Israel’s gamble in Gaza City signals a push toward negotiation—but risks a long insurgency

MENASource Jun 24, 2025

Dispatch from the Gulf: Finding middle ground amid Israel-Iran war

By Allison Minor

Congressional delegation visit coincided with Israel and Iran squaring off in a direct military confrontation.
Iran Israel
Israel’s gamble in Gaza City signals a push toward negotiation—but risks a long insurgency

MENASource Jun 18, 2025

Dispatch from Jerusalem: Inside Israel’s bunkers as Iran war erupts

By Sarah Zaaimi

The stakes are higher as two opposing rhetorics about the region’s future are at play: Pan-Abrahamism and Revolutionary Islamism.
Civil Society Iran
Israel’s gamble in Gaza City signals a push toward negotiation—but risks a long insurgency

Inflection Points Jun 14, 2025

Israel’s Iran strike provides a historic chance for Middle East realignment

By Frederick Kempe

History will remember this moment less for the Israeli strikes themselves and more for what follows.
Iran Israel

Israel-Hamas war

Experts from across the Atlantic Council are providing insight and analysis at speed and in depth on the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, Israel’s response, and how the emerging conflict is upending the Middle East and the world.

Programs

The N7 Initiative, a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation, seeks to broaden and deepen normalization between Israel and Arab and Muslim countries. It works with governments to produce actionable recommendations to deliver tangible benefits to their people.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Aug 8, 2025

Israel’s gamble in Gaza City signals a push toward negotiation—but risks a long insurgency

By Alex Plitsas

Israel’s decision to occupy Gaza City is aimed at ending its war with Hamas. But without careful planning, it risks starting a new conflict against a brewing insurgency.

Conflict
Defense Policy

MENASource

Aug 5, 2025

Did the Israel-Iran war expose China’s Middle East policy?

By Andrea Ghiselli

The region’s importance in Beijing’s foreign policy is limited and, thus, not much energy and resources are invested in long-term planning.

China
Iran

MENASource

Jul 31, 2025

Gateways to the Red Sea: The case for Israel–Somaliland normalization

By Amit Yarom

Expanding the Abraham Accords to Somaliland could quietly anchor a more stable and cooperative Red Sea region.

East Africa
Israel

MENASource

Jul 31, 2025

Djibouti is the next arena for US-China competition in the Red Sea

By Emily Milliken

Washington could upgrade its Djibouti relationship and secure its foothold along some of the world’s most important waterways.

Africa
China

New Atlanticist

Jul 30, 2025

What the Israel-Iran conflict revealed about wartime cyber operations

By Nikita Shah

The cyber operations on display during the recent twelve-day conflict appear to have offered an incremental edge in warfare, rather than a revolutionary one.

Conflict
Cybersecurity

In the News

Jul 24, 2025

Charai in Jerusalem Post: Israel’s moral dilemma: Being a picture of morality or destroying Hamas

By Atlantic Council

Conflict
Extremism

MENASource

Jul 17, 2025

Five years on, the Abraham Accords need a multilateral mission

By Joseph Epstein

As the Trump administration pushes for “commerce, not chaos” in the region, the Abraham Accords ideology is the most powerful tool to achieve that goal.

Israel
Middle East

New Atlanticist

Jul 16, 2025

Five questions (and expert answers) about Israel’s strikes against Syria 

By Atlantic Council experts

Our Middle East experts explain the roots of the crisis and what it means for Syria, Israel, the Druze, and the broader region.

Conflict
Crisis Management

MENASource

Jul 16, 2025

How Mauritania-Israel normalization may boost US posture in the Sahel

By Sarah Zaaimi

If Mauritania is nearing a deal with Israel, this could be the beginning of a wider re-engagement with Sahel countries.

Israel
Middle East

MENASource

Jul 12, 2025

Netanyahu’s trip to Washington ends with conflicting signals

By Daniel B. Shapiro

The moment of truth may yet come when Trump’s leverage on Netanyahu, which is considerable, may not be expressed only in private settings.

Iran
Israel
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Experts

Fellow

Marcy Grossman

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Economy & Business Israel

Fellow

Shalom Lipner

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Crisis Management English

Staff

Jonathan Panikoff

Director, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Economy & Business Financial Regulation

Fellow

Alex Plitsas

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Afghanistan Crisis Management

Fellow

Daniel E. Mouton

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

Jonathan R. Cohen

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Greece Iraq
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