MDC Research and Analysis

In this edition of Tel Aviv Notes, Senior Research Fellow and Professor (Emeritus) Ofra Bengio presents the significant changes the Kurdish communities in the Middle East have experienced over the past decade, transforming them from a marginal actor to a central political player in regional affairs. This achievement, however, has been short-lived, as recent developments have eroded the Kurdish position, returning these communities to square one.

In our latest issue of Turkeyscope, Dr. Ronen Bar-El examines the economic foundations of Turkey’s growing regional ambitions. He shows how Ankara has sustained its power projection through defense exports, diversified partnerships, and a model of “networked power projection,” while persistent inflation, weak productivity, and dependence on external financing continue to constrain the long-term sustainability of its regional influence.

In this latest edition of Tel Aviv Notes, Boris Sharov examines how this year's war between Israel/United States and Iran has generated new interest in the Gulf (and elsewhere) for partnering with Ukraine on air defense.

In this issue of Tel Aviv Notes, Jonathan Franco presents the case that UNIFIL was doomed from the outset, tracing its failure back to the formative years (1978–1982), when the force already lacked the local and international support essential to its mission.  

The current issue of Bayan includes one article written by Atia Alrhahla, which examines the historical and social reasons for the consolidation of the Ra’am Party’s support among the Bedouin community in the Negev.

In our latest issue of Turkeyscope, Joseph Epstein and Ayan Serikpayev analyze the latest developments and the trajectory of the US-Turkish relationship in the wake of the ongoing conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States.

In this latest issue of Tel Aviv Notes, Joshua Krasna examines the tension between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, identifying and assessing the broad sources of competition and rivalry.

In this issue of Tel Aviv Notes, Daniel Zisenwine examines Pope Leo XIV’s April visit to Algeria, a country experiencing regional diplomatic setbacks, as its government clings to increasingly outdated principles and policies, and its restless population awaits changes and new openings.