(February 20, 2023 / JNS) Ever get the feeling that there’s more to the story in the Middle East than what you see in the news? Want to know what’s really going on in Israel and in the wider region?
“Our Middle East” is a new JNS show, in partnership with the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, that aims to provide listeners with an in-depth insider’s view of the Middle East. We seek to shine a light on Israel’s Middle Eastern identity that goes beyond the adversarial relationship between it and the Palestinian Authority so often depicted by the media.
Israel, as an indigenous family member in a region of ethnic minorities, is pioneering a democratic and economic model for other Middle Eastern countries and connecting them with the West, Africa and Asia.
Moreover, post-Abraham Accords many Arab nations have begun to disconnect from the Arab-Israeli conflict and normalize with Israel, providing a sense of regional optimism. Arabs from abroad want to benefit from Israel’s technology and strong economy, and look to its democratic parliamentary system as an inspiration for their own governments.
Arab columnists are writing about Israel, and surprisingly, many in the Arab world look at Israel as a role model that is marching forward, not backward. Within Israel, more of its Arab citizens, both Muslim and Christian, are beginning to speak out for Israel, and more Arabs from abroad are reaching out and coming to visit Israel.
Our podcasts will showcase the developing positive aspects of the Middle East and delve deeper into contemporary political history. We’ve titled our show “Our Middle East” since this region is for all of us. In our first episode, we preview our general view of the Middle East and Israel’s place in it, and give a sampling of important issues that we deal with in applied diplomacy at the Jerusalem Center.
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“Our Middle East: An Insider’s View” airs live every Monday on JNS TV Youtube Channel, Facebook and Twitter at 1:30 PM EST/8:30 PM IST. You can also listen to the audio version here. Produced by JNS in partnership with the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
Dan Diker is the President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a foreign policy expert and the Former Secretary General of the World Jewish Congress.
Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning Arab-Israeli journalist and TV producer. He covers Palestinian Affairs for the Jerusalem Post.
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