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Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

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Brief Analysis
Getting Tough with Egypt Won’t Work
A more modest approach is warranted, one that emphasizes core interests, acknowledges the limitations of U.S. leverage, and avoids going too far with funding cuts and sanctions.
Mar 25, 2021
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  • David Schenker
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh gestures to supporters
Brief Analysis
If Palestinian Elections Proceed, Hamas May Have the Upper Hand
Abbas may decide to postpone the vote given Fatah’s internal fissures, his rivals’ relative unity, and the damage that certain outcomes could do to Palestinian relations with the West.
Mar 25, 2021
◆
  • Ghaith al-Omari
Erdogan, Turkish protestors, Halkbank, Twitter images
In-Depth Reports
Defining a Realistic Policy Toward Erdogan's Turkey:
Advice for the Biden Administration
U.S. concerns center on Turkey’s democratic backslide and deepening ties between Erdogan and Putin—but the Turkish president also wants to develop a rapport with Joe Biden and fortify his country’s weakened economy.
Mar 24, 2021
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  • Soner Cagaptay
◆ Transition 2021
Map showing Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Expanding Humanitarian Assistance to Syrians: Two Deadlines Approaching
Syria may not be a priority for the Biden administration, but the Brussels pledging conference and the July vote on the UN cross-border mechanism mean that major donors can no longer keep the disastrous humanitarian situation on the back burner or expect NGOs to resolve it on their own.
Mar 23, 2021
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  • Calvin Wilder
A Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) soldier
Brief Analysis
To Push Past Hezbollah Stonewalling, Leverage the LAF
The political fallout from a recent speech by the Lebanese Armed Forces commander gives Washington and its partners a golden opportunity to prod the country from crisis management toward actual solutions.
Mar 18, 2021
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
Tunisia's King Mohammed VI addresses the Tunisian parliament
Articles & Testimony
Tunisia 2021: Ennahda vs. Extremists
Despite accusations by leftist politicians, Ennahda’s commitment to national security has not wavered since it turned on the jihadi movement, but the party still needs to define what it means by “Muslim Democracy.”
Mar 17, 2021
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Russian president Vladimir Putin and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov
Articles & Testimony
Is Russia Trying to Play Kingmaker in Lebanon?
To expand its strategic influence on the Mediterranean, Moscow is exploiting Beirut and Hezbollah’s crisis at a time when the West seems uncertain about how much to intervene.
Mar 16, 2021
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
QJ
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
A Return to the Convoy Strategy and Projection of Unity
The muqawama are trying to put squabbles over the utility of convoy bombings behind them and are making a concerted attempt to demonstrate inter- and intra-group unity.
Mar 15, 2021
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  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
Syrian Shia youth training for military
In-Depth Reports
In the Service of Ideology:
Iran's Religious and Socioeconomic Activities in Syria
The dalliance between the Assad family and Iran’s Shia clerics began in the 1970s. Back then, before the Islamic Revolution, the Syrian leader held leverage. Now the tables have been turned.
Mar 14, 2021
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  • Oula A. Alrifai
Articles & Testimony
What We Ignore, We Empower: Five Decades of Despair Under the Assad Regime
A Syrian scholar and expatriate lays out the legacy of terror under the Assads and urges the Biden administration to prioritize the country’s sundry crises.
Spring 2021
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  • Oula A. Alrifai
Brief Analysis
Getting the Israel-Jordan Relationship Back on Track
The deterioration seen in recent years has diplomatic, political, economic, and even personal roots, and their collective effect has been to hold back everyone’s interests, including Washington’s.
Mar 12, 2021
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  • David Schenker
  • Ghaith al-Omari
Syrian flag over a ruined building destroyed by bombing
Video
Brief Analysis
The Struggle for Peace in Syria: A Decade of Decisionmaking
Two former U.S. ambassadors and a Syrian opposition official examine the many diplomatic, geopolitical, and humanitarian lessons the conflict holds for the Biden administration.
Mar 11, 2021
◆
  • Bassma Kodmani
  • Robert Ford
  • James Jeffrey
Assistant secretary of state David Schenker speaks at the Department of State in Washington, DC, alongside secretary of state Mike Pompeo
Video
Brief Analysis
Middle East Policy from Trump to Biden: Views from Inside the State Department’s Near East Bureau
The former assistant secretary of state in charge of the Middle East portfolio from 2019-2021 discusses his time in office and how the region’s challenges and opportunities are evolving at the start of the Biden administration.
March 10, 2021
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  • David Schenker
  • Robert Satloff
Brief Analysis
Lebanon's Predicament: Political Stagnation and Economic Collapse in a Hezbollah-Dominated State
Three Lebanese experts explore Beirut’s precarious politics, Hezbollah’s continued ability to evade accountability, and the Biden administration’s options.
Mar 5, 2021
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  • Makram Rabah
  • Ali al-Amin
  • Alia Mansour
Sabereen News Logo
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Tuna and Noodles Saga: Findings from a War of Words Between Militias
Bitter squabbles between the social media platforms of two competing Iraqi militias offer insights into the movements and their relationship.
Mar 3, 2021
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  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Pope Francis departs an airplane
Brief Analysis
The Pope Meets the Ayatollah
The Vatican’s outreach to Iraq is laudable in its goal of decreasing religious violence, but Western officials should be realistic about what engagement with Shia religious leaders can accomplish in the near term.
Mar 3, 2021
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  • Mehdi Khalaji
Brief Analysis
Understanding Iran’s Vast Media Network in Arab Countries
Designating Iranian-linked media outlets can limit their activities, but a more holistic strategy is needed if Washington hopes to effectively counter the regime’s regional propaganda machine.
Mar 2, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
Figure 1: Qais al-Khazali’s interview with iNEWS TV, June 1, 2021.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
In Their Own Words: Senior Leaders Admit to Membership in the Tansiqiya
Qais al-Khazali, Muhammad Mohi, and Nasr al-Shammari have all provided televised prima facie evidence of their groups' involvement in acts of anti-coalition terrorism.
Feb 28, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Brief Analysis
Reframing Libya for a Reluctant Administration
By treating the conflict as a matter of Mediterranean security, President Biden’s team can better assist the new Libyan government and demonstrate its commitment to revitalizing alliances.
Feb 25, 2021
◆
  • Ben Fishman
Articles & Testimony
The Other Khashoggis: Dissidents in Danger Across the Middle East
With militia targeting of activists on the rise, Western officials need to name the perpetrators, hold them accountable, and support homegrown democratic movements before they are snuffed out for good.
Feb 25, 2021
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
  • Michael Knights

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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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