Fikra Forum

In Iraq, the precarious reality and confused relationships seem to have driven al-Sudani’s government to attempt to circumvent the traditional binary choice between Washington and Moscow. This new course comes with a distinct and flashy name, the “Development Road” project, and looks to Beijing as a third way forward.

Sep 28, 2023

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• Baraa Sabri

Fikra Forum

Although joining BRICS is an exciting economic prospect for many governments, the addition of new member states has not been without controversy. In Egypt, news of the nation’s accession to this institution has fueled a heated internal media debate on the feasibility of the move and its impact on the deteriorating economic situation in Egypt.

Sep 28, 2023

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• Mohamed Abdelaziz

Fikra Forum

Longstanding tensions in the multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk in Iraq may once again spark confrontations between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), the latest in a series of disagreements over the city.

Sep 25, 2023

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• Bekir Aydoğan

Fikra Forum

A unique new public opinion poll from Saudi Arabia sheds light on popular attitudes there toward a potential deal to “normalize” relations with Israel.

Sep 18, 2023

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• David Pollock

Fikra Forum

In the wake of the devastating earthquake, an outpouring of solidarity and social mobilization has taken place in the country at a grassroots level. The complexity of the situation from a logistical and geographical standpoint helps explain Morocco’s reluctance to indiscriminately accept all international aid offers.

Sep 15, 2023

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• Mohsine El Ahmadi
• Ahmad Sharawi

Fikra Forum

When examining the legacy of the Oslo Accords, one clear outcome is the way in which diplomatic breakthroughs—along with their failures—have deeply shaped public attitudes towards the conflict. Thirty years later, fresh polls emphasize the deep erosion of trust and support for the two-state solution in Palestinian (along with Israeli) society, but a lingering hunger for some kind of breakthrough.

Sep 14, 2023

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• Catherine Cleveland

◆ Oslo at 30

Fikra Forum

Iran has stepped up pressure on Baghdad and Erbil to disarm and relocate Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in the Kurdistan Region amidst ongoing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad over budget and oil revenues.

Sep 13, 2023

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• Wladimir van Wilgenburg

Fikra Forum

The lesson of this current episode with Abbas should be that more research is called for to throw light on this half-forgotten chapter of history to refute such claims. Only more accurate information can help remove the Khazars from the shadows of mystery and antisemitism and place them instead in the correct historical context.

Sep 12, 2023

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• Ehud Yaari

Fikra Forum

As rival Palestinian factions clash in Lebanon’s Ain al-Hilweh camp and Hamas-backed militants capture UNRWA schools, new polls indicate that public frustration in Gaza and the West Bank has grown to the point where many would back popular protests.

Sep 11, 2023

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• Catherine Cleveland

Fikra Forum

The sense of helplessness that deepened during the course of the intifada was also accompanied by the need to find a source of the blame. In the eyes of the Israeli public, that blame was placed squarely on Palestinian leadership.

Sep 8, 2023

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• Zohar Palti

◆ Oslo at 30

Fikra Forum

A personal journey through peace, politics, and the legacy of the Accords

Sep 7, 2023

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• Nickolay Mladenov

◆ Oslo at 30

Fikra Forum

While insufficient, a collapse of the Oslo edifice would come with a hefty price for the Palestinians, not only as individuals but also as a people seeking self-determination.

Sep 7, 2023

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• Ghaith al-Omari

◆ Oslo at 30

Fikra Forum

The Oslo Accords were seriously flawed but now must be preserved. Some of the mistakes can probably be fixed over time to make sure the historic agreement does not remain a breakthrough into a dead end, but instead paves the way towards a stable compromise between Israel and the Palestinians.

Sep 5, 2023

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• Ehud Yaari

◆ Oslo at 30

Fikra Forum

On Sunday August 27, Deir Ezzor Military Council (DEMC) Head Abu Khawla—along with a number of senior commanders from the DEMC—were invited to meet with the commander-in-chief in the SDF Mazloum Abdi in neighboring Al-Hasakah province.

Sep 4, 2023

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• Omar Abu Layla

Fikra Forum

As we look back at the legacy of the accords, it is not the Oslo Accords that failed us, but Israelis and Palestinians who failed Oslo.

Sep 1, 2023

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• Mohammed Dajani

◆ Oslo at 30

Fikra Forum

Results from a new public opinion poll conducted in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem show key differences between Palestinian attitudes and those of respondents elsewhere in the Arab world when it comes to relations with Israel and the roles of the United States, China, Russia, and other regional powers.

Aug 23, 2023

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• Frances McDonough

Fikra Forum

In the heart of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), construction of the ambitious Erbil Hills Golf Course is underway.

Aug 23, 2023

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• Renwar Najm

Fikra Forum

Iraq’s stagnant political and legal environments today indicate that the country still faces a deep strategic impasse as a result of international obligations and limitations.

Aug 21, 2023

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• Fawzi al-Zubaidi

Fikra Forum

In Gaza, most residents are strongly supportive of increased Arab involvement in the conflict and half are open to normalizing ties with Israel were Saudi Arabia to do so. A majority of West Bank residents, however, remain hesitant about such a proposal.

Aug 17, 2023

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• Catherine Cleveland
• David Pollock

Fikra Forum

The Islamic Republic of Iran over several years has gained a significant foothold in Iraq, spreading its influence and agenda throughout Iraqi daily life.

Aug 11, 2023

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• Nawras Jaff