A Diplomatic History of Turkish-Israeli Relations, 1996-2022

The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies invites you to join us for the next Schusterman Seminar, “A Diplomatic History of Turkish-Israeli Relations, 1996-2022,” with Dr. Jonathan Ghariani. In 1949, Turkey became the first Muslim country to recognize Israel’s right to exist. Given mounting tensions between Ankara and Damascus, Turkey and Israel established a formal strategic partnership in the mid 1990’s. However, relations between the two countries deteriorated and reached their lowest point in June 2010, in the aftermath of the Mavi Marmara incident. After a decade of tensions, ties between the two countries have significantly improved once again. This presentation will examine the factors that have enabled the emergence of a strategic partnership between Israel and Turkey. It will also address the reasons that led to the collapse of that strategic entente and future perspectives.

Dr. Jonathan Ghariani is a visiting scholar at the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University. He recently completed his doctorate at the University College London, in the Hebrew and Jewish studies department under the supervision of Prof. Neill Lochery. His thesis focuses on the diplomatic history of the Arab Israeli final status negotiations. Most recently he was a visiting scholar in the Azrieli Institute of Israeli Studies at Concordia University in Montreal, under the supervision of Prof. Csaba Nikolenyi. Dr. Ghariani’s research focuses on the diplomatic history of Israel’s relations with Morocco and Oman. He holds a master’s degree in security and diplomacy from Tel Aviv University and a bachelor’s degree in government, diplomacy and strategy from IDC Herzliya. He completed internships at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and at the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies.