Policy Analysis

The second week of November 1942 has much to tell us about the region’s geopolitical centrality, its enduring political currents, and its role in the future of the Jewish people—not to mention the evolution of American foreign policy.

Recent Chinese and Russian actions have shaken the national security establishment out of its complacency, underscoring how American cooperation with Europe, the Middle East, and other actors will not be so straightforward in this new era of great-power competition.

After leading an extensive group visit throughout the kingdom, Washington Institute scholars offer insights from their encounters with leaders in government, religion, business, and culture.

Although the results of the October 2019 protests and the May 2022 elections brought hope to many Lebanese desperate for change, entrenched political deadlock and dysfunction are as bad as ever.

For the Abraham Accords to be truly successful, cooperation between member countries must necessarily extend to partnerships of more accurate and far-reaching media sources.

The hostile and corrupt forces arrayed behind him might ease their anti-American activities just to reassert their power at home, so Washington should make the new government’s honeymoon a short one—and work around it if necessary to help the Iraqi people.

Rabee Nader has a long history of working with U.S.-designated terrorist groups Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, so appointing him could place Prime Minister Sudani's office at risk of potential sanctions.

Watch an expert conversation on the pivotal week in WWII whose events continue to shape the modern Middle East.

Appointing senior ministers who incite against Arabs would undermine the shared values that buttress the bilateral relationship while giving fuel to Israel’s critics in Washington.

After decades of global and domestic disinformation campaigns, the Iranian regime has only doubled down on media manipulation in response to recent protests.

The jihadist group has been actively plotting against Iran for years, though the recent upsurge in threats from its Afghan branch may presage a new wave of cells and attacks inside the embattled Islamic Republic.

Watch an expert panel discussion of the political, diplomatic, economic, social, and strategic implications of the 2022 World Cup for Qatar and the wider Middle East.

In this season of the Decision Points podcast, authors of seminal books on the U.S.-Israel relationship and the history of Zionism and Israel join Institute Senior Fellow David Makovsky to unpack their work and engage in striking, insightful conversations.

Pollsters are finding little movement between the two main camps, though the dramatic rise of a new hard-right party has many observers on edge.

Although ministry positions in Iraq have long been used as bartering tools, the new government could make a huge difference by supporting key ministries with real solutions and competent appointees.

U.S. efforts in the region stand a better chance of success if they consider rising demand for accountable governance, skepticism about democratic institutions, and various nation-specific trends.

To maximize the benefits for the Lebanese people and regional stability, Washington must now increase pressure on Beirut to implement crucial reforms, particularly in the energy sector.

The Abraham Accords agreement between the UAE and Israel has made important steps in the direction of regional economic and political cooperation.

Combining a wide range of of political views and principles, the Democratic Forces of Change hope to provide the Iraqi people with an action-driven opposition platform.

From barn owls and crop sensors to 3D-printed steak and animal-free baby formula, Israeli firms are finding—and exporting—innovative ways to address challenges in the agricultural and food sectors.