Dear Reader,
With the civil war still raging in Syria, the defeat of the Islamic State not yet complete, and Iran’s ongoing attempts to spread its regional influence through proxies, the Rubin Center has been working on the ground as events unfold within the Middle East and across the globe.
Beyond a traditional think tank, the Rubin Center also functions as a news-gathering organization, breaking stories, analyzing developments, and researching deeper trends.
Through our frontline reporting and research, we make the most up-to-date, accurate, often otherwise inaccessible information available to policymakers, the broader public, and the media. In our publications, we offer the best of contemporary Middle East analysis from voices close to and engaged with the events.
“The mortar shells came early in the morning. At about 5. At regular intervals. Solemn and sinister. They were a reminder of how close it all was… ” –Dr. Jonathan Spyer, reporting from the frontline [Read more…]
- Rubin Associate Seth Frantzman’s reporting trip: Iraqi ERD soldiers firing at the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq (Photo credit: Seth Frantzman)
Founded by the late Professor Barry Rubin, the Rubin Center is one of the most versatile and active Mid-East research centers in the world.
Here’s what your tax-deductible donation supports:
Frontline reporting
Rubin Center Director Dr. Jonathan Spyer spent time in government-controlled Syria, reporting from the heart of Damascus and obtaining rare access to senior Syrian officials. Spyer exposed the extent of Russian power and immunity in Syria. He also visited Homs and Aleppo cities as part of an official delegation of journalists.
“The Assad regime makes it hard for journalists to acquire visas. The authorities are keen consumers of media and keep track of the names of reporters who have spent time among their enemies. The number of journalists who have managed to report from both the government and rebel sides is very small…” --Dr. Jonathan Spyer [Read more...]
- Rubin Center Director Dr. Jonathan Spyer in Damascus, with ministers of the Assad government, April 2017 (Source: Jonathan Spyer)
Spyer, Rubin Fellow Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, and Rubin Research Associate Dr. Seth Frantzman visited Iraq on different occasions in 2017, embedding with Iraqi forces at the frontline of the war against the Islamic State in Mosul.
- Rubin Research Associate Dr. Seth Frantzman on reporting trip to Mosul, Iraq (Source: Seth Frantzman)
Spyer’s forthcoming book Days of the Fall: A Reporter’s Journey in the Syria and Iraq Wars (November 2017, Routledge) will include a large amount of hitherto unseen primary reporting based on his numerous trips to the war-torn countries.
"If you read one book on the carnage in Syria-Iraq, make it this one. Jonathan Spyer's reporting stands out for its mix of deep knowledge, crisp prose, and personal witness. His courage, savvy, and insight have my admiration." –Daniel Pipes, Middle East Forum
Frantzman also spent time in Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories carrying out research on security and policy issues affecting those regions and states.
- Sisi poster hangs in front of a Cairo mosque, Frantzman’s February 2017 visit
(Photo credit: Seth Frantzman)
Exclusive resources & interviews
Rubin Fellow Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi has continued to build up his unique archives of over 500 previously unseen Islamic State documents, creating a vital public resource on the inner workings of the organization.
- Islamic State training camp contract exposed by Rubin Fellow Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (Photo: Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi)
Jawad has also profiled numerous militias in Syria, including native Syrian Hizballah and the integration of Shi’i militias into the Syrian state apparatus and has conducted exclusive interviews with dozens of militia leaders. He is currently working on a major new research project looking at the Islamic State’s internal security structures.
Bringing together the experts
With continued instability in the Middle East and questions about the new U.S. administration’s role in the region, the Rubin Center’s third annual conference in memory of the late Prof. Barry Rubin, “A New Era? Trump and the Middle East,” brought together a panel of experts to discuss U.S. policy under President Trump and the implications for Israel and the region.
- Third annual Rubin Center conference, March 5, 2017. From left to right: Rubin Center Director Dr. Jonathan Spyer, Rubin Center Research Associate Alex Grinberg, Rubin Fellow Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, and Rubin Center Research Associate Dr. Seth Frantzman
Media & consultancy
The Rubin Center is regularly sought out by the White House, British Parliament, China, Israel, India, Canada, and the Czech Republic, Finland, Japan, and other governments to advise policymakers, as well as media bodies and human rights NGOs.
- Poster in Damascus of Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah “Have faith in me: To Haifa and far, far beyond Haifa,” (Source: Flickr)
The Rubin Center also publishes in a broad range of media outlets, among them the New York Times, Jane’s Intelligence Review, Foreign Policy, West Point’s CTC Sentinel, The American Interest, the National Interest, The Australian, and more.
- Rubin Center Research Associate Neri Zilber speaking at third annual Rubin Center conference
Publications
Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA), the Rubin Center’s quarterly journal, with a circulation of over 25,000, covers the latest developments in the region from a wide variety of viewpoints. Get your free subscription today!
“Numerous articles on Israel’s relations with the Syrian Arab rebels have suffered from an absence of on the ground knowledge and sourcing. This MERIA special report from Rubin Center Fellow Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi represents the most in-depth and serious study on this important issue to have appeared until now.”—Dr. Jonathan Spyer, Editor, MERIA
- The rebel-held town of Jubatha al-Khashab just opposite the Druze town of Buq’atha in the Golan Heights (Photo credit: Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi)
Turkish Studies: Turkey is today undergoing profound, even historic, internal changes. At the same time, it is a major player in regional processes--intervening in Syria in support of the rebels, and standing behind Qatar in its contest with Saudi Arabia. Turkish Studies quarterly, listed in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), is among the top three in Google Scholar’s Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies ranking.
The Rubin Center has produced numerous books on subjects related to the modern Middle East.
As part of our Free Books Project, we continue to offer 13 of Barry Rubin’s books online at no cost, including books covering the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Syria, U.S. policy, Jewish assimilation, and more.
Expanding our research team
- From left to right: Dr. Seth Frantzman, Sarit Zehavi, and Aynur Bashirova
The Rubin Center is happy to welcome Research Associates Dr. Seth Frantzman, a prolific journalist and researcher who travels frequently throughout the region, and Lieutenant-Colonel (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, a former career officer with the research department of IDF Military Intelligence who specializes in the Israel-Lebanon border area. Visiting Fellow Aynur Bashirova, an expert on Israeli-Azerbaijani relations from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), has also recently joined the Rubin team.
The Rubin Center brings you exclusive, on-the-ground coverage as events develop. As it is our duty to make this otherwise inaccessible information available to all, we offer this content at no charge. Our work directly influences policymakers, the media, and also keeps the wider public informed and up-to-date. The Rubin Center relies on your contribution so that we can continue serving you unique, in-depth, and current reporting.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jonathan Spyer
Director, Rubin Center
Editor, Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA)
