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Oscar-winning Palestinian Director Basel Adra checks a damaged car after Israeli settlers' attack in Susiya in the Israeli-occupied West Bank - source: Reuters

Extremist Settler Terrorism and Violence in the West Bank: New Data Calls for a New Strategy

Acts of violence by extremist settlers have risen sharply in scale and severity, shifting from largely reactive incidents to a more proactive, strategic effort aimed at displacing Palestinian communities and seizing territory.

Sep 18, 2026

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Neomi Neumann

A US Navy sailor stands in front of a map display of the Mediterranean Sea - source: Reuters

Israel and the Near Abroad After October Elections

Israel does not seem to be planning any major new security steps before the vote to address tensions with Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, or Turkey, and that same caution may linger with the next government—but for how long?

Sep 26, 2026

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James Jeffrey

Settlements Trade Ban: Europe and Israel on a Collision Course Over the West Bank

Although the unprecedented decision to jointly prohibit trade with settlements raises difficult diplomatic and political questions amid a weighty Israeli election cycle, the announcement will also have important effects beyond that date, signaling that many countries will prioritize this issue in their relations with whatever government voters choose.

Sep 18, 2026

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Pierre-Arnaud Blanchard

Photo of a blast wall with a drone mural at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq.

Iraq’s Militia Balancing Act Gets Trickier Amid Deadlines and Saudi Attacks

As the September 30 disarmament deadline for PMF militias approaches, Washington should support the Zaidi government’s efforts and ensure that the militias’ concessions are real.

Sep 18, 2026

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David Schenker

President Trump meets with Gulf leaders at the GCC summit in Riyadh on May 14, 2026 - source: Reuters

Trump’s GCC Meeting: A Path Out of the Conflict

Given this month’s shifting threat picture, the administration should push for another compromise deal similar to the June MOU—though getting Iran back to the table will require accepting certain escalatory risks and providing more concrete security guarantees to increasingly vulnerable Gulf partners.

Sep 21, 2026

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James Jeffrey

Webcast Friday: Three Years After October 7

The consequences of Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, continue to roil Israeli and Palestinian society, as well as the broader Middle East and far beyond. The murder of Israeli civilians and the abduction of hostages forever changed Israeli society, while the subsequent massive military response devastated Gaza, inflicted widespread Palestinian civilian casualties, and elicited worldwide condemnation.

To discuss how October 7 was experienced in Israel, Gaza, and abroad, and to assess how the region and its political landscape have evolved since then, The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum featuring leading Arab, Israeli, and American experts. The event will be moderated by David Makovsky, the Institute’s Ziegler Distinguished Fellow.

Watch live starting at 1:00 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) on Friday, October 2, 2026.

Learn more about this event.

Against parliamentary hall backdrop, book cover includes Tunisian flag imagery at top, EU, USA, IMF, World Bank imagery at bottom.

Maps & Graphics

Why Economic Reform Failed in Tunisia:

Assessing Four Donors and a Country in Transition

International actors, while expressing confidence in the country’s political progress, struggled to adapt to economic resistance from the national labor union, the destabilizing effects of terrorism, and interference from outside actors.

Aug 19, 2026

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Sabina Henneberg

Institute Expertise on Israel and the Palestinians

Dennis Ross

Ambassador Dennis Ross is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He also teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization.

David Makovsky

The Institute's Siegler Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Project on Arab-Israel Relations, David Makovsky is a veteran journalist who served as senior advisor to the State Department's Special Envoy for Israel-Palestinian Relations.

Ghaith al-Omari

A former Palestinian Authority peace negotiator, Ghaith al-Omari is the Institute's Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow.

Dana Stroul

The Institute's Director of Research and Michael Kassen Senior Fellow, Dana Stroul was deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East policy during the Biden administration.

Interactive Map: Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region

Explore this new interactive tool to shed light on the actions of actors such as Iran and Yemen's Houthis that have threatened and attacked commercial shipping in the waters off the Middle East and North Africa.

Access the map.

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Interactive Maps

Screen shot of the Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region interactive map

Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region (Since 2017)

Shed light on the actions of actors such as Iran and Yemen's Houthis that have threatened and attacked commercial shipping in the waters off the Middle East and North Africa.

Screenshot of the Hezbollah External Operations Interactive Map

Lebanese Hezbollah Select Worldwide Activity

Access this interactive map to explore an open-source database of Hezbollah global operations and break through the terrorist organization's "Golden Rule" of secrecy.

Screenshot of the Islamic State Worldwide Activity interactive map

The Islamic State Select Worldwide Activity

Explore the most comprehensive public archive of Islamic State attack data, media output, government designations, and legal cases to understand the organization’s global reach,