Top Ten Reads of 2014
Institute website visited by more than 1.2 million.
Washington Institute scholars covered it all in 2014 -- strife in Syria, crisis in Gaza, the declaration of an Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria, and unresolved nuclear negotiations with Iran. More than 1.2 million visitors flocked to the Institute website -- culminating in a total of nearly three million views -- to read their analyses. While forty percent of viewers were located in North America, thirty-six percent were in the Middle East, including thirty-six percent in Saudi Arabia, eleven percent in Egypt, and seven percent in Israel. These are the most-viewed items of 2014 in ascending order:
10. Who Will Be the Next King of Saudi Arabia?, Simon Henderson: A look into the politics surrounding succession to the Saudi throne.
9. Asset Test: How the United States Benefits from Its Alliance with Israel, Michael Eisenstadt and David Pollock: An analysis of the security and technological benefits of the U.S.-Israeli relationship in the post-Cold War era.
8. The Rise of Turkey: The Twenty-First Century’s First Muslim Power, Soner Cagaptay: Turkey's evolution from an economically disadvantaged secular state to a nation with a large Muslim population and middle-class majority.
7. Al-Qaeda in Syria: A Closer Look at ISIS, Aaron Zelin: Will ISIS fail like so many jihadi groups before?
6. Friends with Benefits: Why the U.S.-Israeli Alliance Is Good for America, Michael Eisenstadt and David Pollock: In this Foreign Affairs article, Eisenstadt and Pollock focus on the shared economic and security interests of the United States and Israel.
5. New Palestinian Poll Shows Hardline Views, But Some Pragmatism Too, David Pollock: Results of a breakthrough Institute poll indicate lack of support for violence and Hamas among Palestinians.
4. Hizballah and the Qods Force in Iran's Shadow War with the West, Matthew Levitt: An assessment of the joint operations of Hizballah and Iran's Qods Force.
3. The War Between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement, Aaron Zelin: An analysis of the relations between ISIS and al-Qaeda, noting their overlapping military agendas, but also their hostility and competition.
2. Saudi Funding of ISIS, Lori Plotkin-Boghardt: Private Saudi financial support continues to bolster ISIS, impeding U.S. attempts to undermine the group's financial base.
1. Gaza Public Rejects Hamas, Wants Ceasefire, David Pollock: According to a revealing Institute poll, most Gazans oppose Hamas and favor a ceasefire with Israel.