A native Syrian Shi‘i and former soldier reflects on his time in the Iranian-backed militia al-Ghalibun and the Syrian army, exposing corruption, disillusionment, and shifting sectarian dynamics in the wake of Assad’s downfall.
In Some Cases, Media Narratives Have Shifted to Focus on Pragmatism Rather Than Ideology, Portraying Engagement With Such Groups as a Necessary Evil Rather Than a Strategic Risk.
It Has Been Clear from the Start That the Implementation of the First Phase of the Deal Does Not Indicate an Ending of the War, or a Failure of Israel’s War Aims
The U.N. Should Relocate All Its Offices in Yemen to Aden and Portions of the Country Under the Recognized Government’s Control
The ICRC’s Willingness to Sacrifice Its Mission Upon Its Antipathy Toward Jews Is Not a One-Time Occurrence
The Question Now Facing Israel Is This: Will the War in Gaza Recommence?
The U.S. Agency for Global Media, Which Oversees VOA, Should Revise Its Organization and Emphases—or Congress Must Do So
Spotlight: Israel and Hamas Make a Deal
Israel and Hamas have entered into the first phase of a peace agreement for Gaza. If approved by the Knesset, Israel will withdraw to a predetermined line and the Israeli hostages held by Hamas—20 living and 28 dead—would be freed within 72 hours. Israel also would release an agreed-upon list of Palestinian prisoners.
What’s next? Even if an internally divided Hamas releases the hostages, will it agree to disarm and refrain from participating in any new Gazan government? Will events proceed so that Israel believes it can withdraw from Gaza, even partially? What security measures are possible under such circumstances? Ending incipient hostilities is a necessary first step, but only if these and other seemingly intransigent problems still under negotiation are solved.
What’s next? Even if an internally divided Hamas releases the hostages, will it agree to disarm and refrain from participating in any new Gazan government? Will events proceed so that Israel believes it can withdraw from Gaza, even partially? What security measures are possible under such circumstances? Ending incipient hostilities is a necessary first step, but only if these and other seemingly intransigent problems still under negotiation are solved.
Israel’s Capacity, Once Roused, for the Application of Hard Power Has Been Amply Demonstrated
Middle East Quarterly - Current Issue
Founded in 1994 by Daniel Pipes, MEQ is the Middle East Forum’s journal intended for both scholars and the educated public. Policymakers, opinion-makers, academics, and journalists write for and read the Quarterly, which is known for exclusive interviews, in-depth historical articles, and book reviews on subjects ranging from archaeology to politics and on countries from Morocco to Iran.
Fall 2025 Volume 32: Number 4
Fall 2025 Volume 32: Number 4
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The U.S. State Department Has Designated Four Iran-Backed Shi’a Militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Following Years of Advocacy by the Middle East Forum -
Middle East Forum Report Exposes Terror Ties Among Faculty as University Reels from President’s Resignation and $790M Federal Funding Freeze -
DHS: ‘We Take the Results of the MEF Report Very Seriously’
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Because of a Lack of Natural Resources, Suwayda, Where the Majority of Syrian Druze Live, Is the Most Impoverished Region in the Country -
Turkey Aims to Establish Itself as a Sub-Regional Power to Fill the Void Left by a Weakened Russia and a Diminished Iran -
Although the Majority of Americans Do Not Hold Antisemitic Views, 60 Percent of the College-Age Demographic Do -
Well Before the October 7 Attack in Israel, University Administrators Were Cowed by Vocal Campus Pro-Palestinian Activists
Middle East Forum Observer
Founded in 2024, the Observer provides rapid analysis on leading Middle East developments, from Marrakech to Mashhad and the Bab el-Mandeb to the Black Sea.
Launched in 2006, Islamist Watch is a project of the Middle East Forum. We work to combat the ideas and institutions of lawful Islamism in the United States and throughout the West. Arguing that “radical Islam is the problem, moderate Islam is the solution,” we seek to expose the Islamist organizations that currently dominate the debate, while identifying and promoting the work of moderate Muslims.
CAMPUS WATCH, a project of the Middle East Forum, reviews and critiques Middle East studies in North America with an aim to improving them. The project mainly addresses five problems: analytical failures, the mixing of politics with scholarship, intolerance of alternative views, apologetics, and the abuse of power over students. Campus Watch fully respects the freedom of speech of those it debates while insisting on its own freedom to comment on their words and deeds.
