Arab Leaders Unite on Paper, but Who Will Rebuild Gaza?
Since the outbreak of the war, several Arab states have played supportive roles – Egypt and Qatar as mediators, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, and
Building Networks in the Shadows of War: Mapping Challenges and Opportunities
In September 2023, Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies – and the U.S. Department of State launched a joint project to create a civil-society network of regional thinkers
The UAE’s Foreign Policy Anchors and Their Influence on Israel and the Region
This policy paper explores the fast-moving expansion of the UAE’s influence in the Middle East through physical control of territories and assets beyond its borders, analysing the implications
Riyadh Is the Arab World’s New Real Leader
On January 12, two seemingly unrelated events took place in Saudi Arabia. In the first, Real Madrid faced Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah. Thousands of Saudis filled the
Making Deals, Building Corridors: Trump’s Middle East Moment
When President Joe Biden announced on Jan. 15, 2025 that the United States had successfully brokered a fragile ceasefire and phased hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas, he underscored how
Normalizing Relations with Saudi Arabia Provides New Opportunities
Immediately after the signing of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, incoming US President Donald Trump announced that, after the return of the hostages, he intends to continue the implementation
Gaza Cease-Fire: The View From Israel
After 15 months of devastating news from the Middle East, a silver lining has appeared in the form of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire. The Israeli public has been waiting for this for months, with
Will an Outstretched Hand Meet a Sister’s Hand?
Last week, Saudi researcher Abdulaziz Alghashian, from the Observer Research Foundation Middle East, published an op-ed in Haaretz arguing that the Israeli public misunderstands Saudi Arabia’s
The 23 State Solution
For decades, the Israeli peace camp has hoisted the two-state formula to the top of the flagpole as the solution to the conflict with the Palestinians. We believed that resolution of the “core of
Saudi perspective: The Palestinian issue cannot be pushed aside
I heard that Israeli media has been debating about the Saudi position regarding the way to end the war and move forward, and its obligation to the Palestinian issue. It seems that Saudi Arabia’s
The Road not Taken with Saudi Arabia Is Bigger Than Normalization
The intense diplomatic activity on the Washington-Riyadh axis, as well as statements by top officials on both sides, indicate that an Israeli-Saudi normalization agreement is still relevant
The Israeli Initiative
We are honored to share the latest publication from the Mitvim Institute – the Israeli Initiative. The Initiative aims to turn the tragedy of October 7th and the ensuing war into a political
Israel’s lack of vision is a blessing for Iran
“The only thing we have in common with the Israeli government is that we also don’t believe in the two-state solution.” The speaker was not an Israeli far-right activist but Iranian Foreign
Israel’s peace with the United Arab Emirates is a model for a new Middle East
Early in the pandemic, a friend of mine introduced me to another friend of his, an Emirati living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Knowing that my academic research is focused on the
The Israeli Initiative
We are honored to share the latest publication from the Mitvim Institute – the Israeli Initiative. The Initiative aims to turn the tragedy of October 7th and the ensuing war into a political
Israel-Egypt security cooperation rattled but steady after border attack
While Israel mourns its three soldiers killed by an Egyptian policeman, both countries need for the security cooperation between them to continue.
As Middle East alliances are reshaping, Israel is lagging behind
Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Syria, Russia, and China are creating a new strategic reality while Israel is too focused on short-sighted tactical operations and fraying ties with Washington
What are Middle East reactions to the judicial reform?
‘Israel is devouring itself from within” was the headline of an article by Saudi pundit and businessman Hussein Shobokshi in the influential Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Shobokshi argues that
Israeli-Palestinian relations are deeply affected
The project of the present Israeli governing coalition to overhaul the organization and powers of the High Court will have deep implications on Israeli-Arab relations if it succeeds. Given the
The Israel-Lebanon maritime deal is an example of successful US-led mediation. Can it be copy-pasted to other Middle Eastern arenas?
After a decade of tough negotiations, frustrations, and impasses, American mediators succeeded in a difficult task. On October 26, they convinced Israel and Lebanon the importance and need for a
Why Is the Israeli Left Still Turning a Cold Shoulder to Gulf States?
This past April 28, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Dan Feferman stood at the entrance to Auschwitz. With him were the members of the multinational delegation he had brought to the annual March of the
Jordan key to deepening Abraham Accords, calming West Bank
Israelis and Jordanians no longer hide their willingness to cooperate, but King Abdullah’s complex internal situation and mounting tensions at Al-Aqsa Mosque may impede rapprochement. Relations
To the Middle East and beyond! Israel’s new connectivity
After decades of limited contact, Israel is connecting with its region at the strategic level. It seems safe to assume that more is yet to come. Largely rejected by its neighbors for decades,
Negev Summit: Middle East becoming warmer, friendlier
The public elements of the Negev Summit were full of positive atmosphere, expressions of personal warmth, and mutual compliments. It did not seem as one of those summits in which concerned
Egypt, Jordan’s close ties with Israeli officials are now out in the open
As the Russian war in Ukraine settles into a deadly routine, events in the Middle East are anything but routine. On March 18, Syrian President Bashar Assad visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
After 20 years, time for a new Arab peace initiative
Twenty years ago, in the midst of the al-Aqsa Intifada, Arab leaders convened in Beirut for their annual summit and adopted the Arab Peace Initiative (API). The move followed the failure to reach
Defensive Cooperation Against Iran Discussed at Israel’s Mideast Summit
Dr. Gil Murciano quoted in an Haaertz article regarding the Negev Summit. Read Gil’s point of view here. The article was published in March 2022.
Israeli Arab Citizens Donate Millions for Refugees in Northern Syria
“Your donations have reached #Northern_Syria. One of the largest convoys of a charitable relief campaign has been launched to reach the needy and refugees and to protect them from the winter
Lebanon may be getting tired of Hezbollah- analysis
First, it was Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the son-in-law of Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun, who attacked the Shia Islamist political party Hezbollah and said
