Violence, Instability, Uncertainty - What's New?

Just over two years ago we started recording our 'Middle East Analysis' podcasts remotely. The pandemic rendered face-to-face interaction impossible. Now, joyously, we have returned to the studio for this month's offering. Dr Harry Hagopian, in the flesh, turns his legal and political mind to the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf States. April has been a month of regional summit meetings - most involving Israel and its diplomatic relations with Arab neighbours. Negotiations have covered food and energy security, not to mention Iran's nuclear programme. It's questionable whether these meetings are little more than photo opportunities - uncomfortable ones at that. A question that is being asked once again is: Where does this leave the place and status of Palestine - both regionally and globally? Has it been further demoted down the world's justice and peace list? A list that has Ukraine at the front of the queue marked "problems to be solved". There was once a time, not so long ago, when the Arab world united in its desire to see a fair resolution to the Israel/Palestine conflict. But priorites are changing. Dr Hagopian gives us his take on the shifting MENA and Gulf sands.