A public debate about the occupation turned ugly after one of the panelists accused a serving soldier in the Israeli army of lying about the mistreatment of Palestinians that he claimed to have witnessed.
Istanbul, March 30, 2015 -Ankara’s human rights and media record came under sustained attack at a public forum in Istanbul as a majority Turkish audience warned against growing totalitarianism ahead of the June parliamentary elections. The New Arab Debates, held at the Bosphorus (Bogazici) University overlooking the historic waterway on Monday, provoked heated arguments between […]
Istanbul, March 28, 2015 – A controversial public forum here will examine the health of Turkey’s democracy amid growing international concern over restrictions on free speech and the internet. The special session of the New Arab Debates (NAD), to be held at Istanbul’s Bogazici University – Albert Long Hall – at 4.45 pm on Monday, […]
Just days after the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris, Arab regimes were accused at a public discussion forum of failing to fight the same extremists they had created. Fifty-nine percent of the audience voted for the motion: “The Arab World is embracing extremism not fighting it.” A vote before the debate had shown only 48 percent in favour.
Amman, January 15, 2015 – In the wake of the recent Paris murders, a public debate in Amman will examine whether the Arab world is now sliding willingly into militancy and oppression. The audience, a mix of political and human rights activists, local university students and expatriates, will debate the motion: “The Arab world is […]
The New Arab Debates are back for a fourth season. Our first debate will be held in the Jordanian capital, Amman, The English debate, chaired by Tim Sebastian, will take place on Sunday 18th January 2015. Our Arabic debate will be held on Monday 19th January. We will release details of the speakers shortly.
We at The New Arab Debates have watched the trial of Al Jazeera journalists in Cairo with mounting concern and were shocked by the verdicts handed down by the judicial authorities on June 23, 2014. We sincerely hope the sentences will be quashed on appeal and the men released immediately from custody. Egypt’s prosecution of […]
Ramallah, West Bank, June 11, 2014 – A majority of Palestinians rejected further peace talks with Israel in the short term after a heated public debate that saw wide-ranging criticism of their own leaders and tactics. At the first of the New Arab Debates (NAD) to be held in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, a […]
Amman, May 19, 2014- Egypt’s human rights’ record came in for sharp criticism from a mainly Arab audience here, just days before the country votes in presidential elections. Participants at Monday’s New Arab Debate (NAD) heard impassioned arguments that both the justice system and freedom of speech had been badly compromised since the overthrow of […]
