A New Era of Gulf Diploamcy

Reality Check on Saudi-Israel Normalization

With rampant rumors of a pending diplomatic deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, James Zogby outlines what a deal would mean for Palestinians, the broader Middle East and the U.S. political scene.

Will Saudi Arabia Normalize Relations With Israel?

Saudi Arabia is more interested in “regional integration” than “normalization” with Israel, according to Firas Maksad, the director of strategic outreach at the Middle East Institute. On a recent panel, he noted that the two counties have been talking and collaborating under the radar for years, and “that’s exactly how the Saudis want it….The Israelis want to kiss and tell and the Saudis don’t want to tell, they want this to remain behind closed doors.”

How to Engage an Increasingly Autonomous Arab World

Esteemed American diplomat Chas Freeman recently noted that Saudi Arabia and other Arab Gulf states are in "pursuit of strategic autonomy through diversification away from political and economic overdependence on the United States." Rather than be offended, the U.S. ought to offer the Gulf "reassurance that Washington is a reliable supporter of their interests rather than the unilateralist champion only of its own....To this end, the United States must earn their cooperation by offering tangible economic and political benefits.”

Iraq Against the World: Saddam, America and the Post-Cold War Order

Iraq Against the World utilizes previously untranslated Saddam Hussain-era Iraqi archives from the Ba’ath Party and the Iraqi Intelligence Service, as well as other Arabic-language sources, to provide new information about how the country used political influence operations to alter politics and policies in foreign countries. The book provides a fresh perspective on Saddam Hussain’s Iraq and the successes and contradictions of liberal internationalism.