Arab Media Watch Chairman Sharif Nashashibi was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on May 19 at 6.30 pm about the recent suicide bombings in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Nashashibi pointed out that while media coverage of the bombings is extensive, there has been scant reporting of Israeli murders, attacks and other provocations between April 30 (the day the 'roadmap' to peace was published) and the suicide bombings of May 17.

A list of some of the provocations, which Nashashibi mentioned in the interview, can be viewed here.

Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed on Iran's Sahar TV on March 26 regarding Israel's latest settlement drive on Palestinian land. He is also quoted in the March 26 - April 1 edition of the Economist magazine in an analysis entitled "How Palestinians and Israelis make their images", and was interviewed recently by US TV station ABC.

AMW advisor Dr. Ala Khazendar got a letter published in the March 26 edition of the Guardian.

Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi and director Muna Nashashibi were part of a small delegation of journalists, academics and officials who met with Syrian Information Minister Dr. Mahdi Dakhlala on January 19 at the newly launched Syrian Media Centre in central London.

Dakhlala answered questions on Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Iraq, democracy, peace prospects, weapons of mass destruction, and US policy in the Middle East.

Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed on January 18 on Newstalk 106 FM, Ireland's radio station of the year, along with the chief editor of the Jerusalem Post, on prospects for a Palestinian ceasefire.

AMW advisor Christopher Leadbeater got a letter published on the same subject in the January 19 edition of Israel's Haaretz newspaper.

On the same day, AMW director Tahrir Swift was interviewed by BBC Scotland on the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.

Tahrir and AMW advisor Sami Ramadani were among 20 Iraqi signatories of a letter published in the January 21 edition of the Guardian explaining why they are boycotting the elections.

On the same day, AMW was featured in a TV programme on the imagery of Arabs in the West on Arab News Broadcasting.

Ramadani was interviewed twice on BBC Radio 4 - on January 21 on The World Tonight, and on January 22 on Today - on the Iraqi elections.

Sharif and directors Muna Nashashibi and Victor Kattan were interviewed about AMW on Syrian TV on January 22.

Following a string of successful events last year, Arab Media Watch is pleased to announce the launch of our events series for 2005, starting with two on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the coming fortnight.

Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed on January 7 along with right-wing Israeli historian Benny Morris on Newstalk 106, Ireland's station of the year, about the Palestinian elections. Nashashibi was interviewed by Newstalk 106 about the election results on January 10. He was also interviewed about the elections on January 8 by Iran's Sahar TV, with Ismail Patel, head of Friends of Al Aqsa.

AMW member Munir Chalabi speaks on January 13 at an event entitled "Iraq, Debt & the IMF".

AMW advisor Sami Ramadani is part of a panel on January 16 at a public meeting entitled "Bring the Troops Home!"

On December 17, Arab Media Watch director Victor Kattan got an article on boycotting Israel published in Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly, and chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was a guest with Jeremy Corbyn MP on Iran's Sahar radio, discussing US foreign policy and European attitudes to it.

In the last week, Arab Media Watch advisor Christopher Leadbeater got letters published in the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph and the International Herald Tribune.

Also, AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed on February 24 about prospects for Arab-Israeli peace on Pakistan's ARY TV channel alongside Israeli journalist Jerry Lewis, Pakistani senator Iftikhar Ahmed and a former member of Israel's parliament.

During the last week, Arab Media Watch director Judith Brown gave a talk at Exeter University on the BBC and the Middle East conflict, and member Chris Doyle was part of a panel at the House of Commons discussing Israel's illegal wall in the West Bank.

On November 8, Arab Media Watch advisor Sami Ramadani was interviewed on BBC News 24, BBC 3 and twice on BBC Radio 5 Live about the US onslaught on Falluja. On November 9, he gives a talk on "Trade Unionism in Occupied Iraq" at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Last week he did a Ramadan Reflection piece for the BBC Asian network, and on November 10 he has a commentary published in the Guardian on events in Falluja.

AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi had an analysis on Palestinian President Yasser Arafat published in the November 7 edition of Ireland's Sunday Business Post. On November 11, he joins AMW director Muna Nashashibi and patron Dr. Ghada Karmi at a conference entitled "The Error in Terrorism? Political Violence and the Media".

Arab Media Watch director Muna Nashashibi has been chosen among hundreds of candidates to be one of the 12 members forming the International Working Group, which is the Women's National Commission's working group looking at international aspects of women's human rights and gender equality. This is the first time that an Arab voice is represented in this governmental institution.

Also, AMW advisor Sami Ramadani is speaking on occupation and resistance in Iraq at a public meeting on November 1, and AMW patron Dr. Ghada Karmi is part of a panel discussion on November 3 entitled "The Plight of Jerusalem: A Dying City".

On September 16, Arab Media Watch commemorates the 22nd anniversary of the massacres of Palestinians in Lebanon's Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by publishing a press release by the Badil Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, and Robert Fisk's article at the time of the massacres, which is considered one of the 101 masterpieces from the finest writers and reporters in the "Mammoth Book of Journalism".

AMW laments the fact that the anniversary of this atrocity went completely unreported in the British press.

This week, Arab Media Watch shares a stall at the European Social Forum with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, during which Sabah Jawad of AMW and Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation is part of a plenary entitled "End the Occupation of Iraq".

AMW welcomes the release of Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu after serving almost 18 years in prison - nearly 12 of them in solitary confinement - for disclosing details of Israel's nuclear weapons production to the Sunday Times in 1986.

However we join Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation of Journalists and other groups in condemning the "grotesque and perverse" limitations on travel, association and expression imposed by Israel on Vanunu as contrary to international law and "violations of his fundamental rights" that "breach basic principles of due process".

From the Palestine Centre for Human Rights
April 1, 2004

This week, Israeli occupying forces have continued to perpetrate violations of human rights against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). Human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces included willful and extra-judicial killing, incursions into Palestinian areas, indiscriminate shelling and house demolitions. Israeli occupying forces have also continued construction of the "Annexation Wall" inside the West Bank and continued to impose a tight siege on the OPTs. This week, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed by Israeli occupying forces.

From Save the Children
March 9, 2004

The stagnation of the Middle East peace process, military occupation and economic collapse all constitute a serious humanitarian crisis for Palestinians and Israelis living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Arab Media Watch welcomes the British Council's decision to terminate the employment of its senior press office Harry Cummins, following the results of its internal investigation which found that he was the author of 4 deeply offensive, inciteful articles about Islam and Muslims that appeared in the Sunday Telegraph in July 2004 under the pseudonym Will Cummins.

AMW thanks its members and the public for the strong response to its Action Alert calling for the dismissal of Cummins, for the mobilisation of other organisations, and for the investigation by the Guardian's Marina Hyde into his identity, the results of which, according to the newspaper, prompted "a flood of complaints to the council".

AMW joins the Muslim Council of Britain in urging the Sunday Telegraph to take action against its editor Dominic Lawson for the articles' publication.

Arab Media Watch strongly condemns Israel's assassination on April 17 of Hamas co-founder Abdel-Aziz al-Rantisi, less than a month after murdering the organisation's spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

As usual, the assassination was anything but "targeted". Five pedestrians were wounded, and among the dead was al-Rantisi's son.

Israel's illegal assassinations policy against political leaders of a resistance movement and welfare provider will only further enflame Palestinian, Arab and Muslim public opinion.

AMW correspondent Victor Kattan covers the first day of the hearing on Israel's West Bank barrier at the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

This comes on the same day as a Human Rights Watch report saying the barrier violates international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as excellent commentaries from Noam Chomsky and the mayor of the Palestinian town of Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank.

AMW correspondent Victor Kattan begins the first of a series of reports from The Hague.

February 22, 2004

From Amnesty International
February 19, 2004

On the eve of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) opening hearing on the construction of the fence/wall by Israel, Amnesty International calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately dismantle the sections already built inside the West Bank and halt the construction of the fence/wall and related infrastructure inside the Occupied Territories.

Arab Media Watch welcomes the resignation of Robert Kilroy-Silk as presenter of the Kilroy programme, and thanks all those who responded to our Action Alert to voice outrage at his anti-Arab remarks published on January 4 in the Sunday Express.

By Arab Media Watch director Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi.

The war in Iraq claimed more than a third of the total number of journalists killed worldwide in 2003 as a direct result of their work, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a report released on January 2, 2004.

From American Muslims for Jerusalem
October 2, 2003

From Red Pepper and the 1990 Trust.
July 12, 2005

In a move that appears designed to stir up Islamophobia, The Sun newspaper today launched a front page attack on Professor Tariq Ramadan, an internationally respected progressive Muslim scholar.   

On May 8 Safa Sawi, Arab Media Watch member and chair of the Arab Club of Britain, spoke on Egypt's Nile TV about AMW.

On May 16, Egypt's Al Akhbar newspaper published an article by Dr. Hamdi Al Sukout which talked of AMW being a role model for professional activism that should be supported, encouraged and emulated in European capitals and the US.

AMW was also mentioned in Al Hayat and Asharq Al Awsat newspapers on May 18.

On May 20, AMW member Sara Wood got a letter on BBC bias and Israel/Palestine published in the Daily Mail, in response to a commentary by Melanie Phillips which prompted an AMW Action Alert.

On May 21 Chris Doyle, AMW member and director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, got a letter published in the Daily Telegraph.

On May 22, AMW advisor Chris Leadbeater got a letter published in the Independent on Sunday.

On May 24, AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed on Iran's Sahar TV.

On March 27, the Sunday Times published 4 letters on Daniel Day-Lewis's excellent article about his first trip to the Gaza Strip - 3 in support, 2 of which were from Arab Media Watch members. Thanks to everyone for the huge response to our Action Alert in support of the actor and newspaper. All letters bcc'd to us have been forwarded to his agent, which were received with thanks.

On March 28, AMW director Tahrir Swift was interviewed on the Arab News Network about British media coverage of the situation in Iraq.

AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was quoted in an article on Al Jazeera's website on April 1 regarding the conference he attended in Qatar on free trade and democracy in the Middle East that took place on March 29-30.

In the last week, Arab Media Watch director Victor Kattan and members Abdulhadi Ayyad and Chris Doyle got letters published in the Guardian, the Observer and the Daily Telegraph.

AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi appeared on BBC Radio 5 on March 2 to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

AMW advisor Karma Nabulsi was interviewed by the BBC World Service on March 2, and got a commentary published in the March 1 edition of the Guardian entitled "Face up to the facts on the ground", an analysis of the recent London conference on Palestine.

AMW director Tahrir Swift was interviewed on March 6 by Ireland's Global Women Radio about the situation in Iraq, the elections, the status of women, and plans to privatise Al Jazeera.

Expert opinions provided by the Institute for Public Accuracy.

November 13, 2003

From the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU).

November 5, 2003

In an adjournment debate in Parliament on November 4, MPs spoke out against Israel's construction of the separation wall in the West Bank.

October 20, 2003

Since its inception almost 4 years ago, AMW has been run by, and owes its success to, the sheer determination of volunteers, working very hard for the most part with their own resources.

AMW has now secured dedicated office space, and we are asking you to help with donating office equipment, or money towards their purchase, so that we may be begin a new, more efficient and centralised way of working. Also, the sooner we equip our office, the sooner we can train the many university students who have asked to intern with us. Your generosity will make a big difference.

AMW patron and former BBC Middle East correspondent Tim Llewellyn will speak alongside Professor Greg Philo and John Pilger (award-winning investigative journalist, Daily Mirror columnist and producer of the documentary Palestine is Still the Issue) on Tuesday June 22 in London at the launch of Philo's ground-breaking book Bad News from Israel.

Llewellyn and Philo will also take part in events to publicise the book on June 28 in Edinburgh and June 29 in Glasgow.

Arab Media Watch is an official supporter of the national day of action for Palestine on Saturday May 15, the theme being "The Wall Must Fall". Members and the public are welcome to join us at our stall in Trafalgar Square.

Afterwards, Arab Media Watch member Omar Al-Qattan will introduce the film he produced: Route 181, Fragments of a Journey in Palestine-Israel.

Arab Media Watch is also a sponsor of the picket that same day opposite Downing Street to remember the Nakba (catastrophe) of Palestinian dispossession in 1948.

On May 14, Arab Media Watch patron Dr. Ghada Karmi is part of a highly distinguished panel of speakers at a conference entitled "Edward Said - Contexts and Consequences".

AMW deems insufficient Robert Kilroy-Silk's "regret" over his anti-Arab comments in the Sunday Express on January 4.

We cautiously welcome the BBC's decision to suspend his TV show "while it investigates the matter", and its statement that his comments do not reflect its views as a broadcaster.

However, AMW director Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi told Channel 4 and the Guardian that anything less than his dismissal would send a dangerous message to Muslims and Arabs in Britain and worldwide that the BBC tolerates, or even condones, such bigotry, which the Commission for Racial Equality has aptly described as "indisputably stupid". AMW also calls for the axing of the Kilroy show, as Kilroy-Silk owns the company that makes the programme.

We also urge the Express to dismiss him, and are shocked by reports that the newspaper has accused the BBC of over-reacting and gagging free speech.

AMW welcomes the Guardian's publication on January 8 of an analysis entitled "The hope of Shatila" by Karma Nabulsi, a fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford, a former PLO representative and adviser at the peace talks 1991-93.

She argues that the Geneva accord won't bring peace because it signs away the rights of Palestinian refugees. Since the accord's publication in October 2003, this is the first analysis in a British national daily that represents the perspective, concerns and rights of the refugees, who are at the heart of the Arab-Israel conflict. This is long overdue, and AMW hopes it will not be the last.

May 29, 2003

On 11th April Tom Hurndall - a young photographer observing and recording the work of a peace group in Gaza and the activities of the Israeli army was shot in the head by the Israeli army in the town of Rafah at the border between Gaza and Egypt. He has been lying in a deep coma in hospital in Saroka Hospital in Beer Sheva - Israel and has suffered severe brain damage from which he is not expected to recover.

By Arab Media Watch director Tahrir Swift.

IDAO hosted a meeting in the House of Commons on May 12, in which Iraqis representing different political movements discussed their view of the occupation and current crisis.

The meeting - co-chaired by Jeremy Corbin MP and Sabah Jawad of IDAO and Arab Media Watch - hosted Lindsey German from the Stop the War Coalition, Dr. Khair Edin Haseeb (director of the Centre for Arab Unity Studies), Dr. Muhamed Al Musawi (chairman of the Shia Islamic Worldwide League) and Dr. Ibrahim Allawi (editor in chief of the Baghdad leftwing newspaper Al Ghad).

On May 5, Arab Media Watch director Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed by Bloomberg news agency on George W. Bush's appearances on Arabic TV stations regarding the torture of Iraqi prisoners. Sharif said the TV appearances would make no difference to Arab, Muslim and wider public opinion, which is rightly outraged at the issue and is already disillusioned with the stated intentions of the US and Britain in invading and occupying Iraq - namely finding WMD and bringing democracy and human rights to the country.

That same day, AMW member Sami Ramadani was on BBC TV discussing the torture of Iraqi prisoners. He said the occupation is the root cause of Iraq's problems, and this view is shared by most Iraqis.

On May 2, AMW director Muna Nashashibi was interviewed on Lebanon's LBC TV about the organisation's activities, aims and successes.

Sharif appeared on Iran's Sahar TV twice in the last week of April, discussing the effects of depleted uranium used by US and UK forces in the 1991 and 2003 Iraq wars, and neo-conservative US policy in the Middle East.

Also, the April 26 edition of the Arabic Al Hayat daily featured an article on AMW by renowned regular columnist Jihad Al Khazen. Committee member James Howarth translated the article, extracts of which follow:

23 August 2006

Acclaimed actor and film-maker Ghassan Massoud, who is a speaker at Arab Media Watch's fundraising dinner on 16 September, is in London until 29 August, and is available for interview through AMW on 07956 455 528.

In conjunction with the Arab Club of Britain and the Syrian Arab Association, we are also organising a reception for him on Friday 25 August from 6.30 – 8.30pm at the SAA building, 8 Comeragh Road, London W14 9HP. The event is free, all are welcome.

Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi will be a keynote speaker at a conference on Thursday 14 September entitled "Xenophobia and Disinformation in the Media", organised by the Next Century Foundation, the St Brides Forum and the International Communications Forum.

Other speakers and panellists include Guardian diplomatic editor Ewen MacAskill, Times diplomatic editor Richard Beeston, Daily Mail senior correspondent Ann Leslie, Daily Mail correspondent Adel Darwish, Todd Leventhal of the US State Department, Hoda Al Husseini of Al Sharq Al Awsat newspaper, Khalid Hroub of Al Jazeera, and Al Hayat columnist Baria Alamuddin.

14 August 2006

On 7 August 2006, BBC Newsnight broadcast an item about the alleged doctoring of pictures by a Reuters photographer, in which Richard North, introduced simply as a "blogger", was interviewed.

Having claimed to be following this issue for several days, he was interviewed with Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi on Newstalk 106FM a day later. Prior to the interview, AMW found North’s blog "EU Referendum", which revealed a deeply Islamophobic and Arabophobic agenda that colours his often dubious claims.

18 August 2007

The 2008 Palestine Film Festival in London will open in April 2008 at London's Barbican Arts Centre. The festival, the largest of its kind in the world, showcases an engaging selection of feature films, shorts, experimental work, animations and documentaries of social, cultural and political themes related to Palestine. The Palestine Film Foundation invites filmmakers from all over the world to participate in the 2008 festival. Films are selected on the basis of cinematic quality, the film's contribution to a diverse festival in terms of issues and ideologies, and cinematic styles and genres. The programme features both new and older films. As the festival will run during the 60th anniversary of the Nakba, films relating to the refugee issue and the Palestinian Nakba are of particular interest.

This three-month study focuses on the extent to which Palestinian and Israeli viewpoints are provided in news articles - in general and per media organisation - regarding their conflict, in terms of the number of sources used from each side, and the amount of space they are given according to word count.

From the International Federation of Journalists
26 September 2007

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed a decree by the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that journalists should not be jailed for their work, setting a precedent for the decriminalisation of media law in the region.

In the week of 24-30 September 2007, Daily Star regular columnist Dominik Diamond apologised for any offence caused after Arab Media Watch members wrote to him in response to our Action Alert against his statement: "There must be some NHS staff who aren't Arab terrorists, surely?"

AMW adviser Chris Doyle got a letter published in the Star, and contributed a foreward for a Times supplement entitled "Friendship Through Trade," which included articles on Arab finance, tourism, politics and women.

AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi got a letter on Palestine published in the Daily Mail, correcting an inaccuracy in an editorial. After the newspaper's initial rejection of the letter, AMW took the matter to the Press Complaints Commission, which prompted the Mail to resolve the issue directly with AMW, resulting in its eventual publication.

Nashashibi was interviewed by Saudi TV about AMW's study of British media coverage of the proposed academic boycott of Israel, and Channel 5 News requested an interview with AMW member Angharad Yeo.

AMW met with Press TV, a senior editor at the Financial Times requested a meeting, and a senior editor at the Mail agreed to a meeting.

Al Hawadis magazine published an article on AMW's fundraising dinnner of September 8, with pictures of the BBC's former Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston, Al Hayat regular columnist Jihad Khazen, and the Lebanese, Egyptian, Kuwaiti and UAE ambassadors, among others.

Johnston emailed AMW thanking us for the hospitality and welcome shown to him at our fundraising dinner, at which he received our 2007 award for excellence in journalism, and a senior BBC employee emailed AMW urging us to "keep up the great work."

AMW liaised numerous times with Al Jazeera English, the BBC, the FT, Al Hayat, Channel 5 News, the Mail, ABC News, Al Arabiya, the media section of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Press Complaints Commission, the Jerusalem Post and Nicholas Noe, editor of Mideastwire.com and the book "Voice of Hezbollah: The Statements of Sayed Hassan Nasrallah."

Reporters Without Borders
2 October 2007

Reporters Without Borders is very worried about the prolonged detention of Syrian journalist Ata Farahat, the Golan Heights correspondent of the daily newspaper Al-Watan and Syrian public televison. The organisation wrote to justice minister Daniel Friedman yesterday requesting his release.

"We are all the more concerned as Palestinian journalists have in the past been kept for long periods in Israeli prisons under administrative detention procedures without the authorities providing any information as to what they were supposed to have done," the letter said. "We hope Farahat's arrest is not related to the nature of the media he works for. The questions surrounding this case must be dispelled."

In the week of 1-7 October 2007, AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi had two meetings with senior figures at the Financial Times, and was interviewed by Press TV about Syria and Iraq.

AMW was approached for interviews, and help arranging interviewees, by Al Jazeera English and Press TV on Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, and US policy in the Middle East.

AMW adviser Chris Doyle got a letter on Palestine published in the Jewish Chronicle.

AMW issued an Action Alert urging members and the public to thank Daily Star regular columnist Dominik Diamond for apologising for any offence caused by his statement: "There must be some NHS staff who aren't Arab terrorists, surely?" AMW had previously issued an Alert to complain against this statement, and Diamond responded personally and apologised.

AMW liaised numerous times with the BBC, Al Jazeera English, the Guardian, the FT, Al Hayat, Al Arabiya, the Middle East Journal of Culture & Communication, Al Arab, Press TV, the Press Complaints Commission, ABC News, Oxfam, the media sections of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the French Embassy, Iraqi film director Ja'far 'Abd Al-Hamid, and Nicholas Noe, editor of Mideastwire.com and the book "Voice of Hezbollah."

Reporters Without Borders
12 October 2007

Nothing has changed in the situation of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, an Iraqi national, since his arrest 18 months ago, Reporters Without Borders said today. He is still held at Camp Cropper, near Baghdad airport, and he is still waiting to be brought before a judge. The US authorities, who claim he represents "a security threat," have never said when this might happen.

The Jewish Chronicle published a letter on Palestine by Arab Media Watch adviser Chris Doyle on 5 October 2007.

International Federation of Journalists
16 October 2007

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the international community to take special action to confront the human tragedy in Iraq where the killings of journalists and media staff have reached "shocking proportions that can no longer be ignored."

The International Herald Tribune published a letter on Islamophobia by Arab Media Watch adviser Chris Doyle on 19 October 2007.

During the week of 22-28 October 2007, the Guardian published a commentary on the pro-Israel lobby by Arab Media Watch adviser Dr Ghada Karmi; Al Quds Al Arabi and Al Arab published an article by chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi on Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury’s views on pan-Arabism; and the Press Gazette published an item on AMW’s successful complaint with the Press Complaints Commission against the Daily Mail over an editorial on Palestine.

AMW provided, upon request, its opinions and contacts for forthcoming articles in the Guardian on Arab and Muslim lobbies in the UK and US; and in The Arab magazine on the Hollywood film The Kingdom, in which terrorists target American civilians in Saudi Arabia. AMW was also asked for advice by Verso Books on film screenings to highlight the worsening situation in the Middle East, and encourage discussion of how the media deals with such violence.

Nashashibi was interviewed for the aforementioned lobby article for the Guardian, and by a masters student in international journalism at Westminster University about Al Jazeera's English's first year of operation; AMW member Daniel Brett was interviewed by award-winning German news website Telepolis about the persecution of Iran's Arab community; the Islam Channel asked AMW to arrange an interview for them with acclaimed Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud; and Press TV invited AMW to participate in a programme entitled "Is Iran inviting attacks?"

AMW had a meeting with Oxfam to discuss cooperation, and provided the Sudanese Embassy with a list of contact details of relevant media people to invite to a conference in Sudan on the peace deal signed between the government and eastern rebels, to which Nashashibi has been invited and will be attending.

AMW liaised numerous times with every British broadsheet and tabloid, Al Jazeera English, ABC News, the Economist, the New Statesman, the BBC, ITN, Channel 4, Reuters, Al Arabiya, Al Quds Al Arabi, Al Arab, the media section of the Sudanese and Saudi embassies, Iraqi film maker Ja'far 'Abd al-Hamid, the National Free Press about the book "Voice of Hezbollah," the editor of the book, and the French Institute about co-organising a Middle East film festival.

Reporters Without Borders
20 November 2007

Reporters Without Borders today called on the US authorities to act transparently in the case of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein after the US defence department announced yesterday that it has finally brought criminal charges against him before an Iraqi court after holding him without charge since 12 April 2006.

"It has taken more than a year and a half for the US military to initiate judicial proceedings against this journalist and yet they still have not revealed the charges," the press freedom organisation said. "The judicial vagueness surrounding this case is disturbing and unacceptable. Hussein's lawyers will have to appear in court without being able to prepare their client's defence as the US authorities refuse to say in advance what evidence they have."

During the week of 19-25 November 2007, Arab Media Watch held its music concert Al Hurrieh - Freedom. People from the BBC, Al Jazeera English, Harpers, and the media sections of the Syrian and Palestinian embassies, among others, were in attendance. Al Hayat, Al Quds Al Arabi, Al Arab and Kazbah published material about the concert, and the BBC requested the use of the musicians for their programme The Ticket.

Enigma magazine published an article with pictures on AMW's 2007 fundraising dinner, and AMW adviser Chris Doyle got a letter on Palestine published in the Guardian entitled "Roadblocks on the path to peace."

AMW arranged an interview on Lebanon for Al Jazeera English with AMW adviser Hassan Khalil. Al Jazeera English also requested interviews with AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi on the Middle East conference in Annapolis, and for the Listening Post's Christmas specials. Nashashibi was interviewed by Al 'Alam TV about the EU's role in the Middle East.

Press TV requested AMW's help in finding Arab-Israeli interviewees to discuss the difficulties faced by their community, and invited AMW to participate in a debate entitled "Is the international policing of nuclear weapons fair?"

AMW met with the French Institute regarding co-organising a Middle East film festival for female directors.

AMW liaised numerous times with the BBC, the Independent, Al Jazeera English, Al Arabiya, ABC News, Arab News, the media sections of the Tunisian and Saudi embassies, and IB Tauris about launching a forthcoming book on Iraq by Guardian columnist Jonathan Steele.

8 December 2007

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the Israeli authorities to abandon plans to prosecute journalists who visited Lebanon and Syria, countries with which Israel has no formal relations, in the course of their work.

"At a time when key players in the region are talking peace it is grotesque that journalists should be facing prosecution for doing their job," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "Israel should be sending a signal that it is ready for change."

10 December 2007

The Committee Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that the criminal hearing for an Associated Press photographer accused of collaborating with Iraqi insurgents is being held in secret.

In the week of 10-16 December 2007, AMW adviser Nadim Shehadi was interviewed by the BBC on Lebanon, AMW helped Press TV arrange interviewees on Lebanon, and Sahar TV and Al 'Alam TV requested interviews with AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi.

AMW issued an Action Alert against Times columnist Michael Gove for an article entitled "Bethlehem and bigotry," which elicited a strong response from members and the public, as well as an official AMW letter. In conjunction, Nashashibi and AMW adviser Guy Gabriel wrote an article about the devastation brought on Bethlehem by Israeli policies, and sent it to the media. It was subsequently published by Al Arab.

The Jewish Film Festival invited Nashashibi to be part of a panel discussion after the screening of Bridge Over the Wadi.

AMW helped a journalist with a major British radio station with info regarding the legal status of the Gaza Strip.

A senior BBC editor emailed AMW to say "thank you for a splendid evening," referring to our media buffet dinner.

AMW liaised numerous times with the Financial Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, ABC News, Al Arab, Arab News Broadcasting, the French Institute about co-organising a festival for Arab women in film, literature and music, Turnaround publishers regarding our launch of Guardian commentator and AMW adviser Haifa Zangana's forthcoming book on Iraq entitled "City of Widows," IB Tauris regarding our launch of the forthcoming book by Guardian columnist Jonathan Steele entitled "Defeat: Why They Lost Iraq," and Verso Books regarding books by or about Arab women.

During the week of 26 November - 2 December 2007, Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed by Al Jazeera English and Press TV (with Guardian Middle East editor Ian Black) on Iraq and Palestine respectively; BBC News 24 requested AMW's help in arranging an interview about Gillian Gibbons in Sudan; and AMW arranged an interview for GMTV with Palestinian Ambassador Manuel Hassassian.

The Guardian published a commentary on the Annapolis Middle East conference by AMW adviser Chris Doyle, and a letter by adviser Dr Ghada Karmi on the same subject.

AMW sent a press release to the media announcing the publication of our report on British media coverage of the Saudi state visit to the UK, to which someone from the Economist replied: "Thank you, this looks extremely interesting! I look forward to reading it."

Nashashibi wrote a letter to the Daily Express editor-in-chief, asking for clarification as to what the newspaper meant when it said in an editorial the previous day that "the Islamification of parts of our major cities" is "a threat to our way of life which should be stopped in its tracks or, better still, reversed."

Nashashibi chaired a panel discussion on "Journalism in the Middle East," with BBC Middle East and Islamic Affairs analyst Roger Hardy and Asharq Al Awsat current affairs journalist Mina Al-Oraibi, and was invited by Muslim News to attend a dialogue on foreign policy at the House of Commons with Foreign Secretary David Milliband and the Conservative and Liberal Democrat representatives; AMW adviser Dr Dina Matar was a chair at a conference entitled "The cultural politics of 'terror' in the Middle East," which included sessions on "The construction of 'terror' in the media" and "'Terror': propaganda and counter-propaganda"; Nashashibi and Doyle were invited to speak at a conference on "The Arab Peace Initiative" with other distinguished media figures and diplomats.

AMW liaised numerous times with every British broadsheet, ABC News, Press TV, the BBC, Reuters, Arab News Broadcasting, the New Statesman, Asharq Al Awsat, Al Hayat, the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, Al Jazeera English, the Jewish Chronicle, the Arab Media Centre at Westminster University, the media section of the Palestinian Embassy, IB Tauris about launching Guardian columnist Jonathan Steele's forthcoming book on Iraq, the French Institute regarding co-organising a Middle East film festival for female directors, and Dr Makram Khoury-Machool, lecturer in media studies at Cambridge University.

Arab Media Watch is pleased to announce the availability of DVDs of our sell-out "Hurrieh - Freedom" concert that took place on 24 November 2007 at St Barnabus Church in Pimlico, London.

28 December 2007

Arab Media Watch commends the BBC World Service and ITV for their excellent programmes on Bethlehem and the plight of Palestinian Christians.

Both were aired on Christmas eve (with ITV's Little Town of Bethlehem repeated on 27 December), and both interviewed numerous Bethlehem residents and Palestinian Christians, who unanimously rebutted the distorted view that Israel is not to blame for their suffering. This is important and timely, given that Times columnist Michael Gove expressed that misguided sentiment on 11 December in an article entitled "Bethlehem and bigotry."

31 December 2007

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today said that violence against journalists in 2007 has reached extreme levels for the third year in succession with 171 confirmed deaths, just below the record set a year ago.

Conflicts in Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia have proved the most dangerous for journalists in a year that has confirmed the high rates of killings in recent years and "tragedy unlimited" for thousands within the global media community.

Reporters Without Borders
2 January 2008

At least 86 journalists were killed around the world in 2007. The figure has risen steadily since 2002 - from 25 to 86 (+ 244%) - and is the highest since 1994, when 103 journalists were killed, nearly half of them in the Rwanda genocide, about 20 in Algeria's civil war and a dozen in the former Yugoslavia.

More than half those killed in 2007 died in Iraq.

8 January 2008

The Save Darfur Coalition is organising an all-expenses-paid trip to Chad for a group of Arab journalists (not necessarily based in the UK).

9 January 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has again called on the United States to free Al Jazeera cameraman, Sami al-Haj, who has been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre for five-and-a-half years.

"Sami al-Haj has never been charged with a crime and the US Government has failed to produce any credible evidence against him," said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "He should be released immediately. Holding him like this is inhumane."

On January 7, 2007, already in poor health due to his inhuman treatment, Sami al-Haj started a hunger strike to protest his detention. Al Jazeera said his health has been deteriorating.

14 January 2008

Leaders of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed "historic reform" within Tunisian journalism following the creation of a new union of journalists and the lifting of a two-year ban on the IFJ's web-site, only weeks after the Federation accused the government of being "stuck in a political groove of media manipulation."

During the week of 14-20 January 2008, Arab Media Watch adviser Chris Doyle got a letter published in the International Herald Tribune on George Bush's recent Mideast trip, and member Ruth Tenne got a letter published in the Times in response to AMW's Action Alert urging members and the public to thank correspondent Stefanie Marsh for an excellent article entitled "Hopeless in Gaza."

AMW also issued an Action Alert urging members and the public to vote for the anti-Iraq war protestors, who are one of the nominees for Channel 4's "political personality of the decade" award.

AMW adviser Guy Gabriel was interviewed by Press TV about Bush's Mideast trip.

AMW had meetings with a senior Reuters figure, The Arab about cooperation between the two organisations, and the French Institute and other co-organisers of a forthcoming film, literary and music festival focusing on Arab women.

AMW sent a factsheet to the media about the route of Israel's West Bank barrier, rebutting the myth that it runs along its boundary. This was in response to an article in the Times, to which AMW wrote an official letter. Al Arab published the factsheet, and AMW also wrote to the Times correcting a claim by its diplomatic editor that Syria rejects "any notion of a peace deal with Israel." Meanwhile, AMW adviser Tahrir Swift complained to CNN about a report on Iraq.

A film producer and director who has recently made films for Channel 4 approached AMW about making a documentary on the organisation.

AMW announced a 30% discount for purchases through its website of the book "Arab  Television Today."

AMW liaised numerous times with the Independent, the Daily Mail, Channel 4, the Daily Telegraph, ABC News, Arab News Broadcasting, IB Tauris, Pluto Books, the Morning Star, and the media sections of the Syrian, Qatari and Jordanian embassies.

23 January 2008

Reporters Without Borders voiced concern today about the continuing detention of Rashid Majid Al-Sari, the editor of the biweekly newspaper Al-Fatah, who was arrested by US troops at his Baghdad home on 18 January.

During the week of 21-27 January 2008, Arab Media Watch published a major monitoring study of Channel 5's news coverage of the Arab world, and sent it to the media.

AMW helped BBC Arabic arrange an interview with Guardian columnist Jonathan Steele about his new book on Iraq, AMW helped the BBC with Palestinian interviewees for a documentary on 1948, and the Islam Channel and Sahar TV requested interviews with AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi on Gaza.

AMW sent two complaints to the Press Complaints Commission against the Times regarding inaccuracies in its coverage of Palestine and Syria.

An AMW delegation attended the launch of the monthly Sudan Perspective newsletter at the Sudanese Embassy.

The editor-in-chief of The Arab emailed AMW to say "many, many thanks" for the feedback requested of us on the press release announcing the launch of the magazine.

AMW liaised numerous times with the Guardian, the Observer, the Independent, the BBC, the Financial Times, Al Jazeera English, the Daily Telegraph, the Middle East Broadcasting Centre, The Arab, Al Arab, ABC News, Arab News Broadcasting, Pluto Books, Verso Books, InterTrade Media, the Syrian, Palestinian, Sudanese and United Arab Emirates embassies, Turnaround Publishers and IB Tauris about AMW's double book launch and panel discussion on Iraq, and the French Institute about our forthcoming film, literary and music festival focusing on Arab women

The Daily Telegraph published a letter on Palestine by Arab Media Watch member Ruth Tenne on 28 January 2008.

The Guardian published a letter on Arabic science by Arab Media Watch adviser Chris Doyle on 31 January 2008.

Women's Cinema from Tangiers to Tehran is a celebration of film by women and their representation in cinema from Morocco in the west to Iran in the east. It will be the first festival of its kind to offer audiences an opportunity to appreciate a vital aspect of international cinema, and to actively engage with an exciting and innovative selection of films.

During the week of 4-10 February 2008, Channel 4 and the Frontline Club aired a documentary entitled "Inside Hamas" in which AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed. The Observer published a review of the documentary and quoted Nashashibi.

Nashashibi was interviewed by a journalism student from Westminster University about media coverage of veiled women, AMW adviser George Asseily was interviewed on Al Jazeera English about political tensions in Lebanon, adviser Rami Khouri was interviewed by Al Jazeera English on the use of certain terminology in reporting conflicts, AMW continued to help the BBC with Palestinian interviewees for a forthcoming documentary on 1948, and AMW was approached for help with interviewees for a documentary on youths in Israel/Palestine. The filmmaker commended AMW's "fantastic work."

Nashashibi and Khouri were nominated for the International Media Council awards.

AMW adviser Chris Doyle was part of a panel discussing "Palestine in Perspective: 60 years" at the Foreign Press Association. Nashashibi and AMW adviser Dr Ghada Karmi were invited to speak at a public meeting on Palestine.

AMW member Brenda Abou Khalil wrote a commentary analysing and comparing media coverage of Israeli and Lebanese deaths.

AMW liaised numerous times with the BBC, Al Jazeera English, the Guardian, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, The Arab, the Palestinian Embassy, the Arab Media Centre at Westminster University, ABC News, Human Rights Watch, the World Association of Newspapers, the French Institute about our forthcoming film, literary and music festival focusing on Arab women, and IB Tauris about the book "Defeat: Why They Lost Iraq" by Guardian columnist Jonathan Steele, which AMW launched a week earlier.

On 13 February 2008, the Guardian published a review by Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi of the documentary "Inside Hamas," which was aired on Channel 4 on 10 February and in which Nashashibi was interviewed.

The Times published a letter by Arab Media Watch member Ruth Tenne on 14 January 2008, in response to AMW's Action Alert urging members and the public to thank correspondent Stefanie Marsh for an excellent article entitled "Hopeless in Gaza."

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford is looking for suitable candidates for the new Mona Megalli Fellowship to be offered within the Reuters Foundation Fellowship Programme at Oxford.

BBC Radio 4's Feedback programme aired on 19 May the views of Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi and Daniel Shek, director of the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, regarding an independent panel's report into the BBC's coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Following is a transcript:

For the week of 21-27 January 2008, Arab Media Watch adviser Nadim Shehadi is part of a roundtable discussion entitled "Rights of Palestinian refugees & prospective solutions," and AMW is an official supporter of the international day of action to end the siege on Gaza.

Daily Mail columnist Ephraim Hardcastle wrote on 27 February 2008 about Arab Media Watch's press release expressing concern at some of the recent British press commentary regarding Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed's Egyptian nationality.

The Independent published a letter on Gaza by Arab Media Watch member Ruth Tenne on 3 March 2008.

The week of 18-24 February 2008 saw the launch of the film festival "Women's Cinema from Tangiers to Tehran," which AMW is co-organising. AMW sent a reminder to the media about it. The BBC and Al Quds Al Arabi published articles about it, and the BBC World Service, Reuters, BBC World TV, the Times, BBC 4, the Independent, Russia Today's Arabic Service and Middle East Online expressed an interest in covering it and doing interviews. The French Embassy emailed AMW saying: "You have done a fantastic job and we are well aware that the press coverage for the festival has been amazing thanks to your work, we are very grateful."

The Times agreed to amend an article on its website that claimed that Israel's barrier runs "along the boundary with the West Bank." This decision was reached after AMW, having initially written to the newspaper without success, approached the Press Complaints Commission, providing ample evidence to show that most of the barrier in fact lies inside the West Bank. After mediation by the PCC, the Times agreed to amend the term to "along and inside the boundary with the West Bank," and to annotate the database records similarly, for the benefit of journalists returning to the subject.

AMW adviser Tahrir Swift was interviewed by the BBC Arabic Service and Sana TV on the proposed Iraq oil law, and a student at Loughborough University interviewed AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi as part of her dissertation on "Media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A look through the eyes of Al Jazeera."

The chairman of the Reuters Foundation thanked AMW for advertising the Mona Megalli Fellowship. "The administrator at Reuters Institute is reporting strong interest in the position, which I'm sure is due in no small part to your advertising it. I'm very grateful indeed!" he said. "It would be good to meet up, to talk about the Institute and also AMW."

AMW had a meeting with the Moroccan Embassy and the new head of the Arab League office in London, and a Daily Mail regular columnist said he looked forward "very much" to a meeting with AMW.

The producer of "Meeting Resistance," the first film ever to go inside the Iraqi insurgency, requested that AMW arrange a screening in London. Southwark College sought AMW's help in finding a speaker on the topic "Is the US the problem or the solution in the Middle East?" after Nashashibi was unable to speak due to travel commitments.

An Al Jazeera employee became an AMW member.

AMW liaised numerous times with Reuters, the BBC, the Daily Telegraph, the Middle East Broadcasting Centre / Al Arabiya, the Guardian, the Daily Mail, the Times, the Arab Media Centre at Westminster University, ABC News, the French Institute, the Press Complaints Commission, the French, Palestinian and Sudanese embassies, Palestinian MP Mustafa Barghouti, and The Arab.

The Press Gazette quoted Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi in an article published on 10 March 2008 entitled "Media observers sceptical about BBC Arabic launch."

During the week of 3-9 March 2008, Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed by Al Jazeera English and BBC World TV about the launch of BBC Arabic TV, and by Press TV about Iraq and Palestine; adviser Dr Ghada Karmi was interiewed by BBC News 24 and BBC World TV about Israel/Palestine; adviser Tahrir Swift was interviewed by Al Hiwar TV and Press TV about Iraq; and AMW interviewed the London bureau chief of the Maghreb Arab Press Agency and the editor of North South magazine for an article on media coverage of Morocco to be published in the Guardian.

A journalist writing for the Guardian requested AMW's help with info on Al Jazeera's coverage of Hamas, and AMW helped the Change Institute with research, contacts and info on the Iraqi community in London and Bristol. The institute has been commissioned by Communities and Local Government to help them improve their relationships with Muslim countries in the UK.

AMW had a meeting with the Arab League office in London about hosting the League's Secretary General Amr Moussa, and AMW adviser Haifa Zangana and member Lubna Samara were panellists at a film screening and discussion entitled "Health and Environmental Catastrophe in Iraq." Al Quds Al Arabi published an article about the event.

The French Embassy described the film festival "Women's Cinema from Tangiers to Tehran," which AMW co-organised, as "a great success. The box office figures are exceptional, the feedback from audiences is fantastic, and the atmosphere during the festival was so nice." Also, the Harrods press office thanked AMW for our report on British press commentary on Mohamed Al-Fayed's Egyptian nationality, describing it as "helpful."

AMW member Ruth Tenne got a letter on Gaza published in the Independent.

AMW liaised numerous times with every British broadsheet newspaper, the BBC, Al Jazeera English, the Economist, the Daily Mail, the Press Complaints Commission, ABC News, Amnesty International, Al Hayat, The Arab, the Arab Media Centre at Westminster University, the Maghreb Arab Press Agency, the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, the French Institute, and the Kuwaiti, Moroccan and Sudanese embassies.

Al Mezan
11 March 2008

On 11 March 2008, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stormed into Al Quds Radio and Al Majd Radio headquarters in Jenin, West Bank and confiscated most of the contents in the buildings. According to sources from Al Quds Radio, the IOF, which carried out an incursion into the town of Jenin , north of the West Bank , raided the headquarters of the radio station. They seized the main radio transmission device and other appliances, archives, and all documents from the office. As a result, work at the radio station was suspended.

That same day, the IOF raided and confiscated the contents of Al Majd Radio headquarters, also in Jenin. The IOF stormed in and searched the Al Maiseloni building, where Al Majd Radio is located. Al Majd was forced to suspend its work as a result.

On 10 March 2008, the IOF arrested Mr. Hassan Abdul Jawad, a board member in the press syndicate from his home in Bethlehem and assaulted his family.

16 April 2008

The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death today of a Reuters cameraman who was killed in the Gaza strip while filming an Israeli tank.

Cameraman Fadel Shana, 23, was killed and soundman Wafa Abu Mizyed, also in his 20s, was wounded after the crew stopped their car and began filming Israeli military forces located several hundred meters away, according to Reuters. Shana was filming the tank when it apparently fired on the Reuters TV crew.

18 April 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed an agreement by Sudanese authorities to end censorship after journalist union leaders brought together a group of newspaper editors in a concerted effort to strengthen ethical journalism and media independence in the country.

During the week of 25 February - 2 March 2008, Arab Media Watch organised a concert of Arab classical music from Andalusian to contemporary times. Guests included the Egyptian, Kuwaiti, Lebanese and Syrian ambassadors, the deputy mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, and media figures.

AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed by Al Jazeera English about the Arab League's resolution to place restrictions on satellite TV broadcasting. AMW also helped Al Jazeera English with contacts and potential interviewees at Al Arabiya.

Al Jazeera English's programme "Witness" requested press tickets for the film festival "Women's Cinema from Tangiers to Tehran," which AMW co-organised.

AMW published a major monitoring study on British media portrayals of Morocco. The Guardian requested that Nashashibi write an article about it.

AMW had lunch with Daily Mail regular columnist Peter Oborne.

AMW published a report expressing concern at some of the recent British press commentary regarding Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed's Egyptian nationality. This was picked up by Daily Mail regular columnist Ephraim Hardcastle.

The editor-in-chief of The Arab magazine described Nashashibi's forthcoming debut article on Arabs in Cuba as "fantastic - really like the piece."

AMW liaised numerous times with Al Jazeera English, the BBC, the New Statesman, the Daily Telegraph, ABC News, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, The Arab, the Arab Press House, the press office of Harrods and the French Embassy.

On Monday 30 October 2006, Arab Media Watch patron Tim Llewellyn and advisor Sami Ramadani speak alongside Independent columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and the general-secretary of the National Union of Journalists, among others, at a talk entitled "Taking Sides: The Media & the War on Terror."

On Wednesday 1 November 2006, AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi speaks on the Arab-Israeli conflict alongside the UK correspondent of the Jerusalem Post at a Labour ward meeting.

On Saturday 4 November 2006, Nashashibi and AMW advisor Dr Karma Nabulsi speak alongside Tony Benn and others at a National Student Day at the London School of Economics.

During the week of 17-23 March 2008, Sky News requested an interview with Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi about the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed, and AMW adviser Guy Gabriel was interviewed by Press TV about Sudan.

AMW had meetings with the BBC (twice), the Guardian, Al Jazeera English (twice), the Daily Mail and the Middle East Broadcasting Centre.

AMW helped the Guardian's Middle East correspondent with interviewees for an article on Palestinian refugees.

AMW was an official supporter of the screening of the new film "Jerusalem: East Side Story," which exposes Israeli policies towards the city and its inhabitants from 1948 until the present day. The screening was followed by a Q&A with the director. And AMW adviser Dr Ghada Karmi gave a lecture for the Centre for Lebanese Studies on "60 Years of Damage: Israel & the Arab World Since 1948."

AMW liaised numerous times with ABC News, Reuters, the Daily Telegraph, the Times, the Guardian, the Independent, the Economist, Arab News Broadcasting, The Arab, Amnesty International and Oxfam.

During the week of 24-30 March 2008, AMW adviser Sami Ramadani got two commentaries on Iraq published in the Guardian, and one in Al Arab. Chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi submitted an article on Bethlehem for publication at the request of The Arab magazine, which the editor-in-chief described as "brilliant."

A media student at Westminster University requested an interview with Nashashibi about BBC Arabic TV, and AMW helped Al Jazeera English find interviewees in Morocco on how the British and Moroccan media covered the Madelaine McCann story.

AMW had a lunch meeting with the Moroccan Embassy, and sent a press release to the media announcing our forthcoming film screening and Q&A on Iraq entitled "Meeting Resistance."

AMW liaised with the Daily Telegraph, the Independent, ABC News, the BBC, the Guardian, the UN, Al Arab, The Arab magazine, the Sudanese Embassy, Arab News Broadcasting, the Jerusalem Post, IB Tauris Publishers and Pluto Books.

International Federation of Journalists
8 April 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the Governments of Iraq and the United States to issue reports and investigations into the widespread targeting and killing of reporters and media staff during the Iraq war.

11 April 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called for the immediate release of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein after an Iraqi judicial committee dismissed terrorism-related allegations against him and ordered his release, but whether he goes free depends upon the United States military who are still holding him.

14 April 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed the unification of Tunisia's two journalist unions in a move to strengthen the defence of journalists' rights and promote press freedom.

18 April 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today backed protest by Palestinian journalists called for Sunday and renewed its demand that the Israeli authorities carry out a full investigation into the killing on Wednesday of Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana in the Gaza Strip.

21 April 2008

There are signs that an Israeli tank crew committed a "serious criminal error" when it fired a shell that killed Fadel Shanaa, 23, a Palestinian cameraman employed by the British news agency Reuters, as he was filming an Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip on 16 April, Reporters Without Borders said today.

During the week of 14-20 April 2008, Arab Media Watch met with Al Jazeera English, the BBC, Sky News, the Guardian, Independent, Daily Star, Al Hayat, Kuwait's Awan newspaper and the Qatari Embassy.

Al Hayat published an article about the dinner organised by AMW for Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa, and Arfan Nizam Eldin praised AMW in his column in the newspaper.

AMW helped a postgraduate media student at Goldsmiths University with his dissertation on "Al Jazeera vs Al Hurra," and a media student at Gloucestershire University requested an interview with AMW for his dissertation "Alan Johnston: How the Reporter Became the Story."

AMW liaised with the BBC, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Independent, Daily Express, Sunday Express, Economist, Al Jazeera English, ABC News, Arab News Broadcasting, Al Sahafa, a media lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies, Kuwait's Awan newspaper, Human Rights Watch, and the Qatari and Sudanese embassies.

On Sunday 25 May 2008, the French Institute, Arab Media Watch and Parallax Media are screening the UK premiere of veteran director Yousry Nasrallah's film The Aquarium (Genenet Al Asmak), an ambitious examination of the sexual and political landscape of contemporary Cairo.

Its two protagonists are observers rather than participants, taking a discreetly Olympian approach to other people's problems. Laila is a late-night radio talk show host whose listeners talk about their most closely guarded secrets; Youssef is an anesthetist who enjoys listening to the things his patients mumble as they drift off into unconsciousness. Both travel along the paths of longing as their destinies become marked by the visually suggestive aquarium gardens in Cairo. Poetic, multilayered and an inspired treat.

Arab Media Watch issued a press release presenting a list of Palestinians who experienced the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe) and who were available for interview on its 60th anniversary (15 May 2008). This resulted in interest from Reuters, Al Jazeera English, the Guardian, BBC Arabic, BBC Radio 5, Press TV and the Islam Channel.

Dziennik, one of Poland's biggest newspapers, interviewed Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi for an article entitled "Have a chat with the beautiful queen," about an initiative by Queen Rania of Jordan to tackle anti-Arab stereotyping.

Arab Media Watch adviser Nadim Shehadi was quoted in an article on 16 May 2008 by Guardian Middle East editor Ian Black, entitled "Lebanon crisis defused after climbdown by PM."

22 May 2008

The prestigious Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism 2008 has been won by Dahr Jamail and Mohammed Omer.

In the spirit of the great war reporter Martha Gellhorn, these two extraordinary journalists - Dahr Jamail is American and Mohammed Omer is Palestinian - share the Prize for their courageous, insightful and, above all, independent reporting. Neither winner has enjoyed the backing of news organisations. Working alone in extremely difficult and often dangerous circumstances, they have reported unpalatable truths, validated by powerful facts that expose establishment propaganda, or "official drivel", as Martha Gellhorn called it.  This is the essence of the Martha Gellhorn Prize.

Arab Media Watch member Abe Hayeem was quoted in an article by the Independent's Middle East correspondent Donald Macintyre, entitled "Israel: From independence to intifada," published on 8 May 2008.

In May 2008, Dr Makram Khoury-Machool became Arab Media Watch's newest adviser.

After Arab Media Watch issued a press release to the media expressing concern and surprise at the British press's almost total silence over the release on 1 May 2008 of Al Jazeera cameraman Sami Al-Haj from Guantanamo Bay, Andrew Alexander used his next column in the Daily Mail to write about exactly that.

On 21 May 2008, the Evening Standard published a letter by Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi entitled "Our embassies are failing us."

On 10 June 2008, the Independent published a letter by Arab Media Watch adviser Chris Doyle entitled "EU must act over Palestinian taxes."

Following are extracts of a speech by Tory leader David Cameron at the reception of the first annual gala dinner of the Conservative Middle East Council, which took place on 10 June 2008 in Whitehall, London, and was attended by representatives from Arab Media Watch.

25 June 2008

Reporters Without Borders condemns the arrest of journalist Ahmed Al-Majoun in a raid by US and Iraqi soldiers on his home in Tikrit (180 km north of Baghdad) early yesterday. His son was also arrested. Majoun heads a journalists union based in Salah El Din, the province of which Tikrit is the capital. No reason has been given for their arrests.

The Spectator published a letter by Arab Media Watch adviser Chris Doyle on 3 July 2008.

8 June 2006

The Daily Express and Daily Star have responded to Arab Media Watch's press release expressing concern at the lack of any reporting in the Sun, the Express and the Star of the massacres by US Marines of Iraqi civilians in Haditha and Ishaqi, as well as other recent abuses by coalition forces.

May 26 - AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi got an article published in Al Arab newspaper entitled "BBC'ing the Arab perspective", about AMW's latest monitoring study of the BBC's coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This was also published in Sharq magazine in March.

http://english.alarabonline.org/display.asp? fname=2006\05\05-26\ zfeaturez\967.htm& dismode=x&ts=26/05/2006 %2002:06:28%20ã

May 24 - AMW correspondent Yasser Abu Moailek got a feature published in the Daily Star, Lebanon's leading English-language newspaper, entitled "'TV on demand' all the rage in West Bank".

May 24 - AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi appeared on US TV news network ABC with Mary Dejevsky of the Independent, during which they discussed Iraq, Afghanistan, and Amnesty International's latest annual human rights report.

May 23 - AMW director Victor Kattan was interviewed on Al Hiwar TV about a meeting of the British-Arab community with the new UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, which included an AMW delegation consisting of Kattan, director Muna Nashashibi and chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi.

May 22 - AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi got an article published in the Daily Star, Lebanon's leading English-language newspaper, entitled "Comoran elections stand as signpost of democratic wave":

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=24616

June 4 - AMW member Chris Doyle got a letter published in the Observer entitled "Melanie Phillips is inciting hatred":

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,1789893,00.html

June 3 - Al Arab newspaper published an article about AMW's submission to the BBC regarding its impartiality review, entitled "Is this London or Tel Aviv?"

http://www.alarabonline.org/Previouspages/Arab%20Weekly/2006/06-2006/A-W-%2003-06-2006/w09.PDF

June 2 - AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed on US TV news network ABC about the massacres by US Marines of Iraqi civilians in Haditha and Ishaqi.

May 29 - AMW correspondent Yasser Abu Moailek got 2 articles published on the Electronic Intifada website, one entitled "'TV on demand all the rage in the West Bank", the other entitled "Hamas's militant arm turns to fighting internal chaos":

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4748.shtml

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4749.shtml

27 June 2006

On Saturday 24 June 2006, the Daily Express ran a feature by Paul Callan of almost two pages on British "war hero" Orde Wingate, who used his "military genius" and "brilliance as a tactician" to help Jewish forces establish "their precious homeland" ("The Untold Story of Our Most Eccentric War Hero").

Besides the serious factual inaccuracies peppered throughout the article, it paints a benevolent, selective portrait of Wingate that is as highly misleading as it is offensive to his victims and those who respect the rule of law.

Below are examples of Wingate's brutality, taken from Jewish and Israeli sources (such as Jewish academics and authors John Rose and Norman Finkelstein, Jewish militant Tzion Cohen, Israeli historians Tom Segev and Anita Shapira, and former Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Dayan), that would today be described as war crimes:

30 June 2006

The following press release highlights contentious areas of media coverage of Israel's current invasion of the Gaza Strip, with Arab Media Watch's recommendations.

3 July 2006

After Daily Mail regular columnist Melanie Phillips was allowed by BBC Question Time to make wild, inaccurate accusations unchallenged on 29 June about Israel's Gaza invasion, Arab Media Watch commends the tough questioning by Channel 4 presenter Jon Snow of Israel's deputy ambassador a day later. View the footage at the following link:

Arab Media Watch is pleased to announce the creation of a section on its website dedicated to its annual fundraising dinner, which took place on 7 June 2008.

1 July 2008

Reporters Without Borders today condemned abusive behaviour by Israeli security agents towards Palestinian journalists moving around the Territories or returning from visits abroad.

The worldwide press freedom organisation said it had recorded five incidents of wrongful arrest in the past ten days. One journalist is still being held, while another needed hospital treatment after being subjected to brutality and humiliation at an Israeli checkpoint by members of Shin Bet (Israeli internal security service).

10 July 2008

Two colleagues at Chatham House have just written a major report on the economic challenges facing oil- and gas-exporting states. The report is based on 12 country studies - including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Algeria - and look at the options they have for depletion policy, growth and development.

15 July 2008

The Committee to Protect Journalists protests the detention without charge of an Associated Press journalist who was seized by US and Iraqi forces last month in the Iraqi city of Tikrit.

On 18 July 2008, the Jewish Chronicle published a letter on Palestine by Arab Media Watch adviser Chris Doyle.

On 18 July 2008, Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi wrote to the Daily Telegraph in response to a commentary by Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor.

A day earlier, Nashashibi wrote to the Times in response to an editorial on the Israel-Hezbollah prisoner swap.

31 July 2008

Writer / director Ja'far 'Abd al-Hamid (has been working in independent film and TV since 1992; programming assistant at the Raindance Film Festival 2006; MA film; completing a PhD in film adaptations) is casting for more roles to take part in the highly visual self-funded Super 16MM feature entitled MESOCAFE, shooting in London in November-December 2008.

"With its Arab, Assyrian, Jewish and Kurdish heritage, the Middle Eastern community of London provides a focal point for Mesocafe, an English language feature film set in 2003."

1 August 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said that 'the Iraqi journalists had shown fresh commitment to building democracy and unity within media' following recent elections within the Iraqi Union of Journalists. In a letter of congratulations to the newly-elected union president Moaid Al Lami and his colleagues, the IFJ noted that the final results of voting had been verified and approved by the judicial committee monitoring the election.

6 August 2008

The Daily Mail responded positively to Chris Doyle, Arab Media Watch adviser and director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, about an article published on 31 July 2008 on the newspaper's website entitled "Arab sends his Lamborghini for an oil check - 6,500 miles by air from Qatar to London."

On 25 July 2008, the Independent published a letter by Arab Media Watch member Mark Elf entitled "Palestinians have their rights, too."

During the week of 28 July - 3 August 2008, Arab Media Watch published a study entitled "British Media Reaction: Sudan's President & the ICC," and met with an author of a forthcoming book on Sudan.

The documentary "Inside Hamas" - which was aired earlier this year on Channel 4, and in which AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed - has been shortlisted by the Grierson Trust for the Best Documentary Award. The Griersons are the top documentary awards in Britain.

AMW director Muna Nashashibi was interviewed on Al Hiwar TV about AMW and the role of Arab women in the West.

An Oxfam director told AMW he was leaving the organisation, adding: "I wanted to thank you - deeply and with admiration - for our encounters over recent years. I trust that Oxfam will continue to benefit from its association with you."

AMW liaised with the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Times, New Statesman, Metro, Daily Mirror, ABC News, Bloomberg, Asharq Al Awsat, Arab News Broadcasting, the Times of India, Verso Books, IB Tauris, an Iraqi filmmaker, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Sudanese and Palestinian embassies, and media lecturers at Cambridge University and the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Arab Media Watch condemns the appointment of extremist Avigdor Lieberman as Israeli deputy prime minister in charge of strategic threats.

"One can't escape the irony of Israel condemning far-right politicians such as France's Jean-Marie Le Pen and Austria's Joerg Haider, yet accepting in its own government someone who advocates war, murder, violence, land appropriation, settlement activity, dispossession, racism and political disenfranchisement against Arabs," said AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi.

"Lieberman's appointment dangerously heightens an already tense situation in the Middle East, and flies in the face of any notion of seeking a just and lasting peace with Israel's neighbours. Media portrayals of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert courting Lieberman and his political party to shore up his shaky coalition government do not explain that this was certainly not Olmert's only choice. There are parties and politicians in parliament with less destructive agendas, to say the least."

Following is a profile of Lieberman, highlighting his extremist views:

29 May 2007

To mark the 40th anniversary of Israel's occupation of Arab land following the 1967 war, Arab Media Watch has produced an easy-to-read document summarising and critiquing, in one page each, 30 official and private initiatives from 1978 to the present day that have one basic goal - ending the Israeli-Arab conflict.

The purpose is to give the media and the public an overall, concise, accessible view of peacemaking efforts over the years.

The week of 6-12 November 2006 saw Arab Media Watch being interviewed by BBC Asia, the Bromley Times and the News Shopper; issuing a press release to the British, Arab and American media about Saddam Hussein's trial; and liaising with the BBC, Reuters, the Associated Press, ITN, the Guardian, Al Hayat, the UK correspondent of the Jerusalem Post and Lauren Booth, regular columnist for the Mail on Sunday and the New Statesman.

Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi is taking part in a debate on Israel/Palestine at the Model UN on Thursday 16 November 2006.

Two days later, AMW advisor Sami Ramadani takes part in a strategy gathering entitled "Ending the Occupation of Iraq".

15 November 2006

Arab Media Watch welcomes today's ground-breaking launch of Al Jazeera's English-language TV news channel, set to reach 80 million homes worldwide, twice the original target.

6 July 2007

Arab Media Watch congratulates Guardian journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, who reports from Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East, for winning the Gaby Rado memorial award for a G2 piece last August on the huge number of children killed in Israel's invasion of Lebanon. The prize was given on 4 July 2007 at the Amnesty International media awards for human rights reporting.

11 July 2007

After riding out the diplomatic and political storm of the last two years, Syria is once again a critical player in the future of the Middle East. The Baathist regime has weathered external pressure from the West, the seeds of civil unrest at home, and the loss of its historical position of power in Lebanon. Today, the future looks far brighter for Syria as it continues to gain leverage on almost every foreign policy front.

This is the major finding of a new briefing paper entitled "Open for Business: Syria's Quest for a Political Deal," written by Arab Media Watch adviser Rime Allaf and published by Chatham House.

Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi joins distinguished journalists, diplomats and others at a seminar in London organised by the International Media Council on 11 September 2008 entitled "Integration vs Integration." Nashashibi will be part of a panel discussing "Racism, prejudice, Islamophobia: The media's coverage."

Following is a letter written to the Guardian on 29 August 2008 by Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi, in response to a commentary by Israel's ambassador to the UK.

5 September 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the Iranian government for forcing al-Arabiya TV bureau chief Hassan Fahs from the country because they were unhappy with his reporting.

Organised by Arab Media Watch

Date & time: Monday 22 September 2008, 6.30-8.30pm

Venue: Arab British Chamber of Commerce, 43 Upper Grosvenor St, London W1K 2NJ

Admission free, all welcome

Organised by the Association of the Palestinian Community in the UK, and supported by Arab Media Watch, to celebrate the life of the late Palestinian poet laureate Mahmoud Darwish.

On Thursday 9 October 2008 at 7pm at Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, Kensington, London W8 7NX.

22 August 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned actions by the Israeli army which raided and closed down three Palestinian radio stations on Wednesday.

25 September 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed the release of imprisoned Yemeni journalist Abdulkarim Al Khaiwani and congratulated its affiliate, the Yemeni Journalists' Syndicate (YJS), on securing his release.

18 June 2007

Last week, Arab Media Watch published extracts of the hate mail we received after Daily Mail columnist and BBC Moral Maze regular Melanie Phillips urged her blog readers to complain to us. We subsequently received two more gems to make her proud.

21 May 2007

Amid the continuing political stalemate in Lebanon, the last two days have seen heavy clashes between the army and Islamic militants in the north of the country, as well as a bomb explosion in Beirut.

Meanwhile, Israel is increasing its military strikes in the Gaza Strip, and threatening to resume assassinations of leading Palestinian figures.

Arab Media Watch's advisers on Lebanon and Palestine are available for interview.

30 April 2007

Arab Media Watch announces the launch of a major monitoring study of how the media portrays the Arab Gulf states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Covering the period July 2006 to March 2007, the 21-page report focuses on editorials, columns, commentaries, analyses and features from the British national daily broadsheets and tabloids.

Arab Media Watch, the Council for Arab-British Understanding and the Next Century Foundation invite you to a panel discussion entitled "What now for Palestine?" on Thursday 5 July 2007 at the Arab British Chamber of Commerce.

Arab Media Watch, the Council for Arab British Understanding and the Next Century Foundation invite you to a panel discussion on Thursday 14 June 2007 at 7pm at the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce.

Chaired by Baroness Symons (former minister of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office), speakers are Guardian Middle East editor Ian Black, Times chief foreign editorial writer Michael Binyon, Egyptian Ambassador Gehad Madi and Ghayth Armanazi, director of the Syrian Media Centre, former head of the Arab League in London and AMW adviser.

On 9 June 2006, in response to an Arab Media Watch press release a day earlier, the Guardian diary section published a witty item on the responses of the Sun, the Daily Express and the Daily Star to AMW's findings that they had not reported anything about the Haditha and Ishaqi massacres, and other coalition abuses in Iraq.

June 11 - AMW's Tahrir Swift was interviewed on Al Hiwar TV about the organisation.

June 9 - The Guardian published an item about the response by the Sun, Daily Express and Daily Star to AMW's press release about their failure to report coalition abuses in Iraq:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/diary/story/0,,1793475,00.html

June 8 - Al Arab newspaper published AMW's initial press release regarding the lack of coverage by the Sun, Daily Express and Daily Star of abuses by coalition forces in Iraq:

http://english.alarabonline.org/display.asp? fname=2006\06\06-08\zalsoz\924.htm&dismode=x&ts=08/06/2006%2001:25:37%20ã

June 8 - AMW member Omar Waraich was interviewed on the BBC Asia Network about the killing of terrorist leader Abu Musab Al Zarqawi in Iraq.

June 8 - AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed on US TV news network ABC about the killing of terrorist leader Abu Musab Al Zarqawi in Iraq.

June 8 - AMW issued another press release to journalists, in response to the Daily Star and Daily Express responding to AMW's initial press release about their lack of coverage of coalition abuses in Iraq, including the Haditha and Ishaqi massacres:

http://www.arabmediawatch.com/amw/Articles/PressReleases/ tabid/77/newsid391/2692/ Daily-Express-and-Daily-Star-respond-to-Arab-Media-Watch-press-release/Default.aspx

June 8 - AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland about the killing of terrorist leader Abu Musab Al Zarqawi in Iraq.

June 7 - The Daily Star and Daily Express responded to the AMW press release about their lack of coverage of coalition abuses in Iraq, including the Haditha and Ishaqi massacres.

June 6 - AMW spoke with the Sun, the Daily Express and the Daily Star about their lack of coverage of coalition abuses in Iraq, including the Haditha and Ishaqi massacres, prior to issuing a press release about this to journalists:

http://www.arabmediawatch.com/amw/Articles/PressReleases/ tabid/77/newsid391/2680/ AMW-concern-at-lack-of-coverage-of-Iraq-massacres-in-Sun-Express--Star/Default.aspx

June 6 - Al 'Alam TV requested an interview from AMW concerning EU-Iranian relations.

June 6 - Al Arab newspaper provided a link on its website to AMW:

http://english.alarabonline.org/display.asp? fname=2006\06\06-06\zfeaturez\966.htm

June 5 - AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi and member Omar Waraich met with Patrick Cockburn, Iraq correspondent for the Independent.

June 5 - AMW correspondent Yasser Abu Moailek got an article published on the Electronic Intifada website entitled "Palestinian blacksmith dreams of returning to job in Israel":

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4764.shtml

13 July 2006

Arab Media Watch condemns Israel's invasion, bombing and blockade of Lebanon, and reiterates the view of world leaders and human rights groups that its wanton aggression is "disproportionate". Israel's targets are predominantly civilian, including Lebanon's only international airport, bridges, media offices, a Muslim prayer house, and the killing and injuring of dozens of innocent civilians, including children, journalists and entire families.

18 July 2006

Arab Media Watch is concerned at the predominance of British broadcast and print news coming out of Israel as opposed to Lebanon during the current crisis between the two countries.

Arab Media Watch activity in the week of 3 - 9 July included a conference on Israel/Palestine, TV interviews with the Islam Channel, radio interviews with the BBC and Ireland's Newstalk 106FM, and published press releases in Lebanon's Daily Star, Al Arab, Electronic Intifada and What Really Happened.

15 July 2006

Arab Media Watch condemns actress and columnist Maureen Lipman for claiming on BBC 1's This Week programme on 13 July that "human life is not cheap to the Israelis, and human life on the other side is quite cheap actually..."

This press release covers AMW's media activities for the fortnight of 24 July - 6 August.