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Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

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A general view of Lebanon's Government Palace in Beirut, taken in 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Lebanon’s New Government May Walk a Thin Line Between Promises and Compromises
The new cabinet appointments appeared to sideline Hezbollah’s camp, but the group retained control over the crucial Finance Ministry and may find other ways of interfering with security decisions, the reconstruction process, and the next elections.
Feb 12, 2025
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
Syria's interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, addresses soldiers loyal to the new regime - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
The Status of Syria’s Transition After Two Months
While the new government’s relative stability is a success, more details are needed on developing and implementing a national dialogue, a new constitution, and inclusivity measures.
Feb 12, 2025
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  • Aaron Y. Zelin
German and French foreign ministers meet with Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
The Paris Conference on Syria: Coordination and a Roadmap Are Needed
To set up a future where U.S. forces and constant U.S. attention are no longer needed in Syria, Washington must be involved now, and smart transatlantic engagement could facilitate this goal.
Feb 11, 2025
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  • Devorah Margolin
  • Souhire Medini
Trump and Erdogan images with U.S. and Turkish flag
In-Depth Reports
Building on Momentum in U.S.-Turkey Relations
The two leaders can use their personal rapport to solve bilateral and regional problems, but they will also face tough challenges in matters such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and dealings with China.
Feb 5, 2025
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  • Soner Cagaptay
◆ Transition Notes 2025
Articles & Testimony
How Hezbollah Ends: A Better Lebanon Is Possible
Weakening Hezbollah permanently will be difficult, but for once the goal is attainable—if Beirut has the courage to keep the group out of Lebanon’s coffers and make the army do its job.
Feb 4, 2025
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
A view of the Palace of Westminister from across the River Thames, with the Victoria Tower and the House of Lords in the foreground - source: Wikimedia Commons
Video
Articles & Testimony
Institute Senior Fellow Elizabeth Dent Addresses U.K. House of Lords Committee
Watch testimony by Institute scholar Elizabeth Dent to the British House of Lords.
Jan 22, 2025
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  • Elizabeth Dent
Lebanonese prime minister Nawaf Salam speaks to the press in January 2025 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Lebanon’s New Prime Minister Approaches the Next Crossroads on Hezbollah
Salam has promised to enforce accountability and implement the ceasefire with Israel; independent Shia cabinet ministers can help him reach those goals while showing there is an alternative to Hezbollah.
Jan 21, 2025
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
  • Ehud Yaari
Newly elected Lebanese president Joseph Aoun reviews soldiers at the presidential palace in Beirut - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Will Lebanon’s New Leaders Walk the Walk?
The new president and prime minister do not have a strong track record of confronting Hezbollah, but Washington should still be bold in supporting their stated commitments to reform, disarmament, and economic recovery.
Jan 16, 2025
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  • David Schenker
The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
The Syria Breakdown, Episode Three: Turkey Turns an Enemy into an Ally
In this episode of the Institute’s Syria Breakdown series, Turkey analyst Soner Cagaptay traces the revolutionary transformation of Ankara's relationship with Damascus from heated enemies to the closest of allies.
Jan 14, 2025
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  • Soner Cagaptay
◆ The Syria Breakdown
Video
Brief Analysis
Lebanon Ceasefire: Status and Prospects of the Israel-Hezbollah Truce
Watch or read remarks from a former LAF general, the IDF’s former head of strategic planning, and an expert Lebanon analyst during a new series of virtual panels held by The Washington Institute.
Jan 13, 2025
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  • Khalil Helou
  • Tal Kelman
  • Hanin Ghaddar
French President Macron and Moroccan King Mohammed VI in Rabat - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
EU-Morocco Relations: Stuck Between Law and Politics?
If Washington and its European partners fail to remediate ongoing disputes over trade rights and Western Sahara, they may leave room for Russia and China to assert more influence in the kingdom.
Jan 8, 2025
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  • Souhire Medini
Articles & Testimony
Lebanon Headed Towards Promised Sovereignty
Choosing a reform-minded president would be a good first step, but absent a concerted effort to consolidate the setbacks to Hezbollah, the organization will simply reassert its murderous grip.
Jan 8, 2025
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  • David Schenker
The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
The Syria Breakdown, Episode Two: Putin's Playground
In this episode of the Institute’s Syria Breakdown series, Russia analyst Anna Borshchevskaya explains why Russia's long military intervention in Syria failed to protect the regime of its local ally, Bashar al-Assad, from collapse in the face of a stunning rebel advance.
Jan 3, 2025
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
◆ The Syria Breakdown
A fighter from Syria's de-facto post-Assad government checks a civilian's identity documents after a curfew was imposed in the Alawite-majority city of Homs in December 2024 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Alawites Under Threat in Syria?
At a time when Westerners are questioning the Islamist takeover in Damascus, Sunni Arab treatment of the Assad family’s broader Alawite base will offer insights into the nascent government’s true stance on religious tolerance, transitional justice, and state-building.
Dec 31, 2024
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  • Fabrice Balanche
Syrians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime in Majdal Shams - source: Reuters
Video
Brief Analysis
Building a Post-Assad Syria: How to Ensure the Process Reflects the Will of the People
Syrian civil society figures join a former U.S. official to discuss local sentiments on the ground and assess the daunting challenges of building a better state.
Dec 20, 2024
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  • Andrew J. Tabler
  • Ibrahim Al-Assil
  • Farouq Habib
  • Rafif Jouejati
  • Mahmoud Meslat
A rebel fighter belonging to the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham gestures while riding a vehicle near Aleppo in November 2024 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
The U.S. Should Not Yet Trust Syria’s New Regime
Even as they celebrate the demise of Assad’s dictatorship, U.S. officials should take a “verify, don’t trust” approach to HTS, judging the group by its actions on the ground before considering the removal of sanctions.
Dec 13, 2024
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  • Matthew Levitt
Articles & Testimony
Hezbollah Post October 7—Beaten But Still Dangerous
The group has been greatly diminished by a year of war, but the Lebanese people won’t feel the difference unless the international community pushes Beirut and the LAF to reestablish trust and authority.
Dec 10, 2024
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
Articles & Testimony
Why Al-Assad Fell
The dictator’s rigidity at the negotiating table and within Syrian society left him with scant support when he needed it most, giving Washington a window for pushing a Syrian-led transition and cutting Iran’s axis for good.
Dec 10, 2024
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  • Andrew J. Tabler
People queue for bread in rebel-occupied Aleppo in December 2024 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
How Syria’s ‘Diversity-Friendly’ Jihadists Plan on Building a State
As the group consolidates control in newly seized Aleppo, its leader is seeking to allay fears among minorities, pro-Assad residents, and skeptical Western officials alike.
Dec 3, 2024
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  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Imed Khemiri, a senior official in the Ennahda party and member of the Salvation Front (L) takes part in a protest, demanding the release of imprisoned journalists, activists, opposition figures and setting a date for fair presidential elections in Tunis, Tunisia May 12, 2024 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
How Autocracy Prevailed in Tunisia
Any future democratic renewal will require an entirely new movement that goes much further toward addressing the country’s deepest economic and social injustices.
Nov 4, 2024
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  • Sarah Yerkes
  • Sabina Henneberg

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Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics focuses on social, political, and economic developments in the Arab world, with an emphasis on the Arab countries of the Levant.

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Featured experts

David Schenker
David Schenker
David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics. He is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
Ghaith al-Omari
Ghaith al-Omari
Ghaith al-Omari is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship.
Hanin Ghaddar
Hanin Ghaddar
Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute's Rubin Family Arab Politics Program, where she focuses on Shia politics throughout the Levant.
Bilal Wahab
Bilal Wahab
Bilal Wahab was the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.
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