Publishing in the Middle East presents a unique set of challenges for journalists, broadcasters, and publishers. Nations in the region with well-defined Media Law norms are Israel, The United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, the outlines of which follow this chapter. The two most significant problems on understanding law in this region are that first, the scant Press Law that there is offers few if any meaningful guarantees for a free and robust media while at the same time prescribes severe criminal penalties for vaguely defined forms of defamation. Second, there is a strong Islamic undercurrent in any approach to publication or broadcast. Even in those nations who may not describe themselves as theocracies, the political and cultural power of fundamentalist Islam permeates the legal foundation in this part of the world.