We are pleased to introduce the first joint MDC Forum for Regional Cooperation/Konrad Adenauer Stiftung publication that focuses on the regional partnership agenda. The publication, titled, "Regional Cooperation in the Midst of Regional Conflagration: Examining the Partnership Agenda in the Shadow of October 7th" features articles from authors across the MENA region, including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, UAE, Bahrain, the Palestinian Authority, and Israel.
This publication, presented at the beginning of 2025, more than 15 months into the conflict, is an effort to examine the current state of the regional agenda against the background of the October 7th War and the larger regional conflagration it has sparked. Recognizing that, following the Abraham Accords, regional dynamics became ever more relevant to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this publication also attempts to highlight the links between the regional arena and potential progress between Israelis and Palestinians.
The articles in this publication envision a "day after" that will enable the region to again move away from conflict and towards connectivity. As you will see, many of the scholars featured in the publication strongly believe that there is merit in utilizing the regional framework to address some of the challenges presented by the October 7th war and to advance a better "day after" reality.
The recent developments on the Gaza front, including the long-awaited first stage of a hostage deal and ceasefire, offer a glimmer of hope and a potential opening for the implementation of some of the ideas presented here. We hope that you will find the publication useful and we would be happy to receive any feedback or comments as we continue to engage in the regional dialogue in our program and beyond.
Table of Contents:
- Introduction: Assessing Regionalism in the Midst of a Regional Crisis - Nir Boms, Ahmed Khuzaie, Louis Tuchman
- New Syria in the Making: Challenges and Opportunities for Israel - Nir Boms and Stéphane Cohen
- Version 4.0: A New Regional Paradigm for Israelis and Palestinians - Nir Boms and Sarah Aweidah
- The Abrahamic Discourse, The Day After, and the Future of Education - Eldad J. Pardo
- Education for Peace in the Aftermath of the Gaza War: Challenges and Opportunities - Najat AlSaied
- Media at a Time of Conflict: The Gaza War in Focus - Mohammad Al- Sayed
- Regional Economic and Infrastructure Cooperation in a Post-Gaza War Middle East - Joshua Krasna
- Assessing Saudi-Israel Normalization Following the Gaza War - Mujtaba Ali Isani
- The Untapped Potential of City Diplomacy in Peacebuilding in the Mena Region - Einat Levi
Please download the full publication here.
