This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on the 12th October 2021.
Moderated by:
Robin Lustig – award-winning journalist and broadcaster. He presented The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4 and Newshour on the BBC World Service between 1989 and 2012, and before that worked for Reuters and The Observer. He studied Politics at the University of Sussex, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2015. He has published a memoir entitled ‘Is Anything Happening?
On the panel:
Mira Awad – Palestinian-Bulgarian-Israeli singer, songwriter, actress, TV content creator, artist and artivista (activist through art). Very much identified with the agenda of dialogue and co-existence, Mira is a relentless peace activist, and uses her art to advocate human solidarity and empathy across cultures. Mira is a multicultural, multidisciplinary international performer, she released two solo albums, and collaborated with many international artists: Noa, Idan Raichel, David Broza, Andrea Boccelli, Bobby Mc’Ferrin and more. She represented Israel in the Eurovision song contest 2009 alongside Israeli singer Noa (Achinoam Nini). She is a prominent coach for stage performance and creativity, and an award winning composer for theatre and film. As an actress, Mira participated in numerous theatre productions, she hosted several tv shows, and starred on the high rated series “Arab Labor”. She created the semi-biographical drama tv series Muna, that was the first drama series on Israeli screen with an Arab woman in the lead role. In addition, Mira is the woman behind MitraByMira.com, an activist apparel online store aiming to spread messages of peace and solidarity.
Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu – Co-CEO, The Abraham Initiatives. The Abraham Initiatives is an Israel based nonprofit organization, dedicated to advancing a shared and equal society for the Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel. Prior to joining the Abraham Initiatives, Amnon served as Director of Marketing Communications at the Jerusalem Foundation, from 1996-2004. From 1992-1996, he served as Spokesperson of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, under Minister MK Yair Tsaban (Meretz) and was involved in shaping Israel’s policy for immigrant absorption during the waves of immigration from the FSU and Ethiopia. Amnon holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration, and a bachelor’s degree in African Studies, both from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Alistair Burt – Pro-Chancellor Lancaster University; a Distinguished Fellow of RUSI; Council Member of ECFR and a UK Trustee of International Rescue Committee. Alistair was a Member of Parliament for 32 years, retiring in 2019. Amongst his ministerial positions, he was FCO Minister for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and North America between 2010-13, and Minister of State for MENA at the FCO and DFID 2017-19. He continues to work on Middle East affairs with think tanks, and social enterprises and is an occasional columnist.
Ohad Zemet – Spokesperson of the Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom, having arrived in London on September 2019. In his previous position, he was the head of the political and economic department in the Israeli Embassy in Egypt. Before joining the diplomatic corp, he served as a legal adviser in the Department of International Law at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel. He holds an LLB degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he graduated magna cum laude and an LLM in International Law from University College London.