Arab-Israeli Relations

Policy Analysis on Arab-Israeli Relations

Biden’s ‘Open Door’ to the Palestinian Authority

Reestablishing U.S. funding and diplomatic missions may pose problems given the Palestinian leadership’s continued rejectionism, but one key benefit could be ending the PA “pay for slay” program.

Apr 26, 2021

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David Pollock
Sander Gerber

Articles & Testimony

Want to Sell F-35s to the UAE? Time to Address the China Factor

To safeguard U.S. national security, the Biden administration needs to hold the UAE to the same standards it demands of other partners in the Joint Strike Fighter program.

Apr 26, 2021

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David Schenker

Brief Analysis

Hamas Fields a Militant Electoral List: Implications for U.S.-Palestinian Ties

The group plans to put numerous convicted terrorists on the ballot, and neither the PA nor the international community seems willing to talk about the potential legal, diplomatic, and budgetary consequences.

Apr 21, 2021

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Katherine Bauer
Matthew Levitt

Photo of Muslim World League secretary-general Mohammad Al-Issa visiting Auschwitz

Video

Brief Analysis

Teaching the Holocaust in the Arab World

A remarkable panel of Arab educators, activists, and civic leaders share their experiences with breaking regional taboos and formulating effective ways to teach youths about genocide.

Apr 12, 2021

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Ali al-Nuaimi
Zeina Barakat
El Mehdi Boudra

A delegation of Gulf Arab men and women visit Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

Articles & Testimony

The Crumbling Walls of Arab Holocaust Denial

Four factors have gradually legitimized honest regional discussion of the Holocaust and made traditional statements of denial and distortion less acceptable.

Apr 8, 2021

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Two Kingmakers Stand at the Center of Israel’s Coalition Drama

Despite winning relatively few seats, Naftali Bennett and Mansour Abbas may have much to say about who forms the next government, and a fragile coalition seems inevitable regardless of which side they choose.

Apr 2, 2021

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David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

Yemen’s “Southern Hezbollah”: Implications of Houthi Missile and Drone Improvements

As the Iran-backed rebels make further range leaps that bring them closer to reaching Israel and other countries, the United States needs to start viewing them as a proliferation challenge beyond Yemen’s civil war.

Apr 1, 2021

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Michael Knights

Articles & Testimony

Biden Needs to Tear Down Bureaucratic Walls and Refocus Middle East Programs

With few exceptions, the U.S. government has pursued Arab development, Israeli-Palestinian engagement, and Arab-Israel normalization as three separate, walled-off tracks, which no longer makes any sense.

Apr 1, 2021

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Joseph Braude
Dennis Ross

Satellite map of wider Rea Sea with country names

In-Depth Reports

The Case for a Holistic U.S. Policy Toward the Emerging Red Sea Region

To promote stability and other U.S. interests, Washington must reshape its approach to this increasingly complex staging ground for global competition.

Apr 1, 2021

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Elana DeLozier

◆ Transition 2021

Articles & Testimony

The New Palestinian Fork in the Road: Will They Take It?

New proposals by Palestinian commentators can give Abbas and other senior officials a viable framework for rescheduling premature elections and jumpstarting engagement with Israel, Egypt, and Jordan.

Mar 29, 2021

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David Pollock

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

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Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

Momentum Swings Toward Netanyahu in Tight Race

Netanyahu has managed to erode support for key rivals and further complicate any opposition coalition scenarios, but the lingering possibility of a fifth round of elections raises troubling questions about the status of Israeli politics.

Mar 22, 2021

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David Makovsky

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

Brief Analysis

Reshaping U.S. Force Posture in the Middle East

By adjusting carrier rotations, ISR capabilities, headquarters locations, and other key aspects of its posture, the Biden administration can contribute to regional security and self-sufficiency while still shifting toward great-power competition.

Mar 10, 2021

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Christine McVann

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

Protesters hold Syrian and Hezbollah flags

Brief Analysis

Assad Is Giving Biden Every Reason to Prioritize Syria

Even if the growing regional and geopolitical stakes were not sufficient on their own, the regime’s domestic negligence, illegitimacy, and criminality provide ample reason to shake up Washington’s approach.

Mar 3, 2021

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Aaron Y. Zelin
Oula A. Alrifai

Video

Brief Analysis

Countdown to Israel's Election: A Conversation with Yair Lapid

The centrist party leader discusses key domestic and international policy issues ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections, with follow-up analysis by political and polling experts.

Mar 1, 2021

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Yair Lapid
David Makovsky
Tamar Hermann

Egyptian and Israeli flags along the Sinai border

Brief Analysis

Israel Secures Egyptian Gas Export Route

A rare visit by an Egyptian cabinet official marks a significant upgrade in bilateral energy ties, though questions remain about Palestinian, Gulf, and environmental issues.

Feb 23, 2021

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Simon Henderson

MbS, King Salman, Saudi map, fighter jet

In-Depth Reports

Defining a Mature, Balanced Relationship with Saudi Arabia

An Urgent Task for the Biden Administration

A revamped approach to the alliance should stay focused on shared goals, from ensuring a stable oil market to promoting a more tolerant version of Islam at home and abroad.

Feb 22, 2021

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Dennis Ross
Robert Satloff

◆ Transition 2021

Video

Brief Analysis

New Leadership for Israel? A Conversation with Gideon Saar

The New Hope party leader and former Likud minister discusses why he is running in Israel’s March election, how his policies differ from Netanyahu’s, and what his approach will be on key issues such as the Middle East peace process and the Iranian nuclear challenge,

Feb 10, 2021

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Gideon Saar

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 the Lafer International Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Policy Analysis on Arab-Israeli Relations

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