by Jonathan Fenton-Harvey Civil societies and political actors in the Middle East and North Africa have continuously fought for democratic change and positive reforms since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. Yet they have faced setbacks and even defeat since—partly owing… Continue Reading
by Sam Hamad While some hailed “progress” last year with Mohammed bin Salman’s decision to allow women in Saudi Arabia to drive, the status quo today indicates that this long-campaigned for “reform” has barely scratched the surface in one of the… Continue Reading
by Daniel Brumberg Friday, April 12, was not a good day for Algeria’s defiant opposition. After weeks of boisterous demonstrations that gave the tens of thousands of protesters—many draped in the Algerian flag—a sense that they were about to change… Continue Reading
by Joe Stork Egypt’s Interior Ministry on April 11 posted on its official Facebook page a familiar statement: security forces “exchanged fire” with a “terrorist cell” in the north Sinai city of al-Arish, killing 11. The reported incident occurred a… Continue Reading
by Khulood Badawi Israeli elections have come and gone, delivering Benjamin Netanyahu a fifth term that soon will make him Israel’s longest serving prime minister. The toxic rhetoric that defined the weeks-long campaign, with candidates seeking to outdo each other… Continue Reading