Britain Palestine Project

With Andrew Whitley and Sir Vincent Fean | 30 October 2026 What does Israel's election mean for Palestinians, and can Britain help bring about meaningful change? Britain Palestine Project's Andrew Whitley and Sir Vincent Fean examine the aftermath of Israel's closely contested election, the possible political scenarios ahead, and what the outcome could mean for Palestinians living in I...

With Jack Munayer, Director of International Relations at Yesh Din Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank is entering a dangerous new phase. Attacks that were once largely concentrated in Area C are increasingly spreading into Areas A and B – Palestinian towns and villages previously considered relatively sheltered from direct settler violence. In this episode of the Britain Palestine...

What is really happening on the ground in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank? And what responsibility does Britain bear for the deepening crisis facing Palestinians? In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster Peter Oborne joins the Britain Palestine Project's Diana Safieh following three weeks spent reporting from Jerusalem and the o...

What does it mean to describe the Nakba as ongoing ? In this episode, historian and author Dr Anne Irfan joins Britain Palestine Project podcast host Diana Safieh to trace the history of Palestinian displacement from the Nakba of 1948 to the present day. Anne begins with the events of 1947–49, when at least 750,000 Palestinians became refugees, and explains why the Nakba should be understood not o...

Britain Palestine Project trustees Andrew Whitley and Sir Vincent Fean discuss what they see as a significant shift in British policy towards Israel and Palestine following Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s announcement of new measures relating to Israel’s illegal settlements and Gaza. Sir Vincent describes the change as significant not only in substance, but in tone and determination – arguing that...

Who controls what appears in our social media feeds, and who decides which voices are amplified, suppressed or removed altogether? Diana Safieh speaks to Issam Hijazi, the Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian founder of UpScrolled, an independent social media platform created in response to concerns about censorship, shadow banning and the power of Big Tech. Issam describes his own experience of posti...

Professor Brian K. Barber talks to us about his book, NoWay But Forward: Life Stories of Three Families in the Gaza Strip . Brian first travelled to Palestine as a researcher in the1990s. Over the following three decades, he developed close relationships withfamilies in Gaza, gaining a rare insight into their everyday lives, ambitionsand struggles. His book follows three families through the defin...

Has Britain's change of leadership created a genuine opportunity for a new approach to Palestine, or will little change in practice? Britain Palestine Project trustees Sir Vincent Fean and Andrew Whitley assess the implications of the new Labour government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, examining whether recent statements on Gaza and international law will be matched by meaningful action. The...

What does life under occupation look like - not through headlines, but through the eyes of those who have lived alongside Palestinian communities? We speak with Tim Livesey and Julia Race, recently returned Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAPPI), who spent months living and working in the occupied West Bank. Drawing on firsthand experience from the Jordan Valley and Bethlehem, they share eyewitness testi...

What happens when a healthcare system is systematically dismantled during war? In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Britain Palestine Project Podcast, Professor Nick Maynard—consultant surgeon, humanitarian, and Chair of Medical Aid for Palestinians—shares his eyewitness testimony from multiple medical missions inside Gaza since October 2023. Drawing on over sixteen years of experie...

In the closing session of the conference, Britain Palestine Project Executive Director Dr Brian Brivati reflected on the discussions of the day and outlined the practical policy agenda emerging from the conference and the newly launched Statement of Principles. Rather than attempting to summarise every contribution, Dr Brivati focused on a central question that had run throughout the conference: h...

Featuring: Daniel Levy, Dr Julie Norman, Nomi Bar-Yaacov, Shawan Jabarin, followed by Q&A. As the conference drew towards its conclusion, this panel tackled one of the most pressing questions of the day: what practical action can be taken internationally to advance Palestinian rights, uphold international law and create meaningful political change? Chaired by Sir Vincent Fean, the discussion b...

Featuring: Chris Doyle, Shawan Jabarin, Dame Emily Thornberry MP, Debbie Abrahams MP and Paul Gerrard,  Chair: Sir Vincent Fean In this wide-ranging panel discussion, leading politicians, campaigners, human rights advocates and policy experts examine the question at the heart of the conference: now that the UK has recognised the State of Palestine, what practical steps should come next? The panel...

Human rights lawyer Jessica Stober examines the legal consequences of recognising the State of Palestine and explores what international law requires of governments, businesses and institutions in response to the ongoing occupation. Drawing on her experience working in the occupied Palestinian territory and her involvement in legal advocacy and litigation, Stober argues that recognition must be ac...

Baroness Helena Kennedy KC examines the international legal principles that should govern armed conflict, the responsibilities of states under international law, and the challenges facing institutions tasked with enforcing accountability. Drawing on her experience as a barrister, human rights advocate and member of an international panel reviewing evidence for the International Criminal Court, Ken...

Shawan Jabarin , General Director of Al-Haq, examines the legal responsibilities of states in relation to Palestine and explores what recognition of Palestinian statehood should mean in practice under international law. Reflecting on both historical and contemporary legal obligations, Jabarin argues that recognition must be understood not as a symbolic gesture but as the beginning of meaningful ac...

Negotiator and political analyst Daniel Levy examines the political frameworks, diplomatic initiatives and international mechanisms that have shaped recent developments in Gaza and the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Arguing that humanitarian realities cannot be separated from political decisions, Levy explores how international diplomacy, ceasefire arrangements and institutional responses hav...

Sam Rose , Director of Planning at UNRWA, provides a frontline assessment of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and reflects on the immense challenges facing humanitarian organisations operating in the territory. Drawing on his experience working in Gaza between early 2024 and March 2025, Rose examines the realities facing civilians after nearly three years of conflict, the pressures on humanitari...

Professor Nick Maynard , consultant surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals and one of the UK's most experienced medical volunteers in Gaza, delivers a stark and deeply personal account of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the territory. Drawing on multiple medical missions to Gaza, Maynard combines frontline observations with data from international organisations, medical journals and human...

Journalist, political analyst and former Palestinian government spokesperson Nour Odeh examines the growing gap between changing global public opinion on Palestine and the slower pace of political change among governments and international institutions. Reflecting on developments since the UK's recognition of Palestine, Odeh argues that while public awareness of Palestinian rights, occupation...

Political analyst and public opinion researcher Dr Dahlia Scheindlin examines how Israelis and Palestinians have responded to the events of recent years and what polling data reveals about attitudes towards war, diplomacy, coexistence and the future of the conflict. Drawing on decades of joint Israeli-Palestinian public opinion research conducted with Palestinian pollster Dr Khalil Shikaki, Schein...

Journalist and commentator Max Rodenbeck examines shifting attitudes towards Palestine and Israel across the United States, Europe, the Arab world and Jewish communities internationally. Drawing on recent polling, media coverage and political developments, he explores how public understanding of the conflict has evolved and what challenges remain in translating opinion into political action. The s...

Dr Anne Irfan argues that recognition of Palestine must extend beyond the territory of the West Bank and Gaza to include the rights, experiences and political agency of Palestinians worldwide, particularly the millions living as refugees. Drawing on historical research into Palestinian displacement, refugee camps and the history of UNRWA, Dr Irfan explores how the Nakba continues not only through...

Renowned historian Professor Avi Shlaim examines Britain's historic role in Palestine, the legacy of the Balfour Declaration, and the continuing impact of British policy on Palestinian self-determination. Tracing the roots of the conflict through the late Ottoman period, the British Mandate and the creation of Israel, Shlaim argues that Britain played a central role in shaping the political co...

Historian, author and Britain Palestine Project patron William Dalrymple opens the Recognition is the Beginning conference with a sweeping exploration of Palestinian history, identity and Britain’s historic role in the region. Drawing on archaeology, genetics, historical records and personal testimony, Dalrymple challenges narratives that deny Palestinian continuity and traces the story of Palesti...