Wars in Gaza, Iran, and Elsewhere Have Sunk Washington’s Reputation—Maybe for Good Practically every person in the Middle East has been affected by the chain of events put into motion by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Tens of thousands of people, mostly Gazans, have been killed, millions have been displaced, and billions of dollars in damage has been…
As the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran escalates into a broader regional confrontation, new Arab Barometer survey data offer critical insight into how publics across the Middle East and North Africa are reassessing regional security, alignments, and the influence of great powers. These themes were at the center of the Washington launch of Arab Barometer’s Wave IX…
This report presents key findings from the ninth Arab Barometer (AB9) survey in Palestine, conducted two years after the October 7, 2023 attack and amid the conclusion of the Gaza War—reveals fundamental shifts in Palestinian public opinion across domestic challenges, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and international relations.
Regional Public Views & Great Power Competition Amid Escalating Conflict Key Findings from Arab BarometerWave IX • Erosion of Western legitimacy: MENA publics increasingly view the United States and key European allies as one-sided and selectively committed to international law, contributing to a broader loss of credibility. • Rising acceptance of alternative powers: China, Russia, and Iran are gaining ground…
Gaza War reshaped Palestinian society: priorities shifted from growth to basic services; trust mixed but satisfaction fell; civil liberties eroded. Public still values democracy yet increasingly favors a strong leader who can deliver stability. Politically, Fatah’s support has collapsed, while Hamas has maintained its base, but the largest group is the politically alienated. Social norms grew more conservative. This landscape…
The Munich Security Conference (MSC) today released the Middle East Consultation Group (MECG) report at the opening of its 62nd annual conference (February 13–15), featuring Arab Barometer’s Wave IX public opinion findings. The report draws on nationally representative surveys conducted in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco to inform its analysis of regional cooperation and security, political transitions,…
On February 28, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed by an Israeli airstrike. From September-November 2025, Arab Barometer conducted nationally representative surveys in seven Middle East and North African countries, which included questions about support Khamenei’s foreign policy toward the Arab region. In no country did a majority describe them as good or very good. However, in many countries…
A New Survey Shows the Promises and Perils Facing the Country’s New Government A year after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, Syria remains a country very much in transition. Much of its infrastructure is in tatters, and the price tag for rebuilding the war-torn state stands at over $200 billion. It is in desperate need of laws and institutions…
As citizens across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region welcome the holy month of Ramadan, concerns over economic conditions and food insecurity loom large. In 2022, Arab Barometer reported on the pervasiveness of food insecurity in several countries across the region. Four years later, little has changed for ordinary citizens. Indeed, prolonged economic struggles, coupled with conflict and…
When Israel began to normalize relations with some of its neighbors in 2020, as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, many analysts began to wonder whether the Palestinian cause still mattered to the Arab world. Doubts about the salience of the issue for Arabs grew in late 2023, when it appeared that Saudi Arabia might also join the accords, normalizing…
