| Dear Reader:
As the year draws to a close, I wish to reflect on the role of the Middle East Forum, specifically with regard to the Oct. 7 attack, plus to give you advance notice on breaking news at MEF. But first, a quick note that next month MEF will reach its 30th anniversary of promoting American interests and protecting Western values. Your support has made this possible. We are deeply grateful, and we hope you can continue that support with a donation here. The Oct. 7 attack and following war galvanized every organization concerned with the security and welfare of America’s only values ally in the Middle East; the second half of this letter tells about our accomplishments in influencing policy and public opinion in both Israel and the United States. My first goal, however, is to explain how the Middle East Forum distinguishes itself from those many excellent institutions. What makes our approach unique? Nearly all organizations concerned with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict advocate for Israel by engaging in debates about right and wrong, justice and oppression. Their work centers around morality and aims to shape public opinion and government policies based on these moral considerations. In other words, they are addressing an audience that is undecided, urging it to come over to Israel’s side. That is a worthy and crucial role, to be sure; but it is not ours. Instead, we take a strategic approach. We explore not who is right or wrong, but how to achieve our goals. As strategists, we assume the goal – a secure Israel – as a given and concentrate on devising effective ways to attain it. We approach this task with a level of detachment, akin to ice running in our veins. Unlike advocates, we often put ourselves in our opponent’s shoes by seeking to understand their strategies and motivations. While advocates strive to convince the undecided, strategists aim to guide those who already agree with our objectives. Our work, in private consultation and in public discussions, primarily addresses three critical audiences: policymakers, specialists who share our outlook, and the educated public. We provide them with information, analysis, and policy recommendations. For instance, when we critique biased media coverage of Israel, our goal is not to discredit it, but to understand its logic and suggest ways for those concerned about Israel's security to address it strategically. Similarly, during conflicts like the current war in Gaza, we refrain from justifying actions or excoriating adversaries; instead, we focus on criticizing ineptitude and offering alternative approaches. Our initiatives toward this end include: Combating pro-Hamas bias and malfeasance among Middle East studies faculty in North America universities.
Exposing and distancing the U.S. government from regimes that support Hamas (Turkey, Iran, Qatar, Malaysia).
Guiding Israeli policy via the Israel Victory Project.
Exposing Islamists in the West and organizing allies to fight them.
Influencing policy in Washington on those same topics. In essence, while debates, corrections, and public diplomacy all play a crucial role, MEF is engaged primarily in finding the path to victory, a policy we have advocated since the year 2000. In this light, I’d like to switch topics and review MEF activities since Oct. 7. Our staff has been present on every Hebrew news channel five or six times a day, and we are being followed and covered by every major Israeli print and digital news outlet. In the United States, we publish and appear in the media every day. Some details: Op-Eds: Our scholars have published 210 articles since Oct. 7, including in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Examiner, and The Australian. For an updated list, with links, see here.
Radio and television: MEF staff and fellows have appeared more than 300 times on Israeli, American, European, and Arab television and radio networks, including Fox News, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, and Israel’s main television stations. For an updated list, with links, see here. We go beyond traditional media and extend our efforts into digital and social media: “No Stopping until Victory!” Campaign: Launched in Israel immediately after Oct. 7, it targets political, security, and media figures. The campaign in Israel had over 500,000,000 exposures, 10,000 new members registered with our Israeli non-profit affiliate, 30,000 conversations with local activists took place through our call center, and government officials and the IDF asked us to guide their information operations division on how to conduct messaging during the war.
Book: Israel Victory: How Zionists Win Acceptance and Palestinians Get Liberated, by Daniel Pipes, proposes solutions to end Palestinian rejectionism. Its publication is forthcoming.
One result of our approach is that we have helped propel the strategy of Israel Victory to the forefront of public opinion and policy. Another is that MEF is now a top resource for leaders in Israel and the United States. We have already held meetings with more than eighty-five House and Senate offices, and our policy activities include helping introduce or promote legislation on the following items:
Advocacy for Anti-Hamas Legislation: Successfully supported the "Stop Support for Hamas Act" (S. 3174) and "Hamas International Financing Prevention Act" (S.1647), gaining significant bipartisan backing in the Senate.
Appropriations Bill Influence: Successfully lobbied for including in the Appropriations bill a mandate for a comprehensive report on nonprofits that misuse funds to support Hamas. This measure is based on the Middle East Forum’s own report that identified over $260 million funneled through U.S. nonprofits to Hamas-aligned charities.
Consequences for Qatari Support of Hamas: MEF worked with Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) to introduce a bill to suspend Qatar’s major non-NATO ally status unless it stops supporting Hamas.
Initiative on Shia Militias: Collaborated with key senators to draft a bill targeting Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, marking a crucial step in combating threats to U.S. forces.
Qatar Divestment: We are advocating: to freeze Qatari assets in the United States and other democracies; for U.S. states to divest their pension funds from holdings connected to Qatar; and a boycott of Qatar-connected businesses, products, and services. MEF advocates have sent more than 15,000 emails to leaders of these organizations.
Stopping Islamist Influence in Education: MEF provided language toRep. Michelle Steel (R-CA), who introduced the DETERRENT Act with twenty-six co-sponsors. It mandates penalties for universities that fail to disclose funding from foreign sources such as Hamas sponsors Qatar and Turkey. The bill passed the House of Representatives on December 8th. Finally, I am honored to announce a major addition to MEF’s team: Michael Rubin will be joining us tomorrow as Director of Policy Analysis.
Michael has worked for two decades at the American Enterprise Institute, specializing in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, the Caucasus and the Horn of Africa. His extensive experience in the Pentagon and as an academic in Yemen, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan give him a unique perspective on the region and a nuanced understanding of its dynamics. He has written four books. He edited MEF’s Middle East Quarterly in 2004-09. He holds three degrees from Yale University. He is a native of Philadelphia. His fearless analyses, wide range of topics, and first-hand experience will round out MEF’s work. In addition to his writings, Michael will develop MEForum.org into a more comprehensive platform.
As we celebrate MEF’s 30th anniversary next month, we remain committed to promoting American interests and protecting Western values. Please help. Your support is instrumental in advancing our unique approach and helping us shape a more secure and prosperous future for Israel and the region.
Sincerely,
Gregg Roman
Director
Middle East Forum
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