PRESS CONFERENCE

Making Sense of the Arab-Israeli conflict
H.E.Mr. Waleed Siam, Ambassador, Representative, The Permanent General Mission of Palestine
H.E. Ms. Lina Annab, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English.

The decades-old Arab-Israeli conflict has erupted again. Palestinians have been protesting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan against Israeli restrictions that they say have prevented them from gathering near sites of worship. Communal violence and mob attacks have escalated to the point where the Israeli government is reportedly on the brink of losing control of some cities. The Israeli military began the first of hundreds of airstrikes on Gaza on Monday, targeting Hamas' militants who it says have fired rockets on the economic capital Tel Aviv.

In the background are long-simmering tensions. Palestinians have been infuriated by the decision by the previous US administration of President Donald Trump to slash humanitarian aid and back the contested city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The cancellation of planned elections in Palestine has also fueled Palestinian frustrations. Add to this combustible mix the increasingly uncompromising stance taken against the Palestinians by the government of Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is allied with Jewish Power, which has been labelled an ultra-nationalist political party.

Whatever the reasons, the prospects for peace in the region look very dim indeed. The FCCJ has invited the ambassadors of Palestine and Jordan to come and explain their take on the violence and how it might be tamed. The same invitation has been extended to the Israeli ambassador through the embassy and FCCJ is waiting for the response. 

How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited to 20 people. Doors open 30 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/x5wsZeCPhYELr6zAA     
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 45 minutes before the event. There will be five positions available for livestreaming.

Professional Activities Committee