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…
In LFI’s new pamphlet, The New Middle East: A Progressive Approach, contributors explored how the Middle East is changing and what a progressive UK foreign policy response might be. In this webinar, a number of the pamphlet authors and Chatham House experts discussed the publication’s main arguments and recommendations. Prof 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…
Iran has embarked on a campaign to establish itself as Lebanon’s primary fuel supplier, in order to empower its local proxy: the terrorist group Hezbollah. A recent report by Iran’s state Tasnim media, titled ‘The Iranian ships, the triangle of resistance that shattered the American hegemony’, laid out the Iranian Read more…
Join us for a discussion event on the Middle East’s changing political landscape, organised in collaboration with Chatham House. You can sign up for this fascinating discussion here ahead of the event itself on Tuesday 14th September at 2pm. Over the last decade, Middle Eastern countries have experienced significant changes in Read more…
Protests in Iran have entered their third week, with reports of widespread arrests of protestors and the deadly use of force. The protests began on 15 July in response to the ongoing severe drought and water crisis in the Ahwazi region of Khuzestan. Protestors have said that water represented only Read more…
Labour Friends of Israel director Michael Rubin has written the below article for LabourList. Click here to read the original. For those of us on the left who support Israel and want to see the forces of peace, progress and moderation advance in the Middle East, the last decade was without 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…
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said at the weekend that ongoing negotiations in Vienna to restore the 2015 nuclear deal will not resume until president-elect Ebrahim Raisi is sworn in next month. “We’re in a transition period as a democratic transfer of power is underway in our capital”, Abbas Araghchi tweeted. 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…
Labour Friends of Israel chair, Steve McCabe MP, has written the below article for the Jewish Chronicle. Click here to read the original. The obsession with Israel-Palestine means my party has neglected other vital issues The past decade has seen a series of momentous events sweep the Middle East: the Arab Spring, 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…