Middle East Quarterly

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.


Spring 2026 Volume 33: Number 2
The Palestinian right of return is primarily a political and ideological claim rather than a binding legal one supported by international law. In 1974, Yasser Arafat championed it at the U.N., declaring that Zionism is "colonialist", "imperialist," and "racist." The right of return continues to shape Palestinian politics and Western diplomacy, and remains a central factor in the persistence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Middle East Quarterly
Palestinian Intransigence and the “Right of Return”
February 27, 2026
Middle East Quarterly
Trump’s Twenty-Point Plan and Hamas’s Rebirth
February 27, 2026
Map of Nubl and al-Zahra in northern Aleppo countryside (10 June 2018). The map shows the locations of the two Twelver Shiite towns, Nubl and al-Zahra, within territories held by Syrian government forces (blue), opposition forces (green), and Kurdish forces (yellow) during the Syrian civil war. Despite their isolation amid Sunni and Kurdish regions, both towns have largely avoided post-Assad violence and serve as case studies in localized stability and minority protection.
Middle East Quarterly
Eyewitness Report: Twelver Shiite Villages of Nubl and al-Zahra in the Aleppo Countryside in the Post-Assad Period
February 27, 2026
The June 2025 Israeli military campaign, backed by the U.S., significantly weakened Iran’s strategic capabilities and reshaped regional dynamics. Rather than accelerating formal Saudi-Israeli normalization, it produced a post-liberal Middle East in which Saudi Arabia treats Israel as a covert partner and constrained outsider while competing for regional primacy. (Shutterstock/Asset ID: 2096850640)
Middle East Quarterly
Inter-Arab Rivalry and Regional Hierarchy in the Post–Liberal Middle East
February 27, 2026
Middle East Quarterly
Book Reviews
February 27, 2026
Book Reviews
Winter 2026
Book Reviews
Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims, and Zemiology
June 1, 2025
Book Reviews
Heroes to Hostages: America and Iran, 1800-1988
June 1, 2025
Book Reviews
Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements
June 1, 2025
Middle East Quarterly
A Growing Security Threat: Iranian Intelligence Operations in Scandinavia (Part One: Denmark and Norway)
June 1, 2025
Middle East Quarterly
Artificial Intelligence as a Pathway to Normalization Between Israel and Saudi Arabia: Post-Gaza War Prospects
June 1, 2025
Middle East Quarterly
Iran’s Use of Psychological Warfare Against Its Adversaries and Strategies for Deterrence
June 1, 2025
Book Reviews
The Renegade (Il Rinnegato)
June 1, 2025
Book Reviews
Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza
June 1, 2025
Book Reviews
Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West
June 1, 2025
Middle East Quarterly
“Are You Alawite?”: A Call to Prevent Genocide in Syria
June 1, 2025
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Middle East Quarterly
Book Reviews
March 1, 2025
Middle East Quarterly
Brief Reviews
March 1, 2025
Book Reviews
Assad: The Triumph of Tyranny
March 1, 2025
Book Reviews
On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice
March 1, 2025
Book Reviews
The October 7 War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza
March 1, 2025
Brief Reviews
Nazis, Islamic Antisemitism and the Middle East: The 1948 Arab War Against Israel and the Aftershocks of World War II
March 1, 2025
Brief Reviews
Oman’s Transformation After 1970
March 1, 2025
Brief Reviews
Possessed by the Right Hand: The Problem of Slavery in Islamic Law and Muslim Cultures
March 1, 2025
Brief Reviews
Reform and Its Perils in Contemporary Islam: The Case of Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd
March 1, 2025
Middle East Quarterly
Biden’s Volte-Face on Israel: How Decades of Support Turned into Criticism
By: Daniel J Samet
March 1, 2025
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More from MEF
On January 08, 2026, Iraqi merchants and citizens in Basra protest against a 30 percent increase in customs duties and new import taxes that have caused market stagnation and high prices.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Choice About Iraq’s Future Rests with Judge Faiq Zaidan
Since 2018, No Prime Ministerial Candidate Has Moved Forward Without His Consultation, Approval, or Intervention
April 27, 2026
 · 
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A rally against including the Haredi community in Israel's draft drew an estimated million people to Jerusalem in October 2025.
Middle East Forum Observer
Israeli Politicians Must Confront Core Issues Before Forthcoming Elections
Two of Israel’s Most Serious Internal Problems Are Integrating the Haredi Population and Squelching Settler Violence in the West Bank
April 27, 2026
 · 
Colin M. Winston
Sudan's Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
Middle East Forum Observer
A Burhan Victory in Sudan Would Mean a New Round of Chaos
The Sudan Conflict Is a Humanitarian One, and It Risks Drawing Its Neighbors Into an Even Broader War
April 26, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
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