Middle East Analysis
Middle East North Africa: An Analysis 3 episodes Oct 30, 2026
Middle East Analysis is a podcast offering in-depth analysis of the Middle East and North Africa region. It explores the complex religious, political and socio-economic realities that shape the area beyond breaking news. The show features commentary from Dr Harry Hagopian, an international lawyer and commentator on MENA and the Gulf States. Each episode aims to provide context and understanding of ongoing developments.
Episodes
Turbulent times in Taybeh
Father Bashar Fawadleh is the Latin Patriarch Catholic priest from Christ the Redeemer parish in Taybeh - the last entirely Christian village in the West Bank, Palestine.
He joins us on this 'Middle East Analysis - Special' podcast alongside international lawyer, consultant and analyst Dr Harry Hagopian, and Bishop James Curry who is the Lead Bishop for the Holy Land for the Catholic Bishops' Con
Keynote address at Middle East peace vigil in London
A peace vigil was held in London on Thursday, 30 April, at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Kensington to pray for peace in the Middle East.
The vigil was attended by Bishop Jim Curry, Lead Bishop for the Holy Land for the Bishops' Conference as well as Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary of Churches Together in England, and His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Apos
Iran Special
Just as we were lamenting the fact that we had, with some sadness, placed our 'Middle East Analysis' podcasts on hold to consider the long-term future of the series, something cataclysmic and literally earth-shattering took place to shake us from our self-imposed slumber to talk about the war in Iran and its wider regional consequences.
Joining us is the voice of 'Middle East Analysis', the inte
MEA: Au revoir or Adieu?
It's the end of the world as we know it. Wasn't that what REM once sang? Ironically when the famous US rock band from Athens, Georgia committed those lyrics to popular music folklore, the world made more sense.
Today, after 17 years and many laughs, smiles, tears (and the odd exasperated outburst), Dr Harry Hagopian brings the curtain down on a remarkable podcasting run with this, the final Middl
Hope is merely staying alive
You cannot totally divorce the political and the spiritual in the Middle East North Africa region, so for this special Christmas edition of 'Middle East Analysis' we are splitting the podcast into two parts.
Leading the way with the political analysis is our regular guest Dr Harry Hagopian, an international lawyer and consultant on the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf States. Harry takes us to
Shifting Sands
It's hard to be still and take stock when you're standing on shifting sands. Equally it's impossible to build anything meaningful or lasting when the ground under your feet won't stop moving. That's why the title of this 'Middle East Analysis' podcast feels very appropriate in these uncertain times for the region and its people. Conflicts and wars - proxy or otherwise - come and go from the news h
Pessoptimism on the path to peace
There are two ways of looking at every subject covered in this 'Middle East Analysis' podcast. Recorded just after US President Donald Trump presented his 20 (or 21) point framework for peace in Gaza, resident studio guest Dr Harry Hagopian grapples with the viability of the deal and whether it's one that offers any sort of hope for lasting peace whilst allowing for Palestinian self-determination.
Israel-Palestine: A Personal Armenian Story
On occasion, Dr Harry Hagopian, the voice of Middle East Analysis, offers a personal reflection on a key regional topic. This piece focuses on the political story of his family - from his grandparents in Ottoman Turkey, to his parents during the British mandate of Palestine. The story also weaves across Lebanon and Jordan.
But then 1967 happened, the six-day war, and it was downhill from there.
Gaza: Walk the Talk?
Ordinarily, a disclaimer would be bolted on at the end of the introductory blurb. However, one of the key talking points in this podcast - Palestinian self-determination and the recognition of Palestine as a state - has taken on a whole new dimension since recording.
On Tuesday, 29 July, our resident studio guest, Dr Harry Hagopian, sat down to discuss the headline topic of the human cost of the
Gaza and the Holy Land
A Papal death, conclave and election, in tandem with our key contributor's multiple regional travels have dented our once-a-month aspirations for Middle East Analysis but, at last, June sees a fresh podcast episode.
Regular studio guest, Dr Harry Hagopian, who brings more than three decades of experience of the ever-complex Israel/Palestine conflict to the table, brings us up to date with the tr
Discombobulated Realities
Being lost for words is no state to be in when preparing to record a podcast. This 50-minute 'Middle East Analysis' episode started with head-scratching on the presenter's part whilst grasping for the right questions to get us underway.
Despite being somewhat fatigued, regular guest Dr Harry Hagopian takes on what we're terming the discombobulated realities of Israel-Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, a
Rock - human - hard place
Passing comment on the myriad of complex issues playing out in the Middle East North Africa region is challenging at the best of times. These are not the best of times. Whilst we see shards of light casting cautiously down on Syria and hesitantly over Lebanon, the metaphoric storm clouds are dense and impenetrable over Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
Add to the mix the incendiary and sweeping 's
Assad time no more
'Middle East Analysis' started in earnest in 2010-11 when a series of anti-regime uprisings took place across a large swathe of the Middle East North Africa region - what was termed the Arab Spring. Dr Harry Hagopian, an international lawyer, regional analyst - and the voice of these podcasts - helped us to understand the context and long advocated for the voice of the people to be heard rather th
Latin Patriarch | Cardinal Pizzaballa
Our studio guest for this special 30-minute Middle East Analysis podcast is the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
Born in northern Italy, the Patriarch, a Franciscan, has spent 35 years of his ministry in the Holy Land. In this time he has seen many episodes of war and tension. The current cycle of violence is particularly devastating.
However, it is the season of A
A hole in the soul
It's hard to put into words - let alone sensible ones - how one feels looking on at the multiple tragedies unfolding (rapidly) in the Middle East. Particularly in those lands referred to as 'holy'. It all seems rather unholy and, as usual, those caught in the eye of the storm of overlapping conflicts are the civilians trying to live their lives.
The voice of 'Middle East Analysis', Dr Harry Hagop
Separated from Gaza's Catholic community
When Father Gabriel Romanelli travelled to the West Bank to get some urgently-needed medicine for a nun living with his community in Gaza, it never crossed his mind he'd be separated from his flock for over six months.
Father Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family Church in the north of the strip, had to watch from a distance as the horrors of the 7 October Hamas attack unfolded, before Isr
Fr Fadi Diab | The Church's Prophetic Voice in the Holy Land
We keep our firm focus on the Holy Land and whilst we continue to weep as we look on at the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the suffering of all civilians caught up in this conflict, we're joined by Fr Fadi Diab to discuss the lived realities of the Palestinian people in the West Bank as well as in the decimated strip.
Fr Diab is from Ramallah and is the rector of St Andrew's Episcopal Church a
Any hope left in the Holy Land?
Five long, painful months after the Hamas terror attack of 7 October and the subsequent bombing and ground offensive that has reduced Gaza to rubble and led to several thousand deaths and a humanitarian disaster of the most tragic proportions, this 'Middle East Analysis' special asks the question: Is there a road map to peace in the Holy Land or are we eternally to walk the path of violence, reven
Walls are meant for climbing
Ending a long-running podcast is painful. It's also hard to let go - especially when the expert sitting opposite you has been a friend for 15 years.
This is the last ever Middle East Analysis and, as such, is something of a fond farewell - on this channel at least - to Dr Harry Hagopian. The man's a colossus with a brain to match and a bucket-load of integrity. He also delivers his views and anal
Arab states not just making up the numbers
The football World Cup, hurtling through the group stages in Qatar after a fair helping of pre-tournament controversy, takes centre stage for our November Middle East Analysis podcast. Surely even the most optimistic Saudi looked at the Argentina fixture and prayed KSA would just keep the score down? Well, would you believe it? Lionel Messi and co found themselves chastened after an extraordinary
404 Solution Not Found
Ever clicked a link and hit a 404 "not found" error page? Happens a lot. It's also very frustrating. You think you've finally found that elusive content but it's a false dawn and you'll have to go back and search again. The image for this 'Middle East Analysis' podcast was taken on the West Bank side of the Separation Wall earlier this year. It seems rather appropriate for today's episode.
Dr Ha
UN-workable demands for the MENA and Gulf regions?
Dr Harry Hagopian, the voice of 'Middle East Analysis', came up with the novel idea of looking behind the interventions made by the Heads of State and political leaders from the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf regions at the recent 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Treat this as a fly-on-the-wall side event, a briefing, that steps away from the carefully crafted
Human Rights or Wrongs?
August's 'Middle East Analysis' podcast sees Dr Harry Hagopian rewind 34 years to look at the publication of Salman Rushdie's controversial fourth novel 'The Satanic Verses', the author's use of magical realism and the religious edict that left a bounty on his head the repercussions of which may have been felt three decades later.
We then discuss the closure of seven Palestinian NGOs after Israel
Fist Bumps and Formalities - President Biden in the Middle East
It's more of a hot rather than warm welcome to this 'Middle East Analysis' podcast. We've 'enjoyed' record temperatures of over 40°C in recent times here in the UK - far more in keeping with the Middle East, Gulf States and North Africa.
Here to cool us down with his usual stylish, sharp analysis is the voice of MEA, Dr Harry Hagopian. The topic? Well it can only be the four-day visit of US Pres
Holy Land, Unholy Problems
A sharp, thirty-minute podcast for June's 'Middle East Analysis' that takes a slightly different format. Having returned from a six-day visit to Jerusalem and the West Bank, host James Abbott discusses Holy Land realities with regular studio guest Dr Harry Hagopian.
To use an English translation of a French phrase that Harry has used more than once, it's a serious case of "the more it changes, t
Only justice can open the door to peace
Middle East Analysis takes a sombre tone this month as, just before recording, we learned of the killing of long-term Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin in the West Bank. We're left asking, as often we do, where is the justice that will open the door to peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict? Dr Harry Hagopian looks at the disturbing upturn in violence as the world, seemingly,
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
Ukraine: Invasion Aftershocks felt in MENA
In this Middle East Analysis podcast we're turning our attention to the on-going war in Ukraine and how the aftershocks are reverberating across Europe, down into the Middle East, across North Africa and through the Gulf States.
Dr Harry Hagopian delivers the analysis and comment as usual and as an international lawyer with conflict resolution and Second Track diplomacy on his CV, he's well place
Legal realities, political remedies?
Today's Middle East Analysis podcast sees resident contributor Dr Harry Hagopian don his jabot and peruke, the white bib and curly wig of a barrister-at-law, as we examine the three main components of power: government (Executive), parliament (Legislature) and the judiciary (Courts).
In the Middle East & North Africa, do we see a separation of these branches of power? How much authority can a jud
Stubborn beasts and seasonal fireside reflections
How do you fit a year into an hour? Impossible, surely? Not so. As the voice of Middle East Analysis, Dr Harry Hagopian is charged with defying the laws of physics for you on this podcast.
We're taking a different approach this time round. Rather than examining MENA matters at the top of the news agenda, we're taking you on a regional tour to discuss some of the key events of 2021 - from the Mid
Forgotten wars, street violence and delayed elections
As the cold sets in here in the UK, we turn our attention to a region where something's always heating up. The three prongs to today's 'Middle East Analysis' podcast are the elections in Iraq, delayed from June, that have yielded some interesting results, the on-going, out-of-sight-out-of-mind conflict in Yemen - will the violence ever end and does the rest of the world care enough? Then we take a
Gulf Cooperation and Bailout Billionaires?
We're always gloriously counter-cultural, a little like the regions we discuss, but if you're looking at the image for this podcast you'll get a rare look at the faces of the two contributors - host James Abbott and the voice of Middle East Analysis Dr Harry Hagopian.
In today's MEA podcast, the first after a short summer break, they discuss Qatar's role in the turbulent weeks of a transitional
A year on from the devastating Beirut port blasts
Dr Harry Hagopian's message on the one-year anniversary of the blasts that tore through the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut taking lives, livelihoods, hopes and aspirations with them.
Tunisia: A coup or not a coup? That is the question
If it looks like a coup and smells like a coup, it's a coup... right? Not so fast says Dr Harry Hagopian in this 'Middle East Analysis' podcast as we focus on Tunisia.
When a president dismisses goverment, sacks the prime minister, blocks parliament and orders journalists to leave, surely we're witnessing the classic hallmarks of a coup d'état? Perhaps not. Once the dust had settled on a bold mo
New leaders but age old problems
New leaders are popping up all over the place in the Middle East and North Africa. Today's 'Middle East Analysis' is something of a presidential, prime ministerial and parliamentary podcast as we take a closer look at the newly or recently elected men (obviously) in the limelight.
First to Iran and a man who could well be in line to succeed Supreme Leader Khamenei, President-elect Ebrahim Raisi.
Israel - Palestine: Violence begets violence
This 'Middle East Analysis' can only have one topic up for discussion - the escalating violence between Israel and Palestine.
Much has been said and written about the conflict and the nature of its seemingly never-ending cycle of attack and counter attack - not just in the physical sense but the political too.
So many countries with so many vested interests look on. In the case of some states,
Elections, non elections and a right royal rumpus
April's Middle East Analysis is squeaking in on the last day of the month. In its own way it carries some of the chaos of the region.
Today we focus primarily on Jordan. It's a country close to the heart of our ever-present guest Dr Harry Hagopian. Why? Well, for starters he was born there. But there are other reasons you'll hear more about in our packed 70-minute podcast. What lies behind the r
Regional Realities - What Price Victory?
This Middle East Analysis podcast is a one-hour journey through a variety of countries and regional realities. It's a podcast of questions - and questions need answers. To provide them, we look to Dr Harry Hagopian. He frequently tells us he's NOT a prophet - the region has plenty of those - but he IS an international lawyer, commentator and consultant on the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf reg
Reaching for the stars: Historic visit, historic ruling
Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, makes an historic visit to Iraq - the first by a Pope - from 5-8 March 2021.
From Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda to ISIS, the footage beamed onto our screens has often been of terrorist attacks, conflict and destruction - all played out with the people of Iraq trying to survive in the middle. This is the first topic we cover on
Discarding the "tool of fools" to embrace a new diplomacy in the Gulf
Don't act the prophet and learn to bear the recurring disappointment of one false dawn after another. Two lessons I've learned the hard way after thirteen years of covering the realities of the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf regions with the knowledgeable and engaging Dr Harry Hagopian.
Today's Middle East Analysis podcast, the first of 2021, actually has a positive feel to it in light of th
Normalisation in MENA, Gulf States thaw, and an abnormal Christmas
Our last Middle East Analysis podcast of 2020 is out ten years to the day since the Tunisian street seller Mohamed Bouazizi self-immolated in frustration and despair triggering what came to be known as the Arab Spring. But what has changed and what have we learned in the last decade?
Resident contributor Dr Harry Hagopian is once again in the chair, remotely, to discuss this and the fourth count
Biden his time - The US and the MENA and Gulf regions
'MENA Gulf 140' sees Dr Harry Hagopian given a mere 140 seconds per topic to discuss the often complex realities playing out in the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf regions.
We touched on it last month but now the legal challenges and allegations of corruption surrounding the US Presidential election have amounted to very little, we expect Joe Biden in the White House from 20 January 2021. So t
To the brave and the faithful, nothing is impossible
Today signals a new dawn for our Middle East Analysis podcasts. MEA continues after more than a decade but the format has changed.
In this fast-paced era of online consumption, we're taking on our topics in a shorter, sharper way.
Introducing 'MENA GULF 140'.
So what is it? Well, inspired by the limit to the number of seconds of audio or film you can post to a certain popular micro-blogging pl
Lebanon - things have to change
Dr Harry Hagopian, the voice of Middle East Analysis, is fluent in many languages. French? Doesn't even break sweat. For me it's more of a struggle but when reflecting on the horrific blast that ripped through Lebanon's capital Beirut, I found an oft-quoted phrase in my head "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose". It certainly seems that the more things change the more they stay the same for t
COVID, poverty, chaos and meddling neighbours
This Middle East Analysis podcast takes our resident regional analyst, international lawyer Dr Harry Hagopian, around not just the Middle East but also North Africa.
We start with a coronavirus update discussing the impact of COVID-19 on the MENA region and the Arab world.
Then on to our sweep of country realities. Firstly it's the chaos and economic meltdown plaguing Lebanon - the beautiful la
Render unto Trump? Caesar's Act and Syria
One of Dr Harry Hagopian's 'Intuitive Reactions' provides the meat in the sandwich of this 'Middle East Analysis - Extra' podcast.
In December 2019, US President Donald Trump signed into law the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, also known as the Caesar Act, a piece of US legislation to sanction the Syrian government, including the president Bashar al-Assad, for war crimes against the Syrian
International actors, regional rumblings and ongoing embargoes
Middle East Analysis reverts back to something of its normal modus operandi for June's podcast as international lawyer and MENA consultant Dr Harry Hagopian joins us in semi pandemic lockdown to discuss three realities challenging the Middle East North Africa region.
In just over ten minutes per segment, Dr Hagopian discusses the ongoing embargo of Qatar, the ever more dangerous regional conflic
Israel's Annexation of West Bank land is inevitable... or is it?
It's rather dangerous to assume anything in the Middle East North Africa region - least of all the shifting dynamics of the relationship between Israel and Palestine. One assumption is that, as early as 1 July, one of Israel's two unity government Prime Ministers, Benjamin Netanyahu, will announce the annexation of Palestinian land in the West Bank. At this point, any hope of a contiguous state fo
Counting the cost of Coronavirus in the Middle East North Africa
The anxiety surrounding the fast-spreading coronavirus COVID-19 is completely understandable. It's the lead headline in many a news context. So what's the impact on the Middle East North Africa region? The situation in Iran is well documented. Egypt has confirmed its first death - the first in Africa. Iraq and Yemen are already debilitated so any further strain on beleaguered resources will cost l
Israel-Palestine: A Hope-less Deal?
The so-called 'Deal of the Century' has been released - US President Donald Trump's road map to peace for Israelis and Palestinians. Peace to Prosperity, as it's called, has been widely criticised as one-sided and, to those campaigning for self-determination for the Palestinian people - no deal at all.
Dr Harry Hagopian is our regular studio guest for Middle East Analysis. Harry cut his political
Escalate, de-escalate, oil and intervention
Just another new decade in the Middle East North Africa region.
This 45-minute Middle East Analysis podcast, the first of 2020, is titled in a way that makes you think of a rhythmic children’s pat-a-cake game or a mnemonic device for remembering something important.
Actually a lot of today’s topical discussion with international lawyer and regional commentator Dr Harry Hagopian falls under one
Intuitive Reactions - Elections
Today we bring you an exceptional one-off from Dr Harry Hagopian that is closer to home. Harry offers his personal perspective on the recent General Election in the UK. This "Intuitive Reaction" focuses on the recent UK Election which saw the Conservatives win their majority.
Find out Dr Harry Hagopian's unique take on these results and how our history led us to where we are now.
Rage Against the MENA Machine
Today's Middle East Analysis is the first for a few months so we're hoping you'll indulge almost an hour of Dr Harry Hagopian's insight, analysis and, on occasion, wit. Our resident contributor is an international lawyer, commentator and consultant on the Middle East North Africa region.
This podcast isn't simply a compare-and-contrast looking at the regional popular protests of 2019 and juxtapo
Keeping Faith With Hope - The Challenge of Israel - Palestine
Arguably the biggest threat to the human spirit is a loss of hope. The Israel / Palestine conflict has raged in one form or another since the mid-20th century and its origins can be traced to the decades before that. Today we seem further away than ever from a lasting peace.
The international lawyer and political consultant Dr Harry Hagopian has
written and commented on the challenge of Israel
From Brexit to Algeria, Israel to Sudan
Considering this is a podcast offering the musings, analysis and everything inbetween from the brain of the knowledgeable and razor-sharp international lawyer and Middle East North Africa consultant Dr Harry Hagopian, you may be wondering why we open up with a sizeable segment on Brexit and, later, head south of north Africa to Sudan.
I could make a few academic cases for the inclusion of such to
Hot Region, Cold War
'Hot Region, Cold War' was the working title proposed for today's podcast. Why? Well, it's a little conceptual. It was born from a desire to ask our big-brained studio guest Dr Harry Hagopian to analyse the foreign policy agendas of the Russian Federation on the one hand and the United States on the other with regard to the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf States.
Harry took exception to 'Hot R
Christmas - When the eyes of the world focus on the Middle East
As we approach Christmas, when Christians around the world look to Bethlehem to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Dr Harry Hagopian, lead contributor to our Middle East Analysis podcasts, encourages us to consider the realities facing Arab Christians. Close your eyes - you might find yourself in Manger Square. This four minute Christmas reflection ends our audio for 2018. Podcasts resume in 2019.
Solving Israel / Palestine: Making Brexit look easy
Whatever the turmoil in the Middle East North Africa region, the tension in the lands where three of the world's major religions meet - the Holy Land - often paints hard brush strokes on the wider regional landscape.
So where do we turn now with Israel / Palestine?
With the US so heavily involved and a 'Deal of the Century' about as feasible as every other so-called solution proposed in the la
Jamal Khashoggi - The impact on Saudi Arabia, the region and the wider world
Middle East Analysis returns from a four month hiatus to tackle the subject that's front and centre as far as current regional analysis goes - the alleged murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Dr Harry Hagopian joins us to look at the impact on Saudi Arabia, the region and the international players.
Deal or No Deal (of the Century) for Israel and Palestine
To Be or Not to Be! Or in this case, To Deal or Not to Deal! As the US Administration reportedly gets ready to announce the "Deal of the Century" that addresses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, International lawyer & MENA observer Dr Harry Hagopian - who often reminds listeners that he is Armenian but not a prophet! - discusses with James Abbott the possible parameters of this deal.
Christians and a Third Palestinian Intifada
With tensions in Israel and Palestine rising alarmingly, we ask how Christians would deal with a third Palestinian Intifada. Will it even happen? Are the Christians the pacifists on the periphery? How do the Arab Christians live with the ongoing conflict?
Dr Harry Hagopian, an international lawyer and analyst on the Middle East North Africa and the Gulf States, provides the commentary.
Majority Minority
Part Two sees us take a closer look at the 'majority minorities' - the large Christian communities in countries like Lebanon and Egypt. It's not just the Maronites in the former and the Copts in the latter. Dr Harry Hagopian, an international lawyer and analyst on the Middle East North Africa region and the Gulf States, provides the commentary.
Gulf Between Faiths
Next it's off to the Gulf states - those small, oil-rich countries bordering the Persian Gulf that have become popular tourist destinations in recent years.
Christians have designated places of worship but is there an apparent gulf between faiths? Are Christians embraced or tolerated?
Dr Harry Hagopian, an international lawyer and analyst on the Middle East North Africa region and the Gulf Stat
Assad, ISIS and Seven Years of War in Syria
In this, the concluding episode of our four-part series on the tough realities facing Christians in the Middle East North Africa region and the Gulf States, we turn our attention to the heart-breaking humanitarian disaster that Syria has become. How do the Christians cope living between a rock and a hard place?
Dr Harry Hagopian, an international lawyer and analyst on the Middle East North Africa
