Publications
The International Dimension of 'Arab Authoritarianism'
Benjamin Schuetze, Elia El-Khazen, Charlotte Mueller and Philipp Wagner published a chapter in the I.B. Tauris Handbook of "Authoritarianism in the Arab World", edited by Dana El Kurd.
Between a rock and Israel: how Jordan's water and energy arrangements advance settler colonialism
Elia El Khazen and Hisham Bustani published an article in 'Territory, Politics, Governance'. They seek to reconcile two often-fractured understandings of Israeli settler colonialism: its intrinsic drive for elimination and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, and its ongoing expansionist strategy, which fosters dependency and ultimately ensures its gradual integration within the broader region.
Unlikely Companions of Energy Transitions? Opportunities and Challenges of Triangular Cooperation Between the EU, the GCC, and Hydrocarbon-Poor Countries From the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Benjamin Schuetze and Eckart Woertz published an article in the Digest of Middle East Studies. They explore the opportunities and challenges of triangular cooperation (TC) in the renewable energy sector between the European Union (EU), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and select hydrocarbon-poor MENA countries and argue that EU-GCC-MENA TC may enable the expansion of renewables, but it also risks deepening social, economic, and political imbalances.Toters, the ‘flexible’ Kafala app: algorithmic management, racialised control and the reserve army of delivery workers in Lebanon
In his commentary, Elia El Khazen examines the parasitic entanglement between digital delivery platforms and existing labour regimes in crisis-ridden, post-pandemic Lebanon. Drawing on labour strikes at the platform Toters, it shows how algorithmic management and the Kafala system are not disrupted but strategically leveraged. In doing so, it exposes the gig economy’s claimed innovation as a repackaging of old forms of labour exploitation.
Performing the Jordanian State: Intervention, Aid Dependence and Eternal Reform
Benjamin Schuetze published a chapter in the volume "Power, Resistance, Ideology and the State. Charles Tripp and the Comparative Politics of the Middle East", edited by Toby Dodge, Daniel Neep, and Ali M. Ansari.
Disruptive Geographies and the War on Gaza: Infrastructure and Global Solidarity
Elia El Khazen co-authored an article in "Geopolitics" arguing that the destruction of infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank plays a central role as a mechanism of governance, dispossession, and colonial reordering. Gaza’s collapse is embedded in a broaderpolitical economy of militarism, where supply chains, defence industries, and financial infrastructures turn dispossession into profit.
More Than Plastic, Copper, and Glass Fibre? Undersea Cables and Promises of Connection between North Africa and the EU
Philipp Wagner wrote together Etienne Höra (Bertelsmann Stiftung) for megatrends spotlight:Their essay argues that large-scale infrastructure projects such as undersea cables between the EU and North Africa do not automatically lead to local development and geo-economic alignment. They call for a more detailed analysis of such projects' political and economic corollaries to avoid negative side effects.
Tensions Over Participation: How Inclusive are Renewable Energy Partnerships Between the EU and Maghreb Countries?
Energy transitions are reshaping global economies, driven by renewable energy projects and international cooperation. Philipp Wagner delves into the decision-making processes behind EU-Maghreb renewable energy partnerships, highlighting the roles of local communities and the complexities of participation and political exclusion.
© Ruveyda Yilmaz
Leaking Imperialism: Tracing gas flows sustaining the settler occupation of Palestine
TNI long read (2024): Palestinian activists push for a global energy embargo as attacks on Israel’s energy infrastructure show its vulnerability. What’s at stake?