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NEW REPORT: Freedom in the Middle East Remains Out of Reach for Most as Israel and the Gaza Strip Experienced the Region’s Sharpest Setbacks [1]

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Date: 2024-02

WASHINGTON—More than 90 percent of people in the Middle East live in countries rated Not Free, according to a new report released today by Freedom House. Hamas’s massive terrorist attack on October 7 and Israel’s ensuing military campaign in the Gaza Strip caused catastrophic human suffering and contributed to an overall decline in freedom for both Israel and the Gaza Strip in 2023.

The new report, Freedom in the World 2024: The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict, found that global freedom declined for an 18th consecutive year in 2023 as political rights and civil liberties deteriorated in 52 countries, representing a fifth of the world’s population. The declines were both widespread and severe, eclipsing the improvements observed in 21 other countries.

The denial of political rights and civil liberties has contributed to instability across the region, a problem exemplified by the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. That conflict has also highlighted the critical need for a peaceful solution that prioritizes democratic freedoms and long-term security for both Palestinians and Israelis.

Several regional governments loosened otherwise tight restrictions on assembly as public outrage over the Israeli military’s actions mounted. In Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, and elsewhere, state-sanctioned pro-Palestinian demonstrations were relatively peaceful. However, other types of public gatherings—including demonstrations ahead of a climate summit in the United Arab Emirates and ongoing antigovernment protests in Iran—continued to draw harsh responses from security forces.

Freedom in the World includes scores and detailed country reports on political rights and civil liberties for 195 countries and 15 territories around the globe. Scores are based on a 100-point scale, with 0 representing the lowest level of freedom. This report, the 51st annual edition, covers developments in 2023 and provides a brief analysis of long-term trends.

Key regional findings include the following:

Three countries received score declines, while another three recorded improvements.

Israel and the Gaza Strip both recorded the largest score decline (−3 points ) in the region.

Iraq, Kuwait, and Yemen experienced score improvements (+1 point ).

Israel (74) and Lebanon (42) are the highest-rated countries in the region.

Syria (1) and Saudi Arabia (8) are the region’s lowest-rated countries.

Some 93 percent of people in the region live in countries rated Not Free, while only 3 percent live in Free countries.

The report identifies a number of steps that democratic governments can take to protect and expand political rights and civil liberties around the globe. The recommendations include:

Provide steady support and flexible funding to those on the front lines of the struggle against tyranny. Democratic governments and donors must increase and sustain support for those working to defend and promote fundamental freedoms around the world. Failure to do so emboldens autocrats and can result in the loss of hard-won progress.



Uphold the rights of people living in disputed territories. The events of the past year in places such as Nagorno-Karabakh and the Gaza Strip provided stark evidence that populations without self-determination are at greater risk of extreme human rights abuses or atrocities.



Protect free and fair elections in 2024. At least 40 countries—representing more than two-fifths of the world’s population—are holding national-level elections in 2024, with many more conducting other types of balloting. Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of any democracy, and independent and transparent electoral processes are necessary to foster genuine competition and public trust.

View the report’s complete recommendations here.

Click here to read the global and other regionally focused press releases: Global, Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Europe.

To schedule an interview with Freedom House experts, please contact Maryam Iftikhar at [email protected].

Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to create a world where all are free. We inform the world about threats to freedom, mobilize global action, and support democracy’s defenders.

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[1] Url: https://freedomhouse.org/article/new-report-freedom-middle-east-remains-out-reach-most-israel-and-gaza-strip-experienced

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