Middle East Monitor Conversations
Episodes
188 episodes
Will the ICJ try Israel on charges of apartheid? MEMO in Conversation with Victor Kattan
Subhead: Will the UN reactivate the Special Committee Against Apartheid to end Israel's years-long abuse of Palestinians? And will the World Court try the occupation state and bring an end to its abuses? Join us as we discuss what measures a...
Gaza's children are being starved to death: MEMO in Conversation with Alexandra Saieh
This Palestinian Children's Day Israel is blocking the entry of lifesaving humanitarian aid into Gaza and starving minors to death. Charities are unable to access aid that is waiting on the other side of the border and parts of Gaza remain comp...
Feast like a Medieval Arab: MEMO in Conversation with Daniel Newman
Ever wondered about the origins of some of your favourite Middle Eastern dishes? Many recipes date back to medieval times but have been tweaked and amended to create the modern take and flavours we now know. Join us as Daniel Newman takes us on...
In Israel, the US's foreign policy lies in ruins: MEMO in Conversation with Chas Freeman
America is Israel's closest ally today. Every US administration since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War has closely embraced Tel Aviv. Washington's political elite's suppor...
Ethnic cleansing, racism and building the nation state: MEMO in Conversation with Mahmood Mamdani
In this week’s conversation, renowned historian and political theorist Professor Mahmood Mamdani joins us to discuss racism and the genocidal nature of nation-state building projects, focusing on the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. Drawing upon his...
The Arabs, The Crusades & the Mongols in the Near East: MEMO in Conversation with Dr Nicholas Morton
The 13th century saw the Middle East invaded and occupied by both the Crusaders and the Mongols, but both invaders quickly built their own political systems and transformed the Middle East. The 13th century ushered in a v...
The Israeli army, the end of an affair? MEMO in Conversation with Prof. Haim Bresheeth-Zabner
In this week’s MEMO conversation we speak to Professor Haim Bresheeth-Zabner, author of the acclaimed book An Army Like No Other, to discuss the outsized role of the military in Israeli nationhood. Professor Haim's research chronicles ...
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Genocide, the law and speaking out: MEMO in conversation with Mohammad Fadel
Canadian Professor of Law Mohammad Fadel joins us for a conversation on the ongoing crisis in Gaza, including Israel's military operations and blockade. With Professor Fadel's legal expertise, we analyse the implications of the International Co...
Saving Gazans under fire: MEMO in Conversation with Dr Amgad Elsherif
Israel's war on Gaza shows no sign of letting up with over 30,000 Palestinians dead and 70,000 wounded since 7 October 2023. With Israel seemingly preparing a full scale military operation in Rafah and reports the north of Gaza are hea...
Israel, the Bible and the Joshua Generation: MEMO in Conversation with Rachel Havrelock
The Zionist movement and Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, sought to revive the biblical Book of Joshua and use it to give the state a new identity. Here Israel was Joshua and the Palestinians were the Canaanites, but who is Josh...
Lebanon and the wounds of war: MEMO in Conversation with filmmaker Daniele Rugo
As The Soil and the Sea premiers in London this month, Rugo discusses the harrowing stories from the Lebanese Civil War which he unearthed in his new film and the generational impact of these life changing events. In this...
Christian conservatism in Lebanese politics: MEMO in Conversation with Chloe Kattar
Lebanon's history of civil unrest means its political landscape is based on sectarianism, which have repeatedly caused its governments to collapse and pushed the country to the brink of civil war. But how does its conservative Christian movemen...
The young Egyptians who brought down a president: MEMO in Conversation with Rusha Latif
It has been 13 years since Egyptians took to the street and changed their political landscape, but who was behind the protests that ousted President Hosni Mubarak? And what happened to the movement that forced him out?
Cutting support for UNRWA and starving Gaza: MEMO in Conversation with Dr Lex Takkenberg
UNRWA isn't only an aid agency, it is vital for advocating for the rights of Palestine refugees on a global stage, is that why Israel seeks to shut it down? Join this week's MEMO in Conversation as we discuss why UNRWA is being targeted. <...
Gaza and the end of Israeli invincibility: MEMO in Conversation with Daniel Levy
Israel's sense of invincibility and security were shattered on 7 October 2023 and now its atrocities are playing out in full view of the world, but has it lost its international legitimacy?On 6 October 2023, Israeli...
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'Attacks on UNRWA are about squeezing the Palestinians': MEMO in Conversation with Chris Gunness
The United Nations Refugee and Work Agency (UNRWA) plays a critical role in the lives of millions of Palestinians. Setup in 1949 to support the 750,000 Palestinians expelled by Israel in the 1948 Nakba, the agency performs a number of functions...
What does the ICJ ruling mean for Israel's supporters? MEMO in conversation with Kathryn Ravey
How does the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s ruling that Israel must prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to genocide and prevent a genocide taking place affect its manoeuvres in Gaza and will its main support...
Are American Jews turning their backs on Israel? MEMO in Conversation with Simone Zimmerman
More and more young American Jews are disillussioned with Israel and believe in the protection of Palestinian lives in the occupied territories and have been at the forefront of protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. But what's made...
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History in Times of Genocide: MEMO in Conversation with Rashid Khalidi
In times of genocide what responsibility does a teacher and a historian have? Israel's onslaught on Gaza has left more than 23,000 Palestinian civilians dead, many more injured and shows no sign of slowing down. While pro-Israel supporters fram...
Lesson in Genocide, an Israeli historian speaks out about Gaza: MEMO in Conversation with Omer Bartov
Does Israel have a right to use the Holocaust to justify its bombing of Gaza? And how is the global silence towards its crimes hindering the establishment of a Palestinian state and halting Tel Aviv's plan to annex the occupied territories? Joi...
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From Guantanamo to Palestine: MEMO in Conversation with Anas Mustapha
20 years ago, CAGE UK was set up to advocate for detainees held unjustly in Guantanamo Bay. Now, the rights group is expanding and becoming global at a time when systemic injustices are prevalent, seen especially in the repression of pro-Pal...
Jinns, donkey kings, angels and demons: MEMO in Conversation with Emily Selove
In an effort to beat the Abbasid Caliph Al-Nasir, the shah of the Khwarezmian Empire turned to magician Siraj Al-Din Al-Sakaki to create a magical statue that would help win the battle. But things took an unexpected turn. Join MEMO...
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Islam and slavery in America: MEMO in Conversation with Mbaye Lo and Carl Ernst
Omar Said surprised Antebellum America when he was discovered to be an educated slave from Senegal. Used as a poster child for the benevolence of slavery, Said's writings were distorted and failed to show his discontent at being a slave in Amer...
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'We are all Nasser's soldiers': MEMO in Conversation with Alex Rowell
Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser is a divisive figure, to some he is the North African state's saviour to others he betrayed its people and destabilised the region, but could he have been both?The Arab World with its di...
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Bringing Israel to justice: MEMO in Conversation with Toby Cadman
Does Israel have a right to bomb hospitals in Gaza? And what are the implications of its actions in the besieged enclave? Should the international be doing more to protect Palestinians? These are just some of the questions international law spe...
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