Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
Will the Israeli Bombings in Syria Spark a Regional Crisis?
USIP’s Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen assesses the fallout from the Israeli air strikes in Syria, and the likelihood for an acute regional crisis. Israel has not formally confirmed its role in the two airstrikes on Syrian targets earlier this month, but unofficial Israeli acknowledgement, and intelligence corroboration (including from the U.S.) confirm that Israel was behind the bombings.
Is a Saudi-Israel Normalization Agreement on the Horizon?
In recent months, a drumbeat has built around the U.S. effort to negotiate a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The deal would be a tectonic shift in Middle East geopolitics, but also carries major implications for other actors beyond the three negotiating parties. Israel would, of course, benefit from normalized relations with the Saudis — long seen as the “holy grail” of potential normalization agreements for the country. The Saudis, in turn, would see their interests advanced through strengthened U.S partnership in key areas. But this deal could also have serious implications for the future of the Palestinian national movement and, further afield, for the role of China in the Middle East.
Five Takeaways from Biden’s Visit to the Middle East
President Biden made his first trip to the Middle East last week, visiting Israel and Saudi Arabia. While the trip yielded little in the way of flashy announcements — like new normalization agreements or Saudi Arabia boosting oil production — it did demonstrate that the United States remains focused on enhancing the region’s security architecture, particularly to counter Iran. Still, there were some notable developments, like a U.S.-Saudi agreement to build 5G and 6G telecommunications networks and Riyadh opening airspace to Israeli flights. On the Israeli-Palestinian front, the president affirmed Washington’s long-standing commitment to Israel and said that now was not the time to reengage on peace talks with the Palestinians.
After Attack on Arab-Jewish School, 'I Have to Keep Fighting For It'
Inbar Shaked Vardi and Mouran Ibrahim are 14 years old but speak in a way that many adults in the maelstrom of the Middle East can’t muster – of Arab-Jewish “shared living,” a step even beyond mere co-existence. When their school, the flagship Max Rayne campus of the Hand in Hand Jewish-Arab bilingual school network in Israel, was attacked recently, their outlook on the world was tested once again.
Israeli President Shimon Peres on Middle East Peace
Israeli President Shimon Peres recently spoke at USIP about the prospects for peace in the Middle East and the recent turmoil in the region.
USIP in 2011: Year in Review
USIP experts look back at 2011 and ahead to 2012 on the Two Sudans, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Arab/Israeli conflict, gender issues, and more.
Egyptian President Resigns after Peaceful Protests
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has resigned on Feb. 11 after weeks of peaceful protests. USIP takes a comprehensive look at the situation and its implications.
Eye on the Middle East and North Africa
Experts from the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) are closely following developments throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In a series of reports and interviews, they cover a wide range of issues.
Palestinian, Israeli Youth Leaders Brief USIP Staff on Peacebuilding Efforts
As part of USIP’s work with youth in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and its efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, USIP staff recently met with OneVoice Palestine and Israel youth leaders to learn more about their work on the ground.
Women, Religion and Peacebuilding
Women, Religion, and Peacebuilding: Illuminating the Unseen examines the obstacles and opportunities that women religious peacebuilders face as they navigate both the complex conflicts they are seeking to resolve and the power dynamics in the institutions they must deal with in order to accomplish their goals.