CMEC Director Charlotte Leslie talks to renowned attorney Daniel Seidemann. Since 1991, Daniel Seidemann has focused on the geopolitics of contemporary Jerusalem and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him an honorary MBE for his work. Daniel talks to Charlotte about the Gaza crisis and how it has impacted his home city of Jerusalem and Israel as a whole. He singles out Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for the response to the Hamas's shocking October 7 terror attack - which he says has led to war crimes - and also discusses the current state of the Israeli Defens ..read more

In the second of CMEC's series of podcasts with the British Council - Charlotte Leslie discusses the growing prominence of the English language in francophone north Africa with Hamza Koudri -.the British Council's Country Director for Algeria. Speaking from Algeria, Hamza explains that English is becoming increasingly prevalent in north Africa - giving pupils and students access to greater opportunities and resources. But that does not mean it will replace French and Arabic in francophone north Africa.However, it is testimony to the growing hegemony of English as a dominant international langu ..read more

This year, Christmas will be dark in Bethlehem. In a special Christmas edition of the CMEC podcast, CMEC Director Charlotte Leslie discusses the Israel Palestine conflict, and the Gaza crisis with The Very Reverend Canon Richard Sewell - the Dean of St George's College in Jerusalem. Richard talks about the deep impact the terror attack of October 7th, and subsequent response from the Israeli government, is having on Jerusalem, the Palestinian people, the occupied Palestinian Territories and Israelis ..read more

CMEC Director Charlotte Leslie attended the 2023 Doha Forum & discussed the Middle East's and the world's response to the Gaza crisis with Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for Arab- British Understanding (Caabu) Jane Kinninmont, Policy & Impact Director for the European Leadership Network, The Rt. Hon. Dominic Grieve, ex-Attorney General for England & Wales, Ibrahim Olabi, a Syrian-British barrister specialising in human rights law, Profesor Lina Khatib, Director of the SOAS Middle East Institute & Lt.General Sir Simon Mayall KBE, author, soldier & Middle East expert ..read more

CMEC Director Charlotte Leslie talks to Air Marshal Martin "Sammy" Sampson CBE DSO, experienced fighter jet pilot and military-diplomat extraordinaire to the Middle East and North Africa. Air Marshal Sampson's official job title is UK Defence Senior Advisor Middle East North Africa (DSAME) and visits countries throughout MENA. He is also the Armed Forces Muslim Champion and Trustee of the National Muslim War Memorial Trust. Charlotte caught up with Sammy at the 2023 IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain and talked to him about the extraordinary diplomacy he conducts in the MENA and the impact that t ..read more

CMEC Director Charlotte Leslie attends the IISS Manama Dialogue 2023 (@IISS_org) - at one of the gravest times of crisis for the Middle East- the Gaza-Israel conflict that began with the October 7th terror attacks by Hamas on Israel. Charlotte talks to two influential and experienced observers of the region, His Excellency Mr. Hossam Zaki, the Assistant General Secretary of the Arab League, and Baria Alamuddin, author and columnist with Arab News ..read more

Charlotte Leslie, the Director of CMEC, talks about the conflict in #Gaza to Gershon Baskin, distinguished former hostage negotiator with Hamas and Israel and the Middle East director of the International Communities Organisation. Gershon was involved in the negotiations over Gilad Shalit - the Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza by Hamas for more than 5 years. Shalit was later released in exchange for a significant number of Palestinian prisoners ..read more

CMEC Director Charlotte Leslie speaks to the award-winning journalist, Gareth Browne, from Ramallah, in the West Bank, the Occupied Palestinian Territories. As the world's eyes are fixed on the Gaza Strip, events in the West Bank are moving fast. At time of broadcast, 140 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the West Bank. We look at the unfolding situation there, the war in Gaza, and the wider implications for the region, the UK, and the world ..read more

Charlotte Leslie, Director of CMEC, talks to Thomas Helm, the Jerusalem Correspondent for The National, the distinguished English language daily based in Abu Dhabi, about the recent tragedy and conflict in Israel and Gaza . Tom talks about the growing crisis on the ground in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and the context of the latest conflict that began with the shocking terror attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7th. Approximately 1,400 Israeli citizens are thought to have been brutally murdered and upwards of 3,000 Palestinians are believed to have died so far in th ..read more

The UK government estimates that a UK-GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could increase trade by 16 per cent. But FTAs do not come easy. The European Union has been negotiating with the GCC since 1990. Can Britain seal a deal that works at all levels? We talk to those at the front line of navigating the challenges. Speakers: Moderator: Nour Al Ali - Bloomberg News Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State for Business and Trade HRH Prince Khalid bin Bandar al Saud - Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UK H.E Mansoor Abulhoul - Ambassador of the UAE to the ..read more