Jerusalem. Photo by Pablo Gonzalez from Flickr
UCLA faculty lead initiative to support Afghan scholars in danger
In an effort to bring Afghan scholars to UCLA, the Center for Near Eastern Studies is working to raise funds to support several visiting Afghan scholar positions on campus.
Wednesday, September 1, 2021 READ MORE
U.S. withdrawl from Afghanistan
Aug. 16, 2021. Ben Radd, research fellow at the Center for Middle East Development and lecturer in political science at UCLA, is interviewed about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on Spectrum News.
Thursday, August 19, 2021 READ MORE
The Lebanese Canary In The Identity Coal Mine
On the one year anniversary of the explosion in the port of Beirut, CMED Research Fellow Eric Bordenkircher writes that the calamitous event should be a cautionary tale for the United States. Bordenkircher argues: "The institutionalization of religious identities in Lebanon is a reminder of past persecutions and supposed to be a protection against future ones...Themes of oppression and victimization are fundamental to identity politics in the U.S. The racial, ethnic, and gender identities being promoted are reminders of historical oppression and supposed to prevent its perpetuation."
Wednesday, August 4, 2021 READ MORE
CMED Report: Can the US Still Promote Democracy in the MENA Region?
On May 19, 2021, CMED hosted a live online event with key Middle East and US foreign policy experts Thomas Carothers, Maya Gebeily, and Michael Wahid Hanna. They explored the current state of US exceptionalism; the history of American efforts to promote democratic values globally; and how recent domestic developments in the US have impacted its ability to do so. Read the re-cap of this important talk here.
Friday, June 11, 2021 READ MORE
CMED Report: Iran's Regional Operations and the Biden Administration
On May 6, 2021, CMED hosted a live online event with top Iran experts Kirsten Fontenrose, Michael Herzog, and Rouzbeh Parsi. They discussed the challenges that face the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiations with Iran and the Biden administration in dealing with Iran in general. Read the re-cap of this timely talk here.
Thursday, June 10, 2021 READ MORE
Biden, Iran and the Nuclear Deal
CMED Research Fellow Dr. Ben Radd spoke on KPCC's "AirTalk" about US plans to rejoin the JCPOA in the current international setting. While many Arab nations are more closely aligned against Iran than several years ago, Radd pointed out, "The Europeans... are eager to get Iran back into compliance. They were very much opposed to the US withdrawing and also [against] attempts last year by then Secretary of State Pompeo to reimpose United Nations sanctions against Iran." See Dr. Radd's comments on the evolving American-Saudi relationship on BCC World News.
Tuesday, February 23, 2021 READ MORE
Fearing and Loathing a Biden Presidency?
CMED Research Fellow Eric Bordenkircher argues in his Times of Israel blog that U.S. allies in the Middle East are viewing the Biden Presidency with skepticism and concern. He believes Biden's association with the Obama administration, the former VP's comments, and proposed policies are disconcerting for traditional regional allies. Eric writes that the recent normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan may have been partially motivated by the possibility of a Biden presidency in 2021.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 READ MORE
CMED Report: New Relations, New Policies, and the Challenges Facing Palestinians and Israelis
On October 22, 2020, CMED hosted a live online event with Ibrahim Dalalsha, a Palestinian political consultant based in Ramallah, and Ehud Yaari, an Israeli Middle East TV commentator and analyst. They delved into the evolving Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli relationships following the recent "Abraham Accord" normalization agreement between Israel, UAE, and Bahrain. Read the re-cap of this timely talk here.
Thursday, November 12, 2020 READ MORE
WEBINAR: Let's Talk about Lebanon: A Discussion on Lebanon's Unique Political Bind
On October 28, 2020 this webinar was presented by Relief For the Middle East, a joint-initiative co-founded UNICEF and UCLA that aims to raise awareness for the crises affecting Yemen and Lebanon. This panel features CMED research fellow Dr. Eric Bordenkircher's insights on the current political and economic situation in Lebanon (at 1:01:04).
Should the US Support Saudi Arabia's Intervention in Yemen?
CMED Research Fellow Eric Bordenkircher argues that Joe Biden either ignores or has simply forgotten the significance of US involvement in Yemen. Saudi security concerns, nuclear proliferation, and the US-Saudi alliance are inextricably linked. Biden's former boss, Barack Obama, noted this to The Atlantic in 2015: “The protection that we provide as [the Gulf countries'] partner is a far greater deterrent that they could ever hope to achieve by developing their own nuclear stockpile."
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 READ MORE