Research & Publications

While the U.S. has the potential to be a strong, third-party mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, President Donald Trump has thus far failed to adequately challenge the imbalance of power in negotiations. Rather than enact unilateral decisions in favor of Israel, the president ought to provide a more measured and constructive diplomacy to gain a seat at the negotiating table.

The one good thing that has come out of the ongoing tension in Turkey-U.S. relations has been the rapprochement between Turkey and its key European allies. With no immediate prospect of normalization with Washington, Erdogan now feels he must mend ties with the European countries that he called “Nazi remnants” not long ago to help his country’s ailing economy.

The factors that have made it possible for jihadi groups to thrive in the first place—economic inequality, lack of professional opportunities, social alienation, political marginalization, oppression, and indiscriminate violence—persist today in all Maghreb countries and are likely to continue. Put together, the region’s security could become even more precarious, and the fight against jihadism might be a long one.

Tunisia should be commended for putting the jihadi pandora back in its box. The country should now harness its robust civil society to better reintegrate into society individuals that are not the most hardened or experienced jihadis.

At a time when the Taliban is trying to maximize its recent advances on the battlefield in order to win greater concessions from the U.S. at the negotiating table, the Trump administration is demanding Pakistan play a more proactive role in facilitating the political dialogue in Afghanistan. How will Khan construct a fresh bargain with the U.S. on Afghanistan when the trust deficit between the U.S. and Pakistan runs so deep?

Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program is at a crossroads in which its leaders need to decide which model to follow. Short of adopting the UAE model of forgoing enrichment and reprocessing, the country should commit to not pursue these technologies as long as its program does not justify it economically and technically.

For all his impulsiveness, the Saudi Crown Prince’s domestic priorities place serious constraints on his foreign policy.