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Turkey and Israel are two of the most important countries in the Middle East, but also are outsiders to the region for political and cultural reasons. Here Bengio examines the historic, geo-strategic and political-cultural roots of the Turkish-Israeli relationship, from the 1950s until today. Linking the relationship´s evolution to the complexities of Turkey´s historical ties with the Arab world, and changing domestic, regional and global conditions, the book traces the ebb and flow of the curious ties between the two countries. Bengio calls for a significant revision in the received wisdom about inter-Arab and Arab-Israeli conflicts and rivalries, placing Turkey in a more central role. The book approaches Middle Eastern affairs from inside the region, based on Turkish, Israeli and Arab sources, providing a much needed corrective to American - and British - centered accounts.

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Preface Introduction After the 1991 Gulf War Earthquake Days of Future Past: The Peripheral Alliance The 1990s Alignment: Motives and Players The Making of the Alignment Implications and Reactions Conclusion: A New Regional Order

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´Ofra Bengio has produced an excellent study on Turkish-Israeli relations, set against the wider canvas of Middle Eastern dynamics spanning half a century. Using Arab, Israeli and Turkish sources, she has written a thorough yet readable book, with many new insights and mature conclusions. It will be a ´must read´ for anyone interested in understanding one of the most important relationships to emerge in the region during the course of the turbulent 1990s.´- Philip Robins, University of Oxford, UK and Fellow of St Antony´s College

´Ofra Bengio´s book is a long overdue and welcome exploration of one of the more interesting, least understood but yet much talked about relationships in the Middle East. What makes this book so valuable is that in offering a comprehensive analysis of the burgeoning ties between Israel and Turkey, Bengio focuses on the internal dynamics of both countries. Starting with David Ben Gurion, Bengio offers a fascinating account of the ups and downs and intricacies of the relationship. She demonstrates that this is a relationship that goes well beyond the military-to-military contacts that has already changed Middle East dynamics.´- Henri J. Barkey, Cohen Professor of International Relations at Lehigh University, USA

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OFRA BENGIO is Senior Research Fellow, The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, and Senior Lecturer in Middle East History, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

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