Egypt

Policy Analysis on Egypt

Reality Check for Israel’s Natural Gas Plans

Washington has logical reasons to step away from an undersea pipeline project in the East Mediterranean, though the decision effectively kills Israel’s improbable dream of becoming a significant gas supplier to Europe.

Jan 27, 2022

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Simon Henderson

In-Depth Reports

Power to the People?

Scrutinizing the U.S.-Arab Effort to Supply Energy to Lebanon via Syria

Residents of the beleaguered country desperately need electricity, but a U.S.-Arab scheme carries complications that could benefit Syria's Assad regime.

Dec 16, 2021

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Katherine Bauer
Ben Fishman
Hanin Ghaddar
Simon Henderson
David Schenker
Andrew J. Tabler

An Egyptian guard inspects bomb damage near the Gaza border in Sinai

Brief Analysis

Egypt’s Counterinsurgency Success in Sinai

The military’s shift to tribal engagement has helped reduce jihadist attacks, but Cairo’s lagging efforts on development and human rights could leave the peninsula open to a future resurgence.

Dec 9, 2021

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Ido Levy

President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken host the Summit for Democracy. Source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

The Summit for Democracy Skips the Arab World

To address the region’s democracy gap, Washington needs to develop consistent messaging on reform objectives and help its partners focus on achievable goals such as protecting free speech, dissidents, and civil society.

Dec 8, 2021

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Ben Fishman

President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin shake hands at the White House as the Camp David Accords are announced.

Video

Brief Analysis

American Peace Process Diplomacy: What Works? What Doesn’t?

The authors of three recent books on Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, and James Baker explore the lessons that today’s leaders can learn from their landmark peacemaking efforts.

Nov 30, 2021

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Martin Indyk
Stuart Eizenstat
Susan Glasser

Brief Analysis

Top Agenda Items for the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue

In addition to continuing the discussion of withheld U.S. funding, Secretary Blinken’s team should focus on steering Cairo toward productive steps in Ethiopia, Sudan, Libya, Lebanon, and Syria.

Nov 5, 2021

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David Schenker

Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Egypt display the victory and Rabaa signs at a protest

Brief Analysis

The Muslim Brotherhood Sees Cairo’s Flirtation with Biden as an Opportunity

Many Brotherhood members seem eager to exploit recent U.S.-Egyptian gestures on human rights, but there is little likelihood that the Sisi government will reconcile with the fractured, unpopular Islamist group.

Oct 27, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Articles & Testimony

China and Mideast Leverage: Hiding in Plain Sight

Washington still has good cards to play in terms of Iran’s destabilizing activities, the U.S. security umbrella over Gulf energy supplies, and Arab public opinion toward China and America.

Oct 22, 2021

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David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Tweet Signals Major Upgrade in Relations Between U.S. Gulf Allies

Yet the photo of an informal meeting among the Saudi, Qatari, and UAE leaders also suggests their uncertainty about American support.

Sep 20, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Photo of Naftali Bennett and Abdul Fattah al-Sisi meeting in Sharm al-Sheikh.

Brief Analysis

The Bennett-Sisi Meeting: A Rare Chance to Publicly Boost Relations

The welcome visit indicates that Egypt-Israel ties can thrive post-Netanyahu, potentially expanding from the security domain to economic and civil affairs.

Sep 13, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Brief Analysis

UN Session on GERD Dispute Strains Egypt-Russia Relations

Moscow is keen on courting Ethiopia, and Cairo is beginning to realize its partner’s limitations, yet the two governments will nevertheless continue cooperating on hot-button issues like weapons procurement.

Aug 17, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

President Joe Biden speaks on the phone in the Oval Office of the White House

Brief Analysis

Winning the Gaza Ceasefire: Critical Decisions for the Biden Administration

Hamas may not have realized it when firing its first salvo against Jerusalem, but the challenge of its rockets didn’t end with a ceasefire—the administration now faces complex and urgent decisions that could affect the direction of its overall foreign policy.

May 21, 2021

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

How Cairo Can Help Ease the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis

Washington should welcome Egypt’s desire to restore its role as a peace mediator, but only if both governments are willing to formulate a constructive approach that avoids repeating the mistakes of the Mubarak era.

May 18, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Articles & Testimony

Stopping the Cycle in the Mideast

In addition to seeking Egypt’s help with mediation, the Biden administration needs to recognize that several motivations are driving Hamas in this round, so raising the cost to the group cannot just be measured in military terms.

May 14, 2021

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David Makovsky
Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Rehabilitating Assad: The Arab League Embraces a Pariah

Parochial interests and war fatigue are driving many member states to support premature elections and normalization with Damascus, but this approach will only consolidate Assad’s control and help him evade accountability for war crimes.

May 4, 2021

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David Schenker

Brief Analysis

UAE Wealth Fund to Buy Share of Israeli Gas Field

If the $1.1 billion deal goes ahead, it will strengthen Abu Dhabi’s claim to be a player in the East Mediterranean.

Apr 27, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Satellite image of the Red Sea region and the Arabian Peninsula

Video

Brief Analysis

Don't Part the Red Sea: Formulating Holistic Policy Toward a Key Region

A former NAVCENT commander joins a panel of distinguished diplomats and experts to discuss why Washington should approach the region’s disparate economic, political, and security issues in a more integrated fashion.

Apr 19, 2021

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John Miller
Susan L. Ziadeh
Tibor Nagy
Elana DeLozier

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

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

Brief Analysis

Egypt-Turkey Rapprochement Is Constraining the Muslim Brotherhood

Recent understandings between Cairo and Ankara have many of the group’s exiled figures worried about their future on Turkish soil.

Mar 30, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Supported by the

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

Robert Satloff

Robert Satloff is the Segal Executive Director of The Washington Institute, a post he assumed in January 1993.

Haisam Hassanein

Haisam Hassanein was an Associate Fellow at The Washington Institute. Previously, he was the Institute's 2016-2017 Glazer Fellow, in which he focused on economic relations between Israel and Arab states. He has published in several media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, the New York Daily News, and the Jerusalem Post. His current research focuses on commercial diplomacy in the Middle East.

Hassanein earned his B.A. in political science from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. After completing an internship at the Institute in 2014, he enrolled in an M.A

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Egypt

Policy Analysis on Egypt

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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Regions & Countries

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Egypt

Policy Analysis on Egypt

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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