logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2021
49m 13s

Palestinians turn against the leadership

Bbc World Service
About this episode

There is continuing anger in the West Bank over the death in custody of a vociferous critic of the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Nizar Banat, an anti-corruption campaigner, was picked up in a violent night-time raid at his home in Hebron. The Palestinian Authority has launched an investigation into the circumstances of Banat's death and has promised action against anyone responsible. But that's done little to placate protesters who allege that the Palestinian security forces use extra-judicial force against anyone who questions or criticises the leadership. They say this behaviour is emblematic of a wider break down of law and order and a thriving culture of corruption in the West Bank, where elections were last held over 15 years ago. So why is corruption such a problem and where is it happening? Is there scope for reforms with the current leadership in charge? And how dependent is any change on the overall relationship with Israel and rival administration in Gaza, run by Hamas? Ritula Shah is joined by a panel of Palestinian commentators.

Up next
Mar 2024
Bonus: Evan Gershkovich - a year since my friend was jailed in Russia
The Wall Street Journal reporter, who is the first US journalist charged with spying in Russia since the Cold War, has now been imprisoned for a year. His detention has been repeatedly extended and he is yet to face trial. His family, colleagues and the US government vehemently d ... Show More
24m 27s
Mar 2024
Is the future of journalism in crisis?
Over the past year thousands of journalists have lost their jobs as mass media news organisations struggle to make ends meet. Ad revenue is down, many publishers are struggling to gain subscribers, and social media has resulted in plummeting traffic to homepages. More than a thir ... Show More
48m 55s
Mar 2024
Bonus: Hidden reality of frontline combat through the eyes of Ukraine's soldiers
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast.In a new BBC documentary, a single Ukrainian infantry company find themselves in a life or death battle to defend the eastern front against intense Russian attacks.Jamie Roberts tells us how he managed to get such rare access and what ... Show More
26m 40s
Recommended Episodes
May 2021
Husam Zomlot: Palestine's balance of power
The latest round of conflict between Israel and militant groups in Gaza has left the Palestinian Authority looking sidelined and powerless. Is this a permanent shift in the Palestinian power dynamic? Stephen Sackur speaks to Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK ... Show More
22m 59s
Oct 2023
Danny Danon: A new Middle East war
Stephen Sackur speaks to long-standing Israeli politician Danny Danon. He is a member of the Knesset for the ruling Likud party and sits on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Hamas’s murderous assault on Israel from Gaza is one of the darkest chapters in the country's his ... Show More
23m 24s
Jun 2024
Anti-Palestinian legislation in Congress Unpacked
In this episode of “This Is Palestine,” host Diana Buttu speaks to Josh Ruebner, the director of IMEU’s new 501C-4 organization, the IMEU Policy Project, about recent developments in the US Congress and Palestinian human rights. The episode unpacks the alarming rise in anti-Pales ... Show More
31m 45s
Oct 2023
Husam Zomlot: Is Gaza on the brink of a humanitarian crisis?
Stephen Sackur speaks to the head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK Husam Zomlot. Hamas surely knew its murderous attack on Israel would provoke an overwhelming military response. The jihadists, it seems, wanted a devastating war. But what about Palestinians not with Hamas? As ... Show More
23m 28s
Oct 2023
Why has politics failed badly in the Israel-Hamas war?
Hundreds of civilians killed and injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza. The government declares a total siege - fighting what it calls 'human animals'. Earlier, hundreds of Israelis were killed by Palestinian fighters. Why has politics failed so badly? What's next - for both sides? ... Show More
26m 19s
Jan 2024
Palestinian Icon Destroys Western Complicity - w/ Hanan Ashrawi
Hanan Ashwari is one of the most recognisable faces associated with the Palestinian cause. The official spokesperson of the Palestinian delegation at the Madrid Peace Conference of 1991, she served as a minister in the Palestinian Authority as a member of the Palestinian Liberati ... Show More
39m 33s
Jun 2023
Dalia Hatuqa: Palestinian Politics
This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Dalia Hatuqa, a Ramallah-based journalist who has published widely in leading outlets around the world. They talk about the state of politics in the West Bank and Gaza; how the West and Arab states are engaging with the issue of Palestinian sel ... Show More
33m 18s