Dear Reader: There's no compliment so sincere as a back-handed one. This came to mind on Dec. 16, when an article in Al-Ba`th, the top Syrian (Bashar al-Assad-government-controlled) newspaper criticized me as personally responsible for the "liquidation of the Palestinian case" but also called me "among the most influential academics in international politics."
Above: The Al-Ba`th article shows a picture of Al-Aqsa with the inflammatory title "Middle East Forum and its role in the project of liquidation of the Palestinian cause". It added that "The Middle East Forum must be dealt with seriously because most of its policy ideas have been adopted by the U.S. government." While acknowledging a slight exaggeration here of MEF's influence, I do hope you, as a donor of ours, see this as a pleasing vindication from a highly unlikely source. More realistically, MEF offers a unique combination of original ideas, activism that turns them into policies, and financial help to our allies. I thank those of you who have already donated to the Middle East Forum in 2018 and I invite those of you who have not yet done so to send a tax-deductible contribution.
We can provide 2018 tax credit for credit card and stock donations received by midnight EST on Dec. 31; or for checks dated on or before December 31. Yours sincerely, Daniel Pipes President_ _ _ _ _ Supporting the Forum is most easily done at our website by clicking here. Payment options (also provided below) include credit card, PayPal, personal check, and stock donation. If you have questions about contributions to MEF, please contact Matthew Bennett at Bennett@MEForum.org or 215-546-5406, ext. 114. The IRS has granted the Forum 501(c)3 status, meaning donations are tax deductible within the United States (click here to view our IRS letter of determination). Donations through the United Way’s Donor Choice Program should use MEF’s agency code: 52445. The Forum is also included in the Combined Federal Campaign, available to federal workers.
CONTRIBUTIONS: We offer a wide range of benefits to donors, such as invitations to events. (Click here for details.)
Middle East Forum 1650 Market Street, Suite 3600 Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
(3) STOCK DONATIONS: Donations of stock may be sent to: Vanguard Marketing Corporation Account Name: The Middle East Forum Account Number: 59334817 DTC Number: 0062 Please be sure to let us know if you plan on donating stock so that we may properly thank you for your gift by emailing donations@MEForum.org or calling Matthew Bennett at 215-546-5406 ext. 114.
(4) PLANNED GIVING: A gift in perpetuity enhances the Forum’s capabilities while allowing you to transfer more wealth to heirs. Each of the following four methods serves a different purpose and fits a specific investment plan:Charitable Bequest – to remove assets from a taxable estate and make a larger contribution than may be possible during one’s lifetime.Life Insurance – to gain a charitable income tax deduction for the cash surrender value and premiums of a life insurance policy.Retirement Plan – to reduce the size of a taxable estate, avoid income taxation on those funds, avoid income and estate taxes, and increase the amounts passing to heirs.Charitable Trust – to benefit a non-profit and transfer funds to heirs at a lower tax cost. Three types of charitable trusts exist: Charitable Remainder Trust, Charitable Lead Trust, Retained Life Estate.For guidance on planned giving and MEF's Legacy Society, please visit our website. Questions? Contact Matthew Bennett, 215-546-5406 ext. 114 or Bennett@MEForum.org. Privacy Policy: The Middle East Forum is committed to protecting the privacy of each donor's personal information. MEF securely maintains records of each donor's giving history solely for our internal use and record keeping. We only report a donor's personal information to the appropriate government agencies as required by law. We never give, rent, sell or share any of the donor's personal information with a third party except as required by law.
