Featured Content Slideshow

Group photo of Crown-affiliated staff, faculty, fellows, and doctoral students

Who We Are

Crown Center faculty, staff, fellows, and doctoral students gathered recently at our two-day retreat, where the latest Center-based research was shared, workshopped, and discussed.

crowd in israel, man in focus gazing thoughtfully

New Middle East Brief — Arabs in the Jewish State: Israel's Minorities and the War in Gaza

How is the Israel-Hamas War reshaping Israel’s democratic foundations and attitudes toward national identity? Daniel Amir examines the way the conflict has affected Israel’s Arab minorities.

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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. The center seeks to help make decision- and opinion-makers better informed about the region. The scope of the center's research includes the 22 members of the Arab League as well as Turkey, Iran and Israel. The Crown Center's approach is multidisciplinary in its study of the politics, economics, history, security, sociology and anthropology of the region's states and societies.

Latest Crown Publication

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shake hands

Since 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy has been guided by the slogan “neither East nor West.” But lately, Iran has prioritized relations with the East, particularly China and Russia, more than with the West. What is driving these growing ties? Does it represent a new alliance of authoritarian regimes? In this Crown Conversation, we speak to Nicole Grajewski, Nader Habibi, and Gary Samore about the significance of Iran’s eastward turn and its impact on the war in Ukraine and the Iran-Israel conflict. They address misconceptions about the countries' shared goals, economic and military cooperation in the face of western sanctions, and impact on the regional balance of power, including Iran’s nuclear ambitions. 

Image credit: Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Crown Center Analyses on Hamas and Israel

Seated on a stage from left to right: Michal Ben-Josef Hirsch, Khalil Shikaki, Shai Feldman, and Abdel Monem Said Aly

The Crown Center is dedicated to sharing balanced and dispassionate research on the Middle East. Please see the Crown Center analyses which delve into the roots and evolution of the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Image credit: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo

Upcoming Events

Rally with protesters holding a Syrian flag
Stay tuned for our Fall 2024 lineup coming soon!

Image credit: Mikhail Alaeddin / Sputnik via AP

Counter/Argument: A Middle East Podcast

Counter/Argument: A Middle East Podcast

Counter/Argument: A Middle East Podcast is produced by the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University. Through conversations with scholars and practitioners encompassing a variety of disciplines and perspectives, each episode will debunk key misconceptions about the contemporary Middle East. "Counter/Argument" is committed to a balanced and dispassionate approach to the region and to making scholarship more widely accessible. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

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Image credit: Chae Lee