More than a year has passed since the horrific attacks that took the lives of 1,200 innocent Israeli citizens on Oct. 7, 2023, a devastating day that led to many more devastating days in Gaza, where tens of thousands of innocent people have died and countless more have experienced suffering on an industrial scale
Saudi Arabias diversified support for a two-state solution
Middle East Institute
As military conflicts and civil wars in the Middle East intensify—and as the actors involved grow to include a complex array of states, armed groups, and militias—diplomatic efforts to end these hostilities have repeatedly faltered. The region is now plagued by immense human suffering and catastrophic material and moral losses, pushing it to the edge of collapse.
The Middle Easts New War of Attrition
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a pivotal catalyst for global innovation, with the United States at the forefront of the development of this transformative technology amid its ongoing great power rivalry with China. However, a notable concern has emerged: the absence of an explicit conception of AI supremacy that threatens to undermine the US' long-term AI strategy
The Role of the Middle East in the US-China Race to AI Supremacy
Middle East Institute
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, Russia has enjoyed watching the deteriorating situation in the Middle East preoccupy its main adversary, the United States. On April 13, however, Moscow grew concerned when, in retaliation for an attack on the Damascus consulate of Iran, its growing ally, Tehran launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel.
Reading Of The Week: What Russia Wants in the Middle East
Foreign Affairs
Since late 2023, the Houthis in Yemen have posed an extraordinary challenge to global shipping. As a result of the Iranian-backed group’s relentless attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, intended to pressure the United States and its allies over Israel’s war in Gaza, several of the largest international shipping companies have been forced to reroute their vessels around Africa to avoid the sea entirely.
Chinas Do-Nothing Strategy in the Middle East
Foreign Affairs
Conflict across the Middle East continues to spiral, and the future US position in the region remains at the forefront of foreign policy discussions. However, this discussion would be incomplete without looking at Russia’s role in the region.
How the Middle East Became an Arena for Putins Power Struggle with the US
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor represents an important shift in US and EU efforts to promote trade in the Middle East. Unlike past trade initiatives, the IMEC encompasses a broader coalition of regional and non-regional participants.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor: an early assessment
The Economic Research Forum (ERF)
Thirty years after the signing of the Oslo accords, the Middle East peace process has given way to a one-state reality of inequality and open-ended conflict. Palestinians are now living under modern-day apartheid. In the absence of any prospect of reaching a negotiated end to Israeli occupation, violence is escalating across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, reaching levels not seen since the second intifada.
House in disorder: How Europeans can help Palestinians fix their political system
European Council on Foreign Relations
Unlike with the Abraham Accords, the Palestinian issue is expected to assume center stage in any possible arrangement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Why is that, and why should Israel realize the opportunity to distance itself from the steep slope leading toward a one-state reality?
The Palestinian Authority is Playing on the Normalization Court
The Institute for National Security Studies
This paper examines debt sustainability in Jordan. First, it notes Jordan’s economic trajectory, which has been characterized by long stop-go cycles; real GDP per capita peaked in the early 1980s followed by a precipitous decline in 1992, then peaked again in the early 2010s and has since declined to levels last seen in the early 2000s. Second, these long swings have been associated with increasing reliance on international support. Much of this international support has contributed to increasing levels of public debt, the composition of which is shifting from domestic to external browning – something that should be examined against the exchange rate that has remained pegged for three decades. Third, due to unprecedented high rates of economic growth during the 2000s, the debt-to-GDP ratio was reduced by half during the 2000s even though the debt level doubled.
Assessing the Sustainability of Jordans Public Debt: The Importance of Reviving the Private Sector and Improving Social Outcomes
Economic Research Forum
This study investigates the causal relationship, if any exists, between external debt and inflation in Jordan over the period 1970 to 2020 within a multivariate framework by including other determinants of inflation. The study uses an ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration to test the existence of a long-run relationship between the inflation and its drivers. An error correction model is estimated to reveal the short-run dynamics between the series. The direction of causality is examined using Toda-Yamamoto Granger non-causality test. The results suggest a statistically significant long-term relationship between inflation and its drivers. The Toda-Yamamoto Granger noncausality test reveals a bi-directional causality between inflation and external debt, between the nominal effective exchange rate and inflation, and between money supply and inflation. Proper management of the exchange rate policy, money supply and external debt levels is crucial to control inflation rates in Jordan.
Estimating the Causal Relationship between External Debt and Inflation in Jordan: Evidence from an ARDL and Toda-Yamamoto Approaches
Economic Research Forum
IDF Central Command is responsible for the ongoing campaign in a unique, complex reality in which it has both military control of territory and control over a population – an Israeli population alongside a Palestinian population with nationalist aspirations. The actions taken by the current Israeli government have significant potential to undermine Central Command’s facilitating parameters, which raises doubts as to its ability to maintain security stability in the West Bank.
Undermining the Status Quo in the West Bank: Implications of Government Moves from the Perspective of Central Command
The institute for National Security Studies
The INSS Insight “Why Don’t Arab Citizens Join the Protest Movement against the Proposed Judicial Overhaul?” attributes the lack of participation by Israeli Arabs in the protests against the judicial overhaul largely to indifference and alienation. The results of a February 2023 survey and a closer analysis, however, reveal a complex interplay of factors that hinder this sector’s involvement. These factors include geographical distance, historical experiences of repression, feelings of alienation, skepticism regarding the inclusivity of democracy, and fears for personal safety. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for fostering greater Arab participation in protests and ensuring their meaningful representation in the pursuit of social and judicial change. Furthermore, efforts toward inclusivity, dialogue, and recognizing the specific concerns of Arab citizens are essential in building a more representative and inclusive democratic system in Israel.
What Deters the Arab Population from the Protests?
The Institute for National Security Studies
The urgency of establishing a zone free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the Middle East has never been more apparent, yet its achievement remains distant. Very little progress has been made so far despite many resolutions in international forums and the broad international and regional support for its establishment. The long-standing divisions among regional states regarding the issue of a Middle East WMD-Free Zone (ME WMDFZ) have been combined with deep-seated rivalries and a lack of trust among states. These have led to a decline in attention to, interest in and research on collaborative initiatives to mitigate proliferation challenges in the Middle East and achieve progress on a ME WMDFZ. As progress remains elusive, the escalating risks associated with known and suspected WMD programmes only heighten the likelihood of further proliferation, conflict and instability within the region and beyond its borders.
Middle East WMD-Free Zone Project
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
The recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to reestablish diplomatic relations has been a game-changing event for security dynamics in the region of the Middle East.The fact this agreement came about under Chinese auspices has shown that the country's diplomatic model for the region may be more effective than that of the US, potentially leading to a shift in great power leadership in this global area. However, there are still important security challenges that need to be addressed with the utmost sensitivity to prevent one of the world's most volatile regions from reverting back to widespread conflict.
Chinas consolidation in the Middle East
Instituto Espanol de Estudios Estrategicos