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Webcast Tuesday: Middle Eastern Studies in America: Past, Present, and Future

Join us for a special webcast on the state of Middle Eastern studies in America. Watch live starting at 12:00 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

Learn more about this event.

Israel’s PTSD Election

The memory of October 7 will still drive Israeli politics no matter which government comes to power, but this should not stop Washington from calling out strategic mistakes and reminding Jerusalem that other populations have suffered as well.

Oct 6, 2026

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Dennis Ross

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

The Threat of Russia’s Growing Presence in Libya

If U.S. officials continue to let Moscow keep Libyan factions divided while deepening the Russian military footprint, the result will be growing security threats to NATO and Africa.

Oct 9, 2026

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Sabina Henneberg

Will Turkey Align with Washington’s Iran “Economic Outcast” Policy?

Ankara appears to be moving toward greater alignment with U.S. sanctions, but its willingness to commit to full cooperation remains in question.

Oct 6, 2026

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Richard Nephew
Soner Cagaptay

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

Israel and Its ‘Near Abroad’ After the 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

One Year After the Gaza Ceasefire

President Trump and Middle Eastern leaders sign documents relating to the Gaza Ceasefire - source: The White House

Chapeau: Assessing the Gaza Ceasefire, Year One

Two former senior U.S. officials look back at what the ceasefire has produced—and failed to produce—in its first year of implementation, focusing on the underused leverage provided by the July 30 “roadmap” agreement with Hamas.

Oct 5, 2026

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David Makovsky
Dennis Ross

The White House is lit in blue and white, the colors of the Israeli flag, in a display of solidarity following the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023 - source: The White House

One Year After the Gaza Ceasefire (Part 1): U.S. Priorities for Year Two

The Trump administration should be prepared to push a suite of concrete actions immediately after Israel’s election, from delivering urgently needed interim housing to convening high-level meetings with regional mediators and avoiding steps that signal abandonment of the PA.

Oct 5, 2026

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky

Anti-Hamas protesters demonstrate in Gaza in March 2025 - source: Reuters

One Year After the Gaza Ceasefire (Part 2): How Hamas Has Kept Its Grip on Governance

Despite relinquishing official authority, Hamas has maintained decentralized systems of governance and financing in Gaza and is attempting to expand its influence in the West Bank as well.

Oct 6, 2026

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Neomi Neumann

One Year After the Gaza Ceasefire (Part 3): Moving from War to Enduring Security Control

A veteran Israeli intelligence and defense official assesses the country’s military strategy in Gaza since the ceasefire and makes recommendations for the path forward.

Oct 7, 2026

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Zohar Palti

One Year After the Gaza Ceasefire (Part 4): Dealing with Differences Between the Regional Mediators

Unless Washington lays out clear principles on Hamas, the differing strategic views that Ankara, Cairo, and Doha hold toward the group will inevitably erode their cooperation, especially as the implementation process enters more difficult terrain.

Oct 8, 2026

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Ghaith al-Omari

Excerpt of map showing the postwar Orange and Yellow lines in Gaza.

Maps & Graphics

One Year After the Gaza Ceasefire (Part 5): The View from Jerusalem

Although any new Israeli government will have more flexibility to work with the Trump administration on implementing the Gaza plan after this month’s election, the deep concerns Jerusalem has expressed about the “roadmap” will persist, requiring concerted, high-level diplomacy with the Board of Peace.

Oct 9, 2026

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Michael Herzog

Webcast: A Conversation with Samir Geagea

Watch a conversation with Samir Geagea on securing a hopeful future for Lebanon. An outspoken critic of Hezbollah and Iranian interference in his country, Geagea is the leader of the predominantly Christian "Lebanese Forces" part, which has the largest contingent in parliament.

Learn more about this event.

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.

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

Recent Webcasts

Video

Lebanon's Prospects for Leadership, Reform, and Change: A Conversation with Samir Geagea

The head of the country’s largest parliamentary bloc discusses the ongoing political crisis, the role of U.S. sanctions, how a new president could limit Hezbollah’s domestic hegemony, and more.

Jun 21, 2023

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Samir Geagea

A memorial in Tel Aviv to the victims of the OCtober 7 Hamas terror attacks - source: Reuters

Video

Three Years After October 7: A Bridge or Chasm Between Peoples?

Former American, Israeli, and PA officials reflect on the anniversary of the October 7 attack and the devastating war that followed, offering practical ideas for gradually closing the enormous trust gap that has reopened since 2023.

Oct 5, 2026

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Nitzan Alon
Ghaith al-Omari
Dennis Ross
Ksenia Svetlova

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,

Screenshot of the Iran External Operations interactive map

Iran External Operations 1979-present

Access this powerful interactive tool, which maps over forty-five years of Iranian clandestine operations around the globe.

Recently in Fikra Forum

A phosphate mine in Morocco - source: Reuters

Fikra Forum

The Other Phosphate: What Washington’s Moroccan Fertilizer Waiver Overlooks

The United States eased its fertilizer restrictions on the kingdom to manage a supply emergency, but Morocco could also become a key source of purified phosphoric acid—a crucial product tied to growing competition with China over battery production, supply chain integrity, and access to critical minerals.

Aug 18, 2026

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Salma Annasse

Fikra Forum

The Erosion of Public Trust in Libya's International Unification Efforts

Libyans are increasingly questioning where governance reforms fit into the agendas of Libyan elites' engagement with the parallel UNSMIL 2025 roadmap and Boulos initiative.

Aug 10, 2026

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Tahani Elmogrbi

A satellite map with political borders overlaid shows Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan - source: Reuters

After War, a Crackdown in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan Province

Recent crackdowns against Iran's Baloch minority over tensions around mining in the province suggest that the rift between the regime

Jul 8, 2026

The Iran War's Pressure on the Egyptian Pound: Fragile Stability and Expected Shocks

The Egyptian pound is weathering significant challenges to its stability as the Iran war continues to impact oil markets and

Jun 10, 2026

Arab Public Opinion 2014 to Today

Fikra Interactive Public Polling Platform Thumbnail

Maps & Graphics

TWI Interactive Polling Platform

Interactive datasets, from 2014 to today

Jun 30, 2022

In Focus: Iran

Will Turkey Align with Washington’s Iran “Economic Outcast” Policy?

Ankara appears to be moving toward greater alignment with U.S. sanctions, but its willingness to commit to full cooperation remains in question.

Oct 6, 2026

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Richard Nephew
Soner Cagaptay

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in 2025 - source: Foreign Ministry of Iran

U.S.-Iran Dynamics Beneath the Stalemate

American negotiators may be feeling pressure to achieve a deal, but they should also appreciate and capitalize on the mounting economic strain facing leaders in Tehran.

Sep 30, 2026

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Patrick Clawson

Chinese president Xi walks with U.S. president Trump in Beijing in 2017 - source: Reuters

What Will Trump and Xi Have to Say About the Middle East?

Washington should use this summit to convince China to put more pressure on Iran and establish safeguards on AI, but

Sep 22, 2026

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

Sep 21, 2026

Regions & Countries

Issues

Webcast Tuesday: Middle Eastern Studies in America: Past, Present, and Future

One Year After the Gaza Ceasefire

Webcast: A Conversation with Samir Geagea

Institute Expertise on Israel and the Palestinians

Recent Webcasts

Interactive Map: Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region

Interactive Maps

Recently in Fikra Forum

Arab Public Opinion 2014 to Today

In Focus: Iran