Us Middle East Project Inc

THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO ENGAGE IN NON PARTISAN ANALYSIS OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS, AND TO PRESENT POLICYMAKERS IN THE UNITED STATES, IN THE REGION AND IN THE LARGER INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WITH BALANCED POLICY ANALYSIS AND POLICY OPTIONS TO PREVENT CONFLICT AND PROMOTE STABILITY, DEMOCRACY, MODERNIZATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

CRITICAL ANALYSES OF U.S./MIDDLE EAST POLICY TOWARDS CONFLICT DE-ESCALATION AND RESOLUTION IN THE REGION DUE TO WORLDWIDE COVID TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, THE U.S./MIDDLE EAST PROJECT (USMEP) CONTINUED TO HOLD BRIEFINGS AND BRAIN-STORMING SESSIONS VIRTUALLY, WITH IN-PERSON MEETINGS RESUMING IN MAY, 2022. PARTICIPANTS IN THESE SESSIONS INCLUDE USMEP BOARD MEMBERS AND SENIOR ADVISORS AS WELL AS OTHER RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING LEADING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND MIDDLE EAST EXPERTS FROM VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN THE U.S. AND BEYOND. THE PURPOSE OF THESE MEETINGS IS TO REVIEW U.S.-MIDDLE EAST POLICY AND THAT OF OTHER ACTORS AND OPTIONS FOR MITIGATING OR ADVANCING RESOLUTIONS OF CRISES AND CONFLICTS IN EACH OF THE MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST IN THE REGION, NOTABLY WORKING TO RESOLVE THE ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN CONFLICT, AS WELL AS ISSUES RELATED TO AFGHANISTAN, YEMEN, IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA, LEBANON, THE GULF AND EGYPT. SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS ARE LISTED BELOW: ON OCTOBER 26, 2021, THE USMEP ORGANIZED AN ONLINE CONVENING WITH USMEP BOARD MEMBERS AND SENIOR ADVISORS. ATTENDEES INCLUDED: HANAN ASHRAWI, FORMER MEMBER, P.L.O. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHLOMO BEN-AMI, VICE PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER, TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR PEACE SETH ANZISKA, USMEP VISITING FELLOW; MOHAMED S. FARSI-POLONSKY LECTURER IN JEWISH-MUSLIM RELATIONS AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON SAWSAN ASFARI, USMEP BOARD MEMBER; CO-FOUNDER AND TRUSTEE, ASFARI FOUNDATION; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GALILEE FOUNDATION JAMES DOBBINS, SENIOR FELLOW AND DISTINGUISHED CHAIR IN DIPLOMACY AND SECURITY, RAND CORPORATION EFRAIM HALEVY, CHAIRMAN, ISRAEL NATIONAL CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY MUSTAFA HAMARNEH, PRESIDENT, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL OF JORDAN DANIEL C. KURTZER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL AND EGYPT DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S./MIDDLE EAST PROJECT FRANK LOWENSTEIN, FORMER U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE ANNE PATTERSON, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA THOMAS R. PICKERING, VICE CHAIRMAN, HILLS & COMPANY HENRY SIEGMAN, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, U.S. /MIDDLE EAST PROJECT ON DECEMBER 2, 2021, THE USMEP ORGANIZED AN ONLINE CONVENING ENTITLED, PALESTINE-ISRAEL WHERE TO LOOK FOR HOPE? THIS SESSION REVIEWED THE YEAR INCLUDING THE THREE-WEEK LONG CRISIS IN MAY IN PALESTINE-ISRAEL, AND THE PANEL POSED THE QUESTION: WHERE SHOULD ONE LOOK FOR HOPEFUL SIGNS OF CHANGE AND FLUIDITY, FOR A PATH TO GET BEYOND PERMANENT IMPASSE, OCCUPATION AND INEQUALITY? USMEP BOARD MEMBERS AND SENIOR ADVISORS AS WELL AS OTHER ANALYSTS, OFFICIALS, COMMENTATORS AND EXPERTS JOINED THIS MEETING WITH APPROXIMATELY 200 PARTICIPANTS. ON MARCH 26, 2022, THE USMEP LED A DELEGATION OF USMEP BOARD MEMBERS AND SENIOR ADVISORS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL DOHA FORUM, A GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR DIALOGUE, BRINGING TOGETHER LEADERS IN POLICY TO DISCUSS CRITICAL CHALLENGES FACING THE WORLD, AND TO BUILD INNOVATIVE AND ACTION-DRIVEN NETWORKS. THE USMEP DELEGATION TO THE FORUM INCLUDED: ANNE PATTERSON, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (DELEGATION LEADER) DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT, U.S./MIDDLE EAST PROJECT (DELEGATION LEADER) FOUAD M.T. ALGHANIM, CHAIRMAN, FOUAD ALGHANIM & SONS GROUP OF COMPANIES SAWSAN ASFARI, CO-FOUNDER AND TRUSTEE, ASFARI FOUNDATION; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GALILEE FOUNDATION JERRY HIRSCH, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE LODESTAR FOUNDATION SAMER KHOURY, DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT, CONSOLIDATED CONTRACTORS INTERNATIONAL S.A.L. DANIEL C. KURTZER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL AND EGYPT GEORGE R. SALEM, FOUNDER, LAW OFFICES OF GEORGE R. SALEM, PLLC JAWDAT SHAWWA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, IMCO ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION DURING THE FORUM, THE USMEP CO-CHAIRED TWO WORKSHOPS: USMEP SESSION 1: PALESTINE DECENTRED: ANTIDOTES TO INDIFFERENCE AMID GLOBAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL GEOPOLITICAL SHIFTS. THIS WAS A CONVERSATION WITH PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER, MOHAMMAD SHTAYYEH. USMEP SESSION 2: RESHAPING PALESTINIAN NARRATIVES: WHO IS LISTENING AND CAN IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? DANIEL LEVY MODERATED THE PANEL ALONGSIDE FADI QURAN, DIANA BUTTU, PETER BEINART AND THE RT. HON. SAYEEDA WARSI ON MAY 19, 2022, THE USMEP HELD ITS FIRST IN-PERSON BOARD CONVENING POST- COVID WITH USMEP BOARD MEMBERS AND SENIOR ADVISORS. DURING THE MEETING, IN ADDITION TO BRIEFINGS AND POLICY DISCUSSIONS, THE BOARD HONORED 10 YEARS OF THOMAS R. PICKERING AS CHAIR OF USMEP AND HENRY SIEGMANS (PRESIDENT EMERITUS) LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION TO USMEP. THE BOARD DISCUSSED A RANGE OF MIDDLE EAST ISSUES, INCLUDING ISRAEL-PALESTINE, AND WERE BRIEFED BY A NUMBER OF OFFICIALS, INCLUDING TIM LENDERKING, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR YEMEN, ROB MALLEY, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR IRAN, HADY AMR, U.S. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS, TOR WENNESLAND, UN SPECIAL COORDINATOR/ENVOY FOR THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS, AND ROBERT PAPE, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND DIRECTOR OF THE PROJECT ON SECURITY AND THREATS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. ATTENDEES INCLUDED: HANAN ASHRAWI, FORMER MEMBER, P.L.O. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHLOMO BEN-AMI, VICE PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER, TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR PEACE SETH ANZISKA, USMEP VISITING FELLOW; MOHAMED S. FARSI-POLONSKY LECTURER IN JEWISH-MUSLIM RELATIONS AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON SAWSAN ASFARI, USMEP BOARD MEMBER; CO-FOUNDER AND TRUSTEE, ASFARI FOUNDATION; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GALILEE FOUNDATION EFRAIM HALEVY, CHAIRMAN, ISRAEL NATIONAL CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY CHUCK HAGEL, FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE; FORMER U.S. SENATOR FOR NEBRASKA MUSTAFA HAMARNEH, PRESIDENT, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL OF JORDAN PETER JOSEPH, CHAIRMAN, TRENTON BIOGAS LLC DANIEL C. KURTZER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL AND EGYPT DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S./MIDDLE EAST PROJECT FRANK LOWENSTEIN, FORMER U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE ANNE PATTERSON, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA THOMAS R. PICKERING, VICE CHAIRMAN, HILLS & COMPANY MARK SEDWILL, FORMER UK CABINET SECRETARY AND NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR HENRY SIEGMAN, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, U.S. /MIDDLE EAST PROJECT JUNE 2022, BERLIN CONFERENCE, HIJACKING MEMORY: THE HOLOCAUST AND THE NEW RIGHT, WHICH ADDRESSED ISSUES OF THE RISE OF NEO-NAZISM AND THE THREAT OF ANTISEMITISM, AND ALSO ASSOCIATIONS WITH EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. LEVY HELPED BRING TOGETHER SOME OF THE PANELS AND REPRESENTED THE USMEP AT SEVERAL OF THE EVENTS DURING THAT CONFERENCE AS WELL AS MEETING WITH SENIOR GERMAN OFFICIALS.

PROJECT "BEYOND PARTITION" THE BEYOND PARTITION PROJECT WHICH COMMENCED IN 2018 WITH A ROUND OF WORKSHOPS CONVENED BY THE USMEP AT STOKE PARK IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENTITLED "MOVING BEYOND EXISTING PARADIGMS ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE, HAS CONTINUED ITS WORK. THE USMEP SERVES IN AN OVERSIGHT, COORDINATING AND GUIDING CAPACITY FOR THE OVERALL PROJECT. THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON RESHAPING THE POLICY AND STRATEGY FRAMEWORKS THROUGH WHICH THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUE IS THOUGHT. THIS SHIFTING OF THE PARAMETERS IS VITAL IN THE CONTEXT OF AN ISRAELI- PALESTINIAN PROBLEM THAT HAS BECOME STUCK, IN A REGION THAT IS TURBULENT WITH GEO-POLITICAL CHANGES AND SHIFTING POWER-BALANCES. THE RISKS RANGE FROM VIOLENT WARS, POPULAR EXPLOSIONS, DESTRUCTIVE CYBER OPERATIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND A POLITICAL QUAGMIRE IN WHICH BOTH THE PROPOSED SOLUTION (LAND-FOR-PEACE AND A TWO-STATE-SOLUTION) AND THE MEANS FOR ACHIEVING IT (NEGOTIATIONS), BECOME SO POLITICALLY DISCREDITED, POPULARLY REJECTED, AND PHYSICALLY UNWORKABLE, THAT CHRONIC AND PERPETUAL CONFLICT HAS BECOME ENTRENCHED AND EMBEDDED. THE STOKE PARK SYNCHRONIZATION TRACK GROUP MET IN PERSON AFTER A MORE THAN A TWO-YEAR IN-PERSON HIATUS IN MARCH OF 2022, HAVING PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND VALUES CHARTER WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ASYMMETRICAL STRATEGY MAKING. THE MEETING TOOK PLACE MARCH 7-11, 2022 IN BELLAGIO, ITALY AT THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION BELLAGIO CENTER AND WAS ENTITLED MOVING BEYOND EXISTING PARADIGMS TO ADVANCE PEACE AND MUTUALLY SUSTAINABLE RIGHTS FOR ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS. FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE IN ATTENDANCE.

MAJOR INTERVENTION ON OCTOBER 19, 2021, AT THE INVITATION OF THE KENYAN PRESIDENCY AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL, DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT OF THE USMEP, BRIEFED THE SECURITY COUNCIL, DURING THEIR REGULAR ISRAEL/PALESTINE SESSION WITH ALL 15 MEMBER STATES, ALONGSIDE TOR WENNESLAND, SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS AND HANAN ASHRAWI, FORMER MEMBER OF THE P.L.O. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. THE SESSION WAS ENTITLED, THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION. THE VIDEO OF MR. LEVYS INTERVENTION CAN BE VIEWED HERE AT HTTPS://MEDIA.UN.ORG/EN/ASSET/K1V/K1VRYG4QM2 (HIS STATEMENT IS FROM ABOUT MINUTE 23 TO 33), AND THE ENTIRE STATEMENT CAN BE VIEW ONLINE AT HTTPS://USMEP.US/MEDIA/FILER_PUBLIC/28/B4/28B4DE6E-9179-409F-A0DE- 5305E8F86555/DL_UNSC_BRIEFING_1021.PDF

PUBLICATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE U.S./MIDDLE EAST PROJECTS LEADERSHIP, VISITING FELLOWS AND SENIOR ADVISORS, PRODUCED A NUMBER OF PRIVATE NOTES AS WELL AS PUBLICLY PUBLISHED OPINION PIECES, ARTICLES AND BOOKS AND ENGAGED IN VARIOUS MEDIA APPEARANCES. A SELECTION IS LISTED BELOW: ON AUGUST 10, 2021, THE USMEP AND THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP ISSUED A JOINT POLICY BRIEF AS PART OF THEIR ONGOING COLLABORATION ENTITLED, BEYOND BUSINESS AS USUAL IN ISRAEL-PALESTINE, HTTPS://USMEP.US/MEDIA/FILER_PUBLIC/E8/B8/E8B8D21F-E79F-4FA8-B7C1- C34FCDFB5D85/225_ISRAEL-PALESTINE_-_PRINT.PDF ON MARCH 28, 2022, THE USMEP AND THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP ISSUED A JOINT POLICY BRIEF ENTITLED THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENTS OLD-NEW PALESTINE STRATEGY, HTTPS://USMEP.US/MEDIA/FILER_PUBLIC/9A/8E/9A8EFA2E-5C75-4044- 825B-FA9C38102EC3/B086-ISRAEL-OLD-NEW-STRATEGY.PDF.