Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World News broadcasts a special version of The Doha Debates from Washington DC, with the motion 'This house believes that it's time for the US administration to get tough on Israel’. The unique forum for free speech travels from its regular base in Qatar in the Gulf, to Georgetown University, one of America’s most prestigious universities.

Chaired by Tim Sebastian, the award-winning Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ correspondent and interviewer, the debate features four experts who will argue for and against the US’s treatment of Israel, at a time when President Obama's administration is seeking to implement fresh initiatives in the Middle East.

The guest panel includes former speaker of the Israeli Knesset Avraham Burg, founder of the CIA's Bin Laden unit, Michael Scheuer, Harvard Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz, and President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Dr. Dore Gold. The programme will air on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World News on 4 April 2009.

The Doha Debates are a unique venture in the Arab world, providing a verbal battleground for conflicting opinions and arguments about the major political topics of the region. Past speakers have included ex-US President, Bill Clinton, President of Israel, Shimon Peres, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Amre Moussa, Iraqi politician, Ayad Allawi, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar and British Conservative politician, Sir Malcolm Rifkind.

Programme times:
Saturday 4 April 2009 at 0710 GMT
Repeated on Saturday 4 April at 1510 and 1910 GMT and on Sunday 5 April at 00.10, 07.10, 15.10 and 1910 GMT