We keep our firm focus on the Holy Land and whilst we continue to weep as we look on at the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the suffering of all civilians caught up in this conflict, we're joined by Fr Fadi Diab to discuss the lived realities of the Palestinian people in the West Bank as well as in the decimated strip. Fr Diab is from Ramallah and is the rector of St Andrew's Episcopal Church and also minister at St Peter's Church in Bir Zeit. He is also Chair of the Holy Land Committee of Friends of the Holy Land, an ecumenical, non-political charity with a mission, together with other Chri ..read more

Five long, painful months after the Hamas terror attack of 7 October and the subsequent bombing and ground offensive that has reduced Gaza to rubble and led to several thousand deaths and a humanitarian disaster of the most tragic proportions, this 'Middle East Analysis' special asks the question: Is there a road map to peace in the Holy Land or are we eternally to walk the path of violence, revenge and hatred? International lawyer and MENA region analyst Dr Harry Hagopian joins us in the studio for the first time in almost two years for this special podcast that features the Catholic Bishop o ..read more

Ending a long-running podcast is painful. It's also hard to let go - especially when the expert sitting opposite you has been a friend for 15 years. This is the last ever Middle East Analysis and, as such, is something of a fond farewell - on this channel at least - to Dr Harry Hagopian. The man's a colossus with a brain to match and a bucket-load of integrity. He also delivers his views and analysis with a fair dollop of wit and panache. So it's with a heavy heart we say goodbye, but not without saying a huge thank-you to all our listeners. Whether you've tuned in regularly, been listening fo ..read more

August's 'Middle East Analysis' podcast sees Dr Harry Hagopian rewind 34 years to look at the publication of Salman Rushdie's controversial fourth novel 'The Satanic Verses', the author's use of magical realism and the religious edict that left a bounty on his head the repercussions of which may have been felt three decades later. We then discuss the closure of seven Palestinian NGOs after Israeli raids in the West Bank. But what do these human rights organisations stand accused of and when Israel is criticised for acting with impunity, what does that actually mean? Dr Hagopian concludes with ..read more

It's more of a hot rather than warm welcome to this 'Middle East Analysis' podcast. We've 'enjoyed' record temperatures of over 40°C in recent times here in the UK - far more in keeping with the Middle East, Gulf States and North Africa. Here to cool us down with his usual stylish, sharp analysis is the voice of MEA, Dr Harry Hagopian. The topic? Well it can only be the four-day visit of US President Joe Biden to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jeddah. A trip pilloried in certain quarters as high on photo ops, low on substance, was it a charm offensive to bolster US relations with Israel? Motivated ..read more

If it looks like a coup and smells like a coup, it's a coup... right? Not so fast says Dr Harry Hagopian in this 'Middle East Analysis' podcast as we focus on Tunisia. When a president dismisses goverment, sacks the prime minister, blocks parliament and orders journalists to leave, surely we're witnessing the classic hallmarks of a coup d'état? Perhaps not. Once the dust had settled on a bold move by Tunisian President Kais Saied, it seems he has 'frozen' parliament for 30 days to address the country's ills. It's a watching brief and Dr Hagopian's willing to wait and see for now. The two other ..read more

This 'Middle East Analysis' can only have one topic up for discussion - the escalating violence between Israel and Palestine. Much has been said and written about the conflict and the nature of its seemingly never-ending cycle of attack and counter attack - not just in the physical sense but the political too. So many countries with so many vested interests look on. In the case of some states, it would be hard to ascertain whether they're looking at all. The voice of Middle East Analysis, Dr Harry Hagopian, has a tough job on his hands to pick through the realities for this podcast. A fair and ..read more

Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, makes an historic visit to Iraq - the first by a Pope - from 5-8 March 2021. From Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda to ISIS, the footage beamed onto our screens has often been of terrorist attacks, conflict and destruction - all played out with the people of Iraq trying to survive in the middle. This is the first topic we cover on this 'Middle East Analysis' podcast with our guest Dr Harry Hagopian. Will it be a positive visit that not only supports the country's Christians but all Iraqis? Our second subject sees us call on the ..read more

Don't act the prophet and learn to bear the recurring disappointment of one false dawn after another. Two lessons I've learned the hard way after thirteen years of covering the realities of the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf regions with the knowledgeable and engaging Dr Harry Hagopian. Today's Middle East Analysis podcast, the first of 2021, actually has a positive feel to it in light of the Al-Ula Agreement that brought to an end the three-and-a-half year blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Signed in the Saudi city that bears its name, the agre ..read more

A sharp, thirty-minute podcast for June's 'Middle East Analysis' that takes a slightly different format. Having returned from a six-day visit to Jerusalem and the West Bank, host James Abbott discusses Holy Land realities with regular studio guest Dr Harry Hagopian. To use an English translation of a French phrase that Harry has used more than once, it's a serious case of "the more it changes, the more it stays the same”. Relating regional experiences - limited on the part of the host, extensive on the part of the guest - we focus on the people behind the politics of Israel/Palestine ..read more