Arab-Israeli Relations

Policy Analysis on Arab-Israeli Relations

Rising Temperatures at Dubai’s COP28 Meeting

The conference agenda extends well beyond climate issues, with implications for regional rivalries, U.S.-Emirati relations, and Israeli wartime diplomacy.

Nov 30, 2023

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Balancing U.S. Relations in North Africa Without Undermining the Abraham Accords

The Biden administration needs to tread carefully in engaging Algeria, since preserving UN negotiations on Western Sahara and protecting Morocco’s crucial relations with Washington and Israel are paramount to U.S. regional interests

Nov 22, 2023

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Sabina Henneberg
Amine Ghoulidi

Photo of a Palestinian baby evacuated to an Israeli hospital during the 2023 Gaza war.

Articles & Testimony

How the Washington Post Turned a Feel-Good Story into an Anti-Israel Attack

Despite not taking the time to speak with Israeli officials or even verify key details on the ground, reporters proceeded with a heavily slanted piece that raised further questions about the paper’s wartime editorial policies.

Nov 21, 2023

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

Houthi Ship Seizure, OPEC+ Meeting, and COP28 Plans Could Spike Oil Prices

As Iran-backed proxies continue targeting Israeli and U.S. interests, mounting public anger in the Gulf states might spur leaders to announce production cuts at this week’s cartel meeting.

Nov 20, 2023

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Simon Henderson

Photo of an October 2023 Iraqi demonstration with footprints covering the Israeli and American flags.

Articles & Testimony

Iraq’s Delicate Balancing Act With Iran and the U.S.

Despite reassuring U.S. officials during recent meetings, it is unclear whether Prime Minister Sudani can indefinitely placate an angry public or prevent Tehran’s militia proxies from further escalating the situation.

Nov 19, 2023

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Bilal Wahab

Photo showing flame and smoke rising over Lebanon's border with Israel.

Articles & Testimony

Gaza War Shows Heightened Risk of Escalation in the Region

Although Washington and its partners have kept the war from spreading so far, the lack of clear rules on some fronts—particularly Syria—has created a dangerous environment in which any actor might inadvertently cross someone’s red lines.

Nov 17, 2023

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Andrew J. Tabler

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Jewish Extremist Violence in the West Bank Could Trigger a Second Front

The combination of highly motivated young extremists on the ground, supportive far-right politicians back home, and ineffective local security measures may stoke a full-scale uprising if authorities continue to look the other way.

Nov 16, 2023

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Neomi Neumann

The Mari-B and Tamar gas platforms in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel - source: The Washington Institute

Brief Analysis

Israeli Offshore Gas Platform Near Gaza Resumes Production

The post-attack shutdown of the Tamar gas field had highlighted the vulnerability of Israel’s energy infrastructure.

Nov 15, 2023

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Simon Henderson

Photo of an Israeli soldier in the ruins of a kibbutz following the October 2023 Hamas attack.

Video

Brief Analysis

The Hamas-Israel War: One Month On

Four experts and former officials discuss the evolving military operation against Hamas, the status of the Lebanon front, the political plight of Arab governments, and the steps Israel must consider to balance its goals with growing international pressure.

Nov 9, 2023

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Zohar Palti
Hanin Ghaddar
Ghaith al-Omari
Dennis Ross

Protesters hold Syrian and Hezbollah flags

Brief Analysis

Assessing the Reported Pantsir Delivery to Hezbollah

The antiaircraft system poses a manageable risk to Israeli operations along its northern border, but Washington must show Moscow and its associates that any benefits to such escalation are not worth the costs.

Nov 3, 2023

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Andrew J. Tabler
Anna Borshchevskaya

Photo of Israeli forces massing for ground operations in Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas attack.

Fikra Forum

A Meaningful Endgame in Gaza Will Separate Transformation from Revenge

Without clearly stated goals and a well-defined exit strategy, Israel risks its counteroffensive becoming a punitive effort that costs immense civilian deaths while failing to establish lasting stability and peace in its southern sector.

Nov 3, 2023

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Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

IDF solders operating inside Gaza in October 2023 - source: Government of Israel

Articles & Testimony

The End of Israel’s Gaza Illusions

The country must come to terms with the fact that this war is deeply different from those it has fought in recent decades, and commit unwaveringly to transforming its security approach.

Nov 3, 2023

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Assaf Orion

Articles & Testimony

How Israel Can Win the Other Gaza Battlefield: Public Opinion

Changing the minds of anti-Semites is a lost cause, but Israel can win over other critics by committing more effort and ingenuity to the task of saving innocent Palestinian lives.

Nov 2, 2023

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Robert Satloff
Dennis Ross

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

The Gaza War’s Impact on Energy Security in the East Mediterranean

The energy sector is one indicator of the heavy costs the region will pay in the event of a wider conflict, with some effects already measurable in certain countries.

Nov 1, 2023

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Noam Raydan

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

Articles & Testimony

Hamas vs. Israel: The Limits of Analogy

What Hamas unleashed on October 7 was so jarring that it is only natural to seek the comfort of historical examples to put Israel’s response in some digestible context.

Oct 30, 2023

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

After Gaza, Recalibrated Prospects for a Geopolitical Europe

Much optimism attended the continental response to Russia’s Ukraine invasion, but the October 7 Hamas attacks and their aftermath could dampen aspirations for European unity on the international stage.

Oct 30, 2023

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Selin Uysal

◆ Tracking International Reactions to the Hamas-Israel War

Brief Analysis

Arab Critique and Condemnation of Hamas Before October 7, 2023

For years, Hamas was lambasted by leading Arab voices as a terrorist group that worked against Palestinian interests. And then October 7 happened.

Oct 30, 2023

◆ Tracking International Reactions to the Hamas-Israel War

Articles & Testimony

Danger on Israel’s Northern Border

A former Lebanese journalist shares her experience growing up in Lebanon, her insights on Hezbollah, and her views on how associated threats might evolve amid the Gaza war.

Oct 27, 2023

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Hanin Ghaddar

Articles & Testimony

I Might Have Once Favored a Cease-Fire with Hamas, but Not Now

A perceived victory by the group will validate its ideology of rejection, give momentum to Iran and its collaborators, and foreclose the possibility of peace with Israel.

Oct 27, 2023

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Dennis Ross

Palestinians view an unexploded Israeli shell in Gaza

Articles & Testimony

The Collapse of Israel’s Hamas “Conceptzia”

The belief that Hamas would abandon ideology for economic gain led to disastrous consequences.

Oct 27, 2023

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David Makovsky

Supported by the

Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations

Through moments of hope and challenge in the Middle East diplomacy, The Washington Institute's Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations is committed to providing America's policymakers with timely analysis on issues of critical concern to Israel and its Arab neighbors.

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Featured experts

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.

David Makovsky

David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations.

Dennis Ross

Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama, is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Ehud Yaari

Ehud Yaari is a Lafer International Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Policy Analysis on Arab-Israeli Relations

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