James Sorene, at The Blogs

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Jun 28, 2018, 2:07 PM

Royal visit was a shrewd move

The moment finally arrived after decades of waiting, spurious snubs and the uncomfortable unanswered question of why the royal family has never visited Israel. Prince William’s Middle East tour was a diplomatic triumph because his warmth, empathy and natural charm shone through. He is not...

May 24, 2017, 2:04 PM

Trump’s big beautiful, amazing visit

Donald Trump understands marketing. He built a personal brand and carried it all the way to the White House. Choosing Saudi Arabia and Israel for his first overseas visits was high risk. But brand Trump is simple, big picture – not detail. Trump steered through...

Nov 10, 2016, 12:46 PM

What does Donald’s triumph mean for Israel’s future?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has never worked with a Republican president, so the future partnership with President-elect Donald Trump is unique. Hillary Clinton would have been professional and critical, but a known quantity. Trump will be dramatic and friendly, but very unpredictable – he will...

Nov 4, 2016, 1:53 PM

Brits harden opposition against Israel boycotts as British fair play shines through

Every year Populus conducts an opinion poll* for BICOM to measure the views of the UK public about Israel and the Middle East; this year’s results are particularly interesting. First, the big news – 51 per cent of people agree with the statement “I do...

Oct 21, 2016, 6:20 PM

12 months of terror in Israel – 6 vital questions

A year ago, Palestinian rioters in East Jerusalem clashed with Israeli police and sparked a wave of Palestinian attacks that have resulted in 42 people being killed in Israel and 577 wounded. 163 Palestinian attackers have been arrested and 196 killed. A year ago analysts...

Jul 13, 2016, 12:56 PM

Britain has a new Prime Minister – what does it mean for Israel?

Events in Britain over the last three weeks have made Israeli politics look dull by comparison. After another lightning few days, Theresa May has emerged triumphant from the smouldering wreckage of post Brexit Government and an extraordinary Conservative party leadership contest. The manner in which...

Jun 30, 2016, 10:41 PM

What does Brexit mean for the Britain-Israel alliance?

In the early hours of Friday 24 June it was clear the British people had voted to leave the EU. Just after 8 am Prime Minister David Cameron announced he would leave office with a new Conservative leader, and Prime Minister, to be elected in...

Apr 30, 2016, 12:49 AM

Israel and the new Middle East club

Something curious is happening. I first noticed it last September in London at a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu where he made the intriguing point that security cooperation with certain Sunni Arab States was closer than ever. I detected a distinct twinkle in his eye...

Feb 20, 2016, 10:18 PM

I grew up in London and hit my teenage years in the late 1980’s, at the peak of the first intifada. On the news every night I watched reports of Israeli soldiers firing tear gas and rubber bullets at young Palestinians. The UN’s infamous resolution...

Dec 2, 2015, 4:55 PM

To defeat ISIS we need to commit, but also be aware of bigger threats

The RAF could be about to bomb ISIS. What is this going to achieve? When Parliament voted against bombing Assad I was working in Government. A week before I was in Afghanistan. Flying over Helmand in a Chinook, an RAF gunner leaning out the open rear door pointing a machine...

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About Me

James Sorene is CEO of the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre in London and an analyst of Middle East Issues. He appears regularly on UK TV and Radio and writes for numerous newspapers and websites. He was previously a UK Government civil servant, Head of Communications for Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg from 2011 to May 2015. From 1997 to 2000 he was Head of Public Affairs at the Israeli Embassy in London.