Arab-Israeli Relations

Policy Analysis on Arab-Israeli Relations

Israeli and UAE flags flying together in Abu Dhabi - source: Reuters

Axis of Abraham: Arab-Israeli Normalization Could Remake the Middle East

The accords may point to a future in which the United States can do less in the region—but to get there, Washington must first do more.

March-April 2022

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

Israel’s New Strategy: Why a Post-American Middle East Means a Greater Role in Regional Security

In strategic terms, at least, the United States is increasingly shifting its attention to Asia, but this may represent an opportunity for Israel as much as a challenge.

Feb 18, 2022

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Amos Yadlin
Assaf Orion

Israeli Prime Minister meets Bahraini foreign minister al-Zayan in Manama - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Bennett’s Bahrain Visit Further Invigorates Israel-Gulf Diplomacy

The trip reflects the diplomatic competition between Manama and Abu Dhabi, and also suggests that a breakthrough with the Saudis could be close.

Feb 14, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Video

Brief Analysis

An Arab Leader in Israel: A Conversation with Mansour Abbas

The head of the first Arab party to join an Israeli governing coalition answers questions about the country’s domestic and foreign policies, including its approach to Palestinian issues and diplomacy with Arab states.

Feb 10, 2022

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Mansour Abbas
David Makovsky
Robert Satloff

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz is greeted by a Bahraini defense official upon his arrival in Manama - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Israeli Defense Minister’s Visit to Bahrain Marks Major Advance

Iran is the dominant issue as top officials meet to finalize security pacts.

Feb 2, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Qatari leader Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Gas Likely to Top Agenda of Qatar’s White House Visit

Originally planned as a thank-you for crucial assistance in last summer’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, the meeting will probably focus on Doha’s potential role in addressing the Ukraine crisis instead.

Jan 31, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

“The Holocaust Was an Arab Story Too”: Holocaust Remembrance in the Arab World

المحرقة كانت قصة عربية أيضاً: إحياء ذكرى "الهولوكوست" في العالم العربي

The Washington Institute’s executive director reflects on this year’s wave of remembrance events in the region, including his remarks at two landmark programs in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Jan 28, 2022

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Robert Satloff

Police respond to a terrorist hostage-taking at a Texas synagogue - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Synagogue Hostage Crisis Reminds Us That Neo-Nazis Aren’t the Only Ones Targeting Jews

Although domestic extremism has emerged as a bigger homeland terrorist threat, the threat of jihadi violence from abroad remains acute.

Jan 19, 2022

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Matthew Levitt

Photo of Naftali Bennett and Abdul Fattah al-Sisi meeting in Sharm al-Sheikh.

Brief Analysis

Israeli Coalition Leaders Navigate Protests and Political Constraints

With their constituents upping the pressure on hot-button factional issues, Prime Minister Bennett and Mansour Abbas are starting to feel the vulnerabilities inherent in their still-fragile coalition.

Jan 14, 2022

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David Makovsky

Israeli Prime Minister Bennett meets with the UAE's foreign minister in December 2021 - Source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Bennett Visit Shows the UAE Balancing Between Israeli Ties and Regional De-escalation

The meeting confirmed how eager both countries are to keep their economic progress humming along, but such cooperation could become complicated if concerns about Iran’s nuclear program come to a head.

Dec 16, 2021

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David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

Gulf Arab Summit Could Be Overshadowed by Israel-UAE Meeting

Normalization with Israel will be the elephant in the room at the Riyadh summit, though Iran diplomacy and persistent internal rifts bear close watching as well.

Dec 13, 2021

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Simon Henderson
Elana DeLozier

An Emirati family relaxes on the shore in Dubai

Articles & Testimony

The UAE’s Second Half-Century: Building Forward to What?

The country is well-positioned to further the progress it has made on multiple fronts, from balancing relations with competing regional and global powers, to diversifying its economy and addressing long-term environmental concerns.

Dec 2, 2021

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David Pollock

President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin shake hands at the White House as the Camp David Accords are announced.

Video

Brief Analysis

American Peace Process Diplomacy: What Works? What Doesn’t?

The authors of three recent books on Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, and James Baker explore the lessons that today’s leaders can learn from their landmark peacemaking efforts.

Nov 30, 2021

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Martin Indyk
Stuart Eizenstat
Susan Glasser

Biden, Jordan's King Abdullah, Crown Prince Hussein

In-Depth Reports

Preparing for Orderly Change in Jordan When the Time Comes

The kingdom has navigated tricky successions in the past, and many of the elements that allowed it to do so remain in place today.

Nov 22, 2021

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Ghaith al-Omari

◆ Sudden Succession Essay Series

Brief Analysis

UAE to Fund Israel and Jordan’s Solar/Water Deal

The trilateral agreement will combine long-established peace partners with one of the Gulf parties to last year’s Abraham Accords, providing a model for broader normalization efforts.

Nov 18, 2021

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Ghaith al-Omari
Simon Henderson

Israeli Prime Minister Bennett meets US officials in Washington

Articles & Testimony

How Israel Should Navigate the New American Landscape

America’s broad inclination toward retrenchment is unlikely to abate anytime soon, but Israeli leaders can still do much to remind Washington why basic regional stability is so essential to its interests.

Nov 9, 2021

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Why a Political Comeback for Israel’s Netanyahu Just Became a Lot Less Likely

By passing a budget, avoiding fatal polarization, and toning down the rhetoric (if not the military pressure) on Iran, the young coalition government may have marginalized the former leader for the long term.

Nov 5, 2021

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Neri Zilber

In-Depth Reports

A Blurred Line Between Civil Society and Terrorism

Examining Charges of NGOs Funding the PFLP

The Israeli evidence could reveal a troubling reality wherein groups publicly defend the human rights of some people while supporting acts of terrorism targeting others.

Nov 4, 2021

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

Saudi Arabia: What Has Changed, What Hasn’t

An expert discusses persistent questions about Saudi policy two decades since the September 11 attacks, explaining why some of them are still so difficult to answer definitively.

Oct 13, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Sabereen News Calls for Beheading of Iraqi Citizens

After the Erbil conference, which called for normalizing ties between Iraq and Israel, the largest resistance social media organ called for beheadings and then tried to cover its tracks.

Oct 3, 2021

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Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

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Koret Program on Arab-Israel Relations

Through moments of hope and challenge in the Middle East diplomacy, The Washington Institute's Koret Program on Arab-Israel Relations is committed to providing America's policymakers with timely analysis on issues of critical concern to Israel and its Arab neighbors.

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Featured experts

Ghaith al-Omari

Ghaith al-Omari is a senior fellow in The Washington Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship.

David Makovsky

David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations.

Dennis Ross

Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama, is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Ehud Yaari

Ehud Yaari is a Lafer International Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Policy Analysis on Arab-Israeli Relations

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