I thank you for your previous donations and invite those who have not yet done so to renew your support by sending a tax-deductible contribution for 2018, most easily by clicking here. Your support allows us to prompt change through an unusual combination of original ideas and effective activism. It starts with the articles you are familiar with (707 of them so far in 2018). We then turn select ideas into campaigns that promote American interests while protecting Western civilization from Islamism. Here are two examples, both connected to Israel. Israel Must Win As the recent argument over responding to 503 missiles launched from Gaza showed, Israel’s leaders now agree that it’s time for Israel to “start winning again” but argue over how to best achieve victory. Avigdor Lieberman resigned on the grounds that Benjamin Netanyahu refused to win in Gaza; Netanyahu said his restraint is part of a larger strategy to win against Iran; and Naftali Bennett demanded the Defense portfolio so “we will win.” Without taking sides in this intra-mural Israeli dispute, it shows a very new emphasis on winning. I have personally discussed this idea with all three leaders, so MEF justifiably claims some credit for this shift in emphasis. Launched in January 2017, our Israel Victory Project calls for “First Israel victory, then peace.” It has, according to the Jerusalem Post, shored “up support in both Jerusalem and Washington – and across party lines – to encourage lawmakers to adopt a new approach to the peace process.” In Israel, Maariv, Israel Hayom, Arutz Sheva, and The Times of Israel have reported on our success in influencing Israeli leaders. In the U.S., Foreign Policy says recent Trump administration moves – such as closing the PLO’s D.C. office, cutting $200 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority, and withdrawing from the U.N. Human Rights Council – are “the implementation of the [MEF-inspired] Victory Caucus proposal.” UNRWA Must Change The Trump administration adopted our idea to cut support to UNRWA and divert aid to local partners on the ground. Rather than send $370 million a year to UNRWA, which uses the money to incite against Israel, we suggested to senior State Department and National Security Council officials a detailed plan to fund alternate beneficiaries such as USAID and the Jerusalem municipality; the administration’s new policy closely follows our proposal. Meanwhile, the State Department is being forced to release a game-changing report that MEF inspired in 2012 documenting the actual number of Palestine refugees. This should constrain UNRWA’s artificial definition of counting descendants who never lived in what is today Israel and is a step toward our goal of applying U.S. law and policy to the definition of “Palestine refugees.” MEF’s Other Big Ideas Those are two of our original ideas; here are some others:Radical Islam is the problem; moderate Islam is the solution.Islamism has been in decline since 2012.With Islamists throughout the Middle East, we have to pick “our” Islamists.Immigrants should stay in their own cultural zones.Civilizationist (or “far-right”) parties are key to saving Europe.Europe suffers from partial no-go zones.Exclude Islamists, not Muslims, from the United States.Iran’s regime lives on borrowed time; its successor will be friendly.Turkey is the Middle East’s great future threat.Syria and Iraq will not be reconstituted, maybe not Libya either.Saudi Crown Prince MbS is attempting a Westernizing revolution like Atatürk’s.Yemen and Egypt are on the path to mass starvation and emigration.Qatar is the greatest “soft power” threat to the U.S.Your support will help us turn these ideas into policy in 2019. _ _ _ _ _ Few are neutral about us, but many see our impact. The Times (UK) recently called MEF a “respected American think tank … regularly cited by leading news organizations.” But to Vice, we are “a wing-nut US think-tank.” We appreciate everyone’s opinion. The board and staff of the Middle East Forum are grateful for your financial support. I look forward to keeping you informed as we continue to promote American interests and protect Western values. 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.)
OUR GIFT TO YOU: For donations of $250 or more, we are offering a gift (upon request). We are happy to send you one of the following: [ ] A signed copy of Nothing Abides by Daniel Pipes [ ] A signed copy of The Tail Wags the Dog: International Politics and the Middle East by Efraim Karsh [ ] A signed copy of Days of the Fall: A Reporter’s Journey in the Syria & Iraq Wars by Jonathan Spyer [ ] A signed copy of Iran’s Strategic Penetration of Latin America by Joseph Humire PAYMENT OPTIONS (1) ONLINE VIA CREDIT CARD OR PAYPAL: Visit https://www.meforum.org/fundraising and follow instructions. (The website is secure and encrypted; your personal information cannot be read as it travels the Internet.) PayPal can draw on your credit card, debit card, or bank account. This is an excellent way for international donations in many currencies. If you do not have a PayPal account and would like assistance setting one up, please contact Marnie Meyer at 215-546-5406 ext. 106 or Meyer@MEForum.org.
(2) PERSONAL CHECK VIA THE POSTAL SERVICE: Please make a check payable to “Middle East Forum” and mail it to:
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(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 Bennet 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.
