Peoples, communities and faith groups are being utilised to kill one another, but while different communities can clash this is not the only possibility, we can learn a lot about religious and cultural harmony from the Islamic rule of Spain, the leading conflict mediation expert says.The world is riddled with conflict, warfare and discord between nations, people and communities. Whether it's the killing fields of Gaza, civil war in Sudan, fighting in Ukraine or elsewhere. Peoples, communities and faith groups are being utilised to kill one another, but while different communities can clash this is not the only possibility. There is also a rich tradition of coexistence between religions, communities and nationalities, drawing up the history of La Convivencia (religious tolerance) that was the norm in Spain during Islamic rule, where Christians, Jews and Muslims lived together in harmony, we can learn to live together again without conflict. MEMO is joined by Dr Amineh Hoti who runs a project that adapts La Convivencia to current conflicts, peace building and community projects. Hoti, from University of Cambridge, has over 20 years of experience leading interfaith dialogue, conflict mediation and community engagement throughout the world. She has served as a peace studies director, professor and researcher for more than two decades and has extensive leadership experience on several continents. She was the Executive Director of the Centre for Dialogue and Action and co-founding Director of the first Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations in Cambridge and of the Centre for Dialogue and Action at Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. She completed her PhD in Social Anthropology at Lucy and is an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham.

Though internationally Israel uses the Bible to justify its colonisation of Palestine, for many Jews it is within Jewish ethical traditions that the seeds of anti-Zionism can be found. Israel coats itself in Jewish identity and purports to speak on behalf of all Jewish people, while critics of Israeli policy or its treatment of Palestinians are often branded anti-Semitic. Before the Second World War, however, support for Zionism in Jewish communities was limited. Moreover, Zionism was a European Jewish movement. As a result, for the millions of Jews living in the Middle East and wider Muslim World, Zionism was a foreign movement formed outside their own historical reality. Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews in Israel today are culturally underprivileged and are expected to integrated into a European Jewish society. While internationally Israel uses the Bible to justify its colonisation of Palestine, the Israeli state is deeply secular and has acted as a secularising force in Israeli Jewish life, alienating many God-conscious people. For many Jewish people, the oppression and dispossession of Palestinians runs contrary to Jewish ethics and traditions. MEMO Conversation is joined by Hadar Cohen who says that it is within Jewish ethical traditions that the seeds of anti-Zionism can be found. Cohen is an Arab Jewish scholar, mystic and artist whose work focuses on multi-religious spirituality, politics, social issues and community building. She is the founder of Malchut, a spiritual skill-building school teaching Jewish mysticism and direct experience of God. Her podcast, Hadar’s Web, features community conversations on spirituality, healing, justice and art. Hadar is a 10th-generation Jerusalemite with lineage roots also in Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq and Iran.

Is Persian the bridge language of ancient Muslim societies? And are Central Asian countries seeing a revival of this ancient heritage? When we think of the great cities of Islamic history, we tend to think of Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Isfahan and Istanbul. But for much of history Samarkand, Herat, Kashgar and Bukhara, to name a few, were at the epicentre of Muslim history. The modernisation of the region, Russian colonisation and later Soviet rule severed the historical connections between Central Asia to the rest of the world. However, since the 1990s, Central Asian countries increasingly celebrate and explore this heritage, but how much of the past survives and where is the region going? One way to think about these questions is through the prism of language and delving into the different languages spoken in Central Asia today can tell us a lot about this heritage and the direction societies are moving. Anglo-American academics have used the term the Persianate to describe the historical cultures present in Central Asia today, a term they argue ties Sarajevo to Hyderabad in-which the Persian language is a lingua franca of Islamic civilisation. But how relevant is this to Central Asia? Linguist Iskandar Ding joins MEMO Conversations today to deep dive and nerd out on this topic.

Has Iran's direct retaliatory strike on Israel been a major blow to Israel's deterrence capacity or a blow to Tehran on a world stage? MEMO speaks to leading experts on US-Iran relations Dr Trita Parsi.In this week’s MEMO in Conversation we speak to award winning author and expert on US-Iran relations, Dr Trita Parsi to discuss the latest escalation between Iran and Israel. Parsi offers his insights on the dangers of the current moment, drawing comparisons to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.US President Joe Biden is making moves to prevent an escalation in the region, but has he been effective? The conversation explores the reasons behind Iran's decision to retaliate this time, unlike in the past, and consider whether there was a major miscalculation on the part of Tel Aviv. Has Tehran's strike been a major blow to Israel's deterrence capacity?Don't miss this timely and thought-provoking conversation with one of the world's leading experts on US-Iranian relations and the geopolitics of the Middle East. Parsi is an award-winning author and the 2010 recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has authored three books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. He was named by the Washingtonian magazine as one of the 25 most influential voices on foreign policy in Washington DC in both 2021 and 2022, and preeminent public intellectual Noam Chomsky calls Parsi 'one of the most distinguished scholars on Iran.'His first book, 'Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States', won the silver medal winner of the 2008 Arthur Ross Book Award from the Council on Foreign Relations. His second book, 'A Single Roll of the Dice – Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran' , was selected by Foreign Affairs as the Best Book of 2012 on the Middle East.Parsi’s latest book, 'Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy', reveals the behind the scenes story to the nuclear deal with Iran.

The Arab world of yesteryear had cities abuzz with sounds, schools, mosques and places to learn and improve. Now these cities have dropped in importance and become dirty and congested as Western ideas of metropolitan life took over, but is there a revival?  Urbanisation is deeply rooted in Arab history. The city has been the epicentre of Arab ideals and Islamic tradition. Muslim empires have long been noted for their emphasis on building great cities and encouraging urban dwelling. For the Mamluks, Cairo represented their vision for an Islamic city, with more mosques, religious schools, endowments and religious public spaces than any other metropolis of that time. Sound was a big feature of the Mamluk city, the call to prayer, Quranic recitations and the sounds of worship were audible throughout Cairo no matter the time or day. Other Arab cities implemented their own understanding of Islamic ethics by applying it to both function and aesthetics of the city. Hygiene played a big role, protecting the poor was important and creating spaces to enable spiritual wellbeing of residences, the pre-modern Arab city enabled life in its various forms. However, the 1800s would see all of this change and modernisation would see traditional attitudes towards architecture, function and purpose of cities uprooted and supplanted by newer and more Westerner ideas. Today, Arab cities are much more marginalised by ruling authorities, dirter, run down and poorly persevered. While major cities of the pre-modern period have fallen from importance from Baghdad to Cairo, cities in the Gulf are thriving and changing the face of the region. We ask what happened to the Arab city. Joining us to answer this question is Nasser Rabbat. Rabbat is the Aga Khan Professor and Director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT.  His interests include Islamic architecture, urban history, heritage studies, Arab history, contemporary Islamic art and post-colonial criticism.  He has published numerous articles and several books on topics ranging from Mamluk architecture to Antique Syria, 19th century Cairo, Orientalism, and urbicide.   His most recent books are 'Writing Egypt: Al-Maqrizi and His Historical Project'; 'Nasser Rabbat: Critical Encounters'; and ‘Imarat Al-Mudun Al-Mayyita' (The Architecture of the Dead Cities. His co-edited book, 'Reconstruction as Violence: The Case of Syria' will be published later thsi year.  He is currently editing a book on the cultural history of Syria, tentatively entitled, 'Syria: The Land Where Cultures Met', and writing a history of Mamluk Cairo.

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 are being taken on a world stage to tackle Israel's aggressions.In an unprecedented move, allegations of Israel practising apartheid are being examined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Join us for this week's MEMO in Conversation with Dr Victor Kattan as we discuss the groundbreaking developments surrounding the allegations of Israeli apartheid made before the ICJ and the potential impact of an authoritative apartheid finding by the World Court.An Assistant Professor of Public International Law at the University of Nottingham, Kattan highlights the possibility of the reactivation of UN mechanisms such as the Special Committee Against Apartheid, and the lessons learned from the international community's response to apartheid in South Africa during the Cold War.Kattan provided insight into the distinction between proving the crimes of apartheid and genocide, as well as the role of ad hoc institutions in enforcing international law, while discussing the recent decision by the Appeals Court of The Hague in the Netherlands, which suspended F-35 parts shipments to Israel, as a potential precedent for restricting arms transfers. Kattan offered valuable perspectives on the critical steps needed to address the allegations of Israeli apartheid and ensure the protection of Palestinian rights under international law.Victor is the author of one monograph, four edited books, and more than 30 single authored articles that have been published in peer reviewed journals. He has also published widely on social media, including scholarly blogs, and his scholarship has been cited by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), states in advisory proceedings before the ICJ, Special Rapporteurs to the UN Human Rights Council, the Congressional Research Service, and leading academics.His recent publications include an edited book with Brian Cuddy, titled 'Making Endless War: The Vietnam and Arab-Israeli Conflicts in the History of International Law' and 'The Breakup of India and Palestine: The Causes and Legacies of Partition' which he edited with Amit Ranjan.

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 completely off limits to them because of the occupation forces' siege. Thousands face death, scores may have already died of malnutrition but we just don't know about them, Save the Children's tells MEMO. As Israel's war on Gaza enters its seventh month, conditions in the besieged Strip have worsened. Palestinian children now face hunger and severe malnutrition as Israel deliberately prevents humanitarian access to Gaza, which means aid organisations are unable to reach those most in need. Tel Aviv's attacks on hospitals, homes, neighbourhoods and refugee camps means people are unable to reach health facilities to get the care they need. Most people are living below the radar and so the scale of the crisis is not being captured in officially released statistics. MEMO in Conversation is joined by Alexandra Saieh, head of Save the Children's humanitarian policy and advocacy, to discuss the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding and how the charity is trying to respond to it.

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 a journey of food through the ages. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, where believers abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk, food takes on a whole new significance and despite people not eating during the day, for Muslims across the world, the holy month is associated with all sorts of culinary delights. MEMO has decided to deep dive into the history of food in the Arab World. Along the way, we learn of interesting recipes, we hear of connections between food and home, we understand how health concerns influenced the way people used to eat. Did you know Arabs and Europeans used to eat similar dishes in medieval times? Did you know Arab food used to be renowned for being spicy, but went on became less and less spicy? Helping us to make sense of all of this is Daniel Newman of Durham University. Newman holds the Chair of Arabic Studies at the University of Durham (UK). His research interests include Arabic travel literature, 19th-century Arab reform movements, Islamic medicine and medieval Arab culinary history. He is the author of the best-selling 'An Imam in Paris; Account of a stay in France by an Egyptian cleric (1826-1831)' and was the co-recipient of the World Award of the President of the Republic of Tunisia for Islamic Studies for the book entitled 'Muslim Women in Law and Society'. His book 'The Sultan’s Feast. A Fifteenth-century Cookbook' was longlisted for the Peter Mackenzie Smith Book Prize 2021 and received the Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2021. His most recent book is 'The Exile's Cookbook: Medieval Gastronomic Treasures from Al-Andalus and North Africa'. His research was showcased in a six-part Al Jazeera series on the history of medieval Arab food. He maintains a blog and Instagram account where he shares his passion for bringing medieval Arab dishes to life by recreating recipes.

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 support for Israel goes beyond strategic interest and is treated as a fundamental moral issue. US President Joe Biden's reaction to 7 October 2023 and the subsequent war on Gaza by Israel follows the moral script set out by both previous US administrations and DC elites. Despite this, Israel's war on Gaza is not in America's strategic interests and is harmful to US foreign policy. We are joined by former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chas Freeman who believes support for Israel's current war has wrecked American credibility, isolated the United States and will destabilise the Middle East. In this MEMO conversation, we delve into why Freeman believes Israel does not share American values and how Tel Aviv's racism has led to a genocidal war. We also speak to Freeman about his diplomatic career including working for US President Richard Nixon, going to China, dealing with King Fahd and his observations of Saudi society. Freeman is the author of five books and numerous articles on statecraft and the editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica article on “diplomacy”. He is a former US assistant secretary of defence, ambassador to Saudi Arabia, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, chargé d’affaires a.i. at Bangkok and Beijing, acting US commissioner for refugee affairs, and director of programme coordination and development at the US Information Agency. He was the principal American interpreter during the late President Nixon’s 1972 opening of US relations with China.

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 extensive research on colonialism, anti-colonialism, and decolonisation, Mamdani explains the deep-rooted historical and political forces that have shaped the current genocide in Gaza, exposing the inherent violence at the heart of nation-building endeavours.We discuss the ideological genealogy of nationalism and its inextricable link to the execution of political programmes that perpetuate racism and genocide. Mamdani shares his insights on the concept of "de-Zionisation" as a prerequisite for peace in Palestine. By exploring alternative forms of social and political organisation, this conversation aims to shed light on potential paths towards a more inclusive and pluralistic future.Mamdani is the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University. He was also professor and executive director of Makerere Institute of Social Research (2010-2022) in Kampala, where he established an inter-disciplinary doctoral programme in Social Studies. He received his PhD from Harvard University in 1974 and specialises in the study of colonialism, anti-colonialism and decolonisation. His works explore the intersection between politics and culture, a comparative study of colonialism since 1452, the history of civil war and genocide in Africa, the Cold War and the War on Terror, the history and theory of human rights, and the politics of knowledge production. Prior to joining the Columbia faculty, Mamdani was a professor at the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania (1973–1979), Makerere University in Uganda (1980–1993), and the University of Cape Town (1996–1999).

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 violent transformation of the Middle East. Crusader armies burst into the Levant and took large swaths of territory. Towards the east the Mongols crossed into the heartlands of Islam. While the initial sentiment to the invaders was one of terror, both the Crusaders and the Mongols came to be seen as part of the landscape, and societies under their rule came to see them as people they could do business with. The region was forever changed, but what were these changes and what was the legacy of this period? Dr Nicholas Morton joins MEMO to help answer these questions.Dr Morton is the course leader for History at Nottingham Trent University and the author or editor of several books. His most recent publication is The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East (2022) which offers a multi-perspective account of the Mongol invasions into the Middle East during the 13th century.

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 how the Israeli army has ascended beyond a military body to become the most revered institution in Israel - with profound implications on politics, society, national psychology and on the prospect of peace.Professor Haim traces the roots of the primacy of the Israeli army within the apartheid state and explains how a deep-rooted sense of military dominance and mythic invincibility inculcated over decades has been shaken by the 7 October attack. We explore how the special status of the Israeli army makes peace based on justice and international law an impossibility and what that might mean for the future.Professor Haim Bresheeth is a filmmaker, photographer and a film studies scholar, retired from the University of East London where he worked since early 2002. He now teaches at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). His books include the best-selling Introduction to the Holocaust, which he co-authored, and An Army Like No Other: How the IDF Made a Nation (2020).

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 Court of Justice case alleging Israeli genocide against Palestinians. We also address the campaign against academic freedom unfolding in Canada, where pro-Israel groups seek to censor university lectures and events about Gaza. Professor Fadel outlines the threat this poses to free speech and peaceful opposition to state policies.Mohammad Fadel is a professor at the faculty of law at the University of Toronto. He is the former Canada Research Chair for the Law and Economics of Islamic Law. His research areas include business corporations, economic analysis of law, Islamic law, and political philosophy and theory. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago and his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.

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 heading for a famine, the humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged Strip is set to get worse. Hospitals and medics are key to Gaza's survival, but they are also targets for the Israeli military, with over 600 healthcare facilities, attacked according to the United Nations. Dr Amagad Elsherif went to Gaza with a team of doctors from Canada and the US, where he encountered a tired and overstretched medical system full of unpaid healthcare workers, children suffering from a variety of traumatic injuries and uncertainty over where Israel will attack next. He also saw a surprising sense of resilience, strength and ambition among Gaza's children to go on living. Dr Elsherif joins MEMO conversations to share his experiences. Elsherif is a thoracic surgeon in Canada who has returned to Gaza since this interview was carried out.

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 Joshua and can better understanding of his story help dismantle Israel's narrative and its treatment of Palestinians? In the late 1950s, gatherings would take place at Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's house. Scholars, generals and ministers would debate and study the Book of Joshua, which is the sixth book of the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament and follows the story of Joshua who led the Israelite conquest of the Canaanites. Largely reviled by Jews down the ages, the Zionist movement and David Ben-Gurion sought to revive the biblical text and use it to give Israel a new identity. Israel was Joshua and the Palestinians the Canaanites in this reinvention of the narrative and each Israeli prime minister since Ben-Gurion has cast themselves as the new Joshua. The Zionist and Israeli reading of Joshua provided the moral framework for the occupation of Palestine and Tel Aviv's excessive militarisation. Who is Joshua, how did Israel reinvent the narrative and what possibilities does the biblical text have for dismantling both Israel's Joshua narrative and treatment of the Palestinians? Joining us to explore this is Rachel Havrelock.A Professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Rachel Havrelock also directs the Freshwater Lab, focused on water protection as a means of political reconciliation and climate change adaptation. Rachel’s latest book, 'The Joshua Generation: Israeli Occupation and the Bible', tells the story of how the Bible became militarised yet still holds lessons for de-escalation and cohabitation. While writing 'River Jordan: The Mythology of a Dividing Line' , Rachel became involved in environmental peacebuilding with the Israeli-Palestinian-Jordanian NGO Ecopeace Middle East. Rachel also researches and writes about oil pipelines and how to make the transition from fossil fuels.

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 week’s MEMO in Conversation we speak to acclaimed filmmaker Daniele Rugo about his new documentary The Soil and the Sea, which premiers in London this month. The documentary brings to light harrowing stories from the Lebanese Civil War that have long been hidden away, buried along with victims in undiscovered mass graves across the country.Rugo's film grapples with the nation's collective trauma and concerns over the reopening of wartime wounds that still fester. But can Lebanon heal without truth and reconciliation? We ask Rugo about the importance of the film in helping Lebanon recover from the trauma of the civil war and get his thoughts on the lessons from the past in understanding the generational impact on Palestinians subjected to genocide in Gaza by Israel.  Rugo is an award-winning filmmaker and author. His previous film About a War explored social change through the stories of former militiamen from Lebanon’s civil war. He is Professor of Film at Brunel University London and has been a Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE).

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 movement mould society? And how does it differ from other prominent traditional groups that have a firm grasp on the country's affairs?Lebanon is famed for having 18 different religions, a multitude of different political parties and a large cultural and media output. However, the Mediterranean country is also characterised by a political system based on sectarianism, governments that constantly fall, terrible economic woes and the it seems to be in a permanent state of crisis. Lebanon is not isolated from the rest of the world, unlike some other states in the world in crisis, rather it is globalised and reflects wordily trends. Christian political conservatism is a key feature of the Middle Eastern country's political landscape and is both a local dynamic and heavily influenced by conservative movements across the world. But what does Christian conservatism mean and how does it compare to non-Christian traditionalism seen in groups like Hezbollah? Joining us to answer this question is Chloe Kattar. Dr Chloe Kattar is an Early Career Leverhulme Fellow at the University of Oxford. Her project examines the links between Islamophobia and right-wing thought. Right-wing groups around the world have displayed strong anti-Islam sentiment in recent years, she seeks to rethink this connection as a global rather than a Western phenomena, by offering the first historical account of the ways in which Islamophobia became a tenet of global conservatism in past decades. A historian by formation, Dr. Kattar obtained her PhD from the University of Cambridge where she examined right-wing intellectual circles and production during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1982). Excerpts of this work have been published in academic journals such as the Historical Journal and the Arab Studies Journal and she has spoken at multiple conferences in Beirut, Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam. She was previously a lecturer in the History of the Middle East at Northumbria University. In her spare time, she writes analysis and personal opinions on Lebanon and the Middle East on her instagram page leb.historian.

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? 11 February marks the 13th anniversary of the ousting of long-term Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak. A popular uprising, known as the Arab Spring, began a few weeks earlier and the pressure of the street protests forced Mubarak to leave power. 2011 looked set to be the year Egypt entered a new democratic era, however, the 2013 coup against the country's first democratically elected President, Mohamed Morsi, soon shattered these hopes. The protests were lead by the Revolutionary Youth Council, but what was this movement and what happened to them? Joining us to answer this question is Rusha Latif. Rusha Latif is a researcher and writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A first-generation Egyptian American, she travelled to Cairo in 2011 to conduct ethnographic research on the uprising. Her interests include social movements and revolutions; the study of gender, class and race/ethnicity; Islamic studies; and Middle Eastern studies. She is the author of Tahrir's Youth: Leaders of a Leaderless Revolution.

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. This week's special episode of MEMO in Conversation features an in-depth discussion with Dr Lex Takkenberg about the recent decision by Israel's western allies to suspend funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). This controversial move comes at a perilous time as a humanitarian catastrophe unfolds in Gaza due to Israel's military aggression.To analyse the context, consequences and complexities around this funding cut and discuss the history of UNRWA, we speak to Takkenberg who has extensive experience working in various roles within UNRWA. He helps unpack key issues related to the rights of Palestinian refugees under international law and why their plight remains unresolved more than 70 years after the formation of the UN agency set up to support them.We explore the allegations prompting the funding cuts as well as the devastating impact the measures will have on desperately needed aid programmes. The discussion provides insight into Israel's decades- long hostility towards UNRWA and why the agency serves a vital symbolic purpose for advocating for the rights of Palestine refugees on the global stage. This timely interview sheds light on an unfolding crisis threatening stability in an already volatile region.Dr Lex Tekkenberg is a Dutch national, who currently serves as senior adviser with Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and is a non-resident professor at the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs. Dr Takkenberg worked with UNRWA from 1989 until late 2019, most recently as the first Chief of its Ethics Office. Prior to that, he held a range of other positions with the UN body, including as General Counsel, Director of Operations, and (Deputy) Field Director in Gaza and Syria. Before joining UNRWA, he was the Legal Officer of the Dutch Refugee Council for six years.

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 leaders were feeling confident of their international standing. Normalisation with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and talks in the air about impending normalisation with Saudi Arabia. The Palestinian issue seemed forgotten, the status quo allowed Tel Aviv to close Gaza off from the world, settlers to steal more land in the occupied West Bank and everyone seemed to have given up on the idea of a Palestinian state. On 7 October, Israel's sense of invincibility and security with the status quo came crashing down. But despite the political disaster of the Hamas attack, some within the Israeli government saw it as an opportunity to expel and ethnically cleanse Gaza of Palestinians, believing they would have immunity. However, the ongoing atrocities playing out in full view of the world, with growing anger in the West, outrage in the international community and a genocide case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) indicate that Israel has lost a lot of its international legitimacy. Additionally, with talks of a ceasefire and the failure of the Israeli occupation army to crush Hamas, Israel has been left unable to achieve any of its stated goals in Gaza. Join us as we speak to former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levy on what the current situation means for Israel and for Palestinians. Daniel Levy is the president of the US/Middle East Project (USMEP), which strives to advance a dignified Israeli-Palestinian peace; an end to occupation, discrimination and refugeehood in which international legality is upheld, respecting the rights of all people.From 2012 to 2016, Levy was director for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to that he was a senior fellow and director of the New America Foundation’s Middle East Taskforce in Washington D.C. Levy was a senior adviser in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and to Justice Minister Yossi Beilin during the Government of Ehud Barak (1999-2001). He was a member of the official Israeli delegation to the Israel/Palestine peace talks at Taba under Barak and at Oslo B under Yitzhak Rabin (1994-95).  Levy was born and educated in the UK where he now resides and where he graduated with an MA and BA from King's College, Cambridge. He has testified before the UN Security Council three times during 2020-2022.