Egypt

Policy Analysis on Egypt

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

Brief Analysis

Getting Tough with Egypt Won’t Work

A more modest approach is warranted, one that emphasizes core interests, acknowledges the limitations of U.S. leverage, and avoids going too far with funding cuts and sanctions.

Mar 25, 2021

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David Schenker

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

Brief Analysis

Reframing Libya for a Reluctant Administration

By treating the conflict as a matter of Mediterranean security, President Biden’s team can better assist the new Libyan government and demonstrate its commitment to revitalizing alliances.

Feb 25, 2021

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Ben Fishman

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

Egyptian president Sisi is sworn in to a second term in Parliament in 2018.

Brief Analysis

Egypt’s New Parliament: Reopening Political Life, But Only So Far

Giving the legislature a makeover is Cairo’s latest bid to ease public frustrations, but will a token opposition be enough to keep socioeconomic tensions from boiling over?

Jan 26, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Brief Analysis

Egypt Endorses Gulf Reconciliation But Remains Skeptical

Although officials are playing along in order to maintain good ties with Saudi Arabia, they seem convinced that Qatar will exploit the new agreement in ways that harm Cairo's political and security interests at home.

Jan 14, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Brief Analysis

UAVs and the Abraham Accords: New Horizons for Sinai Peacekeeping

Replacing manned monitoring missions with drone sorties and inviting Gulf countries to participate would help improve security, reduce America’s burden and risk, decrease costs, and bolster the regional peace architecture.

Jan 13, 2021

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Assaf Orion

Brief Analysis

Cairo’s Concerns About a Biden Presidency

Egyptian leaders fear that his administration will openly confront them on human rights and enable an Islamist resurgence, but the outlook is brighter for engagement on Turkey, Israel, and other issues.

Nov 18, 2020

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Haisam Hassanein

Multimedia

Brief Analysis

America Votes, the Middle East Reacts: Views on U.S. Elections from Across the Region

Experts from the Gulf, Egypt, Turkey, and Israel respond to the initial voting results and discuss factors that may help or hinder the next administration.

Nov 9, 2020

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Abdulrahman al-Rashed
Mohamed Anwar E. al-Sadat
Asli Aydintasbas
David Horovitz

Articles & Testimony

Franco-Turkish Competition Ascendant

Given their sharply diverging views on conflict zones, secularism, and regional spheres of influence, the two states are swiftly becoming NATO’s next diplomatic hotspot.

Sep 23, 2020

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

New Egyptian Legislation Aims to Reduce Al-Azhar’s Authority

The latest twist in the long battle for control over Egypt’s religious realm could have profound implications for the state’s ability to regulate—and thus reform—Islamic discourse.

Aug 20, 2020

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Sarah Feuer

Articles & Testimony

Training Better Arab Armies

American security force assistance missions to Arab states have had only limited success, in large part because they do not train local units to fight in a manner well-suited to their cultural preferences and operational requirements.

Aug 20, 2020

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Michael Eisenstadt
Kenneth Pollack

Brief Analysis

Normalization Is Making Cairo Uncomfortable

The UAE’s deal with Israel may render Egypt a junior partner in future peace diplomacy, aggravating its existing frustration over years of financial dependence on the small Gulf state and a string of foreign policy setbacks.

Aug 19, 2020

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Haisam Hassanein

Articles & Testimony

Putting the UAE-Israel Agreement in Its Proper Perspective

Like all good policy decisions, the deal emerged from the enlightened self-interest of the key parties, but the stakes are not as high as with Israel’s previous two Arab peace treaties.

Aug 18, 2020

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

Turkey’s Search for Oil May Spill Over into Conflict with Greece

The current flare-up centers on differing interpretations of international law—a situation that should be employing lawyers but is instead deploying navies.

Aug 12, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Video

Brief Analysis

Health, Politics, and Stability in the Middle East: A COVID-19 Update

Three regional health experts explain why countries that avoided the worst of the pandemic early on are now reeling from its spread.

Aug 7, 2020

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Ali Mokdad
Mohammed Hassan Khalil
Muhamed Almaliky

Brief Analysis

East Mediterranean Energy Rivalries Face Harsh Economic Realities

Even if acute diplomatic differences are resolved, low natural gas prices will have a cooling effect on regional energy initiatives.

Jul 17, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

East Mediterranean Gas Running Into Commercial, Technical, and Political Challenges

Reduced demand caused by the coronavirus and low oil/gas prices has complicated plans for further development of the region’s offshore reserves.

May 27, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

Avoiding an Epic Mistake:

The Case for Continuing the U.S. Mission in Sinai

For almost four decades, the Multinational Force & Observers has protected Israel-Egypt peace and anchored stability in the Sinai Peninsula, but a new Pentagon initiative could end the American contribution by late next year. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has indicated that all military endeavors must now fall within a National

May 27, 2020

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Assaf Orion
Denis Thompson

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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