The Middle East Program

The FPRI’s Program on the Middle East is dedicated to examining current developments and emerging trends in the Middle East and providing thoughtful analysis within the context of U.S. strategic interests in the region.

Scholars & Associates

Tally Helfont, an FPRI research fellow , focuses on Middle East-related issues and radical Islamic movements
Sam Helfont, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellow in Princeton University´s Department of Near Eastern Studies and a FPRI Adjunct Scholar.
Dr. Barak Mendelsohn, assistant professor of political science at Haverford College and FPRI Senior Fellow
Dr. Barry Rubin , director of the Global Research for International Affairs Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal and an FPRI Senior Fellow
Gerald Robbins, an FPRI Associate Scholar, specializes in analyzing Turkey, the Caucasus region, and Central Asia.
S. Abdallah Schleifer, professor emeritus at American University of Cairo and an FPRI Senior Fellow.
Dr. Harvey Sicherman, President and Director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute
Edward Turzanski, a national security analyst at La Salle University in the Department of Political Science and an FPRI Senior Fellow

Publications

Monographs

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s U.S. Cell [1988–95]: the Ideological Foundations of Its Propaganda Strategy, Tally Helfont, 12/2009 (62 pages, 517K PDF)
The Sunni Divide: Understanding Politics and Terrorism in the Arab Middle East, Samuel Helfont, 10/2009 (74 pages, 844K PDF)
Iraq, Afghanistan & British Strategy, David Betz and Anthony Cormack, Spring 2009 (18 pages, 149K PDF)

E-Notes

The Mavi Marmara Incident, Rafah, and Egypt's Steel Wall, Tally Helfont, 7/2010
The Question of International Cooperation in the War on Terrorism, Barak Mendelsohn, 6/2010
Islam and Islamism Today: the Case of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Samuel Helfont, 1/2010
Obama’s Foreign Policy at Ten Months: the Limits of Consensus, Harvey Sicherman, 11/2009
Politics, Terrorism, and the Sunni Divide, Samuel Helfont, 9/2009
Palestinian Security Reform: A Moment of Truth, Tally Helfont, 6/2009
Understanding the Surge in Iraq and What’s Ahead, Thomas Ricks, 5/2009
A Tale of Two Crises, Harvey Sicherman, 2/2009
Gaza Conflict: Deterrence and the Other Missed Points, Michael Radu, 1/2009
New Policies and Old Realities in the Middle East, Harvey Sicherman, 1/2009
Tahdiya: Calm Before the Palestinian Storm? Tally Aharony, 12/2008

Additonal FPRI bulletins on the Middle East

Education

Through FPRI’s Wachman Center, The Middle East Program strives to provide a starting point for educators teaching about the region through history institutes, textbooks and a series of bulletins.

Books for Middle and Secondary Schools

The World of Islam, 2009
- Radical Islam, Alan Luxenberg , Director of FPRI's Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education
- History of Islam, Barry Rubin, Senior Fellow, FPRI
The Making of the Modern Middle East, 2007
- The Palestine Mandate and the Creation of Israel, 1920-1949, Alan Luxenberg, Director of FPRI's Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education
- The Iranian Revolution and the Resurgence of Islam, Barry Rubin, Senior Fellow, FPRI
- The Middle East in an Age of Uncertainty, 1991-Present, Barry Rubin, Senior Fellow, FPRI

Footnotes

Shiism: What Students Need to Know, John Calvert, 5/2010
Sunni Islam: What Students Need to Know, John Calvert, 4/2010
The U.S. and Iran in Historical Perspective, Shaul Bakhash, 9/2009
Politics, Terrorism, and the Sunni Divide, Samuel Helfont, 9/2009
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia Since the 1930s, David Ottaway, 8/2009
The U.S. and Egypt Since the Suez Crisis, Trudy Kuehner (reporter), 7/2009
U.S. Foreign Policy Traditions and the Middle East, Walter A. McDougall, 7/2009
Gulf War I, Bernard Trainor, 6/2009
Ten Things Students Need To Know About the Origins of Israel and Palestine, Alan Luxenberg, 4/2008

Audio and Video from FPRI Events

Barak Mendelsohn on Combating Jihadism, May 10, 2010
U.S. Foreign Policy and the Modern Middle East: A History Institute for Teachers , June 24–25, 2009
Barak Mendelsohn on Al Qaeda´s Palestinian Dilemma, July 28, 2009

The Robert A. Fox Lectures on the Middle East:

Kenneth Pollack on “The Future of Iran,” September 16, 2008
Rachel Bronson on “Will Saudi Arabia Survive?” October 16, 2008
Hon. Daniel C. Kurtzer on “Where is Egypt Headed?” November 20, 2008
Harvey Sicherman on “U.S. Policy Toward the Middle East,” December 11, 2008

American Policy and the Making of the Modern Middle East

Harvey Sicherman, June 25, 2009

You must have Javascript activated and the latest Flash Player installed to play this clip.

Contact Information

For further details, contact Tally Helfont at thelfont@fpri.org or (215) 732-3774, ext. 218.

For additional information, please e-mail fpri@fpri.org