Middle East
Remembering Oman’s Sultan Qaboos, a Critical Interlocutor for the U.S. in the Middle East
Bruce Riedel Tue, Jan 14, 2020, 8:00 AM
The Omani ruler's role in regional politics will be difficult to fill.
Latest in Middle East
Podcasts
Lawfare Podcast Special Edition: The Soleimani Strike and Its Fallout
Benjamin Wittes Fri, Jan 3, 2020, 2:01 PM
The American drone strike last night that killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Quds Force, is a seismic event in U.S.-Iranian relations—and for the broader Middle East. We put together an emergency podcast, drawing on the resources of both Lawfare and the Brookings Institution and reflecting the depth of the remarkable collaboration between the two.
Israel-Palestine
Incendiary Balloons: A National Security Lawyer’s Witness to War Crimes
Matthew J. Aiesi Mon, Jul 29, 2019, 8:00 AM
Since the beginning of May 2019, violence has increased between Israel and militants in Gaza.
Turkey
Syrian Refugees in Turkey Need Better Access to Formal Jobs
Kemal Kirisci, Gokce Uysal Kolasin Mon, Jul 22, 2019, 8:00 AM
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on Order from Chaos.
Eight years after Syrians began to flee en masse from the growing violence in their country, Turkey now hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees. For the fourth year running, this makes Turkey the largest host, globally, of refugees.
Israel-Palestine
Freedom to Grieve: On the Israeli Supreme Court Decision of Combatants for Peace v. Minister of Defense
Tamar Hostovsky Brandes, Idit Shafran Gittleman Thu, Jul 11, 2019, 7:59 AM
In the past few years, the Israeli Supreme Court has been a target of political attacks, mostly from conservative circles, which claim that it prefers universal human rights over national values. These groups have made calls to curb the court’s authority and power.
Israel-Palestine
Is Limiting the Gaza Fishing Zone Collective Punishment?
Liron Libman Wed, Jul 10, 2019, 8:02 AM
Escalations in the armed conflict between Israel, Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip tend to follow a familiar pattern. Often, following the shooting of rockets or the launching of incendiary balloons from Gaza to Israel, the Israeli government will constrain the space available for fishing next to Gaza’s shores. When matters become calmer, the fishing zone is extended.
Omphalos
Deconcentrating Power in Arab-Majority Countries
Zaid Al-Ali Fri, Aug 17, 2018, 1:27 PM
Editor’s note: This week, Lawfare is running a series of essays on federalist governance in the Middle East. This essay is the fifth in the series. Read the introductory essay here.
Introduction
Middle East and North Africa
A Fourth War With Hamas in Gaza?
Daniel Byman Fri, Aug 17, 2018, 7:00 AM
The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is only the most recent exchange that the Israeli military and other observers worry could escalate into war.
Yemen
The U.S. 'Yellow Light' in Yemen
Daniel Byman Fri, Aug 3, 2018, 8:36 AM
The United States continues to tacitly support Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’s military campaign in Yemen even as the country implodes, Iran’s influence grows and U.S. allies sink into the quagmire. The U.S. government calculated that supporting its allies in favor of preventing Iranian encroachment offers more value than the fallout from the humanitarian crisis.
Middle East
Pushing Back Russia in the Middle East: A Thought Experiment
Daniel Byman Wed, Apr 11, 2018, 11:12 AM
Russia is increasingly emerging as an enemy of the United States, not just a rival. Although President Trump generally seems to oppose any attempt to confront Russia—with the exception of a tweet this morning in which he warned the Kremlin to “get ready”—it’s worth considering how a more strategically minded administration might do so, particularly in the Middle East, where Moscow has vastly expanded its influence.