Britain Palestine Project

What does it mean to describe the Nakba as ongoing?

In this episode, historian and author Dr Anne Irfan joins Britain Palestine Project podcast host Diana Safieh to trace the history of Palestinian displacement from the Nakba of 1948 to the present day.

Anne begins with the events of 1947–49, when at least 750,000 Palestinians became refugees, and explains why the Nakba should be understood not only through the original expulsions, but through the subsequent denial of return and repeated displacement of Palestinian communities.

She explores the central role Palestinian refugee camps have played in political organisation, resistance and sumud (steadfastness), from the Palestinian revolutionary movement of the late 1960s and 1970s to the First Intifada and later movements centred on the right of return.

The conversation also examines the particular place of Gaza within this history. More than 200,000 Palestinian refugees arrived in Gaza following the Nakba, transforming its population and landscape and creating a refugee population whose descendants have experienced repeated displacement. Anne connects this history to the destruction and displacement witnessed in Gaza today.

Dr Anne Irfan is a historian and lecturer at University College London, researching the history and politics of Palestinian displacement. She is the author of Refuge and Resistance: Palestinians and the International Refugee System (Columbia University Press, 2023) and A Short History of the Gaza Strip (Simon & Schuster, 2025).

Her academic work has appeared in the Journal of Palestine Studies, Journal of Genocide Research, Journal of Refugee Studies and Jerusalem Quarterly. She has also contributed to media outlets including Al Jazeera, The Nation, +972 and Jewish Currents.

Britain Palestine Project trustees Andrew Whitley and Sir Vincent Fean discuss what they see as a significant shift in British policy towards Israel and Palestine following Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s announcement of new measures relating to Israel’s illegal settlements and Gaza.

Sir Vincent describes the change as significant not only in substance, but in tone and determination – arguing that, for the first time in his 39-year diplomatic career, he has heard a British Foreign Secretary link condemnation of Israeli settlement activity with concrete action.

Andrew and Vincent examine what this could mean in practice, including the threat posed by the E1 settlement project; Israel’s response and the closure of the British Consulate in Jerusalem; growing settler influence within Israeli politics and state institutions; and the increasingly contested status of Jerusalem and its holy sites.

They also turn to the situation in Gaza, where severe restrictions continue despite the ceasefire, and discuss the obstacles to implementing the next stages of the Trump plan, including the question of disarmament and the future administration of Gaza.

Finally, they look ahead to possible Palestinian elections and the urgent need for democratic renewal, asking what role Britain should play in ensuring that Palestinians in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank are able to participate – and that the international community respects the outcome.

There may have been a significant change in British policy, they conclude, but changing policy is only the beginning. The real test is whether sustained international pressure can bring about meaningful change on the ground.

Who controls what appears in our social media feeds, and who decides which voices are amplified, suppressed or removed altogether?Diana Safieh speaks to Issam Hijazi, the Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian founder of UpScrolled, an independent social media platform created in response to concerns about censorship, shadow banning and the power of Big Tech.Issam describes his own experience of posting about Palestine and finding that content received dramatically less visibility than his other posts. He explains how those experiences helped inspire UpScrolled, which has grown from around 150,000 users at the beginning of 2026 to more than five million, largely through organic growth and word of mouth.The conversation explores the increasingly important question of who controls the information we see online. Issam discusses algorithms and shadow banning; data collection and privacy; content moderation and hate speech; fake accounts and bot farms; political influence; and the challenges of building an ethical social media company while competing with some of the world's biggest technology businesses.He also explains UpScrolled's approach to transparency: allowing users greater control over what they see, collecting only the data it needs, not selling user data to third parties, and attempting to moderate content consistently rather than favouring particular political positions or groups.The discussion asks some difficult questions. Can social media ever be politically neutral? Where should platforms draw the line between free expression and harmful content? Can we escape algorithmically created echo chambers? And can an ethical alternative to Big Tech succeed without eventually compromising the principles on which it was founded?

Professor Brian K. Barber talks to us about his book, NoWay But Forward: Life Stories of Three Families in the Gaza Strip.

Brian first travelled to Palestine as a researcher in the1990s. Over the following three decades, he developed close relationships withfamilies in Gaza, gaining a rare insight into their everyday lives, ambitionsand struggles. His book follows three families through the defining moments oftheir lives - from education, employment and marriage to siege, repeateddisplacement and devastating loss.

Brian explains why the book is not primarily an account ofthe politics of Palestine and Israel, but an attempt to fulfil the one requestmade of him by the families who welcomed him: “Tell our story.”

The conversation explores the danger of viewing Palestinianchildren solely through the language of trauma and why Brian prefers todescribe Palestinians as “resourceful” rather than “resilient.” He discussesthe central importance of family, education, religion and a shareddetermination to defend human dignity.

The final section of No Way But Forward records ayear of WhatsApp messages sent to Brian by the three fathers following 7October 2023. These firsthand accounts document displacement, starvation,injury, bereavement and the indignities of life in makeshift tents, while alsorevealing the families’ continuing commitment to their children’s education andfutures.

About Brian K. Barber

Brian K. Barber is Professor Emeritus at the University ofTennessee and lives in Washington, DC. His work examines how different contexts,from parenting and family life to political systems and violent conflict, affectindividual and social development.

He is the editor of Intrusive Parenting: HowPsychological Control Affects Children and Adolescents and Adolescentsand War: How Youth Deal with Political Conflict. His most recent book is NoWay But Forward: Life Stories of Three Families in the Gaza Strip.

The book is available in print and as an e-book, withtranslations in Italian and German and a French edition forthcoming.

Please listen, share and help these families’ stories reacha wider audience.

Has Britain's change of leadership created a genuine opportunity for a new approach to Palestine, or will little change in practice?

Britain Palestine Project trustees Sir Vincent Fean and Andrew Whitley assess the implications of the new Labour government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, examining whether recent statements on Gaza and international law will be matched by meaningful action.

The discussion explores practical policy options available to the UK, from sanctions on illegal settlements and financial services to enforcing the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on the occupation of the Palestinian territories. Vincent and Andrew also consider the political pressures facing the new government, the role of public opinion, and why Britain has both a historic responsibility and an opportunity to provide international leadership.

They also discuss:

• The UK's recognition of the State of Palestine and what should happen next.

• Why international law must be followed by practical consequences.

• Trade with Israeli settlements and proposed sanctions.

• The significance of the proposed E1 settlement expansion.

• Humanitarian access to Gaza and the role of UNRWA.

• Whether Britain should continue to follow Washington's lead—or build a coalition with like-minded countries.

• The importance of Palestinian political unity and forthcoming elections.

• How upcoming elections in Israel, Palestine and the United States could reshape the political landscape.

Despite the gravity of the current situation, Vincent and Andrew end by identifying areas where sustained public pressure, principled diplomacy and international cooperation could still bring meaningful change.

Sir Vincent Fean served in the British Diplomatic Service for more than 35 years, including as British Consul-General in Jerusalem (2010–2014). He is a trustee of the Britain Palestine Project and author of A Misunderstood Friendship: Britain and Israel, 1948–2020.

Andrew Whitley is a former senior United Nations official with extensive experience across the Middle East, including senior roles with UNRWA and the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. He is a trustee of the Britain Palestine Project.

Subscribe to the Britain Palestine Project Podcast for expert analysis, interviews and discussions exploring Britain's historic and contemporary role in Palestine.

Guests

What does life under occupation look like - not through headlines, but through the eyes of those who have lived alongside Palestinian communities?

We speak with Tim Livesey and Julia Race, recently returned Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAPPI), who spent months living and working in the occupied West Bank. Drawing on firsthand experience from the Jordan Valley and Bethlehem, they share eyewitness testimony of daily life under military occupation and the human stories behind the headlines.

Together, they explore how settlement expansion, movement restrictions, demolitions, settler violence and the erosion of Palestinian communities fit into broader political and legal developments, including the International Court of Justice's 2024 advisory opinion declaring Israel's occupation unlawful. They also highlight the work of Israeli and Palestinian human rights organisations, the principle of sumud (steadfastness), and practical ways people in the UK can take informed action.

Guests

Tim Livesey first visited Palestine in 1987, six weeks before the outbreak of the first intifada, and has been a frequent visitor since then. He returned from a three-month spell as an Ecumenical Accompanier on the West Bank last November. He has been a UK diplomat, senior adviser to the Archbishops of Canterbury and Westminster, Chief of Staff to Ed Miliband as Leader of the Opposition, and Chief Executive of the development charity Embrace the Middle East.

Julia Race studied languages and has spent most of her career working for the British Council including postings to Cairo, Cape Town, Rome and Brussels. She now advises organisations from around the world on external relations, governance and fundraising. She first visited Israel and Palestine in 2007 and has just returned from three months as an Ecumenical Accompanier (or human rights monitor) based in Bethlehem.

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For more webinars, podcasts and events, visit the Britain Palestine Project.

What happens when a healthcare system is systematically dismantled during war?

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Britain Palestine Project Podcast, Professor Nick Maynard—consultant surgeon, humanitarian, and Chair of Medical Aid for Palestinians—shares his eyewitness testimony from multiple medical missions inside Gaza since October 2023.

Drawing on over sixteen years of experience working in Palestinian hospitals, Professor Maynard describes the realities facing doctors, nurses and patients as hospitals are overwhelmed, medical supplies run out, healthcare workers are killed or detained, and civilians struggle to survive amid mass displacement and hunger.

This conversation examines the collapse of Gaza's healthcare system through the eyes of a surgeon who has treated the wounded firsthand. Professor Maynard discusses the challenges of operating without basic equipment, the impact of malnutrition on patients, attacks on hospitals and medical personnel, and the urgent humanitarian crisis facing Gaza today.

Hosted by Diana Safieh, the discussion also explores what governments, healthcare professionals and ordinary citizens can do in response.

Topics covered include:

• Professor Maynard's medical missions to Gaza

• The collapse of Gaza's healthcare system

• Conditions inside emergency departments and operating theatres

• The impact of attacks on hospitals and medical staff

• Child casualties and trauma care

• Malnutrition and the humanitarian crisis

• Medical evacuations and barriers to treatment

• International humanitarian law and accountability

• The role of the UK government and international community

• How individuals can support humanitarian efforts

Whether you are interested in healthcare, international law, humanitarian aid or the ongoing situation in Palestine, this episode offers a rare first-hand medical perspective from one of the UK's most experienced surgeons working in Gaza.

Professor Nick Maynard is a Consultant Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Oxford. He has worked extensively in Gaza since 2008, training Palestinian surgeons and supporting the development of surgical services. He is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Medical Aid for Palestinians and was awarded the UK Humanitarian Medal in recognition of his medical work in Gaza.

Subscribe for conversations with leading historians, diplomats, academics, journalists, humanitarian workers and policymakers exploring Palestine, Britain and the wider Middle East.

In the closing session of the conference, Britain Palestine Project Executive Director Dr Brian Brivati reflected on the discussions of the day and outlined the practical policy agenda emerging from the conference and the newly launched Statement of Principles.

Rather than attempting to summarise every contribution, Dr Brivati focused on a central question that had run throughout the conference: how can sufficient political pressure be generated to change the realities on the ground and encourage meaningful action from governments?

He argued that the coming months present a significant political opportunity. With the prospect of political change in both Israel and the United Kingdom, and increasing public concern over the situation in Palestine and Israel, there is a rare moment in which policymakers may be more receptive to public pressure and advocacy.

Drawing on themes raised throughout the day, Brivati highlighted a number of practical policy measures that Britain Palestine Project intends to advocate for, including action on trade with illegal settlements, opposition to settlement expansion in the E1 corridor, publication and implementation of legal advice relating to the International Court of Justice advisory opinion, and stronger action regarding arms exports and international legal obligations.

He stressed that while individual measures taken by the United Kingdom are important, meaningful change will ultimately require coordinated action with international partners. Britain’s influence is greatest when exercised alongside allies, particularly within Europe and through international institutions such as the United Nations.

Brivati also pointed to the approaching review of the UN-mandated arrangements governing Gaza's future and argued that civil society organisations, campaigners and citizens have an important role to play in shaping the debate around what comes next.

A key message of the session was that political engagement matters. Delegates were encouraged to continue writing to MPs, engaging with elected representatives, organising public meetings, and keeping issues of justice, accountability and international law firmly on the political agenda. Brivati argued that in a fragmented and competitive political environment, elected representatives are listening more closely than they often do, creating opportunities for citizens to influence policy.

The session concluded with thanks to the speakers, delegates, volunteers and staff who had contributed to the conference, and a commitment from the Britain Palestine Project to continue developing and advocating a practical policy platform rooted in its Statement of Principles and informed by the expertise shared throughout the day.

Featuring: Daniel Levy, Dr Julie Norman, Nomi Bar-Yaacov, Shawan Jabarin, followed by Q&A.

As the conference drew towards its conclusion, this panel tackled one of the most pressing questions of the day: what practical action can be taken internationally to advance Palestinian rights, uphold international law and create meaningful political change?

Chaired by Sir Vincent Fean, the discussion brought together Daniel Levy, Dr Julie Norman, Nomi Bar-Yaacov and Shawan Jabarin to explore the shifting global political landscape, the role of governments and civil society, and how pressure can be translated into action.

Dr Julie Norman argued that despair and inaction are not options. While acknowledging the scale of suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, she highlighted practical policy measures including recognition of the State of Palestine, banning settlement goods, supporting Palestinian businesses, and ensuring that any future reconstruction of Gaza prioritises Palestinian agency and dignity. She also reflected on the Britain Palestine Project’s Statement of Principles, emphasising the importance of maintaining a broad coalition while continuing difficult conversations about how principles become policy.

Shawan Jabarin offered a stark assessment of international efforts to date. Drawing on his experience as Director General of Al-Haq, he warned that many reconstruction proposals risk entrenching Israeli control rather than advancing Palestinian self-determination. He argued that Palestinians have been systematically excluded from decisions about their own future and stressed the need to challenge policies that seek to normalise occupation, displacement and inequality.

Daniel Levy focused on the political realities of building influence and power. He argued that international law alone will not change outcomes unless governments are willing to create consequences for violations. Levy explored the growing global movement around Palestine, the shifting geopolitical landscape and the importance of creating political pressure that changes Israeli calculations. He also examined changing attitudes within Jewish communities worldwide and challenged assumptions about the future of Zionism, accountability and coexistence.

Nomi Bar-Yaacov highlighted the urgency of implementing the International Court of Justice advisory opinion and ending the occupation in practice rather than merely in rhetoric. She outlined concrete measures governments could take, including restrictions on settlement activity, support for accountability mechanisms, action on Palestinian prisoners, and stronger coordination among European states. Bar-Yaacov also stressed the importance of maintaining hope through dialogue, cooperation and future political solutions grounded in justice and equality.

The panel concluded with a lively audience discussion covering Palestinian political leadership, the imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, the role of Hamas, changing attitudes among younger Jewish communities, international sanctions, and whether emerging global alliances may offer new opportunities to uphold international law.

Throughout the discussion, speakers returned to a common theme: meaningful change will require more than statements of concern. It will require sustained political pressure, international accountability, grassroots mobilisation and a commitment to ensuring that Palestinian rights remain central to any future political settlement.

Speakers:

• Daniel Levy, President, US/Middle East Project

• Dr Julie Norman, Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, UCL

• Nomi Bar-Yaacov, International Negotiator and Mediator

• Shawan Jabarin, Director General, Al-Haq

Chair:

• Sir Vincent Fean KCVO, Trustee, Britain Palestine Project

Featuring: Chris Doyle, Shawan Jabarin, Dame Emily Thornberry MP, Debbie Abrahams MP and Paul Gerrard,  Chair: Sir Vincent Fean

In this wide-ranging panel discussion, leading politicians, campaigners, human rights advocates and policy experts examine the question at the heart of the conference: now that the UK has recognised the State of Palestine, what practical steps should come next?

The panel explores how recognition can be translated into meaningful political, economic and legal action, discussing sanctions, trade, settlements, accountability, international law and the role of civil society in shaping government policy.

Topics discussed include:

• The implications of UK recognition of the State of Palestine and whether recognition should be viewed as a starting point rather than an endpoint.

• Britain's historic and contemporary responsibilities regarding Palestine.

• The UK's military, diplomatic and economic relationship with Israel.

• Calls for sanctions, arms embargoes and restrictions on trade connected to settlements.

• The International Court of Justice advisory opinion and the UK's response to its findings.

• The legality of Israeli settlements and possible measures available to governments and businesses.

• The proposed E1 settlement expansion and its implications for the viability of a future Palestinian state.

• The role of British businesses, investors and consumers in relation to settlements and occupation.

• The economic challenges facing Palestinian producers and exporters.

• The role of Parliament, political parties and public campaigning in shaping UK policy.

• Civil society action, grassroots organising and public pressure as drivers of political change.

• Questions of accountability, international law and enforcement mechanisms.

Recorded at the Britain Palestine Project annual conference, Recognition is the Beginning, held at the Greenwood Theatre, London, on 2 June 2026.

Chris Doyle is Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu), one of the UK's leading organisations promoting informed debate and policy engagement on the Middle East. He is a frequent commentator on Middle Eastern affairs and has worked for decades on issues relating to Palestine, Israel, human rights and British foreign policy.

Shawan Jabarin is General Director of Al-Haq, the leading Palestinian human rights organisation. A prominent lawyer and human rights advocate, he has spent decades documenting violations of international law and advancing accountability through international legal mechanisms.

Dame Emily Thornberry is Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury. She has played a leading role in parliamentary scrutiny of UK foreign policy and has been an advocate for Palestinian statehood and international law.

Debbie Abrahams is Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth and Co-Chair of the Britain-Palestine All-Party Parliamentary Group. She has been a longstanding advocate for human rights, international law and Palestinian self-determination.

Paul Gerrard is Director of Campaigns, Public Affairs and Board Secretariat at the Co-op Group. He has led the Co-op's work on ethical sourcing, human rights and responsible business practices, including initiatives supporting Palestinian producers and addressing trade linked to settlements.

Sir Vincent Fean is a former British diplomat and Trustee of the Britain Palestine Project. He served as British Consul-General in Jerusalem and has written extensively on British policy towards Palestine and Israel, diplomacy and international law.