Middle East Dossier

The Chagos Islands, a group of seven atolls disputed between the UK and Mauritius, came to the fore on February 25, 2019 when the International Court of Justice ruled that the decolonisation of the latter was not lawfully completed. MEI Senior Research Fellow Victor Kattan examines how the Chagos issue could be relevant to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Listen to his talk!

Many assume that Sufism in southern Thailand came about because of Middle Eastern influences. But Dr Srawut Aree and Dr Christopher M. Joll, who spoke at MEI on Sufi movements in Thailand's southern provinces, said this is inaccurate. Tune in here to find out why.

To many, the history of colonialism is far removed from the logistical landscapes of today. However, this view is inaccurate as Professor Laleh Khalili argues why the two are more closely related than one would expect. Tune in to find out more!

As China’s economic ties with the Middle East continues to expand, some expect that the Middle Kingdom will start to play a bigger role in regional security by deploying its own armed forces in the region, as the United States is doing now. Professor Jonathan Fulton of Zayed University explains why this may not be the case.

The dynamic nature of Jerusalem's city borders have had a great impact on the outcome of political agreements between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. By closely examining the history of this contested city, Professor Michael Dumper comments on the potential for a negotiated agreement.

From the 1948 war to the 1967 war, where Jerusalem was divided between Jerusalem and Israel, the city has changed demographically and geographically. In his talk, Professor Menachem Klein summaries the major changes the city has undergone and comments on how these changes have affected Israeli and Jordanian national policy.

The establishment of Israeli settlements throughout the Palestinian territories has had an immense impact on the lives of Palestinians living in Jerusalem and beyond. In her talk, Ms Nur Arafeh discusses the logic behind the settlement project and explores its impact on the lives of Palestinians.

Automated Twitter accounts, or bots, have played a crucial role in poisoning online discussions in the Arabic Twitterverse. Dr. Marc Owen Jones discusses the extent to which bots have been weaponised by Saudi Arabia to spread disinformation and fake news in the Middle East.

The United States-Iran Conference held on 13 August 2019 at Orchard Hotel examined escalating tensions between the US and Iran. Former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage spoke about the view from the US.