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Arab State Narratives on Normalization with Israel: Justifying Policy Reversal Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Maia Carter Hallward, Taib Biygautane
When the Abraham Accords were announced in 2020, some lauded these deals as a groundbreaking advancement in Israeli–Arab relations, whereas others saw them as backstabbing the Palestinians. The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative (API), largely ignored by Israel, offered normalized relations with Israel in exchange for withdrawal from the 1967 Occupied Territories, the establishment of a Palestinian state,
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The Idea of Democracy in Israel: Theoretical Explorations Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Prakash S. Desai
The standard meaning of democracy—a system of governance by the people, for the people, and of the people—has become a debatable narrative. The hesitation to enlarge the scope of democracy to all its beneficiaries or citizens is a major reason for several arguments on democracy. Israel, being a country in the Middle East wherein democracy has not yet been accepted as a mechanism of governance, makes
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Danyel Reiche and Paul Michael Brannagan (eds.) (2022). Routledge Handbook of Sport in the Middle East, London: Routledge. Paperback, ISBN: 978–1-003–03291-5. Price: £32:24. 406 pp. Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Bincy Baburaj Kaluvilla
The book offers a perfect analysis of the relationship between individuals in sports and the Middle Eastern area while focusing on a frequently understudied aspect of its culture and civilization. The main aim of this review is to explore the main ideas, assets, and potential weaknesses of the book. With an emphasis on historical developments, sociocultural contexts, and the political ramifications
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Reform Imperatives for Israel’s Future: Balancing Haredi Growth and the Nation’s Democratic Liberal Foundations Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2024-02-03 Elias Noeske, Aaron Paulsen, Antonia Gressing
The rapid growth of the Haredi community in Israel presents significant challenges to the nation’s democratic and liberal foundations. This article explores the demographics and implications of the Haredi population growth, emphasizing the need for reform to balance Haredi growth and Israel’s West-aligned core values. It proposes strategies to address key areas such as education, employment, women’s
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Danyel Reiche and Paul Michael Brannagan (eds.) (2022). Routledge Handbook of Sport in the Middle East, London: Routledge. Paperback, ISBN: 978–1-003–03291-5. Price: £32:24. 406 pp. Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2024-02-03 Bincy Baburaj Kaluvilla
The book offers a perfect analysis of the relationship between individuals in sports and the Middle Eastern area while focusing on a frequently understudied aspect of its culture and civilization. The main aim of this review is to explore the main ideas, assets, and potential weaknesses of the book. With an emphasis on historical developments, sociocultural contexts, and the political ramifications
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West Asia and North Africa: A Sustainability Analysis Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2024-02-03 Manmohan Agarwal
The concept of sustainability can be analyzed from different viewpoints, including sustaining a high rate without which other goals of a “good life,” particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are not achievable. Alternatively, the need for reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is employed to assess sustainability. This essay discusses economic progress in West Asia and North Africa
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The Land for Peace Message Between Israel and Jordan: The Case of Baqura and Ghamr Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Glen Segell
Israel has reached historic agreements in its sought-after objective of recognition—each unique. There is a similarity between agreements between Israel and neighboring states. These agreements were with Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994). In both these, land for peace was an element. That is a legalistic interpretation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 adopted on November 22, 1967, in
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Arab World in Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin: Making Visible the Idea of Terra Nullius Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2024-01-17 Nilanjana Chatterjee, Anindita Chatterjee
The nineteenth- and twentieth-century European texts on “unfamiliar” parts of the world were injected with the idea of terra nullius (more pernicious than its legal and military implications) to justify European imperialism. It is a projection of “diffusionism,” which intends to theorize how the “outside” world lacks indigenous geography, history, or culture. In this context, this article takes up
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Human Rights in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States: Prospects for Positive Change Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2023-04-05 Scott Walker
The six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have received criticism for being slow to conform to global human rights norms. They have lagged in signing global treaties and covenants and have n...
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Revolution, Change, and Democratic Transition in Egypt Since 2011: A Critical Political Economy Approach Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2023-04-03 Ziad Koussa
The causes, consequences, and trajectory of the 2011 uprising in Egypt have been and continue to be a subject of scholarly debate. This article is situated within this debate with a particular focu...
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US Invasion of Iraq, 2003: Indirect Link of ISIS Rising Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2023-03-30 Ofer Israeli
This study will describe an indirect link of the US Invasion of Iraq (2003) and test how the US occupation of Iraq served, from an American perspective, as a derivative product with negative side e...
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Determinants of Consumers’ Decision to Switch to Islamic Banking System: A Case Study of Oman Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2023-02-03 Kiran Faiza
Islamic banking is becoming a major alternative to conventional banking in many parts of the world, including the Gulf region. Although one of the prevalent reasons includes religious inclination, ...
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Tethered to Sanctions to the Nth Degree: The Rise and Fall of South Korea in Iran Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2023-02-03 Shirzad Azad
Although the contemporary trajectory of South Korea’s rather multifaceted connections to Iran is a six-decade-long narrative, a great deal of its staggering successes and sobering setbacks took pla...
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Religious Minorities in Secular Autocratic Arab Regimes: The Political Discrimination of Christians in Syria Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-09-20 Hani Anouti
The main focus of this article is the political discrimination and/or exclusion of Christian minorities in Syria, with a particular focus on the era of Hafez al-Assad. It begins by analyzing the ch...
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“The Long Wait for Homecoming”: Looking at the Lives of Oil Field Wives in COVID-19 Times Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-08-24 Anindita Chatterjee
The migration of Indians to Gulf countries can be traced back to the early twentieth century. With the discovery of oil in the region, Indian laborers began to migrate for a better livelihood, whic...
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The Status and Limits to Aspirations of Minorities in the South Caucasus States Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-08-23 Michael B. Bishku
This is an examination of the historical background and demographic composition of minorities in the three South Caucasus states—Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia—as well as a survey of their curren...
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Haredi Anti-Zionist Ideology as the Driving Force Behind the Ultraorthodox Protests in Israel Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-08-12 Gadi Hitman
Since its establishment as an independent state, Israel has witnessed waves of protests, sometimes violence, from the Haredi (ultraorthodox) community. Focusing on clashes between Haredi protesters...
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Construction of Jewish Women in Ihsan Abdel Quddous’s Fiction Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-06-03 Ebrahim Mohammed Alwuraafi
The article examines Ihsan Abdel Quddous’s literary texts that deal with Egyptian Jewish women to explore how Egyptian Jewesses figure in these texts to disrupt, disturb, or offset prevailing historical and fictional discourses and explore his attitude toward Egyptian Jews in general and Jewish women in particular. Deploying post-colonial feminist theory, the article argues that in Quddous’ works,
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Iraq’s Religious Minorities: On the Precipice Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-06-02 John Calabrese
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is often described as the cradle of the three Abrahamic faiths and Iraq as a land “where faith was born.” But the past two decades have dealt a severe, possibly fatal blow to religious communities that were once vibrant and integral parts of Iraq’s social fabric—and perhaps to the very idea of pluralism in the region. Ensuring the continued presence of religious
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Dynamics of Saudi Arabia–KRG Relations: From 2003 Iraq War to 2017 Referendum and Beyond Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-05-31 Sinem Cengiz
Numerous studies have examined the decades-old Saudi-Iranian rivalry, which has played out in various regional arenas, notably Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and the Gulf. This article explores the place that Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq occupies within this rivalry. As the KRG’s foreign relations have attracted scholarly attention since the late 1990s, the article examines the
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How to Survive as an Armed Non-state Actor? An Assessment of the Syrian Democratic Union Party Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-05-23 Fatih Oğuzhan İpek
This article examines the case of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat or PYD) to explain the survival strategies of the non-state armed actor (NSAA). Although the Middle Eastern State System remarkably remained stable after the end of Mandates, the legitimacy of states has been eroded by a combination of colonial legacy, neo-patrimonialism, and authoritarianism, laying the
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Order from Above: The Evolvement of Elections in Qatar Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-05-19 Ariel Admoni
Qatar slowly opened up to the democratic system. In 1963, the Qatari Sheikh made some concessions and allowed Municipal Council to be elected by all Qatari males. However, it appears to have faded from view without any noticeable impact. After the independence, Sheikh Khalifa believed that elections were neither necessary nor useful and his son, Sheikh Hamad, began to reform the country in this area
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Sethumadhavan (2017), Aliyah: The Last Jew in the Village; Esther David (2018), Bombay Brides Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-04-07 Rohit Kumar Sharma
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Target Saudi Arabia: To Demonize and Belittle Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-03-25 Joseph A. Kéchichian
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Business as Usual? The Post-Brexit Impacts on UK and UAE Relations Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-02-28 Justin Gibbins
Since the formal leaving of the United Kingdom from the European Union on January 31, 2020, much discussion has focused on the consequences for British foreign policy. Predictions broadly fit into two outcomes: internationalism, echoed in the “global Britain” mantra, and isolationism, with a Britain struggling to be heard on the world stage. As British foreign and trade policies are being shaped by
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The Relationship between the State and the New Media in Egypt: A Dynamic of Openness, Adaptation, and Narrowing Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-02-25 Limor Lavie, Bosmat Yefet
This article offers a new perspective on the extensive discussion of the role of new media in facilitating the 2011 Egyptian uprising by placing it within the historical context of how the state responded to new media in the previous decades. This article uses an archaeological analysis of state media to reveal how the state coped with the news media (newspapers, radio, television, satellite television)
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Turkey and the United Arab Emirates: From Cooperation to Rivalry Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-02-14 Michael B. Bishku
This article will review Turkey’s political and economic relations with the United Arab Emirates from the establishment of ties upon the latter achieving independence from Britain to the present through the changing regional and international scene of the Cold War and post-Cold War periods. While Turkey did not pay much attention to the Gulf region initially, the situation changed following the establishment
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Uri Bialer (2020). Israeli Foreign Policy: A People Shall Not Dwell Alone Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-01-24 Alvite Ningthoujam
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Ibrahim Fraihat (2020). Iran and Saudi Arabia: Taming the Chaotic Conflict Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-01-24 Prabhat Jawla
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Rajendra M. Abhyankar (2020), Syria: The Tragedy of a Pivotal State Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2022-01-24 Nawar Kassomeh
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Lia Brozgal (2020). Absent the Archive: Cultural Traces of a Massacre in Paris, 17 October 1961 Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-12-14 Mohamed Chamekh
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Propaganda and Radicalization: The Case of Daesh in Iran Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-12-09 Jamileh Kadivar
The process of becoming radicalized and joining extremist groups like Daesh, in countries with a Shi’a majority, such as Iran, is a controversial topic that has not received sufficient attention in the literature. This study examines Daesh’s media content in Farsi and seeks to provide an analysis of Daesh’s main messages, which have the primary objective of profoundly impacting their target audiences
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The Role of Gulf Cooperation Council in Conflict Management, 1981–2019: A Comparative Study Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-11-22 Amira Ahmed Elsayed Abdelkhalek
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is considered one of the most important regional organizations in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, which effectively solves some of the crises in the sub-region and the wider Middle East. GCC has employed many diplomatic procedures to address regional crises, including mediation, negotiation, and arbitration. Undoubtedly, GCC has successfully resolved
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Use of Social Media in Teaching High School Students: A Case of United Arab Emirates Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-11-10 Badreya Al Jenaibi, Alyazi Al Mansoori
The use of social media platforms by the education sector has grown significantly in the past decade. The advancement in information and technology has prompted the integration of social media use in education. Social media use has revolutionized the learning processes from what was traditionally teacher-centered to the current student-centered approach. People between 16 and 24 years of age are considered
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Rethinking the Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty: Perceptions and Receptions Within Egyptian Society (1977–1982) Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-11-10 Rami Ginat, Marwan Abu-Ghazaleh Mahajneh
The Egyptian–Israeli peace treaty marked a new era in the history of the Arab–Israeli conflict. Relying methodologically on the history of ideas and diplomatic history, this article sheds light on the diversity of the perceptions and receptions of peace and relations with Israel as manifested by two influential Egyptian public opinion shapers who represented polar approaches—the mouthpiece of the Muslim
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Maps of the West Bank in Jordanian Postage Stamps, 1952–1985 Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-11-07 Michael Sharnoff
This article examines Jordanian postage stamp depiction of the West Bank as part of the Hashemite Kingdom from 1952 to 1985. The majority of maps of the West Bank are featured as part of Jordan, both during Jordanian rule of the West Bank (1948–1967) and after Israel conquered the land during the 1967 war. Sometimes the West Bank is delineated from Jordan to suggest a territorial dispute with Israel
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Emmanuel Navon (2020), The Star and the Scepter: A Diplomatic History of Israel Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-10-19 Alvite Singh Ningthoujam
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Public Sector Employment as a Social Welfare Policy: The “Social Contract” and Failed Job Creation for Youth in Egypt Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-10-15 Yusuke Kawamura
Although the IMF and the World Bank have advocated public sector reforms for market-oriented economic development, Egyptian authoritarian leaders have avoided such reforms. Egypt maintains a large public sector with a significant number of young Egyptians among its ranks. However, the public sector has shortcomings such as overstaffed government departments, deteriorating working conditions, and employee
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Does Demographic Characteristics Affect Remittance Behavior? An Analysis of Migrants in the UAE Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-09-23 Imran Khan, Mohammed Anam Akhtar
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a popular destination for migrant workers worldwide, not just from Asia. Along with expanding the UAE’s economic activities, the amount of remittance outflows has increased dramatically, making it the second-largest remitting country, just behind the United States. This study looks into the important demographic factors that influence migrant remittance behavior in
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Defending Freedom of Expression and Challenging the Press and Media Laws in Lebanon: The Case of the Lebanese Political TV Satire Shows Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-09-16 Avner Asher, Dan Naor, Yossi Mann
Lebanon is among the most developed Arab countries concerning freedom of expression, and its press and media are famous for their openness and critical approach toward domestic and Arab affairs. The openness and criticism notwithstanding, there are various restrictions, not always formal ones, on the freedom of expression in Lebanon. While much has been written about Lebanese freedom of expression
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Constraints and Adjustments in the US–Yemeni Relations Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-08-23 Jacob Abadi
This article analyzes the course of US–Yemeni relations from the 1940s to the present and aims to explain the reasons for the twists and turns in bilateral relations. It argues that the US government never developed a unique “Yemen policy” and that its attitude toward that country was determined largely by its ties with Saudi Arabia. Yemen began to loom large in US foreign policy in the early 1960s
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Ben Hubbard (2020). MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed Bin Salman Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-08-23 Prabhat Jawla
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The ISIS Impacts on the Political Connections, Board Interlock, and Quality of Financial Reporting Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-08-18 Mahdi Salehi, Ali Zuhair Maalah, Hamideh Nazaridavaji
This research examines the relationship between political connections, board interlock, and the quality of financial reporting of the listed companies on the Iraq Stock Exchange (ISE) with ISIS's mediating role (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). This research is about the mediating part of ISIS in the relationship between board interlock, political connections, and financial reporting quality.
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Migration Policy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States: A Critical Analysis Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-08-11 S. V. Aarthi, Mrutuyanjaya Sahu
International labor migration is the unique reality of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. Despite seemingly open migration policies and reforms, the GCC states recently engaged in international and domestic policies to manage the migrant population better. Considering the dependency of Gulf states on migrant labor and the constant increase in migration to these states, this article
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Essential Factors Influencing Malaysia’s Relations with the United Arab Emirates Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-08-11 Mohd Fauzi Abu-Hussin, Asmady Idris, Mohd Rizal Mohd Yaakop, Mohd Afandi Salleh
This study analyses Malaysia’s relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as one of its important partners and the most rapidly developing country in the Middle East. It seeks to understand the bilateral relationship by identifying the essential factors that influence them. Apart from the systemic structure that presents no obstacle for the relations, the study has found two essential factors that
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Re-adapting to Changing Middle Eastern Politics: The Modification in Turkey’s Actor Perception and Turkey-Free Syrian Army (FSA) Relations Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-06-01 Mustafa Yetim, Tamer Kaşıkcı
This article investigates the current modification in Turkey’s actor perception according to the Middle East’s changing dynamics. Clarifying the shift in Turkish foreign policy under the Justice and Development Party (JDP) and the emergent structural realities in the Middle East as a result of increasing agency of the violent non-state actors (VNSAs) in the aftermath of several Arab revolutions, the
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The Past as a Benchmark in Defining Turkey’s Status Politics Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-06-01 Hakan Mehmetcik, Ferit Belder
This article deals with Turkey’s status politics since the 2000s, by employing an aspirational constructivist approach that links social psychology with social constructivism in international relations. It focuses on the temporal side of status, stemming from historical identity construction in Turkish foreign policy (TFP) rhetoric and practices under the rule of the Justice and Development Party (JDP)
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Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa: In the Shadow of the Western Sahara Dispute Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-05-31 Michael B. Bishku
During much of the past several decades, Moroccan actions in Western Sahara have impacted on that country’s bilateral and multilateral ties, especially with other countries in Africa, though to a lesser degree in the Arab world. In recent years, Morocco has gained the upper hand in its conflict in Western Sahara and has been increasing its political and economic footprint on the continent of Africa
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Israel and Turkey: Once Comrades Now Frenemies Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-05-31 Tuğçe Ersoy Ceylan
Turkey and Israel have been strategic partners since the 1990s. Yet, there has occurred a deep crisis between the two countries, particularly since 2009, but the beginning of the deterioration in bilateral relations dates to the early 2000s. Today both countries designate each other as opponents despite the history of a strategic partnership. What are the reasons for this radical shift in the Turkish–Israeli
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Jonah Schulhofer-Wohl (2020), Quagmire in Civil War Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-06-01 Joseph Kéchichian
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Regime Security in Jordan Revisited: New Challenges to the Monarchy’s Resilience After the Arab Spring Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-05-26 Takuro Kikkawa
Jordan is one of the few authoritarian Arab regimes that survived region-wide mass protests during the Arab Spring, although the monarchy lacked enough force or resources to neutralize the dissident. This study analyzes the source of the resiliency of the Hashemite monarchy during 2011–2020 concerning regime security. The retreat of the Jordanian democratization movements in the early phase of the
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On Democracy in Iran in the Islamic Republic Era: A Knowledge-based Social Outline Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-04-19 Morteza Mirzanejad, Sirous Amerian, Negar Partow
Iranians’ struggle for democracy has dominated the contemporary history of the country for the last century. These attempts have often resulted in the emergence of authoritarian regimes rather than institutionalizing democracy in the body of the state. Scholars and politicians often consider the process of institutionalism of democracy in Iran to be a top-down approach toward political reform. The
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The Pendulum of Majoritarianism: Turkey’s Governmental Self-Identity and Turkish–Egyptian Relations Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-04-16 Mustafa Onur Tetik
Turkey’s relations with Egypt abruptly hit rock bottom following the Egyptian army’s ousting of Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. Despite significant political fluctuations between the two countries, there is a gap in academic literature about addressing alterations in Turkish–Egyptian relations holistically. To this end, this article proposes that Turkey’s volatile relationship with the Egyptian governments
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Syria’s Sect-coded Conflict: From Hezbollah’s Top-down Instrumentalization of Sectarian Identity to Its Candid Geopolitical Confrontation Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-04-09 Hadi Wahab
This article surveys Hezbollah’s sectarian mobilization to justify its early engagement in Syria’s civil war for what was an intervention in a geopolitical confrontation to implement its agenda in coordination with its regional allies. Generally speaking, sectarian relations can be driven from both above as well as below. The article first argues that Hezbollah is a sectarian party whose timing of
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Amin Saikal (2019). Iran Rising: The Survival and Future of the Islamic Republic Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-03-01 Lakshmi Priya
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Rana F. Sweis (2018). Voices of Jordan Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2021-03-01 Manjari Singh
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The Origins of the Early Iranian Enlightenment: The Case of Akhundzade’s “Qirītīkā” Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2020-12-15 Mohammad Rezaei
Akhundzade is one of the greatest Iranian modern intellectuals. Addressing nationalism, literary criticism, and alphabet reform in the Muslim world, and, most importantly, provoking trenchant criticism of the Islamic religion, he initiated a persistent controversy among the Iranian intellectuals. It is often argued that he approached the European thought through the lens of self-orientalism and grounded
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Security Environment and Military Spending of Turkey in the 2000s Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2020-12-13 Ramazan Erdağ
A significant change in Turkey’s foreign policy came with an active engagement in regional issues that, in turn, produced more risks, new areas of interest, regional policy arrangements, and different security challenges in the 2000s. In this vein, Turkey’s military spending has increased to sustain its active policy behavior and goals, both regionally and globally. This article examines Turkey’s military
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Methodological Problems of Using Arabic-Language Twitter as a Gauge for Arab Attitudes Toward Politics and Society Contemporary Review of the Middle East Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Mujtaba Ali Isani
Public opinion research in the Middle Eastern context has seen a proliferation of data research that aims to track changes in the state of Arab attitudes. Yet, it remains unclear what is being measured and how representative the data is. This article aims to address this question by reviewing the extent to which and how the existing literature has addressed the issues of representativeness of Twitter