The Russian government, like its counterparts in the West, the Middle East, and elsewhere, was caught off guard by the outburst of Arab uprisings beginning in January 2011 that swept away long-ruling authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and (it appears) Yemen, and have threatened to topple those in Bahrain and Syria. The response of the Russian government to these events has, like that of Western governments, often been confused and inconsistent. Just as Western governments have done, Moscow has sought to protect its interests in the region.
Israeli-Palestinian Peace: A Special Regime Option for the Old City of Jerusalem
Jerusalem will probably be the toughest issue in any future Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. The other three core issues – borders/settlements, security, and Palestinian refugees – will also be very difficult, but Jerusalem is at a different level. Jews, Muslims, and Christians worldwide have strong attachment to the city and its many holy sites. For Israelis and Palestinians, Jerusalem is the focal point of national, cultural, and religious identities and aspirations. Their conflicting claims are based on long history and narratives that do not accommodate the other.
Introduction to Public Health in the Middle East: Building a Healthy Future
Originally posted September, 2011
The flow of ideas, people, and commerce across national boundaries has been occurring with breathtaking rapidity in the broader Middle East, as elsewhere. These increasingly dense exchanges have generated new threats and vulnerabilities that have tended to impact women, children, and the poorest members of society disproportionately. They also have given people more resources and opportunities with which to shape their lives and their futures.
Peace-Building through Health in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Six-Year Experience of Healing Across the Divides
Originally posted September 2011
Approximately six months ago, I asked an astute long-time American observer of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict whether we had come to the end of the road for a two-state solution. He replied that we had come to the end of that road in 1967. Putting it differently, Zhou Enlai, the premier of the People’s Republic of China under Mao Zedong, when asked what he thought of the French Revolution, reportedly replied that it was too early to tell.
Introduction to Revolution and Political Transformation in the Middle East: Government Action and Response
Originally posted September 2011
On August 21, 2011, rebel forces in Libya rolled into the capital Tripoli, seemingly finishing off months of armed combat and foreign intervention and bringing down yet another Arab head of state. At the same time, sporadic but violent repression of protests in Syria continues, while other states remain calm or have seen their protest movements fizzle. We open this second volume of our series, Revolution and Political Transformation¸ at a time of uncertainty and transition for the region.
Definitive election results are not yet available, but Stacher and Elmenshawy will analyze early polling data regarding the performance of Egypt's Islamist, liberal and youth parties, as well as examine election turnout and the role of the military. The November 28 poll is the first of three, and marks the first time since a popular uprising ended former President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule that millions of Egyptians voted to establish a parliament.
In his article for NPR.com, Middle East Institute scholar Greg Myre examines the new dynamics of war reporting. As the nature of warfare shifts from traditional army-to-army combat to more assymetrical government vs. non-state opposition warfare, journalists are having to embed – alone – with rebels groups in order to get the story. In the wake of multiple journalist deaths in Syria, Myre looks at the increasing risk faced by war correspondents in covering the front lines of conflict.
Reflections on Palestinian Unity, the Statehood Bid, and Prospects for Peace
In the wake of the February 6 announcement that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will head an interim unity government there is renewed hope for political cooperation between rival parties Fatah and Hamas. The formation of the unity government however threatens U.S. aid to Palestine, as the United States has said that it refuses to send money to Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organization. The PLO's continued pursuit of statehood recognition in the UN Security Council has also isolated it from the United States even as it earned popular and international support.
