The Future of Iranian-Russian Relations: Implications for the U.S. and Israel’s National Security by Robert Rabil, Ph.D. at FAU

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Robert Rabil, Ph.D.

LLS Jupiter Distinguished Faculty Award, 2010
LLS Distinguished Professor of Current Affairs, 2012-2013
Lifelong Learning Professorship of Current Affairs, 2018-2019

Political Science

Robert G. Rabil, Ph.D., is an internationally renowned and acclaimed scholar. His books have been highly commended and reviewed by major academic journals globally. His recent book on Salafism broke new ground in the fields of Islamism, terrorism and Middle East politics. He is considered one of the leading experts on Salafism, radical Islam, U.S.-Arab and Arab-Israeli relations, and terrorism. He served as Chief of Emergency for the Red Cross in Lebanon and was Project Manager of the U.S. State Department-funded Iraq Research and Documentation Project. He lectures nationally and internationally and participates in forums and seminars sponsored by the U.S. government. He holds a Master’s in Government from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University. In May 2012, he received an honorary Ph.D. in Humanities from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He is a Professor of Political Science at Florida Atlantic University.

In September 2016, Professor Rabil was presented a Certificate of Appreciation from the United States Army Central.

Student Testimonials

“One of the most enthusiastic and engaging FAU lecturers.”
“Excellent current knowledge base on topic and updates as events happen.”

UAE Israel Peace 2020 with Robert Rabil, Ph.D.

The Hard Line — Robert Rabil, Ph.D., discusses the Syrian refugee crisis

The Hard Line: Robert Rabil, Ph.D., the Professor of Middle East studies at Florida Atlantic University's Department of Political Science and author of “Salafism in Lebanon: From Apoliticism to Transnational Jihadism,” discusses the Syrian refugee crisis and the role the Obama administration has played in what has happened in Syria.

Dr. Rabil discusses Salafism in Lebanon in a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute

Dr. Rabil discusses Salafism in Lebanon - Washington Institute

The Washington Institute: Facing a leadership crisis, Lebanon's Sunnis must contend with a vigorous Salafi movement in which the activist and jihadist elements are increasingly hard to distinguish from each other. On February 13, 2015, Robert Rabil addressed a Policy Forum concerning the issue of Salafism in Lebanon at The Washington Institute.

Dr. Rabil discusses Salafism on WPBT2's Viewpoint

Viewpoint: Salafism is perhaps best known for the ideologies of Salafi jihadism such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda. It is actually comprised of many fundamentalist Islamic movements whose followers consider themselves the only "saved" sect of Islam. Professor and author Robert Rabil discusses Salafism and his book, “Salafism in Lebanon: From Apoliticism to Transnational Jihadism.”

Dr. Rabil on U.S.-Iran Mounting Tensions and the Threat and Consequences of a Potential Military Confrontation

News and Notes From Dr. Rabil

Click here to visit his web site, robertrabil.com.
Click here to order his latest book — "Salafism in Lebanon".
Click here to read a review of his book, "Salafism in Lebanon," by the British Cambridge Journal of International Affairs.
Click here to view the PowerPoint slides on the Divisions and Schools of Islam.

Articles written by Dr. Rabil

Chaos in the Caucasus: Why a New Regional War Would Be Catastrophic — The National Interest, October 25, 2020.
Heir to the Ottomans – Interview — Carnegie Middle East Center, October 16, 2020.
Bashir’s Farm And The Tragedy Of Lebanon – OpEd — Eurasia Review, August 14, 2020; Palm Beach Center for Democracy & Policy Research, August 15, 2020.
Lebanon is a Lightning Rod for Political Currents in the Arab World — The National Interest, July 17, 2020.
Domestic Threats in the Era of Nationalism — The National Interest, June 21, 2020.
Israel and the China Connection — The National Interest, June 7, 2020.
Why America Has Misdiagnosed Russia’s Role in Syria — The National Interest, May 27, 2020.
The Middle East Can't Fight A War Against Both Coronavirus And Iran — The National Interest, March 31, 2020.
Russia's Strategy for the Middle East: Stabilize, Revitalize, Create Chaos — The National Interest, March 14, 2020.
The Inevitable Middle East War — Eurasia Review, February 21, 2020.
Saving the Revolution and Lebanon — Eurasia Review, January 23, 2020.
Why America Should Keep Supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces — The National Interest, December 4, 2019.
The True Value of Lebanon's Armed Forces — The National Interest, December 3, 2019.
The Trump Administration Is Tackling One of the World's Most Dangerous Border Disputes — The National Interest, August 11, 2019.
The Moribund Legacy Of Arab Nationalism – Analysis — Eurasia Review, June 21, 2019.
Defeating the Islamic State of Idlib — The National Interest, June 13, 2019.
The Iran Crisis And Washington Strategic Miscalculation – Analysis — Eurasia Review, May 19, 2019.
Tending to Israel’s Relationship with Russia — Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, December 26, 2018.
ISIS Isn't Dead Yet — The National Interest, September 1, 2018.
Contextualizing Jihad and Takfir in the Sunni Conceptual Framework — The Washington Institute, August 31, 2018.
Contextualizing Jihad and Takfir in the Shi’a Conceptual Framework — The Washington Institute, August 31, 2018.
Donald Trump is reshaping the Middle East — in Russia’s favor — The Washington Post, August 22, 2018.
The distortion of Islam that drives terrorism — The Washington Post, August 1, 2018.
Trump Should Prioritize Fighting Terrorism — The National Interest, July 18, 2018.
Assad’s Impending Victory Raises Stakes for Security in Israel — The Palm Beach Post, July 16, 2018.
Syria’s Victory and Israel’s Predicament — Eurasia Review, July 12, 2018.
The Last Thing The Middle East Needs Now Is Another War – OpEd — Eurasia Review, May 1, 2018.
Kissinger’s World Order, United States And Russia In The Middle East – Analysis — Eurasia Review, September 3, 2017.
The Coming Gulf War: Qatar vs. Everyone — The National Interest, June 27, 2017.
How Muslim Extremists Exploit European Liberalism — The National Interest, June 12, 2017.
Does Donald Trump Know He's Helping Saudi Arabia Ruin Yemen? — The National Interest, May 4, 2017.
The Syria Crisis Has Evolved into an International Power Struggle — The National Interest, April 18, 2017.
The Burkini Isn't a Religious Duty — The National Interest, September 14, 2016.
Is Peace in Syria Finally Within Reach? — The National Interest, July 16, 2016.
Profiling Muslims Is Bad. So Is Ignoring Radical Islam. — The National Interest, May 25, 2016.
God, Paris and Islam: How Salafism Challenges France’s Church-State Relationship — The National Interest, December 3, 2015.
This Is What Russia REALLY Fears in Syria — The National Interest, October 7, 2015.
Why America Needs to Beware of Saudi Wahhabism — The National Interest, May 18, 2015.
Syria's Changing Strategic Landscape — The National Interest, May 5, 2015.
The ISIS Chronicles: A History — The National Interest, July 17, 2014.
Moral Outrage Necessitates Defining a Strategy — e-International Relations, September 16, 2013.
Syria Part of Aggressive Iranian Strategy — The National Interest, June 18, 2013.
Arab Uprisings Boost Israel's Enemies — The National Interest, September 5, 2012
The Battle For Aleppo — The National Interest, August 14, 2012
The Rise of Salafists — The National Interest, August 7, 2012
Syria and the Power of Sectarian Strife — The National Interest, July 2, 2012
Syria: The Death of a Nation? — e-International Relations, June 4, 2012

Books by Dr. Rabil

Salafism in Lebanon

Religion, National Identity, and Confessional Politics in Lebanon

Embattled Neighbors: Syria,
Israel, and Lebanon

Syria, The United States, and the
War On Terror In The Middle East

The Syrian Refugee Crisis in Lebanon: The Double Tragedy of Refugees and Impacted Host Communities

White Heart (Austin Macauley Publishers™)

White Heart (Amazon.com)

White Heart (Barnes & Noble)

U.S. National Security and The War on Extremism

The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq marked the height of the unipolar power of the U.S. But complex challenges and threats emanating from various, contested strategic areas of conflict have cast a shadow over U.S. national security. Scholars and analysts refer to the process of transition from a unipolar to multipolar world to contextualize and understand the nature of these challenges and threats to U.S. national security. Significantly, Arab revolutions and counter-Arab revolutions, the global growth of Salafi-jihadism spearheaded by ISIS, Russian intervention in Syria, and Iran's reentry in the international economic and political arena have posed complex challenges to the U.S. international standing and its war on extremism and terrorism. This eight-part lecture series will attempt to analyze a number of conflicting security issues within the context of their local and international dimensions, seeking to shed light on important matters often misconceived in foreign diplomacy.

Eight Lectures

Malaysia: Moderation or Allegiance to ISIS? -
Morocco and Tunisia: Enlightened Rule, Pluralism and/or Salafism? -
Central Asia: The Rise or Decline of Salafi-Jihadism? -
U.A.E. and Qatar: Purveyors of Wealth or Extremism? -
The U.S., Russia, ISIS and the Syrian Crisis: Prospects and Challenges -
Islam, Salafism and Refugees in France and Germany: Redefining Europe’s Identity? -
The U.S., Afghanistan and Pakistan: The Doomed War on Radicalism? -
The U.S. War on Extremism/Terrorism: An Assessment of the Obama Administration’s Policy -


Course # F8M1 — Full 8 Weeks

Place:	Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus
Dates:	Mondays, October 10, 17, 24, 31; November 7, 14, 21, 28 2016
Time:	9:45 - 11:15 AM
Fee:	$68 / member; $98 / non-member


Course # F4M2 — Last 4 Weeks

Place:	Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus
Dates:	Mondays, November 7, 14, 21, 28 2016
Time:	9:45 - 11:15 AM
Fee:	$34 / member; $54 / non-member

The Future of Iranian-Russian Relations: Implications for the U.S. and Israel’s National Security

Broadly speaking, Iran and Russia (and U.S.S.R.) had a fluctuating relationship until the 1990s. Tsarist Russia exerted influence over the Qajar dynasty and the Soviet Union invaded Iran on the eve of WWII. During the 1970s and 1980s, Iran, under the Shah and Khomeini, supported the West and opposed both imperialism and Communism respectively. However, with the fall of the Soviet Union and the independence of central Asian countries, Iran and Russia have pursued a relationship mostly marked by geopolitical interests. These interests have become paramount to the national security of both countries following the Arab revolts, Western sanctions on Russia and Russian military intervention in Syria. In fact, the intensity of Moscow’s current tactical and strategic contact with Tehran is unprecedented in Russia’s post-Soviet history. This has posed serious challenges to Washington and Jerusalem’s national securities, given that Iran has been projecting its power in the region and supporting anti-Western and anti-Israel militant organizations throughout the Middle East. Enough evidence shows that Iran and Russia have been deepening their economic, political and military relationship.

What are the ramifications and implications of an Iranian- Russian strategic alliance for the U.S. and Israel’s national securities? This talk attempts to answer this momentous question by examining the dynamics moving Iran and Russia closer and analyzing the challenges an Iranian-Russian alliance poses to both the United States and Israel. It also ponders Washington and Jerusalem’s potential responses to this major development.

Register Early! There is a $5 charge for registering on the day of a one-time lecture or event.


Course # F1S2 — One Time Event

Place:	Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus
Dates:	Saturday, November 19 2016
Time:	1 - 2:30 PM
Fee:	$25 / member; $35 / non-member

Israel and the Arab Gulf States: A Superficial or Strategic Alliance in The Making?

Though their rhetoric had been historically anti-Israel, Arab Gulf States did not essentially participate in Arab-Israeli wars. This conflicted relationship experienced a thaw in the wake of the Madrid Peace Conference. True, the relationship has regressed as a result of the collapse of the peace process; yet there has remained indirect and multi-faceted secret links concerning economic and security issues. Recently, the threat from Iran has intensified and enhanced those links, leading to reports of overt and tacit cooperation and planning regardless of whether or not Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have progressed. Moreover, Russian intervention in Syria on the side of the Asad regime and Iran has underscored common strategic interests for Israel and the Gulf States. Will the growing cooperation between Israel and the Gulf States lead to a superficial or strategic alliance? This talk traces the history of the Arab Gulf-Israel relations and attempts to shed light on the unfolding, yet undefined new phase in the Arab Gulf-Israel relationship.