CFR’s Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy (CSMD) Program highlights noteworthy events and articles each Friday in “This Week in Markets and Democracy.”  Sri Lanka and Tunisia Struggle with Accou…

The Tunisian president, Beji Caid Essebsi, is coming to Washington today for meetings with President Obama. It is a big moment. Tunisian leaders have visited multiple times since Zine El Abedine Ben …

J.J. Goldberg, writing on his blog at The Forward, discusses the Israeli religious ministry’s new "Jewish Identity Administration." Moustafa Amara interviews Sinai tribal council head Sheikh Ali Fre…

Significant Developments Syria. French foreign minister Laurent Fabius called today for a forceful international response  to reports that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons outside Damascus ye…

Significant Middle East Developments Hamas. Hamas officials announced today a break with long-time ally Syrian president Assad. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told a crowd of thousands at Cairo’s al-Az…