NEW MIDDLE EAST BRIEF: Why have Arab governments been so restrained in their response to the #Gaza War? Crown faculty Nader Habibi argues that #China 's rise in the #MiddleEast has led to a logic of development & stability over confrontation: www.brandeis.edu/crown/public...

TOMORROW: Don't miss out on our day-after conversation as we look at #Iraq 's 2025 elections & situate them in Iraq's modern history with Profs. Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary! Join us online, 11/12, 11 AM: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Crown Junior Research Fellow Kerem Uşşaklı reflects on why #Iraq ’s 2025 elections matter. Join us 11/12 at 11 AM for our next Crown Seminar with Profs. Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary. Register now: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

NEXT WEEK: Join us online on 11/12, 11 AM, the day after parliamentary elections in #Iraq, for a conversation with Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary on how ordinary Iraqis negotiate with state officials, militias, & political parties to survive & assert their rights. Register now:

What are the #Trump Plan's prospects for achieving a long-term resolution in #Gaza? Crown founding senior fellow Khalil Shikaki considers Palestinian public opinion & outlines what's needed to make the plan sustainable in his latest piece: pcpsr.org/en/node/1002 | #Israel #Palestine #Hamas

20 years after Saddam Hussein’s fall, what can upcoming elections tell us about the future of #Iraq’s democracy? Read our latest Crown Conversation by Killian Clarke, Candace Lukasik, & Kerem Uşşaklı: www.brandeis.edu/crown/public... | @kbclarke.bsky.social @clukasik.bsky.social

What perspectives do regional powers have on the #Gaza #ceasefire between #Israel & #Hamas? Nader Habibi, Henry J. Leir Professor of the Economics of the Middle East, recently shared his analysis with @brandeisuniversity.bsky.social Stories: brandeis.edu/stories/2025...

TOMORROW: Don't miss out on this special conversation on #US – #Iran relations with Prof. @valinasr.bsky.social & Amb. @safiraleaf.bsky.social, moderated by Prof. @naghmehs.bsky.social! 🗓️ Oct. 30 | 4:30–6 pm | Rapaporte Treasure Hall & Online: bit.ly/4nH3l5O

Join us in person & online for a conversation with @valinasr.bsky.social & @safiraleaf.bsky.social, moderated by @naghmehs.bsky.social, to mark the publication of Nasr’s latest book, "Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History." Oct. 30 | 4:30–6 pm | Rapaporte Treasure Hall & Online: bit.ly/4nH3l5O

Khalil Shikaki, Crown founding senior fellow, spoke recently with Brandeis Stories about the #Gaza #Ceasefire, sharing his analysis of the negotiations & of what lies ahead for Israelis & Palestinians. Read the piece: www.brandeis.edu/stories/2025... @brandeisuniversity.bsky.social #Israel #Hamas

NEXT WEEK: Where might #US – #Iran relations go next after their most direct confrontation in decades? Join us for a special conversation with @valinasr.bsky.social & @safiraleaf.bsky.social, moderated by @naghmehs.bsky.social. Register now: bit.ly/4nH3l5O

There's still time to apply for our Junior Research Fellowship before the Oct. 31 deadline! See full terms and eligibility on the application page: academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30422

The full video of the conversation between Shai Feldman & Khalil Shikaki is now available! Watch on the Crown Center YouTube channel: youtu.be/qXU9JCzPI7Y #gaza #hamas #israel #ceasefire

Prof. Naghmeh Sohrabi reflects on a pivotal moment in #US – #Iran relations & how history reminds us they could have taken a different path. Register for our next Crown Seminar, Oct. 30, 4:30 PM, with @naghmehs.bsky.social, @valinasr.bsky.social of @jhu.edu, & @safiraleaf.bsky.social: bit.ly/4nH3l5O

Shai Feldman, Raymond Frankel Professor in Israeli Politics & Society, & Khalil Shikaki, Director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah, discuss what to watch as the #Gaza #Ceasefire Agreement takes hold. Full conversation coming soon on YouTube. #Israel #Hamas

🆕 How sanctions eroded Iran’s middle class Today on VoxDev, Mohammad Reza Farzanegan (Universität Marburg) & Nader Habibi (Crown Center for Middle East Studies) discuss the impact of sanctions on Iran's middle class: https://ow.ly/vTzN50XcUOA

What role did sex play in the #politicaleconomy of the Lebanese Civil War? Anna Simone Reumert, Neubauer Junior Research Fellow, uses cultural artifacts, oral histories, & urban mapping in her latest article in the International Journal of Middle East Studies: bit.ly/473PCPd #lebanon #sectarianism

With President #alSharaa's address at #UNGA2025, #Syria returns to the world stage. But what kind of Syria is returning? Crown fellows @naderandrawos.bsky.social & Daniel Neep unpack what this means for governance, justice, & #civilsociety: www.brandeis.edu/crown/public... | #MiddleEast #UNGA80

UPCOMING SEMINAR: Join us in person & online for a conversation with @valinasr.bsky.social of @jhu.edu & @safiraleaf.bsky.social, moderated by @naghmehs.bsky.social, on U.S.– #Iran relations, #nuclear diplomacy, & regional stability on Oct. 30, at 4:30 PM. Register now: bit.ly/4nH3l5O

2 years after the attacks of October 7, 2023, Shai Feldman, Raymond Frankel Professor in Israeli Politics and Society, traces the evolution of Israel's defence strategy & asks if #Israel can bring the #Gaza War to an end: bit.ly/4o2NYnW

As the 2nd anniversary of the #Israel– #Hamas war nears, Crown founding senior fellow Khalil Shikaki joins Aaron David Miller & @natansachs.bsky.social for an online conversation from @carnegieendowment.org on the conflict & prospects for peace, Oct. 7 at 10 AM: carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...

What effect have sanctions had on #Iran's middle class? Is it possible to separate those effects from the results of regime economic policy? Nader Habibi, Henry J. Leir Prof. of the Economics of the #MiddleEast, writes in Al Jazeera: www.aljazeera.com/opinions/202...

Today is our Fall Scholars' Retreat! The Center's intellectual community gathered to share & engage with our ongoing research on the modern #MiddleEast. We began with Ibrahim Elhoudaiby, junior research fellow, presenting his work on late-19th century #Egypt, sovereignty, & Islamic law.

Anna Simone Reumert, Neubauer Junior Research Fellow, co-edited the latest online issue on borders & migration from @americananthro.bsky.social's @amethno.bsky.social. Check out the collection of pieces: americanethnologist.org/online-conte...

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: The Winter '25/Spring '26 application cycle for Brandeis undergraduate and graduate student research grants is now open! Apply by Oct. 31. See full eligibility & terms on our website: www.brandeis.edu/crown/grants...

OUT NOW: How has October 7 affected public opinion in the Arab world, the West Bank, & Gaza? Watch the recording of our kick off event with Amaney Jamal & Michael Robbins of Arab Barometer, & Crown founding senior fellow Khalil Shikaki, moderated by Michal Ben-Josef Hirsch: youtu.be/EDbxrSDEihw

Hear from Shai Feldman, Raymond Frankel Prof. in Israeli Politics & Society, Crown founding director, & author of our latest Middle East Brief, on the converging crises that led to one of the largest protests in Israel's history: brandeis.edu/crown/public... | #gaza #middleeast #israel

TOMORROW: There's still time to register to attend our Fall kick off event! Join us at 4:30 PM, in person and online: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: The Crown Center is now accepting applications for its Junior Research Fellowship, to begin on Sept. 1, 2026. Deadline: Oct. 31, 2025. See full terms & eligibility on the application page: academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30422

NEW MIDDLE EAST BRIEF: Shai Feldman, Raymond Frankel Professor in Israeli Politics & Society, argues that possibly the largest protest in #Israel's history was the result of converging crises driving polarization, creating a domestic “perfect storm”: www.brandeis.edu/crown/public...

How is public opinion in the Arab world shifting in response to the war in #Gaza? Join us online & in person for a conversation between Amaney Jamal & Michael Robbins of Arab Barometer, and Crown founding fellow Khalil Shikaki, moderated by Michal Ben-Josef Hirsch: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The Crown Center for Middle East Studies invites you to our exciting lineup of in-person and virtual events this fall. Save the dates and register for virtual attendance! www.brandeis.edu/crown/events... @valinasr.bsky.social @safiraleaf.bsky.social | #iran #iraq #gaza #middleeast

In his latest article, Henry J. Leir Prof. of the Economics of the Middle East Nader Habibi examines democracy & Islamic societies, arguing that democracy is "an important instrument for economic and technological empowerment." Read the full piece: theislamicjournal.com/may-2025/

How has US President Donald Trump's approach to the #MiddleEast accelerated authoritarian entrenchment & weakened traditional alliances? Read the latest Crown Conversation with Myra & Robert Kraft Professor of Arab Politics Eva Bellin: www.brandeis.edu/crown/public... | #UAE #Iran #Israel

With continuing economic sanctions & deepening diplomatic isolation, what outlets does #Iran have to the global economy? Watch Henry J. Leir Professor of the Economics of the Middle East Nader Habibi's recent segment on Iran's international trade under sanctions with @aljazeeraa.bsky.social:

What options does #Israel have for escaping its current strategic predicament? Shai Feldman, Raymond Frankel Prof. in Israeli Politics & Society at @brandeisuniversity.bsky.social outlines Israel's situation & charts a path forward in The National Interest: nationalinterest.org/feature/isra...

The Crown Center brings together experts on the #MiddleEast from across disciplines. Watch Crown scholars, past & present, discuss the future of #Turkey, #Iraq, & the #Gulf as part of our recent 20th anniversary symposium: youtu.be/-EPj16P7qgw | @onber.bsky.social @kbclarke.bsky.social

As the new academic year approaches, don't forget to sign up for our email list to stay up-to-date on the latest in research and programming from the Crown Center: www.brandeis.edu/crown/email-...

@brandeisuniversity.bsky.social students: With Fall course registration now open, check out "Arabs and Israelis — Conflict and Peacemaking" & other courses on offer by Crown faculty! For a full list of Crown courses open to #Brandeis students, visit our website: www.brandeis.edu/crown/course...

With continuing challenges to stability in #Syria, are there any opportunities for optimism? Listen to our recent seminar on the future of #Israel, Syria, & the Levant with Crown scholars Shai Feldman, Daniel Neep, @jillianschwedler.bsky.social, & @peterkrause.bsky.social: youtu.be/YUBhGr2P1XM

Crown Director for Research @naghmehs.bsky.social recently took part in a panel of experts to discuss the impacts of war with #Israel on the internal political, social, and security dynamics at play in #Iran. Watch the full @chmenap.bsky.social webinar: www.facebook.com/share/v/1NJt...

What does the recent improvement in relations between #Iran & #SaudiArabia mean for both countries, and for the broader #MiddleEast? Read Crown faculty member Nader Habibi's analysis for @boursebazaar.bsky.social: www.bourseandbazaar.org/integrated-f...

Crown junior research fellow Hadi Kahalzadeh outlines for @middle-east-eye.bsky.social the crossroads that Gulf countries find themselves in as a result of the war between #Iran & #Israel: www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/gulf... | @kahal.bsky.social

With recent upheavals in the #MiddleEast, is there an opportunity for the #USA to foster regional peace? Read Crown Founding Director Shai Feldman's analysis in the National Interest: nationalinterest.org/feature/unip...

NEW CROWN CONVERSATION: Crown experts @kahal.bsky.social, Gary Samore, & @naghmehs.bsky.social assess the consequences of the war between #Iran, #Israel, & the #US, particularly for Iran’s domestic politics, economic future, & the prospects for diplomacy. www.brandeis.edu/crown/public...

What might lie ahead for the nuclear program of #Iran after attacks by the #US & #Israel on its key facilities? Read Crown Director Gary Samore's analysis in this @financialtimes.com piece: www.ft.com/content/c76d...

Crown faculty Prof. Nader Habibi analyzes the effects of war with #Israel on the economy of #Iran on @aljazeera.com's Inside Story: youtu.be/pxpVCfoeRGw?...

What risks accompany a potential US strike on Iranian nuclear sites? Crown Director Gary Samore lends insight in this @nytimes.com piece: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/u...

As conflict between #Israel & #Iran continues, what steps might the US take? Crown Director Gary Samore offers his analysis in an interview with ABC Australia: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

For recent our 20th anniversary, we gathered Crown scholars to explore the challenges facing the #MiddleEast. Watch our panel on #Egypt & #NorthAfrica featuring @clukasik.bsky.social, Andrew F. March, @jlsowers.bsky.social, & Ian VanderMeulen, moderated by Eva Bellin: youtu.be/ylJWV_XiPKc