Middle East Monitor Conversations

In this episode of a Conversation with MEMO, we speak with Shai Parnes, Public Outreach Director at B’Tselem, about the organisation’s landmark report “Our Genocide”, which declares that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Shai reflects on what it meant – emotionally, politically, and collectively – for their team to release this report from within Israeli society. We discuss the moment they knew the term genocide could no longer be avoided, and the significance of framing the report as “our genocide”.We explore why B’Tselem waited until now to publish this conclusion, despite earlier warnings from Palestinian groups and legal scholars. Shai explains how the events of October 7 became a catalyst for annihilation, and why the current violence cannot be separated from the apartheid foundations laid between 1948 and 2023. The conversation covers key themes from the report including demographic engineering, spatial separation, ideological denial, and dehumanisation.Finally, we take a look at the culture of denial in Israel.

In this episode of A Conversation with MEMO, historian Peter Shambrook shares the compelling story behind his book Policy of Deceit: Britain and Palestine, 1914–1939. Through a detailed revisit of the McMahon–Hussein Correspondence, he unpacks how Britain’s broken promises to Arab leaders helped set the stage for the modern Israel–Palestine conflict. Shambrook takes us into the minds of British policymakers during World War I and the interwar years, showing how decisions such as the Balfour Declaration emerged from geopolitical chess, not concern for the indigenous population of Palestine. Shambrook challenges the dominant histories that downplay Arab voices and calls on younger generations particularly those involved in protest and activism, to engage with the historical roots of the conflict and the UK’s role in its making. His work comes at a moment when acknowledgment of this history feels more urgent than ever. As one reviewer notes, “this definitive work is a must-read,” laying bare a chapter of British deceit that echoes into today's political landscape.00:01:09 – Why Write This Book?00:09:05 – Research and Historical Certainty00:16:06 – Maps and British Expectations00:25:03 – Pressure in Parliament00:38:57 – The Balfour Declaration in Policy00:44:24 – Homeland vs. State00:50:11 – Zionist Strategy Before WWI00:59:12 – Morality and Personal Responsibility

In this episode of MEMO’s podcast, host Nasim Ahmed speaks with Palestinian American scholar Karam Dana about his new book, To Stand with Palestine: Transnational Resistance and Political Evolution in the United States. Karam, a professor at the University of Washington Bothell, explores how the Palestinian struggle, especially from the diaspora, has become a powerful force for political change. The conversation touches on the book’s central idea: that transnational activism has reshaped what solidarity with Palestine looks like, particularly in the US.They discuss what inspired Karam to write the book and how key events, including how Israel’s genocide in Gaza, have brought its themes into sharp focus. From social media activism to anti-Boycott Divestment and Sanctions laws, Karam breaks down how Palestinians and their allies are navigating the legal, political, and cultural landscape in America. Part of MEMO’s lead-up to the 2025 Palestine Book Awards, this episode offers a thoughtful and timely look at how the fight for justice in Palestine connects with broader movements for racial and social justice. Karam makes the case that Palestine is not just a political issue, it’s a window into how power, solidarity, and resistance are evolving today.

In this episode of Conversation with MEMO, we sit down with solicitor Fahad Ansari to unpack the intensifying crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism across Western democracies. Against the backdrop of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, the discussion dives deep into the erosion of free speech, the use of counter-terror laws to silence dissent, and the alarming shift from democratic to authoritarian tendencies in dealing with pro-Palestinian voices. Fahad, whose firm recently launched a legal challenge against the UK's proscription of Hamas, shares insight into the chilling legal and political environment confronting activists today, raising urgent questions about the double standards embedded in the West’s commitment to freedom of expression.The conversation also explores the unprecedented attempt to label Palestine Action a terrorist group, and the broader implications this could have for civil liberties and the future of political activism. Fahad provides a legal lens on these developments, drawing from real cases and legal battles led by his firm, now rebranded as Riverway to the Sea. 

The Gaza-bound aid ship Conscience was attacked by Israeli drones in international waters last week, injuring several people and damaging the vessel. As part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the ship was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. For the latest on the attack, MEMO's Nasim Ahmed speaks with Ann Wright, a former US Army colonel and diplomat who is a key organiser with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.Ann Wright is a retired US Army colonel and former diplomat who resigned in protest over the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Since then, she has been a vocal peace activist and human rights advocate, playing a leading role in numerous anti-war and pro-justice movements. Wright is a key organiser with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

After a new age spirituality movement sprung up in the West in the late 19th century, the wisdom of Egyptian holy men, the healers of Palestine and the fakirs of the Ottomans were highly sought after from clubs in New York to Paris. Joining us to discuss how things changed in the West and the Middle East is the author of a book on the Middle East's own new age moment.A new book 'Holy men of the Electromagnetic Age' aims to shake up how we see the history of new age spirituality. While we tend to associate seances, mind-reading, healing crystals, magic and spiritual sciences with a new age movement that sprang up in the West and which took some inspiration from India and the East in the 1960s, an entire global movement towards new age spirituality took off in the late 19th century and by the 1920s had reached a new height. A forgotten part of the new occult movement is the men of the Middle East that helped shape it. The wisdom of Egyptian holy men, the healers of Palestine and the fakirs of the Ottomans were highly sought after from clubs in New York to Paris. Eager young men and refugees sought to make their fortune in the West from performances that included mind reading and communing with the dead. They were seen as spiritual healers, who brought with them esoteric knowledge of the unseen world known to eastern wisdom, but forgotten by Western materialism. While the West was gripped by theosophy, the Middle East too experienced its own new age moment, where old assumptions were turned on their head. Joining us is the book's author Raphael Cormack. Cormack is Assistant Professor of Arabic at Durham University. He is a writer, editor and translator. His first book, 'Midnight in Cairo', is a history of Cairo's early 20th century entertainment industry told from the perspective of its female stars. 'Holy Men of the Electromagnetic Age' is his second book.Special announcement: It has been quite a ride, MEMO Conversations was founded five-years ago and has been a core production for Middle East Monitor. Great guests, conversations and wonderful hosts have created a truly engaging product. Producer and host Usman Butt has been at the heart of running the show, however, the time has come for Usman to move on and we wish him the best of luck. 

Join us as we explore why Britain repeatedly deceived the Palestinian leadership and assess Britain’s direct role in displacing Palestinians ahead of the creation of the occupation state of Israel. Was there ever a real chance that London might have abandoned the Balfour Declaration? Or was the Palestinian resistance doomed from the outset?During this week's MEMO in Conversation we are joined by historian and researcher Blake Alcott, author of the monumental 1,500-page book 'The Rape of Palestine: A Mandate Chronology'. This meticulously compiled work traces, through original documents, the calculated betrayal of Palestine by the British colonial administration from 1917 to 1948. With nearly 500 letters, reports and official records, Alcott lays bare how Britain systematically enabled Zionist colonisation while suppressing Palestinian resistance. This conversation is not just of important historical value, it’s an urgent exploration of how the roots of today’s crisis can be found in the Mandate-era decisions that reshaped the Middle East. Alcott takes us through some of the book’s most explosive revelations, including early Palestinian warnings that were ignored, the King-Crane Commission’s damning but buried report, and the desperate lobbying efforts that ensured Britain remained firmly in support of Zionist settlement. We explore why Britain repeatedly deceived the Palestinian leadership, shutting them out of decision-making while empowering Zionist institutions like the Jewish Agency. As we discuss Britain’s direct role in displacing Palestinians, Alcott examines whether there was ever a real chance that London might have abandoned the Balfour Declaration — or if Palestinian resistance was doomed from the outset. Blake Alcott was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1945, received a BA in philosophy in 1968 from Wesleyan U. in Connecticut, moved to Zurich and became a Swiss citizen, was a self-employed cabinetmaker until 2000. He obtained an MPhil in environmental policy in 2006 from University of Cambridge and a PhD in sustainability strategies in 2013 from the University of East Anglia. He went on to live in Turkiye and returned to Zurich, where he now lives, writes and plays tennis.

With Donald Trump back in the White House vowing to tighten sanctions against Iran, the Gulf's ties with the Islamic Republic are in new unchartered waters, how will the US president's actions alter relations in the Middle East?Iran and the GCC countries have a long history of suspicion, co-operation, competition, conflict and dialogue. During the fallout of the Arab Spring in 2011, we saw an intense rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which saw both nations sponsoring different sides in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. We also see close cooperation between them, despite sanctions on Tehran, the United Arab Emirates is a key trading partner and a place for Iranians to do business. However, the Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon, the fall of Assad in Syria and the new Trump administration in the US, means the GCC and Tehran are in choppy new waters. What are the implications of these changes and how will leaders across the Gulf respond to one another? Helping us to understand all of this is Mehran Kamrava. Kamrava is Professor of Government at Georgetown University in Qatar. He also directs the Iranian Studies Unit at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies. Kamrava is the author of a number of journal articles and books, including, most recently, 'How Islam Rules in Iran: Theology and Theocracy in the Islamic Republic' ; 'Righteous Politics: Power and Resilience in Iran'; 'A Dynastic History of Iran: From the Qajars to the Pahlavis' and 'Triumph and Despair: In Search of Iran’s Islamic Republic'.

The genocide in Gaza has raised an important matter, Jews are not facing an existential crisis concerning the state of Israel, but a moral one — one that could reshape Jewish tradition more profoundly than any crisis in centuries, Beinart says.Cast as a Cassandra figure within the Jewish community, Peter Beinart has been both celebrated and excommunicated for his outspoken criticism of Zionism and Israel’s policies. In the wake of the Gaza genocide, he argues that Jews are not facing an existential crisis concerning the state of Israel, but a moral one — one that could reshape Jewish tradition more profoundly than any crisis in centuries. In this MEMO in Conversation, we explore what it means to grapple with this moral reckoning and whether mainstream Jewish discourse is prepared to face it.Together, we dismantle deeply ingrained narratives — like the idea that Jewish history is a perpetual cycle of persecution and survival, encapsulated in the phrase, “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat.” Beinart challenges us to reconsider Purim, not just as a tale of Jewish resilience but as a warning about the dangers of unchecked power. We also discuss the paradox of Israeli victimhood: How does a regional superpower backed by the world’s most powerful nation continue to centre its identity around historical trauma? And how has this currency of victimhood been weaponised by right-wing populist movements both in Israel and beyond?The conversation delves into the language of evasion — how euphemisms like “transfer” and “security measures” have been used to obscure the brutal realities of ethnic cleansing. We also confront one of the most controversial questions: Was a Jewish state in Palestine ever possible without the Gaza genocide? Finally, we tackle the uncomfortable but urgent issue of anti-Semitism: How has it been used as a shield against legitimate criticism of Israel, and what are the dangers of thismisuse for Jews worldwide? Has Israel become a false idol, where rejecting a Jewish state is now seen as a greater heresy than rejecting Judaism itself?Beinart is Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York. He is also a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, an MSNBC Political Commentator, Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He writes the Beinart Notebook newsletter on Substack.Com

Western media has often distorted the image of the Palestinian resistance, shaping narratives in a way that harms the fate of Palestinians, but truly understanding Hamas is the only way to have a meaningful conversation on events in the Middle East, the co-author of a book on the movement says.At a time when Western governments refuse to engage with Hamas politically, Helena Cobban's book 'Understanding Hamas: And Why That Matters' challenges dominant narratives and offers a nuanced exploration of the Palestinian movement, its origins, ideological evolution, and its role within Palestinian society. Drawing on decades of research and expertise, she unpacks why truly understanding Hamas is essential to any meaningful conversation on Israel, Palestine and the prospects for peace.We explore key arguments from the book, including the shifting nature of Hamas’ charter and how its relationship with the West has shaped its political strategy. We also dive into the misrepresentation of the book in corporate media, particularly in the UK, and discuss the broader patterns in how Western media frames discussions about Hamas and Palestinian resistance. Cobban sheds light on the consequences of media distortion, the chilling effect it has on public discourse, and how these narratives shape policymaking in Washington, London and beyond.Cobban unravels the book's larger purpose and where she and her co-editor, Rami G.Khouri, hope readers take away from it. Far from being a work of advocacy for Hamas, 'Understanding Hamas' is a rigorous, research-driven analysis of the group and its motivations.Cobban is a British-American writer and researcher on international relations, with special interests in the Middle East, the international system and transitional justice. She is a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Washington DC–based Centre for International Policy. She is the founder and CEO of the book-publishing company, Just World Books, and the Executive President of the small educational non-profit organisation, Just World Educational.