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The fall 2023 issue of Middle East Policy is entirely free to read for everyone until November 1, no subscription required! Featuring articles on Israel and Hamas, the war in Ukraine, Turkey's presidential election, peacekeeping, and more. Read now: https://mepc.org/commentary/fall-2023-middle-east-policy-free-all-readers
The West Bank is seeing rising tensions and violence. A Middle East Policy article by Fadi Nahhas analyzes Israel's motivations in its looking to annex the Jordan Valley, arguing it would be one of the conflict's "most critical strategic turning points."
This article analyzes Israel's motives in annexing the Jordan Valley—a plan that, if approved, will eliminate any possibility of establishing a Palestinian state, even on a small part of historic Pal...
All articles in Middle East Policy's Fall 2023 issue are free to read, even without a subscription, until the end of the month! You can find analyses on Israeli security and conflict with Hamas, Syria's diplomacy, Turkish politics, war in Sudan, and more.
Breaking Analysis | September 29th, 2023 By Middle East Policy Full-text analyses and book reviews covering issues from energy and innovation to civil war and security are available to everyone, even without subscription, until November. Middle East Policy is excited to announce that all Fall 2023 a...
As Palestinian refugees seek an escape from the violence in Gaza, their concerns over displacement weigh heavy. A Middle East Policy article by Rami Goldstein argues that the Abraham Accords could help provide a pathway to resolving the question of return.
Breaking Analysis | October 24th, 2023 By Middle East Policy Israel’s accords with Arab states could yield solutions to an intractable problem—if the new relationships survive the Gaza war. The escalating Israel-Hamas conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands in the Gaza Strip, an area the si...
Middle East Policy considers what issues a Hamas collapse in Gaza would create for stability in the region. Articles from Jean-Loup Samaan, Yoel Guzansky, Gadi Hitman, and other experts analyze facets of the long-running conflict between the group and Israel.
Breaking Analysis | October 13th, 2023 By Middle East Policy The journal provides insights into the range of complications that may be unleashed if Israel launches a ground invasion and destroys the governing authority. With Israel unleashing devastating reprisals on Gaza, reportedly killing more th...
MENA Weekly: U.S. bases targeted in Iraq and Syria, humanitarian aid enters Gaza, and more. Review of October 17-23 available: https://ow.ly/ukIj50PZNA9 (Image: Ali Hamad \ apaimages)
Yoel Guzansky explains the shift from Israel's past doctrine of building ties with non-Arab states to its new focus on partnerships with the Arab Gulf. Middle East Policy examines how the war in Gaza could affect this strategy and the peace process.
Breaking Analysis | October 20th, 2023 By Middle East Policy Will the response to Hamas’s atrocities undo efforts to normalize its relations with Gulf States? After nearly two weeks of Israeli attacks on Gaza as punishment for Hamas’s massacres of at least 1,400, people and governments across th...
Middle East Policy examines a variety of issues that contribute to the ongoing war in Gaza. Articles on Hezbollah, Hamas, the West Bank, the Abraham Accords, and Israeli strategy explore the range of factors in the long-running conflict. Read here:
Breaking Analysis | October 13th, 2023 By Middle East Policy The journal provides insights into the range of complications that may be unleashed if Israel launches a ground invasion and destroys the governing authority. With Israel unleashing devastating reprisals on Gaza, reportedly killing more th...
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for recent missile attacks on Israel. Daniel Sobelman shows in Middle East Policy how the militant group’s past threats have influenced Tel Aviv's behavior, including in energy exploration. Read the analysis for free:
Restricted Daniel Sobelman Dr. Sobelman is assistant professor of international relations in the Department of International Relations of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a research fellow in the International Security Program at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and Inter...
feature: Prof. Sabs Quereshi is a senior expert with 17+ years in global health, foreign policy, gender equity, national security, humanitarian assistance, and multilateral affairs sectors in the U.S. and worldwide. She is a former Director of the Rockefeller Foundation and former Advisor to the United Nations Health and Immunization divisions. Quereshi previously served as a Policy Advisor and Acting Team Lead at the USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, Senior Health Advisor and COVID-19 Racial Equity Task Force Lead to the California Surgeon General’s Office, WHO/IRC health lead in Syria for 10+ relief organizations, Ebola + Zika + Measles outbreak expert in West Africa, South America and South Sudan, respectively; interagency lead for U.S. DHHS and even spent time advising Senator Bernie Sanders during 110th Congress. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Presidential Leadership Scholar, and holds degrees from Harvard Kennedy School, GWU, and Marquette University. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
An article in Middle East Policy examines recent wars between Israel and Hamas to analyze how each side defines success in conflict. Gadi Hitman and Alona Itskovich contend that neither has yet been able to claim definitive strategic victory.
Despite countless studies on victory in armed conflict, scholars disagree about the exact meaning of this term. This article, using primary sources in Hebrew and Arabic, aims to define victory and to...
Middle East Policy considers the implications of an Israeli offensive that removes Hamas from power. Read articles from Jean-Loup Samaan, Yoel Guzansky, Gadi Hitman, and other experts on the fractious relationship between Israel and Gaza's governing authority.
Breaking Analysis | October 13th, 2023 By Middle East Policy The journal provides insights into the range of complications that may be unleashed if Israel launches a ground invasion and destroys the governing authority. With Israel unleashing devastating reprisals on Gaza, reportedly killing more th...
feature: Sina Toossi is a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy and a policy and editorial advisor at Miaan Group, a U.S.-based human rights organization focused on Iran and the Middle East. He produces research and analysis on U.S.-Iran relations, human rights issues, and nuclear policy issues. He has also worked as a senior research analyst at the National Iranian American Council and a senior research specialist at Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security. His writings have been published in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, USA Today, and other publications. He has also appeared on BBC World News, the Guardian, Vox, and BBC Persian, among other outlets. He holds a master’s degree in international relations from American University and a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
feature: Gil Thompson is Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Congressman Brad Schneider, a member of the House Ways and Means and Foreign Affairs Committees and co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus and Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance Caucus. Gil’s work focuses on regional normalization, energy integration, Iran policy, and the U.S.-Israel bilateral relationship. Previously, he also worked for Congressmen Josh Gottheimer and Mike Honda. Gil is a Foreign Policy Fellow at the Wilson Center, National Security Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and alumnus of Partnership for a Secure America’s State-Congress Communications Project. Gil received his doctorate magna cm laude from the Hertie School in Berlin for a dissertation on European border and asylum controls on the Greek island of Le**os. His research was funded by the European Union as part of the Marie Curie program. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
feature: Clayton Thomas is a Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs at the Congressional Research Service (CRS), where he provides information and analysis to Members of Congress and their staff on a number of issues related to U.S. foreign policy, including Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, Al Qaeda, and regional arms sales. Prior to CRS, he served as a Fulbright Fellow in Yalova, Turkey, and worked as a staff member in the office of Senator Kay Hagan and as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Department of Health and Human Services. He received an M.A. in Middle East Studies from George Washington University and a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Congratulations!
https://ow.ly/K7w650PW8uS
With war ongoing in Gaza, the West Bank is also witnessing flare-ups of violence. An article in Middle East Policy analyzes Israel's moves to annex the Jordan Valley, with Fadi Nahhas warning that it would "sound the death knell of the two-state solution."
This article analyzes Israel's motives in annexing the Jordan Valley—a plan that, if approved, will eliminate any possibility of establishing a Palestinian state, even on a small part of historic Pal...
feature: Dr. Dania Thafer is the Executive Director of Gulf International Forum, an institute based in Washington, D.C. that provides analysis on political, economic, social, and security issues for the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Iran, Iraq and Yemen. She is also a Professorial Lecturer at the School of Foreign Service’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University. Her expertise is on the Gulf region’s security, U.S.-Gulf relations, and the political economy of the GCC states. She has been widely published and consults regularly on matters concerning the GCC and the Middle East. Dania has a new book titled “Creative Insecurity: Institutional Inertia and Youth Potential in the GCC” published by Hurst Co. and Oxford University Press (2023). Additionally, she has co-authored two edited books “The Arms Trade, Military Services and the Security Market in the Gulf States: Trends and Implications” and “The Dilemma of Security and Defense in the Gulf Region.” Her commentary has appeared in international media outlets, including: The New York Times, Financial Times, BBC World, Washington Post, Forbes, Al Jazeera and others. Additionally, she is regularly consulted by governmental, non-governmental, corporations and research institutions globally. Previously, she was responsible for building relationships with foreign dignitaries from the Middle East at the National Defense University’s Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, DC. Dania has a master’s degree in Political Science from New York University, and Ph.D. in Political Science, specialized in the Political Economy and International Relations from American University in Washington, DC. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
Regional sources react to the unfolding Israel-Hamas conflict: https://ow.ly/aUXa50PVJ4y
feature: Amanda-Grace Tafunai is the Chief of Staff at the Saudi Sports Company (SSC), focusing on elevating sports viewership and participation in Saudi Arabia. She transitioned to SSC from the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), where she most recently supported the relocation of AlArabiya and MBC headquarters and led operation support for AlUla FM radio station for the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). Prior to this, Amanda was Chief of Staff at a private investment firm, focusing on government initiatives enabling diversification efforts and human capital development. Her commitment extends to the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia, aiding its reorganization and restructuring, whilst collaborating with the U.S. Embassy’s Commercial Service. Holding a bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Michigan, she credits AmCham Saudi Arabia’s vibrant business community and her time with the first operations team for her diverse and fulfilling career path. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awardsz
Wondering how such a large-scale attack could come as such a surprise, Jean-Loup Samaan revisits his article from Middle East Policy's Fall 2023 issue. In the study, he writes, "you can see pieces of the puzzle" that would help explain the outbreak of war.
Breaking Analysis | October 11th, 2023 By Jean-Loup Samaan Scholar who analyzed Israeli military reforms for Middle East Policy re-examines the evidence. In its Fall 2023 issue, Middle East Policy published my study of Israel’s quest for a new military strategy. It was based on a series of inter...
Despite the war's increasing violence, experts Jean-Loup Samaan, Gadi Hitman, and Alona Itskovich tell Middle East Policy that a major change to the status quo between Israel and Hamas may cost more than either side is willing to pay.
Breaking Analysis | October 10th, 2023 By Middle East Policy Military experts tell Middle East Policy that while the scale of destruction is different, neither side is likely to achieve a strategic victory. As Israel responds to the worst land, sea, and air assault on its territory in 50 years, its....
feature: Zabe Shafi is currently a Program Director for the Middle East and North Africa team (MENA) at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), where she manages the implementation of democracy and governance programming in the region, with a particular focus on supporting information integrity. She has worked at NDI for the last 5.5 years and have worked on Libya, Lebanon, Jordan and Tunisia. Prior to NDI, Zabe worked for a non-profit focused on U.S. and Turkey commercial diplomacy. She has an M.A. in International Relations from George Washington University, a B.A. in Middle East Studies, and a B.S. in Physiology and Human Anatomy from the University of Arizona. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
feature: Jesse A. Schatz is a Director at Qorvis based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, overseeing strategic communications and intelligence-gathering for accounts based in Riyadh and Dubai. Prior to joining Qorvis, Schatz was an analyst for clients in Abu Dhabi, where he utilized data analytics, social media, and research tools to deliver compelling communications and analyses on a variety of regional theatres. Before moving to the Gulf region Schatz worked at Gulf International Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on the Gulf region. Schatz graduated from Vassar College in 2018 with a degree in Africana Studies. At Vassar he studied Arabic and has taken supplementary courses in Emirati Arabic dialect at the Ramsa Institute in Dubai. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
MENA Weekly: U.S. F-16s shoot down Turkish drone, Hamas launches surprise air and ground attack on Israel, and more. Review of October 3-10 available: https://mepc.org/commentary/mena-weekly
feature: Elly Rostoum is an Adjunct Professor and the Associate Director of the Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS. She is a Lecturer in Global Strategic studies at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. Elly is a former U.S. intelligence analyst and National Security Council staffer at the White House. She was formerly a Hans J. Morgenthau Fellow in U.S. Grand Strategy. Elly’s research examines American national security vulnerabilities of foreign direct investment, with a focus on foundational and emerging technologies. She is an expert on CFIUS governance and specializes regionally on China and the Middle East. Prior to her tenure in academia and public service, Elly used to forecast oil prices and has lived and traveled extensively throughout the Middle East. Elly speaks 5 languages, and holds degrees from Bates College, Harvard University, and Stanford University. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
feature: Mathew Reed is the vice president of Foreign Reports where he provides insight on geopolitics and oil markets, helping policymakers, energy companies and investors better understand the latest developments in the Middle East and Washington, D.C. His areas of expertise include Saudi Arabia, OPEC and its evolving relationship with Russia, Iran sanctions, Libya’s post-uprising oil sector, and U.S. foreign policy, among others. His original research on ISIS oil operations in Iraq and Syria made him the go-to expert on that topic starting in 2015. Mr. Reed joined the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines as a Non-Resident Fellow in 2018. In 2015, he was an Energy Security Fellow with Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE). He is regularly quoted by the press and has appeared countless times on U.S. and Arabic-language television programs. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
feature: Sarah Rashid is a Political Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. Prior to becoming a diplomat, she was an international development professional with experience designing and leading large-scale humanitarian, human rights and stabilization programs funded by the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and USAID in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. Her first experience working in the Middle East was as a kindergarten teacher in Aqaba, Jordan in 2009. Sarah has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic and other outlets. She holds an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies and International Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
feature: Hannah Porter is a Senior Research Officer with ARK, where she works to address issues related to climate, agriculture, and conflicts over land and water resources in southern Yemen. Prior to this, she worked with DT Global to support independent Yemeni media. She has written extensively on Yemen’s conflict, especially information warfare and propaganda, which was the topic of her chapter in the edited volume, ‘The Huthi Movement in Yemen,’ which was published by Bloomsbury in 2022. Hannah holds an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago, where she wrote her thesis on Huthi rhetoric and ideology. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
As tensions flare between Turkey and Kurdish militants, a free-to-read Middle East Policy article explores how that fear influenced the 2023 election. M. Hakan Yavuz argues that Erdogan exploited social anxieties to win another term. Read our takeaways:
Breaking Analysis | October 6th, 2023 By Middle East Policy In a new journal article, M. Hakan Yavuz contends that the third decade of the strongman’s rule poses “significant challenges” for the future. This week’s su***de bombing outside the Interior Ministry has reignited Turkey’s confli...
feature: Gary Noel joined Lockheed Martin in 2016, where he has supported the company’s business activity and presence in the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. He is currently a regional Program Manager for Lockheed’s International Government Affairs team, building upon the company’s partnerships with the D.C.-based diplomatic community. Prior to joining Lockheed, he was a member of the Congressional Affairs Department of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Washington, D.C., developing the UAE Ambassador’s outreach to the United States Congress. With a background in government affairs, national security, and foreign policy, he has collaborated with think tanks and publications on a wide range of issues. Gary obtained an M.A. in U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security at American University and graduated with honors from the University of Arkansas with a B.A. in Geography, International Relations, and Middle Eastern Studies. Congratulations!
https://ow.ly/xpGy50PSYZi
feature: Lynn Monzer is a leading expert on gender equality in the MENA region who specializes in increasing female economic participation and entrepreneurship. Lynn currently serves as Associate Director of the Women Innovators (WIn) Fellowship at the Atlantic Council. She is also the founder of Hokouki, a non-profit whose mission is to help women and girls across the region better understand and exercise their rights by simplifying access and to the laws and regulations that affect them. Prior to this, she served as Lead Research Analyst for the Wilson Center's Middle East Program, where she pinpointed policy gaps affecting women’s economic participation, and a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center. She has also consulted and led workshops for Google Developer Groups, Rowad Foundation, the University of Maryland, the CREO Incubator, and Al-Sahm Women. Lynn holds a PhD focusing on female entrepreneurship in the MENA region. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
Israel's recent weapons shipments to Azerbaijan are the latest collaboration in an "increasingly cordial relationship." Namig Abbasov and Emil A. Souleimanov explore the countries' growing ties and common rival in an article in Middle East Policy.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, political commentators and students of international relations alike have been puzzled by an increasingly cordial relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan, a...
feature: Cheyenne Moawad is the Director of Strategic Engagement at the American Task force on Lebanon, where she monitors and reports on political, humanitarian and economic developments in Lebanon and the region. She educates and advises policymakers in the Washington, D.C. on U.S.-Lebanon policy. She produces analysis leading to the development of policy recommendations on a range of pressing issues facing Lebanon and serves as a technical resource for U.S. foreign assistance activities. Recently, Cheyenne worked as a Senior Fundraising and Communication Officer at Rene Moawad Foundation in Washington, D.C. and Beirut where she was responsible for its strategic communication, development, fundraising and leadership on the implementation of a multimillion-dollar portfolio of programs focused on decentralization, women empowerment, tourism, agriculture and education. She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a master's degree in Transnational American Studies from the American University of Beirut. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
feature: Jesse Marks is the senior advocate for the Middle East at Refugees International where he manages policy and advocacy for lifesaving assistance, rights, and protection for displaced populations in the region. He is also a Nonresident fellow at the Stimson Center's China Program, where he studies China's role in Middle Eastern crises. He spent over five years in the US, Middle East, Europe, and Asia, researching, advocating, and reporting on humanitarian crises as a Scoville Fellow, Fulbright Fellow to Jordan (Jordan), Schwarzman Scholar, and Boren Scholar. Jesse previously served as a Middle East policy advisor and inaugural McCain Fellow in the U.S. Government. He holds master's degrees from the University of Cambridge and Tsinghua University (Beijing), and a bachelor's from Florida State University. An avid archaeologist, Jesse is a Middle East archaeology nerd and manages the Coffee in the Desert blog, a Middle East history publication focused on making Middle East history accessible to a Western audience. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
As Egypt prepares for its next election, an article in Middle East Policy shows that hopes for a democratic transition were never fulfilled. Lacin Idil Oztig argues that since Sisi came to power in 2014, the country has "spiraled back to authoritarianism." https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mepo.12672
This article analyzes the political transitions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya after the Arab Spring. While they share similarities regarding the overthrow of their long-lasting regimes, each country f...
The United States announced Israel’s designation into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), despite concerns regarding reciprocity rules. Sources from across the region report on Israel’s admission into VWP: https://ow.ly/5Nw050PSA3y (Image: HADAR YOUAVIAN/FLASH90)
Tomorrow, MEPC President Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley is speaking on "DEIA’s Power in Diplomacy" at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs:
Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, a 30-year diplomat, is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Department of State. Through a series of senior positions that included Ambassador to the Republic of Malta, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Commander of U.S.
feature: Benjamin Lutz is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Centre for Religion, Reconciliation, and Peace at the University of Wi******er, focusing on interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding initiatives in Oman and Lebanon. He holds an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Bradford and a B.A. in International Politics from Elon University. He is also a trained peacebuilder & mediator and is the Director of Communications and Operations at Mediators Beyond Borders International. Further, he is the founder of Al Fusaic, a multimedia platform, and library for MENA-focused educational resources. Lastly, since 2019, Lutz has selected, coached, and prepared each USA Youth Delegations for the Y7 and Y20 summits, the youth advisory body to the G7 and G20. Congratulations!
https://mepc.org/commentary/2024-40-under-40-awards
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