Palestinians

Policy Analysis on Palestinians

Israeli police respond to a shooting in Tel Aviv - source: Reuters

Terror and Turbulence in Israel and the West Bank

Three experts discuss the risks of escalating violence on the ground, the Israeli and PA response so far, and U.S. policy options.

Apr 8, 2022

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Anna Ahronheim
Matthew Levitt
Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

Managing New Israeli-Palestinian Tensions During Ramadan

Despite increased readiness and cooperation in the lead-up to the holy month, recent polls provide a discouraging portrait of public hopes for peace, forcing authorities to keep a close eye on any moves that might inflame tensions.

Apr 1, 2022

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Ghaith al-Omari
David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Making the Most of Jordan’s Peace Diplomacy

To follow up on the king’s Ramallah trip, Washington should encourage further engagement in the peace process beyond the diplomatic realm, including economic stabilization initiatives and tie-ins with the Abraham Accords.

Mar 29, 2022

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Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

Between Maritime Law and Politics in the East Mediterranean

Given the region’s fraught history and piecemeal legal frameworks, the parties and their allies should focus more on the political, economic, and security concerns underlying their legal disputes.

Mar 24, 2022

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Alexander Loengarov

Tunisian citizens who fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine arrive in Tunis - Source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Middle East Students Stranded in Ukraine

Regional governments are scrambling to repatriate thousands of their trapped citizens, and the United States could play a key role in facilitating their safe return.

Mar 9, 2022

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Carol Silber
Calvin Wilder

Video

Brief Analysis

An Arab Leader in Israel: A Conversation with Mansour Abbas

The head of the first Arab party to join an Israeli governing coalition answers questions about the country’s domestic and foreign policies, including its approach to Palestinian issues and diplomacy with Arab states.

Feb 10, 2022

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Mansour Abbas
David Makovsky
Robert Satloff

Qatari leader Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Gas Likely to Top Agenda of Qatar’s White House Visit

Originally planned as a thank-you for crucial assistance in last summer’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, the meeting will probably focus on Doha’s potential role in addressing the Ukraine crisis instead.

Jan 31, 2022

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Simon Henderson

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

Brief Analysis

Israeli Coalition Leaders Navigate Protests and Political Constraints

With their constituents upping the pressure on hot-button factional issues, Prime Minister Bennett and Mansour Abbas are starting to feel the vulnerabilities inherent in their still-fragile coalition.

Jan 14, 2022

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David Makovsky

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 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

Israeli Prime Minister Bennett meets US officials in Washington

Articles & Testimony

How Israel Should Navigate the New American Landscape

America’s broad inclination toward retrenchment is unlikely to abate anytime soon, but Israeli leaders can still do much to remind Washington why basic regional stability is so essential to its interests.

Nov 9, 2021

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Why a Political Comeback for Israel’s Netanyahu Just Became a Lot Less Likely

By passing a budget, avoiding fatal polarization, and toning down the rhetoric (if not the military pressure) on Iran, the young coalition government may have marginalized the former leader for the long term.

Nov 5, 2021

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Neri Zilber

In-Depth Reports

A Blurred Line Between Civil Society and Terrorism

Examining Charges of NGOs Funding the PFLP

The Israeli evidence could reveal a troubling reality wherein groups publicly defend the human rights of some people while supporting acts of terrorism targeting others.

Nov 4, 2021

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Matthew Levitt

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

A Missed Opportunity in America’s Refunding of UNRWA

Washington could have used the agency’s financial straits as an opportunity to prevent misuse of funds, compel textbook revisions, and identify individuals on its rolls who actually meet the UNHCR definition of a refugee.

Sep 2, 2021

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James G. Lindsay

Brief Analysis

Last Call for Gaza?

Proposing an Alternative to Israeli-Palestinian “Conflict Management”

With Iran looming ever larger as Israel’s top security priority, the window for breaking the dangerous cycle of ceasefire and conflagration with the Palestinians may be closing—unless all of the actors are willing to throw their weight behind a fresh “4x4” strategy.

Aug 30, 2021

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Dror Shalom

Brief Analysis

State of Investigation? The International Criminal Court and the “Situation in Palestine”

The legal details of recent preliminary rulings presage the difficulties that the ICC will likely encounter while investigating the Israeli-Palestinian scene, highlighting the broader dilemma of importing political conflicts into the courtroom.

Aug 26, 2021

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Alexander Loengarov

Brief Analysis

Bennett Meets Biden: Resetting the Tone and Discussing Differences

The two leaders have been looking forward to an upbeat summit, but the test will be if they can establish trust and work through their differences on thorny regional issues.

Aug 25, 2021

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David Makovsky

A Palestinian woman walks by a mural in Bethlehem

Articles & Testimony

What Do Palestinians Want?

Those who support permanent peace with Israel are in the minority even among the younger generation, but Washington should still prepare for the future by working around the economic edges.

Jul 23, 2021

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David Pollock
Catherine Cleveland

Brief Analysis

Biden Welcomes His First Arab Head of State

The visit will set the stage for future U.S. assistance negotiations and allow King Abdullah to express his views on Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy and other regional issues, while the White House can bolster the relationship and (quietly) push for achievable reforms.

Jul 15, 2021

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Ghaith al-Omari
Ben Fishman

Supported by the

Program on Arab Politics

The Washington Institute's 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 a 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 a Lafer International Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Palestinians

Policy Analysis on Palestinians

Program on Arab Politics

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Regions & Countries

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Palestinians

Policy Analysis on Palestinians

Program on Arab Politics

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