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A former top National Security Council officer in the Bush White House tells the full inside story of the Bush administration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
See more in Israel; Palestine; United States; Diplomacy and Statecraft
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
U.S. policy in the Middle East, Israel-Palestinian affairs, democracy promotion, human rights policy, U.S. foreign policy.
Elliott Abrams is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC. He served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the administration of President George W. Bush, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House.
Mr. Abrams was educated at Harvard College, the London School of Economics, and Harvard Law School. After serving on the staffs of Sens. Henry M. Jackson and Daniel P. Moynihan, he was an assistant secretary of state in the Reagan administration and received the secretary of state's Distinguished Service Award from Secretary George P. Shultz. In 2012, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy gave him its Scholar-Statesman Award.
Mr. Abrams was president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, DC, from 1996 until joining the White House staff. He was a member of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom from 1999 to 2001 and chairman of the commission in the latter year, and served again as a member of the Commission from 2012 to 2014. Mr. Abrams served as a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, which directs the activities of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, from 2009 to 2016. He is currently a member of the Board of the National Endowment for Democracy, and teaches U.S. foreign policy at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.
Mr. Abrams joined the Bush administration in June 2001 as special assistant to the president and senior director of the National Security Council for democracy, human rights, and international organizations. From December 2002 to February 2005, he served as special assistant to the president and senior director of the National Security Council for Near East and North African affairs. He served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for global democracy strategy from February 2005 to January 2009, and in that capacity supervised both the Near East and North African Affairs and the democracy, human rights, and international organizations directorates of the NSC.
He is the author of four books, Undue Process (1993), Security and Sacrifice (1995), Faith or Fear: How Jews Can Survive in a Christian America (1997), and Tested by Zion: the Bush Administration and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2013); and the editor of three more, Close Calls: Intervention, Terrorism, Missile Defense and "Just War" Today; Honor Among Nations: Intangible Interests and Foreign Policy; and The Influence of Faith: Religion and American Foreign Policy.
Languages:
French (fluent), Spanish (fluent)
When protests swept the Arab world in 2011, the United States hoped that the so-called Arab Spring would bring a wave of liberalization and democratization to the Middle East. Today, with much of the region still contending with instability, sectarian violence, and authoritarianism, the United States faces several foreign policy conundrums. Should Washington resign itself to "Arab exceptionalism"—the long-held belief that Arab societies are immune to global waves of democratization— and give up on its hopes for political progress in the region? Should it seek the closest possible relations with existing governments regardless of their political characteristics? Or should it back the players, in each society, who continue to struggle for liberal values, democratic institutions, and human rights? And if the latter, does the United States know how to act effectively to promote political reform while limiting the damage to its relations with those in power? My work on these issues will result in a book outlining the nature of the challenge and suggesting how U.S. foreign policy should address it. I also convene the Middle Eastern Studies Roundtable Series to discuss these questions.
This project is made possible in part through the support of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.
The Israeli-Palestinian peace process never ends—nor does it seem to make much progress. In blog entries, op-eds, and magazine articles (and in my most recent book, Tested by Zion: The Bush Administration and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict), I analyze the often energetic American efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement and the Israeli and Palestinian reactions to them. There were no serious negotiations during President Obama's first term. In 2013, a dogged effort by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry brought the parties back to the table, but the talks collapsed acrimoniously nine months later. Are there any hopes for reviving the negotiations now, after the Gaza war? And would such talks have any real chance of achieving a two-state solution, or do the Israelis and Palestinians participate in them only to calm their publics and satisfy the insistent Americans? I look at the periodic negotiations, the domestic politics of both sides, and the facts on the ground that may be leading toward or away from realistic solutions.
Over the last decade, human rights groups have documented a decline in freedom around the world. In some countries, such as Venezuela and Egypt, elected leaders used democracy to get into power and then abused that power; in others, such as Russia, autocrats have simply acted more forcefully against their opponents. The question for the United States is how to weigh the importance of promoting human rights and determine what tools are most effective in doing so. In my experience, firm presidential leadership and pressure work better than the human rights and democracy promotion programs of USAID, the State Department, and other U.S. government bodies in affecting foreign governments' behavior. The nongovernmental and civil society organizations that Washington supports abroad seem to protest more effectively than they build. Strong democratic political parties are essential for advancing political change. How should the United States help democratic activists build them? Can it help protect such people while they work for democracy in dangerous settings? These are issues I address in occasional writings.
A former top National Security Council officer in the Bush White House tells the full inside story of the Bush administration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
See more in Israel; Palestine; United States; Diplomacy and Statecraft
In an article for National Review, Elliott Abrams explains that the recent High Level Military Group report lauds Israel’s performance in the most recent Gaza war as “exemplary” for other liberal democracies fighting a war on jihadi terror.
See more in Israel; Wars and Warfare
In an article for The Weekly Standard, Elliott Abrams writes that the U.S. should be consistent in its commitment to withhold funding from UN organizations that admit the PLO as a full member.
See more in Palestine; United States; Diplomacy and Statecraft; Nonstate Actors and Nongovernmental Organizations
In an article for The Weekly Standard, Elliott Abrams reflects on the beginnings of the Lori Berenson case—and the likely effort to turn her into a heroine upon her return from Peru.
See more in Peru; United States; Terrorism
In an article for The Weekly Standard, Elliott Abrams discusses John Kerry’s remarks on terrorism that seem to distinguish attacks committed against the general population from those against targeted groups like journalists and Jews.
See more in Global; United States; Terrorist Attacks
In an article for The Weekly Standard, Elliott Abrams explains that while President Obama decries the idea of giving preference for asylum to Christians in the Middle East that is exactly what the State Department says it is doing.
See more in United States; Syria; Refugees and the Displaced
In an article for The Weekly Standard, Elliott Abrams explains why there is nothing “shameful” about giving priority to helping Syrian religious minorities at the greatest risk in the sectarian civil war.
See more in United States; Syria; Refugees and the Displaced
We love Israel. We love it more than we love other nations. That’s why we must do all we can to destroy its economy.
See more in Israel; Diplomacy and Statecraft; Conflict Assessment
Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies Elliott Abrams argued that incitement by Palestinian leaders and media—not poverty and hopelessness—has been the motivating forces behind recent violence against Israel.
See more in Palestine; Israel; Territorial Disputes
In April 2012, Barack Obama went to the Holocaust Museum to declare, in solemn tones, that the lessons of the Holocaust and other episodes of genocide must be learned — and under his leadership American would learn them. Never again! he said. And he called that day for establishing a new government body called the Atrocity Prevention Board.
See more in United States; Presidents and Chiefs of State
Elliott Abrams writes in The Australian that no permanent solution can be reached for conflict in Syria as long as the murderous Assad regime remains in place.
See more in Syria; Conflict Assessment
A wave of Syrian refugees has caught Europe and the United States flat-footed, leaving the European Union scrambling to devise a plan to deal with those arriving on its shores and Americans debating our role in the matter. A humanitarian reaction is natural–but woefully inadequate, because refugees will keep coming as long as the Assad regime continues to brutally repress Syria’s Sunni majority. Only by bringing the conflict to an end will the flow of ever more thousands of refugees stop.
See more in Syria; Europe; Conflict Assessment; Refugees and the Displaced
In response to Foreign Affairs’s survey, Elliott Abrams offers a brief explanation of why congress should not approve the JCPOA.
See more in Iran; United States; Treaties and Agreements
In an article for The Weekly Standard, Elliott Abrams discusses why Prime Minister Netanyahu and AIPAC are right to expend their political capital on fighting the nuclear deal with Iran.
See more in Israel; Iran; Treaties and Agreements; Regional Security
In a review for Commentary, Elliott Abrams analyzes Ambassador Michael Oren’s new book Ally. Abrams notes that while Ambassador Oren frankly describes the various actions by President Obama that worsened relations between the U.S. and Israel, he is not candid about the supporters who defended Obama as he went down that path.
See more in United States; Israel; Diplomacy and Statecraft
In an article for The Weekly Standard, Elliott Abrams explains that the Obama administration’s hopes of rapprochement and a nuclear agreement with Iran led it to overlook the consequences of empowering the regime in Teheran at the expense of the Iranian people.
See more in Iran; United States; Treaties and Agreements; Presidents and Chiefs of State
See more in Iran; Treaties and Agreements
National Journal staff asked leading foreign-policy intellectuals to give them their best answers.
See more in United States; Middle East and North Africa; Terrorist Organizations and Networks; Conflict Assessment
A 77-year-old Salvadoran general is deported in chains now that Americans have forgotten his good service.
See more in United States; El Salvador; Diplomacy and Statecraft
In an article in The Washington Post, Elliott Abrams compares Egypt’s Sissi and Chile’s Pinochet. Abrams argues that Sissi is both more repressive, and far less of an economic reformer, than was Pinochet.
See more in Egypt; Presidents and Chiefs of State
In an article for Newsweek, Elliott Abrams discusses President Obama’s recent interview with Thomas Friedman of The New York Times and explains why the President’s guarantees for Israel’s security are less than reassuring.
See more in Israel; United States; Presidents and Chiefs of State
Conflict in the Middle East has been near the top of the American foreign policy agenda for a half century. Through discussions with academic experts and especially with current and former government officials, this roundtable series aims to inform the debate surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as other challenges facing the region. These roundtables discuss developments in the region and the goals and impact of U.S. actions, with an eye to deepening understanding of the Middle East and analyzing how to make U.S. foreign policy more effective.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is not for attribution.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
The Algemeiner quotes Elliott Abrams as saying that the recent election of President Mauricio Macri will positively affect the investigation into the death of Alberto Nisman, but is unlikely to change Argentina’s relations with Iran.
The Jerusalem Post covers Elliott Abrams’ speech to the Jewish People Policy Institute, where he discussed the impact of the 2016 elections on U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Elliott Abrams is quoted in the Washington Post as saying that Gov. Christie’s speech at the Council on Foreign Relations was successful.
Elliott Abrams is interviewed by the George W. Bush Institute on the changing nature of terrorism.
Elliott Abrams is quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying that a terror attack on U.S. soil could seriously affect the 2016 presidential elections.
Elliott Abrams is quoted by the Huffington Post on President George W. Bush’s efforts to make it clear that the U.S. was not at war with Islam.
In the Washington Post, Elliott Abrams is quoted as suggesting that the PLO offices in Washington be shuttered until the organization stops its incitement of terror.
In the Washington Post, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that U.S. relations with its traditional allies in the Middle East are in decline.
Elliott Abrams is quoted in The Australian Jewish News as saying that not all developments in the Middle East have been negative, as relations between several Arab states and Israel have never been better.
Elliott Abrams is quoted in The Australian as saying that degrading the Assad regime’s military capabilities in order to prevent it from carrying out more massacres is a necessary step in defeating ISIS and finding a long-term solution for Syria.
Elliott Abrams is interviewed by the United States Studies Center of the University of Sydney on what needs to be done in order to make U.S. strategy in the Middle East more effective.
In an article in The Australian, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that removing the Assad regime from power in Syria is a necessary component in the strategy to defeat ISIS.
On Australian radio show 3AW Drive, Elliott Abrams discusses the lessons learned from the interventions in Iraq and Libya and what an effective strategy would look like in Syria.
In a Fox News article, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that King Salman of Saudi Arabia spoke to President Obama to share his concerns over Iran not just to ask for a guarantee of security.
In an article in The Colorado Statesman, Elliott Abrams is quoted as blasting the Iran nuclear agreement and arguing that it is a bad and ultimately dangerous deal.
In an article in the Washington Free Beacon, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that ending the arms embargo on Iran would harm U.S. security interests.
In an article in the Los Angeles Times, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that Republican presidential candidate Gov. Scott Walker has strengthened his command of foreign policy in recent months.
In Jennifer Rubin’s blog Right Turn, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that Obama has weakened the fight against BDS as a form of pressure on Israel.
In an article in the Washington Times, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that the Obama administration is trying to avoid scrutinizing Iran's human rights violations in order to reach a nuclear deal.
In Jennifer Rubin’s blog Right Turn, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that a nuclear deal with Iran will likely result in Tehran acquiring a nuclear weapon with Washington’s approval.
In an article in Buzzfeed, Elliott Abrams is quoted on Jeb Bush’s successful trip to Europe.
In an article in Politico on the unprecedented four month delay of the State Department’s annual human rights report, Elliott Abrams’s blog Pressure Points is quoted as linking the delay to administration desires not to issue a critical report on Iran while the nuclear deal is being negotiated.
In response to Michael Oren’s claims that Obama administration officials had secretly cheered when Assistant Secretary of State Jim Steinberg scolded him in a meeting he did not know was being broadcast to them, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that such practices were unheard of during his time in the Bush and Reagan administrations.
Elliott Abrams is quoted in an article in Politico on Jeb Bush’s foreign policy experience and his most recent visit to Europe.
In an article in Newsweek, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that while he cannot know for certain that Iraq would not have fragmented if 10,000 troops would have remained, it certainly was more likely to prevent that from happening than a complete military withdrawal.
In an article in Politico, Elliott Abrams is quoted on the potential ramifications of Obama’s “reset” with Russia for Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president.
Elliott Abrams is quoted in a Jewish Journal article about the Israeli think tank BESA’s discussion of U.S.-Israel relations. He notes that while fundamentalist Christian support for Israel is steadfast, Israel’s support among the general population could erode if it no longer appears interested in pursuing a two-state solution.
Elliott Abrams is interviewed by Bloomberg News regarding Jeb Bush’s foreign policy, the George W. Bush administration, and the Iraq War. Abrams explains that if administration officials had known that Saddam Hussein did not have WMDs, most would have opposed the invasion or Iraq.
Elliott Abrams is interviewed for an article in the Washington Post’s blog Right Turn on Iran’s menacing behavior and the U.S.’s hesitancy to respond in order to keep the Iran nuclear deal alive.
As a panelist on Fareed Zakaria’s GPS, Elliott Abrams weighs in on the growing instability in the Middle East. He explains how Iran’s aggressive actions and subversive activities have created chaos in the region, and how Sunni states are reacting.
Elliott Abrams is quoted in a New York Post editorial that discusses potential threats to Israeli security that could arise out of the Iran nuclear deal.
In an article in The New York Times, Elliott Abrams is interviewed about the Democratic Party’s wavering support for Israel.
CFR senior fellows Robert M. Danin and Elliott Abrams discuss the ramifications of the Israeli election. Foreign Affairs's Justin Vogt from presides over the call.
In the Washington Post’s blog Right Turn, Elliott Abrams is interviewed about the recent Israeli elections. He explains that despite the Obama administration’s best efforts, Prime Minister Netanyahu was re-elected. The question now is whether Obama and Netanyahu will make an effort to repair relations between the two governments.
In an article in USA Today, Elliott Abrams was interviewed on the results of the recent Israeli elections. He explains the that the rift between the U.S. and Israeli administrations is growing and why it seems like the Obama administration doesn’t care to patch things up.
In an interview with Fox News, Elliott Abrams discusses the upcoming Israeli elections. Abrams explains that many Israelis are focusing on domestic affairs like the cost of living more than security questions like Iran. This benefits the opposition coalition led by Isaac Herzog.
In an interview with Newsmax, Elliott Abrams discusses how Obama’s icy relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu could chip away at the Democratic Party’s support for Israel.
In the Washington Post blog Right Turn, Elliott Abrams is quoted as saying that although John Kerry questions Netanyahu’s credibility because he was in favor of the Iraq war, Kerry himself was in favor of the war before he was against it.
In Jennifer Rubin’s Right Turn, Elliott Abrams is quoted on the behavior of Iranian diplomats toward their American counterparts and the American acquiescence to such behavior.
Elliott Abrams is quoted on Bush and Obama terminology referring to terrorism and radical Islam.
In an article in the New Republic, Elliott Abrams is quoted on Rand Paul’s proposed Stand with Israel Act and says cutting funding to Palestinian Authority would not be a useful step for promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
According to the 2015 Freedom House report, “Freedom in the World” is on the decline for the ninth consecutive year. Elliott Abrams points to America's perceived decline in power and diminished interest in advancing human rights under President Obama as factors contributing to this trend.
After government officials from Turkey and Israel traded barbs in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris, Elliott Abrams commented on the declining state of Turkish-Israeli relations.
In the wake of rising anti-Semitism in France and the terrorist attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris, Elliott Abrams discusses the precarious situation of Jews living in Europe and what needs to be done to restore a sense of security to those communities.
In the wake of the Palestinian Authority's failed attempt to receive recognition as a state from the United Nations Security Council and its upcoming appeal to the ICC, Elliott Abrams explains that Fatah's bold steps on the international stage are the product of its fears to face Hamas and its own population.
Elliott Abrams and Shadi Hamid discuss issues of religious and sectarian conflict in the Middle East with Michael Cromartie, Vice President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
Elliott Abrams weighs in on the proposed Nicaragua canal. He questions the economic benefits of such a project and cites security concerns due to the nature of Nicaraguan regime.
With the rise of the Islamic State and the obliteration of the Iraq-Syria border, Elliott Abrams explains why striking the Islamic State exclusively in Iraq would turn Syria into a safe haven for its forces.
Elliott Abrams discusses Israel's growing wealth and its long-term impact on U.S. military aid.
William Kristol interviews Elliott Abrams on his career in politics, from his start with Senators Henry "Scoop" Jackson and Daniel Moynihan to his work in the Reagan and Bush administrations.
Elliott Abrams, Thomas Pickering, and Stephen Walt examine President Obama's commencement speech at West Point. They discuss the President's policies on intervention, human rights, and the armed forces.
1777 F Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20006
CFR Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
+1.202.509.8472
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William Kristol interviews Elliott Abrams on his career in politics, from his start with Senators Henry "Scoop" Jackson and Daniel Moynihan to his work in the Reagan and Bush administrations.
On Australian radio show 3AW Drive, Elliott Abrams discusses the lessons learned from the interventions in Iraq and Libya and what an effective strategy would look like in Syria.
As a panelist on Fareed Zakaria’s GPS, Elliott Abrams weighs in on the growing instability in the Middle East. He explains how Iran’s aggressive actions and subversive activities have created chaos in the region, and how Sunni states are reacting.
