The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will not seek re-election opens a window to focus on cementing his legacy with a major geostrategic win for the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Israel. But time is short. Will Netanyahu miss the moment due to Israeli domestic politics and fear of his far-right coalition partners? Institute expert David Makovsky explains.

Biden’s Legacy and Netanyahu’s Missed Moment? The coming months still hold hope for the president’s dream of Israeli-Saudi normalization, but only if Netanyahu stands up to his far-right coalition partners.

WEBCAST: Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit comes at a particularly tense moment for U.S.-Israel relations. Tune on Tuesday, July 23 at 12pm ET for a must-watch webcast on the implications of this trip for both Israel and the United States.

The Netanyahu Visit, U.S.-Israel Ties, and the War on Hamas Join us for an expert webcast featuring experienced diplomats as they preview the context and likely policy content of Israeli prime minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington. Watch live starting at 12:00 noon EDT (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

Next week, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu will visit Washington. What will the Biden-Netanyahu meeting focus on, and how will he navigate a Capitol Hill appearance that has proven to be politically tricky in the past? Institute expert David Makovsky explains.

The Netanyahu Visit, U.S.-Israel Ties, and the War on Hamas Join us for an expert webcast featuring experienced diplomats as they preview the context and likely policy content of Israeli prime minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington. Watch live starting at 12:00 noon EDT (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

On July 19, 1994, shortly after takeoff from Colón, Panama, en route to Panama City, Alas Chiricanas Airlines Flight 00901 exploded, just one day after the bombing of the AMIA. Within days, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for both the AMIA and the Panama airline bombings in a leaflet distributed in the Lebanese port city of Saida.

Check out Institute expert Matthew Levitt's map for more on Hezbollah's malign activities: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/hezbollahinteractivemap/ =18

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires. In 2019, Matthew Levitt explained that the men responsible for the attack are still at large, have evaded justice, and occupy high level positions within the Iranian government or Hezbollah. As he wrote, the failure to hold them accountable now only ensures further plots in the future.

The Men Responsible for the AMIA Bombing Are Known—and Still at Large Twenty-five years later, some of the perpetrators hold senior positions within the Iranian and Hezbollah leadership, where they continue to oversee international terrorist plots.

At around 9:53am on July 18th, 1994, Hezbollah operative Ibrahim Berro detonated a huge ammonium nitrate car bomb in front of the AMIA, a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

While Hezbollah remains very active in South America, authorities in several countries now work together, across borders, targeting the group's activities. In this podcast episode, Matthew Levitt speaks with Christian Vianna de Azevedo, Mariano Federici, and Robert Clifford about the group's role in the attack and the group's illicit activities in South America.

Podcast: Breaking Hezbollah's Golden Rule Season 1 Listen to a podcast series shining a bright light on the global terrorist and criminal activities that Lebanese Hezbollah would rather keep hidden from view.

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s upcoming U.S. visit marks a critical moment in the Gaza war and the sometimes-strained alliance between Washington and Jerusalem. Join us on Tuesday, July 23 at 12pm ET for a must-watch webcast with Amb. Stuart Eizenstat, Morgan Viña, and Amb. Dennis Ross on the context for the visit and the political implications in Israel and America.

The Netanyahu Visit, U.S.-Israel Ties, and the War on Hamas Join us for an expert webcast featuring experienced diplomats as they preview the context and likely policy content of Israeli prime minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington. Watch live starting at 12:00 noon EDT (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

"Although separating fact from fiction inside the Assad regime is often difficult, Shibl’s death likely presages further changes at a sensitive juncture, when Arab countries are more formally reengaging with Damascus and Washington is preparing to renew the Caesar sanctions before they expire in December," write Erik Yavorsky and Andrew Tabler.

Demise of Syria’s “Second Lady” Shakes Up the Assad Regime Although separating fact from fiction inside the Assad regime is often difficult, Luna al-Shibl’s death is likely a harbinger of further internal changes at a sensitive international juncture.

TOMORROW: With reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian securing a substantial victory in Iran’s emergency presidential election, immediate questions are emerging about how his government will approach relations with the United States. Join us on Tuesday, June 16 at 12:30pm ET for a timely webcast with experts Holly Dagres, Saeid Golkar, and Patrick Clawson on Iran's recent presidential elections and the potential implications for the U.S.

Watch: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/opportunities-and-risks-irans-new-government

“Although it is understandable that the United States has shifted a lot of its manpower and budgeting to more existential and larger problem-sets such as China and Russia, it would be a mistake to neglect the Islamic State as a continuing, but evolving security challenge,” writes Institute expert Aaron Zelin in War on the Rocks.

A Globally Integrated Islamic State - War on the Rocks The Islamic State today looks different than it did five years ago and is far more integrated now as an organization amongst its global network than

How will Masoud Pezeshkian's government approach relations with the U.S.? Will the IRGC and other hardline actors constrain him? Tune in on Tuesday, July 16 at 12:30pm ET for a timely webcast with Iran experts Holly Dagres, Saeid Golkar, and Patrick Clawson.

Watch the webcast: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/opportunities-and-risks-irans-new-government

In the decades since 9/11, the challenge posed by jihadist groups has grown increasingly complex. Today, policy solutions go beyond military strategy or economic sanctions, touching upon state bureaucracy, local economies, alliances, diplomacy, and power competition among local, regional, and global actors. A new publication edited by Institute experts Devorah Margolin and Aaron Y. Zelin draws from a daylong strategy session - which included insights by scholars and practitioners - on why jihadists govern, the road from state capture to state-building, and contending with the challenges of jihadist governance.

Jihadist Governance and Statecraft In this compilation, participants discuss the policy challenges associated with an emerging phenomenon, but disabuse readers of any notion that jihadist governance and statecraft should be equated with political moderation.

Although several attempts by European governments to initiate resolutions to crises in the Middle East have proven futile, the continent can still make significant contributions to alleviate risks and push the region towards peace. A new article by Institute expert Ehud Yaari examines possible courses of action on Iran, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, Israel, and Egypt.

Europe Can Still Make a Difference in the Middle East The challenge is to find a common line that accounts for different national positions on regional issues while still promoting a coherent foreign policy.

Masoud Pezeshkian will need time to generate consensus at home before proposing any major foreign policy changes. Once the U.S. election cycle is over and Pezeshkian’s team is organized, Washington can take the initiative to address specific problems that hold potential for progress, writes Institute Research Counselor Patrick Clawson. They include:

➡️Limited nuclear steps
➡️Financial delisting
➡️Proxy attacks

Talking Nicely with Pezeshkian While Postponing Major Steps Iran’s new reformist president will need time to generate consensus at home before making any significant foreign policy moves; Washington should do the same.

TODAY: As great power competition with Beijing and Moscow continues to affect the Middle East, the U.S. faces unique challenges and opportunities in the quest to counter their influence in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.

Tune in at 12pm ET for a webcast with U.S. Ambassador Joey Hood, who will discuss where and how America should compete based on his experience in Tunisia. His remarks will be followed by a panel discussion with Anna Borshchevskaya, Benjamin Fishman, Grant Rumley, and Sabina Henneberg on China and Russia’s diplomatic, economic, security, and cultural influence across the region. https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/countering-chinese-and-russian-influence-north-africa

How can Washington show Arab partners that Russia's vision for a world order is a losing one? One idea is to show the limits of BRICS and demonstrate that a transparent system led by U.S. is better than an oligarchic one led by Moscow, writes Institute experts Anna Borshchevskaya. https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/dueling-summits-show-need-enlist-arab-support-ukraine