Crown Center for Middle East Studies
@mes-crown.bsky.social
The Crown Center for Middle East Studies is committed to conducting balanced and dispassionate research of the modern Middle East that meets the highest academic standards.
https://www.brandeis.edu/crown/
https://www.brandeis.edu/crown/
OUT NOW: Watch the recording of our most recent Crown Seminar! Profs. Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary discussed recent elections in #Iraq & how ordinary Iraqi citizens negotiate with state officials, militias, & political parties to survive & assert their rights. youtu.be/7nlxDQE-_HA
Survival Politics: Baghdad’s Citizens from Saddam Hussein to the 2025 Elections
YouTube video by Crown Center for Middle East Studies
youtu.be
November 20, 2025 at 8:52 PM
OUT NOW: Watch the recording of our most recent Crown Seminar! Profs. Alissa Walter & Marsin Alshamary discussed recent elections in #Iraq & how ordinary Iraqi citizens negotiate with state officials, militias, & political parties to survive & assert their rights. youtu.be/7nlxDQE-_HA
UPCOMING CROWN SEMINAR | "Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea" with Prof. Andrea Wright of the College of William & Mary, in conversation with Prof. Noora Lori of @bupardeeschool.bsky.social.
12/3, 11 AM | Online | Register now: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
12/3, 11 AM | Online | Register now: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea | A Crown Seminar with Andrea Wright. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joini...
Most Gulf oil workers today are migrants, enduring some of the world’s harshest conditions with little ability to protest or organize. But it wasn’t always this way. In this Crown Seminar, Andrea Wrig...
brandeis.zoom.us
November 19, 2025 at 6:09 PM
UPCOMING CROWN SEMINAR | "Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea" with Prof. Andrea Wright of the College of William & Mary, in conversation with Prof. Noora Lori of @bupardeeschool.bsky.social.
12/3, 11 AM | Online | Register now: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
12/3, 11 AM | Online | Register now: brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Nader Habibi, Henry J. Leir Professor of the Economics of the #MiddleEast, traces how the governments of the region have shifted priorities in light of #China's trade & investment. For deeper analysis, read our latest Middle East Brief: brandeis.edu/crown/public...
November 18, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Nader Habibi, Henry J. Leir Professor of the Economics of the #MiddleEast, traces how the governments of the region have shifted priorities in light of #China's trade & investment. For deeper analysis, read our latest Middle East Brief: brandeis.edu/crown/public...
Most experts believed that the #Israel - #Hamas ceasefire would collapse. With the deal for the most part in place, what did pessimists get wrong? Read the latest by Shai Feldman, Raymond Frankel Prof. in Israeli Politics & Society, in The National Interest: nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-...
The Peace Deal No One Saw Coming
Only a small few predicted that President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the Israel-Gaza war would succeed.
nationalinterest.org
November 17, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Most experts believed that the #Israel - #Hamas ceasefire would collapse. With the deal for the most part in place, what did pessimists get wrong? Read the latest by Shai Feldman, Raymond Frankel Prof. in Israeli Politics & Society, in The National Interest: nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-...
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...
China and the Geoeconomic Transformation of the Middle East
www.brandeis.edu
November 13, 2025 at 11:00 PM
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...
November 11, 2025 at 8:03 PM
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...
November 10, 2025 at 9:16 PM
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:
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Survival Politics: Baghdad’s Citizens from Saddam Hussein to the 2025 Elections | A Crown Seminar with Alissa Walter. After registering, you will receive a ...
As Iraqis head to the polls in November 2025, what do the elections reveal about the country’s struggles over power, governance, and survival? In Contested City: Citizen Advocacy and Survival in Moder...
brandeis.zoom.us
November 6, 2025 at 8:06 PM
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
Critical Policy Brief, Number 1/2025 | PCPSR
I. IntroductionAt a White House press conference on 29 September 2025, President Donald Trump unveiled a 20‑point plan aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip and creating a pathway toward a wider r...
pcpsr.org
November 6, 2025 at 6:11 PM
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
A Thousand Saddams: The Fate of Iraq’s Democracy
www.brandeis.edu
November 3, 2025 at 6:06 PM
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...
Q&A: Fragile progress in Gaza agreement
brandeis.edu
October 31, 2025 at 6:03 PM
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
🗓️ Oct. 30 | 4:30–6 pm | Rapaporte Treasure Hall & Online: bit.ly/4nH3l5O
October 29, 2025 at 5:56 PM
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
🗓️ 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
Oct. 30 | 4:30–6 pm | Rapaporte Treasure Hall & Online: bit.ly/4nH3l5O
October 27, 2025 at 8:17 PM
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
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
@brandeisuniversity.bsky.social #Israel #Hamas
Q&A: Palestinians support end to war, but key factors could derail process
www.brandeis.edu
October 24, 2025 at 7:18 PM
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
@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
October 23, 2025 at 7:32 PM
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
October 22, 2025 at 6:43 PM
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
#gaza #hamas #israel #ceasefire
October 21, 2025 at 6:09 PM
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
#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
October 20, 2025 at 7:23 PM
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
October 17, 2025 at 8:27 PM
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
Reposted by Crown Center for Middle East Studies
🆕 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
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
How sanctions eroded Iran’s middle class
International sanctions are used as a powerful tool of statecraft, but their broader societal consequences are often overlooked. Since 2012, comprehensive sanctions on Iran have drastically eroded its middle class, undoing decades of social progress and undermining a key engine of economic stability and political moderation.
ow.ly
October 17, 2025 at 8:25 AM
🆕 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
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
What’s Sex Got to Do with It? Traffic and Protection in Lebanon’s Civil War | International Journal of Middle East Studies | Cambridge Core
What’s Sex Got to Do with It? Traffic and Protection in Lebanon’s Civil War
bit.ly
October 14, 2025 at 8:01 PM
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
Syria’s Uncertain Transition
www.brandeis.edu
October 9, 2025 at 8:23 PM
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
October 8, 2025 at 4:40 PM
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
Israel’s Defense Strategy, Two Years After October 7
On the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, the causes, events, and aftermath of that day leave one crucial question to be addressed: Can Israel escape the Gaza trap?
bit.ly
October 7, 2025 at 7:07 PM
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/...
October 7th Two Years On: An Assessment
Join Aaron David Miller as he sits down with Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research Center’s Khalil Shikaki and the Middle East Institute’s Natan Sachs to discuss the Israel-Hamas War two y...
carnegieendowment.org
September 30, 2025 at 6:31 PM
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/...