The article is an updated version of the opinion paper...
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Topics: Post-Soviet Geopolitics; Global and regional powers; Inter-state conflicts; FSU states domestic political and social affairs;
A Year of Peace (the Kremlin Never Wanted)
Twelve months after the White House ceremony that startled the...
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On the Potential of the Kazakh Irredenta in the Russian Federation
Kazakhstan is the second-largest state by area (after the Russian...
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Written Sovereignty: Turkey, Russia, and Iran in the Battle Over Post-Soviet Scripts
Script is rarely a neutral technical choice in this region....
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Azerbaijan Uses the Middle Corridor to Consolidate Its Geopolitical Position
The Middle Corridor, officially known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport...
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BESA Post-Soviet Conflicts Research Digest No. 34 (July 2026)
In July 2026, the BESA PSCR program analyzed political developments...
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Monthly Monitoring of Analytical Publications on Post-Soviet Conflicts
The key word in this issue of our monitoring, analyzing...
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The Status of Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the Russian Federation as a Source of Systemic Conflicts: A Typological Analysis (2025–2026)
The institution of indigenous small-numbered peoples (ISNP) in the Russian...
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What Azerbaijan’s Mediation within the Israeli-Turkish Disputes Reveals about the Current State of Affairs between Jerusalem and Ankara
One of the geopolitical aftermaths of the Hamas terrorist attack...
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Tolerated Memory, Withheld Recognition: Iran, the Armenian Genocide, and the Politics of Historical Asymmetry
Armenian memory is tolerated because suppressing it would alienate a...
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Power Without Integration:
A Cautious Model for Electricity Cooperation Between Israel, Syria, and Lebanon
Dr. Elai Rettig
August 16, 2026
Electricity cooperation between Israel and Syria is technically possible, but would be considerably more difficult than the indirect gas exports that are already taking place via Jordan. Unlike natural gas,
Israeli Gas Exports to Syria:
The Dilemma of Formalizing Direct Gas Cooperation
Dr. Elai Rettig
July 2, 2026
Israeli gas exports to Syria are already a reality, but they are conducted indirectly, through swap deals and resale arrangements with Jordan and Egypt rather than through a formal Israel-Syria
Azerbaijan’s Entry into Israeli Waters May Open New Export Routes with Turkey
Dr. Elai Rettig
April 9, 2025
The decision by SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil company, to press ahead with a gas exploration license in Israeli waters marks another significant step in the ever-deepening partnership between Israel and
The Syrian Pipeline Game: How Turkey’s Plans Affect Israel’s Regional Ambitions
Dr. Elai Rettig
January 13, 2025
The fall of the Assad regime in Syria has revived Turkey’s plans to construct oil and gas pipelines through the country, turning it into a regional “energy corridor” for neighboring
Is the Aphrodite Gas Field
Politically Viable?
Ambassador (ret.) Michael Harari
October 15, 2024
The companies that share ownership of the Aphrodite gas field announced on September 1, 2024 that they have submitted an updated development plan to the Cypriot government and are awaiting
Relieving Gaza’s Electricity Burden After the War
Dr. Elai Rettig
September 9, 2024
The Gaza Strip’s heavy dependence on electricity and diesel supplied by Israel has turned from an Israeli strategic advantage into an economic and humanitarian burden for Israel. The reconstruction of
The Great Sea Interconnector: Prospects for an Electrical Cable Connecting Greece, Cyprus, and Israel
Ambassador (ret.) Michael Harari
July 25, 2024
In recent years, energy security has become a central issue for many countries, not least those that suffer from political and energy isolation. The Iron Swords War has greatly
Fuel Supply in Gaza – Needs and Uses
Dr. Elai Rettig
November 16, 2023
This article provides an overview of the current fuel supply situation in the Gaza Strip. It examines how much fuel is needed for Gaza’s basic humanitarian needs, how much fuel
The War in Gaza and the Implications for Energy in the Eastern Mediterranean
Ambassador (ret.) Michael Harari
November 15, 2023
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,231, November 15, 2023 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The war with Hamas in Gaza and the clashes in the north against Hezbollah are inevitably affecting both the
Cutting the Electricity Supply to Gaza – Consequences and Implications
Dr. Elai Rettig
October 16, 2023
This policy brief provides a short background on Gaza’s electricity and water sectors and examines the immediate consequences of cutting off supply to the Gaza Strip. Overall, it argues that
Power Without Integration:
A Cautious Model for Electricity Cooperation Between Israel, Syria, and Lebanon
Dr. Elai Rettig
August 16, 2026
Electricity cooperation between Israel and Syria is technically possible, but would be considerably more difficult than the indirect gas exports that are already taking place via Jordan. Unlike natural gas,
Israeli Gas Exports to Syria:
The Dilemma of Formalizing Direct Gas Cooperation
Dr. Elai Rettig
July 2, 2026
Israeli gas exports to Syria are already a reality, but they are conducted indirectly, through swap deals and resale arrangements with Jordan and Egypt rather than through a formal Israel-Syria
Azerbaijan’s Entry into Israeli Waters May Open New Export Routes with Turkey
Dr. Elai Rettig
April 9, 2025
The decision by SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil company, to press ahead with a gas exploration license in Israeli waters marks another significant step in the ever-deepening partnership between Israel and
The Syrian Pipeline Game: How Turkey’s Plans Affect Israel’s Regional Ambitions
Dr. Elai Rettig
January 13, 2025
The fall of the Assad regime in Syria has revived Turkey’s plans to construct oil and gas pipelines through the country, turning it into a regional “energy corridor” for neighboring
Is the Aphrodite Gas Field
Politically Viable?
Ambassador (ret.) Michael Harari
October 15, 2024
The companies that share ownership of the Aphrodite gas field announced on September 1, 2024 that they have submitted an updated development plan to the Cypriot government and are awaiting
Relieving Gaza’s Electricity Burden After the War
Dr. Elai Rettig
September 9, 2024
The Gaza Strip’s heavy dependence on electricity and diesel supplied by Israel has turned from an Israeli strategic advantage into an economic and humanitarian burden for Israel. The reconstruction of
The Great Sea Interconnector: Prospects for an Electrical Cable Connecting Greece, Cyprus, and Israel
Ambassador (ret.) Michael Harari
July 25, 2024
In recent years, energy security has become a central issue for many countries, not least those that suffer from political and energy isolation. The Iron Swords War has greatly
Fuel Supply in Gaza – Needs and Uses
Dr. Elai Rettig
November 16, 2023
This article provides an overview of the current fuel supply situation in the Gaza Strip. It examines how much fuel is needed for Gaza’s basic humanitarian needs, how much fuel
The War in Gaza and the Implications for Energy in the Eastern Mediterranean
Ambassador (ret.) Michael Harari
November 15, 2023
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,231, November 15, 2023 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The war with Hamas in Gaza and the clashes in the north against Hezbollah are inevitably affecting both the
Cutting the Electricity Supply to Gaza – Consequences and Implications
Dr. Elai Rettig
October 16, 2023
This policy brief provides a short background on Gaza’s electricity and water sectors and examines the immediate consequences of cutting off supply to the Gaza Strip. Overall, it argues that