https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 12:39:48 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230209-israel-tel-aviv-airport-staff-strike/ Thu, 09 Feb 2023 08:31:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=613322 Employees at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv announced yesterday that they have gone on strike in protest against working conditions and the airport's failure to fulfill contractual obligations towards them, local media reported. Staff suspended passenger check-in procedures, which caused delays to many flights and resulted in long queues forming in front of the departure and arrival windows. According to the Times of Israel, airport employees are not satisfied with their working conditions or their wages, which have been reduced since the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Although the Airport Employees Association announced that the strike would be suspended on the same day at 14:00 Tel Aviv time, confusion and delays in flight times were expected. READ: The […]]]> 613322 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221104-winners-of-palestine-book-awards-2022-announced/ Fri, 04 Nov 2022 23:36:32 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=590742 The winners of 2022's Palestine Book Awards (PBA) were announced on Friday evening in an event in London to recognise authors and their contributions to literature on the subject of Palestine. Seven books were handpicked by the panel of judges and saw their authors presented with awards in five categories. The 11th PBA was held in person for the first time since 2019, after COVID forced MEMO to host the event online. The awards ceremony followed an informal event held yesterday at London's P21 Gallery, in which authors of the nine shortlisted books discussed their work with the audience and participated in a lively debate. The 2022 Palestine Book Awards ceremony was opened by British journalist, author and former associate […]]]> 590742 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220905-palestinians-call-on-unrwa-to-stop-delaying-rebuilding-of-homes-in-gaza/ Mon, 05 Sep 2022 12:28:36 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=577515 Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip held a protest against delays in the reconstruction of properties damaged during Israel's 2014 aggression against the enclave. Nine years on from the Israeli attack which began on 8 July and ended on 26 August damaging 55,000 homes, including 718 which were demolished, Palestinians are still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt and to move from their temporary shelters, the tents they have set up to keep safe from the elements. Today they called on UNRWA to compensate those affected so they can rebuild their homes To date, 600 homes have been rebuilt, but reconstruction has been slow because of delays which UNRWA says are due to "security issues" pretexts, a claim Palestinian […]]]> 577515 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220124-entries-open-for-11th-palestine-book-awards/ Mon, 24 Jan 2022 09:14:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=527210 Middle East Monitor's (MEMO) Palestine Book Awards are back for the 11th year and we invite you to submit your best entries. Winning books will be chosen from a number of categories, including Academic, Translation, Creative, Memoir, Social History. MEMO will be hosting an awards ceremony to honour the best books written in English on the subject of Palestine. The Awards promote existing books on Palestine as well as encouraging new authors to write about this sensitive but important topic with the aim of drawing attention to a cause that rests at the heart of the Middle East. Awards winners will be announced in November 2022 in the presence of publishers, authors, journalists, academics and politicians. We welcome all books […]]]> 527210 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211231-gaza-honours-memo-photojournalist/ Fri, 31 Dec 2021 16:04:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=523224 Middle East Monitor's photojournalist Mohammed Asad was honoured yesterday for the work he has done to highlight the plight of Palestinians on the global stage. This came during an event held to mark the Day of Loyalty to Palestinian Journalists organised by the Strip's Government Media Office and which honoured 20 journalists who have been recognised in international competitions. Asad recently won the  Arab Journalism Award's photography category for a picture he took during Israel's May 2021 bombardment of Gaza. A prize he was awarded in the UAE Emirate of Dubai. This year's event comes just months after Israel targeted three buildings which housed media offices in the besieged Gaza Strip during its May bombardment. The Government Media Office said there had been at least 1,040 violations […]]]> 523224 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211124-winners-of-palestine-book-awards-2021-announced-marking-its-tenth-anniversary/ Wed, 24 Nov 2021 21:04:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=514176 For the second year in a row the event was held online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Out of dozens of books nominated at the beginning of the year, seven were shortlisted by PBA judges with four receiving awards. The evening began with a keynote address by Haider Eid, an Associate Professor at Al-Aqsa University, policy adviser at the Palestinian Policy Network-Al-Shabaka, a member of the advisory committee of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, and a founding member of the One Democratic State Campaign. 2021 Winners of 10th Palestine Book Awards announced Academic Award: Eric Skare – 'A History of Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Faith, Awareness, and Revolution in the Middle East' Biography Award: Timothy Brennan – 'Places of Mind: A […]]]> 514176 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211027-writing-palestine/ Wed, 27 Oct 2021 15:30:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=503799 Join us online for the launch of Writing Palestine – a book celebrating the tenth year of the Palestine Book Awards. If you have not already, grab a copy of the book here.   About Writing Palestine The Palestine Book Awards which was established to honour and endorse the best books written in English on Palestine. The book, with Arabic and English texts, uniquely brings together revered names: Rima Khalaf, Salman Abu Sitta, Ramzy Baroud, Ilan Pappé, Richard Falk, Karen Abu Zayd, Salim Vally and Eugene Rogan, all of whom were either keynote speakers at our annual receptions or recipients of Awards, including Lifetime Achievement Awards. What unites them is their deep belief in the power of books and their commitment to […]]]> 503799 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210626-former-brazil-senator-pedro-simon-receives-the-memo-team/ Sat, 26 Jun 2021 16:37:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=480134 Staff members of the Middle East Monitor in Brazil, Ahmad Zoubi and Hani Aldrsani, were received on 22 June by the former senator and governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Pedro Simon, and his wife, Ivete, at the couple's residence in the Rio Grande do Sul city of Xangri-lá. Simon was gifted with publications on historical aspects of the Palestinian struggle. The former senator reciprocated kindness with his works on issues of the state and Brazilian politics, such as the book, Sobre o Brasil Que Queremos (About the Brazil we want), in which he demonstrates fierce action against corruption and impunity, defending a strong state with social inclusion. At the age of 91, and with a broad vision of Brazil's […]]]> 480134 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210314-engaging-the-world-the-making-of-hamass-foreign-policy-3/ Sun, 14 Mar 2021 16:04:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=461141 The Making of Hamas's Foreign Policy is the first comprehensive account of how the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, conducts its international relations, its attempts to develop a coherent and dynamic foreign policy, and its leveraging of this foreign policy to strengthen its global legitimacy and credibility. Having grown out of the refugee camps in Gaza, and relying mostly on its support within Palestine and the Palestinian diaspora, the movement was thrust onto the global stage by a series of events imposed on it. Its victory in the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary election, its subsequent demonisation and the imposition of an Israeli and Egyptian siege on Gaza convinced it of the need for a visible and coordinated international outreach. This book […]]]> 461141 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210225-dangerous-and-deplorable-facebook-bans-memo-staffer-for-advertising-recently-published-book-on-hamas/ Thu, 25 Feb 2021 21:25:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=458057 Middle East Monitor (MEMO) and the Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC) in Johannesburg have strongly condemned the decision by Facebook to ban a staff member from using its platform for 30 days after he posted an advert for the launch of a book written by MEMO's director, titled Engaging the World: the Making of Hamas's Foreign Policy. Facebook claimed that the post violated its Community Standards, rejected an appeal from MEMO staff to reverse the decision, and referred MEMO to its Oversight Board. MEMO's Director Dr Daud Abdullah and author of the book said the decision is not entirely surprising as it is "yet further proof that the social media giant has been hijacked by special interest groups driven by an […]]]> 458057 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201129-man-who-walked-from-cape-town-for-pilgrimage-accused-of-theft-and-fraud/ Sun, 29 Nov 2020 09:50:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=437683 An article about a South African man who claimed to have walked from Cape Town to Jerusalem has been taken down by MEMO after it was revealed that he is a fraud. Moreover, Shaheed Stakala is wanted in South Africa to face charges of stealing money which Muslims had been saving to perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. MEMO and other media outlets were alerted to this when the story of his alleged walk from Cape Town, which ended with him meeting Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and visiting Al-Aqsa Mosque, was publicised. Details of the charges against him were given on the "Faizal Sayed Show"in South Africa. READ: UN Palestine Agency on edge due to financial crisis In a […]]]> 437683 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200724-gaza-blockade-egyptian-harassment-meets-readers/ Fri, 24 Jul 2020 17:42:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=412160 Recounting his journey with two companions to reach the Gaza Strip through Egypt's blockade, a co-author of the book No Way to Gaza detailed the harassment inflicted by Egyptian officials on the Brazilian trio and the Palestinian residents of the city alike, Anadolu Agency reported. "This adventure nearly cost us lives. One of our colleagues had a heart attack in Cairo," Rodrigo D. E. Campos said during the virtual book launch for the chronicle on Thursday. No Way to Gaza tells the story of a group of Brazilian filmmakers who attempted to reach the Gaza Strip via Egypt to make a documentary on the city. BUY IT NOW: No Way to Gaza The Rafah border crossing on the enclave's southern border was supposed to […]]]> 412160 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190709-memos-top-10-at-10/ Tue, 09 Jul 2019 16:15:23 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=352122 We've had tens of thousands of stories on the Middle East in the ten years since MEMO launched, so for our 10th birthday, we've compiled a list of those you've read the most: 1. Israeli soldier gives 74-year-old Palestinian woman water then shoots her in the head In the summer of 2014, during the bombardment of the Gaza Strip an Israeli soldier offered a drink to a 74-year-old Palestinian woman, Ghalya Abu-Rida. After posing for a photo with her, he then shot her in the head and watched her bleed to death. 2. Letter from Gaza by a Norwegian doctor In 2014, Norwegian Doctor Mads Gilbert wrote a letter recounting the horrors of the ground invasion of Gaza, and praising […]]]> 352122 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181206-hamas-welcomes-jordans-decision-to-host-al-aqsa-conference/ Thu, 06 Dec 2018 16:23:58 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=318323 318323 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180927-oslo-at-25-a-legacy-of-broken-promises/ Thu, 27 Sep 2018 11:45:37 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=307448 The Oslo Accords signed in 1993 were supposed to end in a final settlement of the Palestine-Israel conflict after an interim period of five years. 25 years on, the 'final settlement' still has not been reached, with the seven 'permanent status' issues yet to be negotiated. To the same degree that the Palestinians did not achieve their independence and statehood, so too the Israelis have failed to realise their exclusive and democratic Jewish state, with a Jewish majority. Why has the Oslo peace process continued for so long with no tangible success? What next for the peace process? The live blog from our conference on Oslo at 25 will begin at 10am GMT on Saturday, 29th September 2018]]> 307448 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180302-jerusalem-legalising-the-occupation/ Fri, 02 Mar 2018 17:00:56 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=274541 Following US President Donald Trump's unilateral decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, world leaders and international organisations rallied to condemn the move. But is condemnation enough? International law has thus far proved ineffective in defending Palestinian rights over Jerusalem, negotiations have stalled, and all the while, Palestinian homes are being demolished and history rewritten. So what next? The live blog from our conference on Jerusalem will begin at 10am GMT on Saturday, 3rd March 2018  ]]> 274541 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180302-memo-to-host-jerusalem-legalising-the-occupation-event-in-london/ Fri, 02 Mar 2018 08:00:51 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=280096 Middle East Monitor is to host an event on Jerusalem this weekend, in the wake of US President Donald Trump's recognition of the city as the capital of Israel. The programme is entitled "Jerusalem: Legalising the occupation" and will take place on Saturday, 3 March, in central London. The day-long conference will bring together experts on the region to discuss the controversies, past and present, surrounding Jerusalem. Four panel discussions will be held over the course of the day. The first will revisit the history of the ancient capital, particularly the Zionist claims of links to the land and the impact that the 1948 war had on the area. Subsequent panels will examine Jerusalem's legal status in the international arena […]]]> 280096 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180227-final-schedule-and-speakers-published-ahead-of-memo-conference-on-jerusalem/ Tue, 27 Feb 2018 14:35:00 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=279698 Three months on from the unilateral decision by US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel influential speakers from the fields of journalism, politics, academia and the diplomatic world are gathering in London to discuss the impact. The event is hosted by Middle East Monitor (MEMO), a UK based not-for-profit media research institute that provides research, information and analyses of primarily the Palestine-Israel conflict, and will take place this Saturday 3rd March in Central London. Questions to be explored include: What are the ramifications of the USA's decision on Jerusalem? What is the response of the international community? What role can international negotiations play in any future decision on Jerusalem? Amongst the speakers considering these questions […]]]> 279698 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180219-middle-east-monitor-announces-london-conference-jerusalem-is-president-trump-legalising-the-occupation/ Mon, 19 Feb 2018 11:01:31 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=278456 Middle East Monitor (MEMO) is to host a Conference titled 'Jerusalem: Is President Trump Legalising the Occupation?' in London on 3rd March 2018. Middle East Monitor (MEMO) is a UK based not-for-profit media research institute that provides research, information and analyses of primarily the Palestine-Israel conflict. The one-day Conference will bring together influential speakers from the fields of journalism, politics, academia and the diplomatic world to assess the impact of the unilateral decision by US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Download the press release Speakers will include: Donald Macintyre, Award winning journalist and author of 'Gaza: Preparing for Dawn' Kevin Chamberlain, Former legal advisor to the FCO & Palestinian Authority Dr Ahmad Tibi, Member […]]]> 278456 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171124-palestine-book-awards-2017/ Fri, 24 Nov 2017 08:00:35 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=263635 Middle East Monitor's Palestine Book Awards are back for a sixth year. From 7.00pm (GMT) today, we will be live blogging the Awards Ceremony. The Palestine Book Awards started in 2012 to honour, commemorate, and recognise the best authored works on the subject of Palestine. Since then, it has grown ever more influential and popular, with the number of submissions growing significantly. Follow the live blog >> Palestine Book Awards 2017 Shortlist Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine – Ibtisam Barakat, published by FSG Macmillan The Oslo Accords – Petter Bauck and Mohammed Omer, published by The American University in Cairo Press Code Name: Butterfly – Ahlam Bsharat, published by Neem Tree Press Ltd Gaza under Hamas: From Islamic Democracy to Islamist Governance – Björn […]]]> 263635 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171123-memo-to-host-6th-palestine-book-awards/ Thu, 23 Nov 2017 08:00:25 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=265561 265561 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171119-senior-ex-uk-mps-discuss-saudi-crises-in-memo-conference/ Sun, 19 Nov 2017 19:05:50 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=265866 Senior British politicians, including former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, took part in a conference tackling the current situation in Saudi Arabia hosted by the Middle East Monitor yesterday. Straw, who was foreign secretary for five years under Tony Blair's government, gave a speech on the current crises in the Kingdom and fielded questions on some of his controversial decisions, including the invasion of Iraq and the designation of Palestinian political movement Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Straw intimated that the Labour government's decision under Blair to politically marginalise Hamas was a mistake and his opposition against the Palestinian resistance group's designation as a terror organisation, he suggested, may have been the reason for his dismissal in 2006 from his role as foreign secretary on the request of US President George W Bush. The Labour MP had been invited to give […]]]> 265866 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171117-crisis-in-saudi-arabia-war-succession-and-the-future/ Fri, 17 Nov 2017 16:30:10 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=264116 Join Middle East Monitor on Saturday, 18th November 2017 for a full day conference looking at the future for Saudi Arabia, and the UK's relationship with the Kingdom. We will be live streaming the conference all day on this page, and follow the live blog below for all the important highlights.  ]]> 264116 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170613-palestine-book-awards-2017-shortlist-announced/ Tue, 13 Jun 2017 16:44:07 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=239303 The Middle East Monitor (MEMO) is pleased to announce the books shortlisted for its 2017 Palestine Book Awards. This prestigious event, now in its sixth year, is an annual project that honours and celebrates books in English about Palestine. It is, equally, an attempt to encourage authors and publishers to produce more books on Palestine. 2017 has been another successful year with a total of 41 books submitted for consideration. The shortlist winners selected by the judges have added to the diversity of submissions and genres featuring the Palestinian narrative. View the press release in Arabic The 2017 shortlisted authors are: Ibtisam Barakat:Balcony on the Moon (FSG Macmillan) Petter Bauck and Mohammed Omer:The Oslo Accords (The American University in Cairo […]]]> 239303 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170320-launching-richard-falks-new-book-palestines-horizon/ Mon, 20 Mar 2017 14:21:39 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=221553 221553 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20130720-memo-exclusive-analyses-of-hoax-videos-receive-worldwide-attention/ Sat, 20 Jul 2013 11:41:24 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217517 217517 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20130505-memo-celebrates-achievements-of-iraqi-scholar/ Sun, 05 May 2013 11:38:57 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217515 The Middle East Monitor (MEMO) has held a function to honour and celebrate the life achievements of the distinguished Iraqi-born scholar Dr Jafar Hadi Hassan. Well known for his pioneering studies of Jewish sects, Dr Hasan is also an accomplished linguist, specialising in Semitic languages. The event was held at the P21 Gallery, London and attended by a number of Iraqi academics and British dignitaries. During his academic career, Dr Hassan lectured at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, Manchester University and McGill University, Montreal. MEMO's director, Dr Daud Abdullah, told the audience in his opening remarks that the event was organised to recognise and honour the scholastic contribution that Dr Hassan has made. He noted that his achievements stand […]]]> 217515 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20121214-lords-call-for-economic-sanctions-against-israel/ Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:50:56 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217530 217530 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20110629-parliamentary-event-will-go-ahead-despite-detention-of-sheikh-raed-salah/ Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:38:20 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217513 217513 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20110510-memo-statement/ Tue, 10 May 2011 13:30:38 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217507 217507 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20110505-psc-and-memo-statement-on-event/ Thu, 05 May 2011 11:23:33 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217505 The PSC and MEMO meeting on media bias, taking place on 23 May as an external event in Amnesty's building in London, has come under fire by pro-Israeli Government supporters. In a blog published at the end of April in the Daily Telegraph, Michael Weiss, spokesperson for the pro-Israeli Government think tank Just Journalism, attempts to smear MEMO and asks why Amnesty would host such an organisation. At the end of his blog, Weiss asks readers to call the human rights organisation posing the same question. From this one article, it is clear that the recommendations of the Israeli think tank The Reut Institute, published in December 2010, to attack and split the solidarity movement in London and worldwide are […]]]> 217505 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20100828-the-spectator-and-stephen-pollard-apologise-to-islam-expo-and-pay-damages/ Sat, 28 Aug 2010 11:16:55 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217501 217501 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20100709-british-peers-on-fact-finding-mission-to-jerusalem/ Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:13:49 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217490 217490 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20100701-jerusalemite-mps-seek-refuge-in-red-cross-compound-to-avoid-israeli-expulsion/ Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:48:29 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217488 217488 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20100630-ground-breaking-live-video-talks-between-british-mps-and-jerusalemite-counterparts-facing-expulsion/ Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:47:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217481 In a unique and momentous event last night the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) organised a live video link to take place between British parliamentarians in the House of Commons and members of the Palestinian Legislature in Jerusalem. This was the first opportunity of its kind to allow the two groups of parliamentarians to speak directly and face to face in this way. This initiative was a great success and provided an opportunity for direct dialogue on an important range of issues. The primary focus of the meeting was the recent Israeli decree that three Palestinian parliamentarians and one former minister must leave their homes in Jerusalem, give up their jobs, families and move outside of their home city. They have […]]]> 217481 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20100604-emergency-national-demonstration/ Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:13:32 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217478 217478 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20100324-press-conference-with-karen-koning-abuzayd/ Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:10:52 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217476 217476 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20091222-commemorating-gazas-victims-in-london/ Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:33:22 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217465 With the approach of the international convoy Viva Palestina to Gaza, plans are under way in several European cities to mark the first anniversary of the Israel onslaught on the besieged Palestinian territory. The Middle East Monitor (MEMO) has learnt from sources in London that a broad coalition of solidarity organizations would be holding a vigil outside the Israeli embassy in London on Sunday 27th December. Sources close to the organizers say the purpose of the event is to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian people, demand an end to the siege of the territory and reaffirm calls for the prosecution of suspected Israeli war criminals. Amid mounting international concern with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza leader of the Liberal Democratic […]]]> 217465 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20091217-memos-senior-editor-writes-to-the-spectator/ Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:51:33 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217348 In a blog on the Spectator magazine website, Martin Bright sought to discredit the Director of MEMO, Dr. Daud Abdullah in a post on Tuesday 15th December. The following is the response sent to the Editor of the Spectator: Dear Editor, I am writing in response to an item by Martin Bright; What on earth was Daud Abdullah doing on Chamnel 4 News? (15th December) Dr. Abdullah has too much self-respect to respond to Mr. Bright's childish attempt to defame the individual rather than tackle the issue in question; the warrant issued against Tzipi Livni. When he talked about Daud Abdullah's "serious baggage", he could have – and should have, to be balanced – talked about Ms. Livni's considerably more […]]]> 217348 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20091130-in-conversation-with-john-ging-head-of-unwra/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:16:23 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217588 This morning (November 30th) John Ging, the Head of the United Nation's Relief and Works Agency (), hosted a discussion on the current crisis in the Gaza Strip. The closed seminar, which was co-hosted and organised by Oliver McTernan, Director of Forward Thinking and Dr Daud Abdullah Director of the Middle East Monitor, was attended by a small group of prominent individuals with a deep interest and commitment to the situation in the region. Those in attendance included Clare Short (MP), Jeremy Bowen (BBC), a representative of the Malaysian High Commissioner, a representative from Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP), Interpal, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and several members of the press. The main focus of the discussion was the […]]]> 217588 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20090311-british-espionage-journalist-released-in-gaza/ Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:08:41 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217472 British journalist, Paul Martin, has been released by the Hamas government. MEMO has been informed of Martin's release by the Ministry of Justice in Gaza early today, Thursday 11 2010. Martin was detained after claims made by a Gazan man, Muhammad Abu Mu'liq, who was also detained on suspicion of collaborating with the Israeli security services and had been known to Martin. The former confessed the involvement of the British journalist in the collaboration. The initial detention of 15 days was extended for a further 15 days to allow for a thorough investigation to take place to discover whether or not the accusations of espionage held true. Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahar, Senior Hamas official, delivered a press release around the circumstances […]]]> 217472 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20090212-message-from-palestinian-law-students-justice-makers-assembly/ Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:52:05 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=217345 217345