Policy Analysis

Background: The Infallible Israeli Right-Wing As Israel faces an election due in 2019, the factors that have caused the deterioration of the Israeli left will likely inhibit their ability to take the majority from the right-wing Likud. Since 2009, Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu has held onto power as the Prime

Prodding the main parties to compromise on entrenched demands and make room for more factions at the negotiating table would be a good first step in moving from escalation to transition.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is driven by several factors: ethnic, national, historical, and religious. This brief essay focuses on the religious dimension of the conflict, which both historical and recent events suggest lies at its core. That much is almost a truism. What is less often appreciated, however, is how much

To paraphrase Daniel Patrick Moynihan, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own numbers. After a bloody week earlier this month in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emotions all around the world are running high, with recriminations flying on both sides of the argument regarding whether Israel used excessive

Russia is victorious in Syria. It has succeeded in rescuing the Damascus regime, its difficult yet valuable client, from what seemed to be an unavoidable demise. More importantly, it has leveraged the crisis management of the Syrian conflict to create a regional balance between seemingly incompatible powers — Israel, Turkey

Even though Moscow seems less invested in Iran's presence in Syria, Putin's political opportunism should still draw concern from Israel and the United States.

Khamenei’s Ramadan speech combined explicit attacks on the United States, implicit criticism of Rouhani’s approach, and excessive demands on Europe, seemingly bracing the regime for one of the toughest challenges of his thirty-year rule.

The PJD and the monarchy will continue competing for stewardship of the reform process—and for the right to define what it means to be an Islamist party post-Arab Spring.

Washington can address Ankara's deep security concerns via Kurdish withdrawal from the Manbij pocket and ironclad guarantees against Russian aggression.

Russia is challenging the West, including through its current efforts to gain a foothold in Syria and in a number of countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The situation in Syria serves as a clear example of Russian meddling, but the actual challenge does not stop there. To

To measure Sisi’s popularity during the recent Egyptian presidential elections, supporters and opponents of President al-Sisi both published photos: of crowded polling stations, or of empty polling stationsSisi’s opponents did not limit themselves to publishing pictures of empty polling stations and stories of forced mobilization on the part of the

On May 6, 2018, municipal elections in Tunisia -- the one country often hailed as the Arab Spring’s sole success story -- were finally held, after being postponed several times. Just a few months ago, many observers were really skeptical about the feasibility of such an event. Supporters put forward

Can Washington turn its Arab partners' favorable rhetoric on the administration's new Iran policy into concrete actions to curb Tehran's regional adventurism? Join us for an expert conversation and live webcast on Tuesday, June 5.

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced the official results of the Iraqi parliamentary election on the early hours of May 19 after several delays. In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the unofficial and the official results were mired by claims of widespread electoral fraud in favor of the two

Arresting feminists doesn’t inspire faith in the crown prince’s much-hyped reform agenda.

Instead of focusing on national-level polls, UNSMIL can work to facilitate municipal elections, development projects, and a dialogue among the country's militias.

Meetings between U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and Saudi negotiators have begun paving the way for U.S. companies to sell nuclear technology to the kingdom. The Saudis are likely to reject any deal that does not give them the option of enriching uranium at a low level. So far

A boost in Saudi production to make up for any Iranian shortfall, joined by an expansion in regulated U.S. fracking, might help keep fuel costs in check.

An all-out war between Iran and Israel is approaching, and the Trump administration has no strategy for preventing it.

Considering the Trump administration's lack of credibility with the Palestinians, the crucial task of announcing projects for Gaza now falls to European and Arab leaders.