This book presents pioneering research on the impact of new media on the Palestinian Diaspora, and is the result of unprecedented access to the Palestinian community in the United Kingdom. It explores issues of politics, conflict resolution, new media and daily life experiences of the dispersed Palestinian people. The research is linked to the contemporary phenomenon of the large immigration wave from the Middle East and Africa to Europe, and the increasing use in internet and smart phone applications by immigrants. As the book shows, new technology empowers the Palestinian people, enables their global visibility, and strengthens democratic values in this society. It deals with the impact of new media on the Palestinian Diaspora, from the emergence of satellite television channels and the internet to the development of social networks and smart phone applications. During the research period, internet and smart phone usage of Palestinians in the UK was higher than the usage in Gaza and the West Bank. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of digital and information technology in Gaza and the West Bank. The book will primarily appeal to international scholars specializing in media, the Middle East, diaspora and migration, political science, and peace and conflict studies. It will also be of interest to those involved in politics and new media, as well as government decision- makers, and legislators.

This collection takes the study of diasporic communication beyond the level of simply praising its existence, to offering critical engagements and analysis with the systems of journalistic production, process and consumption practices as they relate to people who are living outside the borders of their birth nation.

In light of the Egyptian uprising in early 2011, understanding the dynamics that are shaping Egyptian politics and society is more crucial than ever as Egypt seeks to re-define itself after the Mubarak era. One of the most controversial debates concerns the place of religion in Egypt’s political future. This book examines the escalation in religious violence in Egypt since 2005 and the public discourses behind it, revealing some of the complex negotiations that lie behind contestations of citizenship, Muslim-Christian relations and national unity. Focusing on Egypt’s largest religious minority group, the Coptic Orthodox Christians, this book explores how national, ethnic and religious expressions of identity are interwoven in the narratives and usage of the press and Internet. In doing so it offers insights into some of Egypt’s contemporary social and political challenges, and recognises the ways that media are involved in constructing and reflecting formations of identity politics. The author examines in depth the processes through which identity and belonging are negotiated via media discourses within the wider framework of changing political realities in Egypt. Using a combination of methodological approaches - including comprehensive surveys and content analysis - the research offers a fresh perspective on the politics of identity in Egypt.

The entries are designed to be relatively brief with clear, accessible, and current information.

The Palestinian refugee question, resulting from the events surrounding the birth of the state of Israel seventy years ago, remains one of the largest and most protracted refugee crises of the post-WWII era. Numbering over six million in the Middle East alone, Palestinian refugees' status varies considerably according to the state or territory 'hosting' them, the UN agency assisting them and political circumstances surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict these refugees are naturally associated with. Despite being foundational to both the experience of the Palestinian refugees and the resolution of their plight, international law is often side-lined in political discussions concerning their fate. This compelling new book, building on the seminal contribution of the first edition (1998), offers a clear and comprehensive analysis of various areas of international law (including refugee law, human rights law, humanitarian law, the law relating to stateless persons, principles related to internally displaced persons, as well as notions of international criminal law), and probes their relevance to the provision of international protection for Palestinian refugees and their quest for durable solutions.