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Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

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People look at the list of missing people, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Libya Floods: As Families Search for Loved Ones, Politicians Trade Blame
Derna’s future and Libya’s broader political fate will be determined by the race for recovery and the battle of narratives over who is responsible for the tragedy.
Sep 14, 2023
◆
  • Ben Fishman
Twitter photo showing an Iranian woman standing on top of a car during a protest against the killing of Mahsa Amini.
Video
Brief Analysis
Woman, Life, Freedom: Iran’s Mass Protest Movement, One Year On
A Conversation with Masih Alinejad
A leading activist discusses the protests and the international response on the anniversary of the movement’s outbreak.
Sep 12, 2023
◆
  • Masih Alinejad
Protesting Syrians in the town of Suwayda hold signs and Druze flags - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Syria’s New Protests Highlight Vulnerabilities in Assad’s Minority Base
Growing unrest in Suwayda and other traditionally loyal areas may help force Assad’s hand on longstanding local, U.S., and allied demands.
Sep 8, 2023
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  • Erik Yavorsky
Moviegoers look at posters and showtimes at a theater in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in August 2023, including the global hit "Barbie" - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Barbie in the Middle East
Some countries banned the film while others let it screen amid restrictions and criticism, illustrating the region’s widening—but still comparably narrow—spectrum of views on cultural openness.
Sep 8, 2023
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  • Anna Brown
Oslo handshake: Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton, Yasser Arafat
In-Depth Reports
The Palestinian Authority Thirty Years After Oslo
Deep systemic reforms and a credible successor to Mahmoud Abbas could help secure Palestinian as well as Israeli interests.
Sep 5, 2023
◆
  • Neomi Neumann
◆ Oslo at 30
Promotional snapshot of 2022-23 Tunisia timeline.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Tunisia Timeline: Key Developments and U.S. Responses Since July 2022
Download this chronological graphic showing how President Saied has continued his crackdown and consolidation of power despite Washington's efforts to steer the country back onto the democratic track.
Sep 5, 2023
◆
  • Frances McDonough
Israeli PM Yitzakh Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat shake hands
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Oslo Accords Held Promise; Extremists Derailed Them
As we look back at the legacy of the accords, it is not the Oslo Accords that failed us, but Israelis and Palestinians who failed Oslo.
Sep 1, 2023
◆
  • Mohammed Dajani
◆ Oslo at 30
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, casts his vote for president
Brief Analysis
The 2024 Election Cycle Starts in Iran
Upcoming votes pose a dilemma for the Supreme Leader: should he aggressively disqualify candidates and further alienate the public, or risk a Majlis dominated by his political rivals?
Aug 18, 2023
◆
  • Omer Carmi
A United States Air Force trainer works with soldiers of the Nigerian Armed Forces - source: U.S. government
Brief Analysis
Niger Coup Threatens U.S. Strategy on Counterterrorism and Russia
An entrenched military junta could jeopardize America’s primary CT partner in West Africa, create ripple effects for security beyond the Sahel, and give Russia’s Wagner Group a new opening on the continent.
Aug 16, 2023
◆
  • Ben Fishman
  • Anna Borshchevskaya
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Brief Analysis
Firing PA Governors: Precursor to Change or Internal Power Play?
Although Abbas’s latest edict might hold consequences for Fatah politics, the PA’s public standing, and West Bank militancy, a measure of skepticism about its significance is warranted.
Aug 10, 2023
◆
  • Ghaith al-Omari
Fires burn after the August 2020 port explosion in Beirut - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Lebanon’s Port Risks: The Need for Action Against Substandard Ships
On the anniversary of the 2020 Beirut explosion, Lebanese authorities have done nothing to decrease the risks posed by deficient vessels like the one implicated in the port disaster.
Aug 9, 2023
◆
  • Noam Raydan
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Iraqi Kurds Face Legitimacy Issues Amid Election Deadlock and Internal Division
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) has been heading for unprecedented political and financial uncertainties as a result of the growing disputes between the two ruling parties and the central government’s moves to erode the KRI’s autonomous status.
Aug 7, 2023
◆
  • Bekir Aydoğan
Lebanese protesters demonstrate against central bank official Riad Salameh in Tyre in 2019 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Lebanon Is a Global Sanctuary for Criminals
Even if much-needed prosecutions against Hezbollah members are deemed too dangerous at present, donors must still pressure Beirut to extradite other individuals charged with crimes abroad, starting with banking official Riad Salameh.
Aug 2, 2023
◆
  • David Schenker
A Beirut money changer handles Lebanese pound and U.S. dollar notes - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Economic and Security Conditions in Lebanon
Lebanon’s current problems stem from persistent economic and political corruption, and Hezbollah remains the de facto enforcer of this mafia-like status quo.
Jul 2023
◆
  • Matthew Levitt
Then Vice President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in 2010 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Why I Think President Biden Erred by Wading Into Israel’s Domestic Crisis
The history is clear—well-intentioned intervention in an ally’s domestic politics often triggers bigger problems, and the president’s stance could conjure a self-fulfilling prophecy about the erosion of U.S.-Israel ties.
Jul 29, 2023
◆
  • Robert Satloff
Photo of Israelis in Tel Aviv protesting proposed judiciary changes, February 2023.
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Israel and Algeria: Protests, Politics, and Colonialism
Exploring the parallels in the Israeli and Algerian experiences provides insight into the future of democracy in both countries.
Jul 28, 2023
◆
  • Bruce Maddy-Weitzman
A Sudanese protester against military rule
Video
Brief Analysis
Sudan's Civil War: Mediation Challenges and the U.S. Role
Three experts assess the conflict’s effects on regional humanitarian and security issues, outlining the requirements for a durable ceasefire.
Jul 28, 2023
◆
  • Yasir Zaidan
  • Reem Abbas
  • Alex Rondos
Tunisian demonstrators outside the general union building (UGTT), June 2022
Brief Analysis
Did the EU Bail Out Tunisia’s Kais Saied?
Washington may be tempted to defer Tunisia’s problems to Europe, but a new MOU risks perpetuating the country’s economic crisis and worsening the plight of migrants.
Jul 26, 2023
◆
  • Sabina Henneberg
  • Ben Fishman
The Israeli Supreme Court in session - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Israel’s New Law Holds Implications for Security and U.S. Relations
A closer look at the domestic dynamics behind the legislature’s vote sheds light on whether and when it might affect Israel’s military readiness and relationship with Washington.
Jul 25, 2023
◆
  • David Makovsky
A priest leads an Easter mass at the Grand Immaculate Church in Al-Hamdaniya, Iraq, April 9, 2023 - source: Reuters
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Blunting the Militia Campaign Against Iraq’s Christian Leaders
A U.S.-sanctioned, Iran-backed militia leader aims to sideline the country’s Chaldean Patriarch and take over billions of dollars’ worth of Christian property.
Jul 25, 2023
◆
  • Yaqoub Beth-Addai
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight

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Supported by the

Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

Fikra n. [Arabic] "Idea"

The Washington Institute's Project Fikra is a multiyear program of research, publication, and network-building designed to generate policy ideas for promoting positive change and countering the spread of extremism in the Middle East.

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Featured experts

Catherine Cleveland
Catherine Cleveland
Catherine Cleveland is The Washington Institute's Croft-Wagner Family Senior Fellow and managing editor of Fikra Forum.
Ben Fishman
Ben Fishman
Ben Fishman is the Steven D. Levy Senior Fellow in the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, where he focuses on North Africa.
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