opposition, the upcoming vote is set to produce a throwback parliament that is largely beholden to the president's camp.

Faced with government bans on political mosque sermons and overtly religious political campaigning, Salafi leaders will likely disseminate their views through a network of social media, television stations, and periodicals.