Over the last decade, Middle Eastern countries have experienced significant changes in their domestic political and social landscapes, and in their foreign relations, both with neighbours and internationally. The popular uprisings of 2011, known as the Arab Spring, left a significant mark on parts of the region as some countries descended into civil wars, while others saw the establishment of repressive regimes. Economic instability, changing demographics and popular discontent with political leadership continue to put pressures on the Middle East. In addition, the region’s geopolitics have also been transformed as a result of new alliances and rivalries, and changing relations with key international actors, including the United Kingdom.
In a new pamphlet, The New Middle East: A Progressive Approach, published by Labour Friends of Israel, contributors explore how the Middle East is changing and what a progressive UK foreign policy response might be. In this webinar, a number of the pamphlet authors and Chatham House experts will discuss the publication’s main arguments and recommendations.
This event will be held on the record and will be livestreamed on the MENA Programme’s Facebook page.
Participants
Moderator: Prof Yossi Mekelberg, Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House
Discussant: Greg Shapland, Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House
Dr Emman El-Badawy, Director, Extremism & Middle East Policy, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change; British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, King’s College London
Gary Kent, Secretary, All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Kurdistan Region in Iraq
Baroness Meta Ramsay of Cartvale, Labour Peer; Chair, Labour Friends of Israel in the House of Lords
