Research & Commentary

The Human Story Behind Gaza: Jaser AbuMousa on the Costs of Survival for Palestinians

Brian sits down with MEI Senior Fellow Jaser AbuMousa to assess the situation on the ground in Gaza three years after October 7 and a year into the ceasefire. Drawing on his own personal experience, Jaser explores the toll that the war and continued destruction have taken on Gaza’s residents, the implications of the recent Israeli and US elections, and the difficult path forward.

The Unavoidable Neighbor: Managing Iran Beyond the War

Gulf states and their partners are increasingly looking beyond their most immediate interests of containing the war with Iran. While recent talks between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Iran have kept de-escalation on the agenda, a broader regional security framework and non-aggression pact has also emerged, envisioning a longer-lasting solution to regional conflicts. The talks have yet to produce a settlement, but they reflect a growing recognition that Gulf security cannot depend entirely on Washington. Iran will still be there, and its neighbors will have to find ways of living with it.

Is This the End of the Netanyahu Era?

Israelis turned out in their highest numbers in decades on October 27 for the country’s first election since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc lost 15 seats and its Knesset majority, but Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc also fell short, leaving Arab parties, with a record 19 seats, potentially decisive in forming the next government. MEI Senior Fellow Natan Sachs joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to unpack the results, the coalition math, and what comes next for Israel’s security policy, the wider region, and US-Israeli relations.

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Backgrounders

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Israeli Settlements in the West Bank

Since 1967, Israeli settlements in the West Bank have been a contested feature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ultimate disposition of the settlements and ongoing activity related to their growth have repeatedly defied agreement in negotiations over a resolution to the conflict.

The Houthis

The Houthis are a political-military faction and Zaydi religious movement founded in northwestern Yemen in the 1980s. A key member of Iran’s Axis of Resistance with links to other militant organizations in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, the group has continued to pose a threat to Western interests on a global scale.

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a proposed multinational infrastructure initiative aimed at upgrading connectivity between the three regions through integrated trade, energy, and digital networks. Announced at the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023, IMEC is envisioned partially as a counterweight to China’s international infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative.

Turkish Foreign Policy

After a decade of post-Arab Spring isolation, Turkey’s leaders have recognized that their ambition to position the country as an agenda-setter on the world stage requires active engagement in all directions. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s consolidation of executive authority has centralized foreign policy decision-making and tied it to his domestic political priorities, transforming the country’s revisionist approach to one shaped primarily by personal and pragmatic interests.

Podcasts

Middle East Focus

MEI’s flagship weekly podcast on US foreign policy and contemporary political and social issues in the Middle East.

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Taking the Edge Off the Middle East

MEI Senior Fellow Brian Katulis engages friends, colleagues, and policy experts in casual conversations on the most important happenings in the Middle East.

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Rethinking Democracy

MEI Senior Fellow Gonul Tol hosts leading scholars and thought leaders on global democracy trends and the state of the liberal international order.

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China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil

China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil Featuring:Dr. Yitzhak Shichor, Professor of political science and Asian studies, University of Haifa Dr. Dawn Murphy, Princeton-Harvard China and the World Postdoctoral Fellow Moderated by: Sam Chester, Masters candidate in China and the Middle East studies, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies Tuesday, December 4, 201212:00-1:30pm Middle East InstituteBoardman Room1761 N Street, NWWashington D.C., 20036 This program features three experts on China’s relations with the Middle East.

How Autonomous Is Autonomy? The Western Sahara Dispute in a Bind

Originally posted April 2008

Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response

The Euro Zone Crisis, the Arab Spring, and the Migration Process in the Mediterranean

[Note: this Analysis was originally prepared in French, which is available below. Translation by MEI Staff]

Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response

The Middle East Institute and IRD Present:Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response Featuring: Robert Ford, U.S. Ambassador to SyriaMark Bartolini, Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, USAIDAlbert Cevallos, Acting Director of Democracy, Governance, & Community Development, IRDOpening Remarks by: Arthur B. Keyes, President and CEO, IRDModerated by: Amb. Deborah Jones Thursday, November 29, 20129:00am-10:30am St.