Palestinians

Policy Analysis on Palestinians

Israeli soldiers on patrol in the West Bank community of Nablus - source: Reuters

Prioritizing the West Bank Amid Escalation and Deterioration

Israel’s most significant military operation in the territory since the second intifada highlights the growing danger of a new front opening alongside the Gaza war.

Aug 30, 2024

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Neomi Neumann

Infographic on Hamas diplomatic meetings during the Gaza war.

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Hamas Diplomacy: From Haniyeh to Sinwar

The group has sought to build legitimacy and prepare for a postwar role in Gaza by engaging with various countries since October, but the death of Ismail Haniyeh will complicate those efforts.

Aug 28, 2024

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Chinese and U.S. flags flutter at a trade meeting in Shanghai

Articles & Testimony

What to Make of China’s Moves in the Middle East

Beijing doesn’t care that its “Palestinian unity” agreement is a nonstarter or that a Hamas victory would undermine Chinese interests in stabilizing the Middle East—it just wants the United States to lose.

Aug 19, 2024

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Michael Singh

An unexploded missile fired by an Israeli aircraft lies among the rubble, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the northern Gaza Strip - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Explosive Remnants: Gaza’s Literal Ticking Bomb

Reconstruction can’t happen until thousands of dud bombs and other explosives are cleared from the urban rubble—a task that faces formidable shortfalls in funding, manpower, and other resources.

Aug 12, 2024

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Andrew G. Clemmensen

Brief Analysis

Israel-Turkey Relations Nearing a Rupture

Even with U.S. intercession, the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran could harden Ankara’s stance against Israel and spur a fatal cycle of diplomatic and economic retaliation.

Aug 9, 2024

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Soner Cagaptay

President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia in July 2022

Articles & Testimony

Biden’s Middle East Moonshot

Reaching a Gaza ceasefire and Israeli-Saudi normalization deal will require intense, well-coordinated diplomatic efforts in a condensed timeline, but the administration can do it with help from the “Arab Quint.”

Aug 7, 2024

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Retreating from Legitimacy: Hamas's Engagement In and Disengagement From Governance

In this chapter from the Jihadist Governance and Statecraft compilation, Devorah Margolin explores how Hamas has balanced the contradictions between the demands of governance and of continued terrorist operations.

Aug 6, 2024

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Devorah Margolin

◆ Jihadist Governance and Statecraft

News headlines on Gaza war, emphasis on use of anonymous sources by Washington Post

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

Anonymous Sources in Gaza War Reporting:

The Washington Post vs. Its Peers

In such a challenging environment, news organizations must work especially hard to convince readers that sources are honest, legitimate, and trustworthy.

Jul 29, 2024

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

Martin Indyk, Tireless U.S. Envoy Who Saw the ‘Promised Land’ Ending the Israel-Palestinian Conflict

After spending decades working for a breakthrough, he was never naive about the rejectionists on both sides, but he still had faith in a two-state solution.

Jul 28, 2024

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Dennis Ross

Swearing-in ceremony for PA cabinet, March 31, 2024. Mahmoud Abbas is third from right; the new PM, Muhammad Mustafa, is to his left.

In-Depth Reports

Reforming the Palestinian Authority:

A Roadmap for Change

The beleaguered governing body requires an overhaul in order to support West Bank stability, postwar governance of Gaza, and a revived political process with Israel.

Jul 22, 2024

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Neomi Neumann
Ghaith al-Omari

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

Articles & Testimony

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

Articles & Testimony

Europe Can Still Make a Difference in the Middle East

The challenge is to find a common line that accounts for different national positions on regional issues while still promoting a coherent foreign policy.

Jul 2, 2024

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Ehud Yaari

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

Articles & Testimony

Why Is Hamas’ Popularity Soaring Among Palestinians in the West Bank?

The numbers reflect backlash against the Palestinian Authority, which many see as corrupt, illegitimate, and unable to provide a path toward independence—though the alternative would be worse.

Jun 24, 2024

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Moran Stern

Brief Analysis

Hamas and Iran Are Trying to Ignite Israel’s Eastern Fronts

Jordan and Israel can take assertive action to alleviate the risk, from additional border security measures to economic steps such as lifting the ban on West Bank workers and establishing a humanitarian corridor in south Syria.

Jun 20, 2024

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Ehud Yaari

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meet at the United Nations in New York in September 2023 - source: Prime Minister's Office

Articles & Testimony

Israel and the United States Must Agree on How to End the War in Gaza

If Netanyahu’s definition of victory is too broad, Biden’s is too narrow—Gaza must be measurably and permanently demilitarized.

Jun 19, 2024

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky

A man rides a scooter by a Hamas poster in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, May 18, 2024.

Brief Analysis

The Muslim Brothers Give Hamas a Foothold in Lebanon

Most Lebanese Sunnis have resisted the MB’s mobilization so far, but this sentiment could shift quickly due to pressures from the Gaza war, the economic crisis, the local political vacuum, and the inroads being made by Hamas and Hezbollah.

Jun 18, 2024

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Hanin Ghaddar
Aaron Y. Zelin

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

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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Palestinians

Policy Analysis on Palestinians

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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Regions & Countries

Issues

Palestinians

Policy Analysis on Palestinians

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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