More than 300 prominent Iraqis made an unprecedented plea for regional reconciliation on 25 September, as they called for their country to normalise ties with Israel. “We demand full diplomatic relations with the State of Israel […] and a new policy of normalisation based on people-to-people relations with the citizens Read more…
Some 56 percent of Palestinians approve of recent “confidence-building measures” by the Israeli government, intended to improve everyday life for Palestinians. Polling by Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Survey and Policy Research, found that 56 percent of Palestinians viewed the moves positively, compared with 35 percent who Read more…
The leaders of Israel and Egypt, Naftali Bennett and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, held the first open talks in a decade on Monday as Bennett flew to Sharm el-Sheik. The leaders discussed rising tensions in Gaza, where both countries have imposed border restrictions in recent months. An increase in cross-border violence Read more…
Israel’s foreign minister launched a major new Gaza initiative on Sunday, offering a “new vision” based on “economy for security”. Yair Lapid was speaking on the 16th anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from the coastal enclave, which has been wracked by war and a humanitarian crisis under the leadership of the Hamas terror Read more…
Israel and Jordan could be poised for an unprecedented boom in water cooperation amid technological advancement, environmental pressures and improved diplomatic ties. Water deals between Jerusalem and Amman suffered in recent years under former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose critics accused him of neglecting ties with Jordan. However, in Read more…
The highest-level meeting between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in over a decade took place last week, and was followed by the announcement of a series of confidence-building measures. What happened Israel’s defence minister, Benny Gantz, met the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah last Sunday. “I came to the meeting Read more…
Israel’s neglect of public advocacy and diplomacy in recent years led to a rise in antisemitism and support for Palestinian terrorist organisations, Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid said on Sunday, in a strong rebuke of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “They are doing this because no one explains to them Read more…
The terrorist group Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since it seized power in 2007, has this week threatened Israel over the supply of aid into Gaza. Incendiary The threats come in the context of incendiary balloon arson attacks, a Hamas practice since 2018. Terrorists in Gaza launched several incendiary Read more…
LFI vice chair Cat McKinnell MP today pushed Middle East Minister James Cleverly about why the UK government isn’t showing more initiative to support the creation of the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, as envisioned by ALLMEP. Her question came following a written parliamentary question, in which the FCDO claimed Read more…
Palestinian Authority security forces arrested a Palestinian singer for performing in the Israeli settlement of Ariel on Monday. The singer, a resident of Kafr ad-Dik, will be tried on charges of “promoting normalisation with Israel”, sources told the Jerusalem Post. The singer was invited to perform at a party hosted by Read more…
LFI last week launched a major new publication examining the changing shape of the Middle East. From the growing threat posed by Iranian expansionism to diplomatic shifting sands and demographic changes, The New Middle East: A Progressive Approach is an important contribution to Labour’s foreign policy development. Launch event The pamphlet was Read more…
LFI this week launches a major new publication on the changing shape of the Middle East. From demographic changes to diplomatic revolutions, and the growing threat posed by an expansionist Iran, The New Middle East: A Progressive Approach is designed to contribute to the evolution of Labour’s foreign policy development. What’s in it The Read more…