“One of the main failures in Western analyses of the Arab Spring was the underestimation of religion as a factor in Middle Eastern politics,” claims Professor Asher Susser, senior fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University.

In this week’s Fathom Highlight, Susser explains the resurgence of tradition throughout the Middle East and its political consequences for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the region as a whole.

Our Voice of the Week is a Washington Institute Policy Forum – Making Sense of Chaos in the Middle East: Multiple Wars, Multiple Alliances. It featured Ambassador James Jeffrey, Ambassador Dennis Ross, Robert Satloff and Michael Singh.

Our Image of the Week is of Orthodox Christian worshippers taking part in the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the burial site of Jesus Christ, in Jerusalem’s Old City during the Easter holiday. 11 April 2015. Photo by Sliman Khader/FLASH90.

The resurgence of neo-traditionalism

by Asher Susser | March 6, 2015