Arab-Israeli Relations

Policy Analysis on Arab-Israeli Relations

Then Vice President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in 2010 - source: Reuters

Biden’s Legacy and Netanyahu’s Missed Moment?

The coming months still hold hope for the president’s dream of Israeli-Saudi normalization, but only if Netanyahu stands up to his far-right coalition partners.

Jul 22, 2024

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David Makovsky

Protesters in New York City demand the release of U.S. citizens held hostage by Hamas in Gaza - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Disagreements on Hostages Loom Over Netanyahu’s Washington Trip

Given the tense U.S. election cycle, Biden and Netanyahu will likely keep their policy disagreements within careful bounds, but the visit is unlikely to see immediate progress on the hostage deal or other key issues.

Jul 19, 2024

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David Makovsky

Judges of the International Court of Justice in the ICJ's primary courtroom in The Hague, Netherlands - source: United Nations photo

Brief Analysis

Israel and the ICJ: Comparing International Court Cases During the Gaza War

The current cycle of legal actions involving Israel is unprecedented in scope and politicization, but governments are still better off engaging with the process and lodging their objections there than dismissing it outright.

Jul 18, 2024

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Alexander Loengarov

Brief Analysis

What If Gaza’s “Day After” Converges with the Day After Abbas?

If the PA leadership collapses under the weight of Israeli pressure and West Bank deterioration, the result could be a destabilizing reset in the Palestinian arena and a postwar void in Gaza.

Jul 1, 2024

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Neomi Neumann

UNRWA workers at Nuseirat camp, Gaza, after Israeli strike (left); French diplomat Catherine Colonna (right)

In-Depth Reports

Evaluating UNRWA After the Colonna Report

The obvious nature of multiple recommendations points to scandalous mismanagement at the UN aid agency over decades.

Jun 27, 2024

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James G. Lindsay

An explosion hits the civilian cargo vessel MV Tutor in the Red Sea - source: Houthi Media Center

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Houthi Ship Attacks Pose a Longer-Term Challenge to Regional Security and Trade Plans

The immediate effects of the Houthi antishipping campaign are measurably serious, but the United States, Saudi Arabia, and other partners also need to prepare for the emboldened group to exert its newfound leverage in other ways beyond the Gaza war.

Jun 26, 2024

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Noam Raydan

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

Articles & Testimony

Behind the US Plan to Prevent an All-Out Israel-Hezbollah War

An American-led diplomatic initiative to separate their forces at the border appears to be falling short, and time is running out.

Jun 25, 2024

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David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

Iran Targets Jordan: The Kingdom Joins the Theocracy’s List of Enemies

Tehran and its proxies have been doing everything they can to destabilize Jordan during the Gaza war, from inciting protests and increasing drug and weapons smuggling to escalating armed threats from Iraq.

Jun 5, 2024

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David Schenker

Brief Analysis

Improving an Overlooked Aspect of the Gaza Ceasefire Proposal

As laid out in President Biden’s speech, the initial terms of the proposed deal include a disturbing imbalance in who guarantees that Hamas and Israel fulfill their commitments under the agreement—a problem that should be fixed now rather than later.

Jun 3, 2024

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Robert Satloff

Egyptian and Israeli flags along the Sinai border

Brief Analysis

The Gaza War Is Eroding Egypt-Israel Relations

Their longstanding peace treaty may be safe, but the growing tensions threaten to unwind years of progress and distract Egypt from its most important goal—securing a ceasefire with Hamas.

May 28, 2024

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David Schenker

UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon in front of a poster depicting Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

An Israel-Lebanon Agreement May Not Be Worth the Costs

The lesson from past deals involving Hezbollah is clear: the group will try to pocket any U.S. concessions on the presidency and other issues while simply jettisoning whatever border commitments it may make in return.

May 14, 2024

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David Schenker

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

Articles & Testimony

A Yom Hashoah Message, from Disgust to Hope

The Gaza war has inspired prominent Arab media outlets and statesmen to come up with vile new forms of Holocaust denialism, but other voices offer a glimmer of hope.

May 5, 2024

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

Why Israel Should Declare a Unilateral Cease-Fire in Gaza

Doing so could turn the tables on Hamas and Iran while simultaneously advancing normalization with Saudi Arabia and other regional governments.

May 1, 2024

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky

◆ Risks and Opportunities in the Post-April 13 Middle East

U.S. President Joe Biden greets French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in December, 2022 - source: White House

Brief Analysis

U.S.-French Cooperation on Preventing an Israel-Hezbollah War

Washington and Paris have been pursuing convergent efforts to avoid all-out war, but more coordination is advisable and seems increasingly likely after the latest escalation.

Apr 26, 2024

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Selin Uysal

Articles & Testimony

Two Israeli Air Strikes, and Two Syrian Mothers and Sons

The remarkable precision of Israeli attacks on Iranian and Hezbollah operatives in Syria has raised anxiety in Damascus and abroad.

Apr 8, 2024

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Andrew J. Tabler

In-Depth Reports

Options for UNRWA:

From Systemic Reform to Dissolution

Israeli reports of terrorist involvement by personnel have cast the agency in an especially harsh light.

Mar 21, 2024

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James G. Lindsay

Articles & Testimony

Israel Needs a New Strategy

Netanyahu's “total victory” is not possible, but demilitarizing Hamas and stabilizing Gaza still are, especially with help from Egypt and other key players.

Mar 13, 2024

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Dennis Ross

Egyptian President Sadat meets with generals during the 1973 October War.

Articles & Testimony

There’s No Such Thing as a “Ramadan Truce”

For Hamas and its extremist fellow travelers, military campaigns and terrorist attacks during the holy month have long been perfectly acceptable tactics.

Mar 12, 2024

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Robert Satloff

Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia

Brief Analysis

President Biden’s Middle East Squeeze Play

The end of the Gaza war’s current phase will mark the beginning of a major U.S. diplomatic push that could reshape the Middle East if successful—but the window of opportunity is narrow.

Mar 5, 2024

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Michael Singh

A Palestinian woman walks by a mural in Bethlehem

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Avoiding a West Bank Explosion During Ramadan

From al-Aqsa Mosque to the heart of the refugee camps and the barracks of frustrated Palestinian security personnel, the situation remains tense and could worsen dramatically this month if authorities do not tread carefully.

Mar 4, 2024

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Neomi Neumann

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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Arab-Israeli Relations

Policy Analysis on Arab-Israeli Relations

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