MEM HUSEDIN

Mem Husedin is a commentator on Kurdish affairs, Kurdistan, and international politics, based in Vancouver. Born in Iskenderun in 1976 to a Kurdish family, he became politically active as a student and has written for Kurdish media outlets since 2005. His work centers on great-power competition in the Middle East and its consequences for the region's peoples, examined from a global vantage point and a Kurdistan-centered one. He argues that the fragmentation of Kurdish politics, rather than any shortage of Kurdish national feeling, is the principal obstacle to Kurdish aspirations, and advocates the formation of a representative national body. He appears regularly as a commentator in Kurdish broadcast and podcast media and is active in Kurdish civic organizations in Canada. He holds no party affiliation.

Israelis from Kurdish origin take part in a rally in support of the Kurdish referendum outside the American consulate in Jerusalem September 24, 2017

Israel, Kurdistan, and the hopes for a strong political alliance - opinion

Nechirvan Barzani, the regional president of Iraqi Kurdistan, delivers a speech after casting his ballot in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi's northern autonomous Kurdish region, on November 11, 2025.

Kurdish expert: Israel knows how to recognize a nation. It should recognize ours - opinion

Israelis from Kurdish origin take part in a rally in support of the Kurdish referendum outside the American consulate in Jerusalem September 24, 2017

Kurds are not a proxy. We are a nation without a front - opinion


Israel and Kurdistan: Regional collapse reshapes the Middle East map - opinion

Israel and Kurdistan face shared adversaries, raising questions about new alliances as old Middle East borders weaken and fragment.

A fighter from the Iranian Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) takes part in a training exercise at a base near Erbil, Iraq, in February.

Iranian Kurdish dilemma: Should they fight for a free Kurdistan or risk being used? - opinion

As tensions rise with Iran, Kurds face a familiar dilemma: seize opportunity or risk repeating a long history of abandonment by global powers.

Kurdish coalition forces.

Why Israel must support Syria’s minorities - opinion

Israel may be the only hope for vulnerable minorities in Syria in need of protection from the new Syrian regime.

THE US has lifted economic sanctions on Syria and President Donald Trump even met with Ahmed al-Sharaa in May, in Riyadh, praising him highly, the writer notes.

Why Erdogan, not Netanyahu, is the real threat to Middle East peace - opinion

While Israel has worked to put an end to Iran’s campaign to dominate the Middle East, Turkey has consistently undermined peace.

 TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization last week in Khankendi, Azerbaijan.

Turkey's regional ambitions can only be stopped by building a Kurdish nation - opinion

Fast forward to today: Turkey’s entire political spectrum – from the far Left to the far Right is united around the idea of territorial expansion into Iraq, Syria, and beyond. 

 TURKEY’S PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Antalya, Turkey, last month. Turkey’s expansionist policies in Syria and Iraq are now on the radar of nearly everyone following Middle Eastern geopolitics, the writer states, May, 2025.

Why Kurds and Israel must align on combatting Turkey - opinion

The Kurds present themselves as the most natural ally for Israel in this shifting landscape. They are politically aligned, militarily capable, and strategically located.

 TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey.

Recognizing historical promise to Kurds secures strategic future for Israel - opinion

Under current considerations, Kurdistan is where Iran’s logistical access to its proxies can be disrupted.

 AT THE UN General Assembly in 2019, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared a map showing Turkey’s desired control of all of northern Syria. The writer asks: What would Turkey do next?

Should Israel support independence for Syria's Kurds? - opinion

Israel's security lies in supporting Kurdish independence rather than making deals with Turkey in Syria.

 A BOY walks past murals depicting Kurdish People’s Protection Units and Women’s Protection Unit flags in Qamishli, Syria, last month. It was the Kurds who stood with the Jews when the Second Temple was attacked, says the writer.