Human rights and media organisations have condemned the announcement by Israel's communications minister, Ayoub Kara, that the Israeli government has decided to close Al Jazeera' s office in Jerusalem and take the channel off air.
Much as it is an understatement to say that I was shaken by the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015, so it is the case with the terrorist assaults on Brussels earlier this month.
The guilty verdicts handed down to three Al Jazeera journalists are an affront to justice which sounds the death knell for freedom of expression in Egypt, says Amnesty.
It is almost a truism to note that if the mainstream media is our only source of news regarding anything to do with religion (however that might be conceived) in the Middle East, or even the Middle East in general, we are in deep trouble, says Dr Michael Marten. Here he analyses some of the major misunderstandings, urging the BBC and others to 'up their game' and to have the courage to address difficult and contentious issues appropriately.
Regional analyst and Ekklesia associate Dr Harry Hagopian will be expert commentator assisting the presenter for the Al-Jazeera (English) from 7:30 till 10:30 PM tonight (31 January 2012).
As discussions over the future of Israel and Palestine resumes in Brussels this weekend, attention has once again turned towards the role of the Quartet on the Middle East, the collectivity of nations and international and supranational bodies involved in mediating the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The 'Palestine Papers' published by al Jazeera, giving a detailed insight into the negotiating tactics of the PLO leadership, raise crucial and difficult issues for Palestinians, says Harry Hagopian. But could the world community convert the attention into another initiative for peace with justice in the region?