Middle East Policy Council

"The fear of losing power has always been the greatest motivator for constitutional revisions" in Turkey, Ayşe Y. Evrensel argues in a new article. Middle East Policy covers the analysis in the wake of Erdoğan's party's electoral defeats. Read it for free:

Turkey’s Constitutions: The Democratic and Authoritarian - Middle East Policy Council An article in Middle East Policy’s Summer 2024 issue examines the history of Turkey’s constitutions as new revisions may be on the horizon. In the past year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for a new, civilian-drafted constitution to replace the current document adopted in 198...

Middle East Policy's Summer 2024 issue is free for all readers through July 31! Find expert analysis on the key issues and events affecting the region. Read the articles now: https://mepc.org/commentaries/summer-2024-middle-east-policy-is-free-for-all-readers/

The Middle East Policy Council has opened its application for the 2025 cohort of 40 Under 40 Awardees! Applications will be open until August 15, 2024. Please consider nominating yourself or a colleague who has played a meaningful role in advancing U.S.-Middle East relations. https://bit.ly/4cKByvD

M. Hakan Yavuz and Michael Gunter's book "The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict" is "a wealth of information and analysis on this long-running, bloody dispute" between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Umut Uzer writes in Middle East Policy. Read his review for free now: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mepo.12742

An article by Chen Kertcher and Dima Course in Middle East Policy's Summer 2024 issue examines recent years of Israel and Russia's relationship to understand how their friendship has been balanced despite mutual criticisms. Free for all readers!

The Practice of Friendship Balancing: Russia‐Israel Relations, 2015 to 2021 Since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, Israel's reactions have been met with criticism from a key friend: Russia. However, Moscow's public condemnation of the humanitarian crisis has not changed...

Middle East Policy's Summer 2024 issue is free for all readers through July 31! Find analyses on the key issues and events going on around the region. Read now:

Summer 2024 Middle East Policy is Free for All Readers - Middle East Policy Council Full-text analyses and book reviews covering issues from conflict and alliances to Islamism and democratic processes are available to everyone, even without subscription, until August. Middle East Policy is excited to announce that all articles in its newly published Summer 2024 issue are free to re...

MENA Weekly: an Israeli airstrike on a displacement camp in Gaza kills at least 90 people, Abu Dhabi finds 43 people guilty of terror offenses, and China hosts the UAE for a second round of military training exercises. Review of July 9-15 available:

MENA Weekly - Middle East Policy Council July 8, 2024 Tunisia Announces Election Date On Wednesday, July 3, the office of Tunisian President Kais Saied released a statement calling for presidential elections to be held on October 6. Later that day, Lotfi Mraihi, the leader of the opposition Republican Union Party and a presidential candida...

In an article in Middle East Policy's new Summer 2024 issue, Ebtisam Hussein examines the actions by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt that led to their ouster, arguing that an "overestimation of grassroots power" played a key role. Read it for free now: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mepo.12746

Israel should follow the lessons learned from US interventions in the Middle East, writes Mahmood Monshipouri, or they are "likely to face the re-emergence" of resistance. Read his article from Middle East Policy's Summer 2024 issue: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mepo.12744

Despite his 2023 presidential win, Erdogan lost big in this year's municipal elections in Turkey. M. Hakan Yavuz and Rasim Koç contend that it "was more a protest of the Turkish strongman than an approval" of the opposition. Read their analysis for free:

Do Turkey's 2024 Local Elections Signal the End of Erdoğan's Reign? The unexpected victory of the opposition Republican People's Party in Turkey's March 31 municipal elections raises intriguing questions about the future of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after more t...

An article in Middle East Policy's Summer 2024 issue explores the effects divisive discourse has on Palestinian university students' national unity views, finding the rift between Hamas and Fatah to be the most contentious point. Read for free now! https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mepo.12737

The wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Nagorno-Karabakh are complicating an already complex network of alliances in northwest Asia, Emil A. Souleimanov explains. Middle East Policy covers his free-to-read analysis in the journal's new Summer issue. Read it now:

A Delicate Balance: Relationships in the Levant and the Caucasus - Middle East Policy Council The ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Nagorno-Karabakh are posing complications for an already complex network of ties in northwest Asia, a journal article explains. At the end of June, Armenia officially recognized a Palestinian state, joining nearly three-quarters of the 193 United Nations m...

MENA Weekly: Iran elects a new president, the US signals potential for progress on ceasefire negotations in Gaza, Israel kills a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, and more. Review of July 2-8 available:

MENA Weekly - Middle East Policy Council June 24, 2024 Israel Approves Battle Plans Against Hezbollah On Tuesday, June 18, two of the Israeli Defense Forces’ generals approved offensive battle plans for Lebanon and “made decisions regarding ‘accelerating the readiness of the forces on the ground.’” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrall...

Middle East Policy is excited to announce that its Summer 2024 issue is now free for all readers until August! Analyses from experts on issues from conflict and alliances to Islamism and democratic processes are available to everyone, even without a subscription. Read them now:

Summer 2024 Middle East Policy is Free for All Readers - Middle East Policy Council Full-text analyses and book reviews covering issues from conflict and alliances to Islamism and democratic processes are available to everyone, even without subscription, until August. Middle East Policy is excited to announce that all articles in its newly published Summer 2024 issue are free to re...

The war on Gaza has worsened already-limited water access in the enclave. In a new Middle East Policy article, Peter Seeberg examines how Israel, Jordan, and the Occupied Territories divide water resources and the inequalities that arise. Read more:

The Water Cycle: Inequality in Israel, Jordan, and the Occupied Territories - Middle East Policy Council A new article in the journal explores Israel’s use of water control as a weapon against Gaza and the West Bank and a tool for negotiation with Amman. We're looking for your feedback! Help us meet your information needs by taking this brief 2-3 minute survey. In Gaza, war has meant more than the lo...

After no candidate reached the threshold for victory in the first round, Iran will host a runoff election between hardliner Saeed Jalili and reformist Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, July 5. Regional sources report on the election and upcoming second vote:

Iran Heads to Runoff Election - Middle East Policy Council On Friday, June 28, polling stations opened for Iran’s presidential election to select the successor of the late President Ebrahim Raisi following his fatal helicopter crash. While the Guardian Council approved six candidates earlier this month, two of these individuals, ultra-conservatives Alirez...

Middle East Policy is excited to announce that its Summer 2024 issue is now free for all readers until August! Find analyses from experts on the key regional issues and events. Read them now:

Summer 2024 Middle East Policy is Free for All Readers - Middle East Policy Council Full-text analyses and book reviews covering issues from conflict and alliances to Islamism and democratic processes are available to everyone, even without subscription, until August. Middle East Policy is excited to announce that all articles in its newly published Summer 2024 issue are free to re...

Politics365: MEPC President Amb. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley discusses the U.S.-Iran bilateral relationship:

Politics365.com Podcast with Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley KIRN670AM, Los Angeles, CA (English) Leader with proven skills in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion/Strategic Planning/Negotiating/Cyber/Counterterrorism/Advocacy/Program Administration/Course Dev...

Middle East Policy covers a new article by Chen Kertcher and Dima Course that explores the complex relationship between Russia and Israel and how, "despite increasing strains," they have managed to balance their interests. Read the analysis for free now:

Russia and Israel: A Complicated Friendship - Middle East Policy Council Moscow and Jerusalem have walked a fine line in their relationship that has allowed them to pursue divergent goals, a new journal article explains. Earlier this month, the United Nations Security Council passed a U.S.-drafted cease-fire deal hoping to halt the Gaza war after eight months of Israel.....

MENA Weekly: Iranian presidential election goes into a runoff, Turkey and Syria signal openness to normalization, the Israeli military targets five civilian displacement camps in Gaza, and more. Review of June 25 - July 1 available:

MENA Weekly - Middle East Policy Council June 24, 2024 Israel Approves Battle Plans Against Hezbollah On Tuesday, June 18, two of the Israeli Defense Forces’ generals approved offensive battle plans for Lebanon and “made decisions regarding ‘accelerating the readiness of the forces on the ground.’” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrall...

MEPC Board Member and former President Amb. Richard Schmierer analyzes the Biden-Trump debate on Al-Qahera News:

بايدن وترامب يصلان أتلانتا لخوض أول مناظرة رئاسية | تغطية خاصة بايدن وترامب يصلان أتلانتا لخوض أول مناظرة رئاسية | تغطية خاصة #ترامب #بايدن28/6/2024قناة إخبارية مصرية تبث على مدا...

Middle East Policy is excited to announce that its Summer 2024 issue is now free for all readers until August! Find analyses on the key regional issues and events. Read them now:

Summer 2024 Middle East Policy is Free for All Readers - Middle East Policy Council Full-text analyses and book reviews covering issues from conflict and alliances to Islamism and democratic processes are available to everyone, even without subscription, until August. Middle East Policy is excited to announce that all articles in its newly published Summer 2024 issue are free to re...

As the outcry to the events in Gaza continues its crescendo, is the public pushing "toward a return to the scrutiny of war decisions"? A.R. Joyce explores in a review of Samuel Moyn's "Humane," a study into how the US conducted its endless wars. Read now: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mepo.12754

Asharq TV: MEPC Board Member and former President Amb. Richard Schmierer discusses the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah:

الحرب تتصاعد.. هل تستطيع الولايات المتحدة ردع إسرائيل عن مواجهة حزب الله؟ - الشرق للأخبار هل تستطيع الولايات المتحدة الأميركية ردع إسرائيل عن الدخول في حرب مع حزب الله اللبناني؟.. خبراء الشرق في الارتداد شرقًا يجيبون.

Simon Mabon's "The Struggle for Supremacy in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia and Iran" approach is "highly innovative and insightful," writes Guo Juanwugao in a Middle East Policy review, with the in-depth analysis valuable for researchers and readers alike. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mepo.12745

M. Hakan Yavuz and Michael Gunter's book "The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict" is "a wealth of information and analysis on this long-running, bloody dispute" between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Umut Uzer writes in Middle East Policy. Read his new review now: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mepo.12742

On Sunday, June 23, it was announced that, following a meeting between the states’ foreign ministers, Bahrain and Iran will begin talks aimed at reinstating political relations after an eight-year hiatus. Regional sources report on the development:

Bahrain, Iran To Restore Political Relations - Middle East Policy Council On Sunday, June 23, Bahrain’s state news agency reported that Bahrain and Iran will begin talks aimed at reinstating political relations, following a meeting between the states’ foreign ministers. The two countries severed relations eight years ago in line with tensions between Saudi Arabia and ...

An article by Jeffrey Mankoff in Middle East Policy's Summer 2024 issue analyzes Russia's influence in the region and how states have responded to Moscow's war in Ukraine while balancing their relationships with the United States. Read for free until July 31! https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mepo.12738

MENA Weekly: Israeli generals approve battle plans for conflict with Hezbollah, Bahrain and Iran restore relations, more than 100 people in Gaza killed by Israel's operations, and more. Review of June 18-24 available:

MENA Weekly - Middle East Policy Council June 24, 2024 Israel Approves Battle Plans Against Hezbollah On Tuesday, June 18, two of the Israeli Defense Forces’ generals approved offensive battle plans for Lebanon and “made decisions regarding ‘accelerating the readiness of the forces on the ground.’” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrall...

Middle East Policy is excited to announce that its Summer 2024 issue is now free for all readers until August! Find analyses from experts around the world on the key issues and events affecting the region. Read them now:

Summer 2024 Middle East Policy is Free for All Readers - Middle East Policy Council Full-text analyses and book reviews covering issues from conflict and alliances to Islamism and democratic processes are available to everyone, even without subscription, until August. Middle East Policy is excited to announce that all articles in its newly published Summer 2024 issue are free to re...