Reports from Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Capitol Hill: Middle East Policy Forecast for 2019

The start of 2019 underscores a series of critical questions for U.S. Middle East policy. For example, will Saudi Arabia press ahead with its reform program, or will global criticism stemming from the Yemen war and the Khashoggi crisis dry up the foreign investment necessary to underwrite it? Will Israel’s elections affect the frozen relationship with the Palestinian Authority, the simmering confrontation with Hamas, or the broader strategy of confronting Iran in Syria? And will split control of Congress alter the Trump administration’s plans in the broader Middle East? Barbara Leaf, a senior fellow at the Institute, formerly served as U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and deputy assistant secretary of state for the Arabian Peninsula. She has just returned from a ten-day trip throughout Saudi Arabia. Dennis Ross, the Institute’s William Davidson Distinguished Fellow, served in senior Middle East roles during the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Obama administrations. He has just returned fr