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) DID NOT HOLD IN-PERSON MEETINGS, BUT RATHER VIRTUAL BRIEFINGS AND BRAIN-STORMING SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR ITS BOARD MEMBERS AND SENIOR ADVISORS AS WELL AS OTHER RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING BY LEADING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND MIDDLE EAST EXPERTS FROM VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN THE U.S. AND BEYOND. THE PURPOSE OF THESE MEETINGS WAS 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 AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA, THE GULF AND EGYPT. SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS ARE LISTED BELOW: ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2020, THE USMEP ORGANIZED AN ONLINE CONVENING TO COMMEMORATE THE PASSING OF ITS PRESIDENT EMERITUS, GENERAL (RET.) BRENT SCOWCROFT AS WELL AS TO DISCUSS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS AND THE NORMALIZATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE UAE. 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 LARA FRIEDMAN, PRESIDENT, FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE CHUCK HAGEL, USMEP SENIOR ADVISOR; FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE; FORMER U.S. SENATOR FOR NEBRASKA 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 ERIC MELBY, PRINCIPLE, THE SCOWCROFT GROUP 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 NOVEMBER 12, 2020, THE USMEP CO-HOSTED A VIRTUAL WEBINAR WITH THE DOHA FORUM AND THE U.S./MIDDLE EAST PROJECT (USMEP) ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF "PALESTINE/ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: WILL THE COMBINATION OF NORMALIZATION WITH OCCUPATION NURTURE PEACE OR ESCALATE CONFLICT?" PANELLISTS INCLUDED FORMER PLO EXECUTIVE MEMBER, HANAN ASHRAWI; DIRECTOR OF THE MIDDLE EAST SECURITY PROGRAM AT CNAS AND FORMER SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL, ILAN GOLDENBERG; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DAWN, SARAH LEAH WHITSON; JOURNALIST AND AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT (AUB) SCHOLAR, RAMI KHOURI; AND IBRAHIM FRAIHAT OF THE DOHA INSTITUTE FOR GRADUATE STUDIES AND GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY. THE SESSION WAS MODERATED BY USMEP PRESIDENT DANIEL LEVY. ON DECEMBER 14, 2020, THE USMEP ORGANIZED AN ONLINE CONVENING TO DISCUSS THE NEW U.S. ADMINISTRATION AND BROADER REGIONAL POLICY. THIS MEETING WAS FOLLOWED UP WITH ANOTHER ONLINE CONVENING ON JANUARY 22, 2021 TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION ON THE NEW U.S. ADMINISTRATION'S FOREIGN POLICY AGENDA. SESSIONS AT THIS CONVENING INCLUDED DISCUSSIONS ON: 1.U.S. GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AND REGIONAL POLICIES; 2.CHALLENGES POSED BY AND APPROACHES TO THE OVERALL MENA REGION; 3.IRAN AND THE JCPOA; 4.GCC UPDATE; 5.REGIONAL UPDATE TO INCLUDE YEMEN, JORDAN, SYRIA, AND LIBYA. 6.ISRAEL-ARAB NORMALIZATION UPDATE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOARD AND SENIOR ADVISORS STARTING MARCH 1, 2021 AND OVER THE COURSE OF 6 WEEKS, PUNEET TALWAR, WHO PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR DIRECTOR AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL ON THE GULF, CONSULTED WITH USMEP PRESIDENT AND THEN FACILITATED A MEETING ON MARCH 22, 2021, WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF USMEP BOARD MEMBERS, TO THINK THROUGH FRAMING OF CORE POLICY ISSUES AROUND NEW ADMINISTRATION POLICY ON THE ISRAEL/PALESTINE FILE FOR THE UPCOMING PERIOD. THE JERUSALEM DECLARATION OF ANTISEMITISM (JDA) WHICH WAS LAUNCHED IN MARCH OF 2021, WAS DEVELOPED OVER SEVERAL MONTHS BY LEADING SCHOLARS OF ANTI- SEMITISM, HOLOCAUST STUDIES, JEWISH HISTORY AND MIDDLE EAST STUDIES. ITS' PURPOSE IS TO IDENTIFY, CONFRONT AND RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT ANTISEMITISM AS IT MANIFESTS IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD TODAY. THE USMEP ASSISTED AND WORKED ON THE JDA ENSURING THAT DEBATES AROUND THE MIDDLE EAST NEITHER ENDED UP ENGAGING IN OR LEADING TO ANTISEMITISM, NOR THAT FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM UNDERMINED OPEN DEBATE ON MENA ISSUES. THE USMEP HOSTED A NUMBER OF MEETINGS IN THAT REGARD IN THE PERIOD OF APRIL TO JUNE, 2021.

POLICY NOTES, PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA APPEARANCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE U.S./MIDDLE EAST PROJECT'S LEADERSHIP, VISITING FELLOWS AND SENIOR ADVISORS, PRODUCED A NUMBER OF PRIVATE POLICY NOTES AS WELL AS PUBLICLY PUBLISHED OPINION PIECES, ARTICLES AND BOOKS AND ENGAGED IN VARIOUS MEDIA APPEARANCES. A SELECTION IS LISTED BELOW: DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT OF THE USMEP, AUTHORED A PIECE IN THE AMERICAN PROSPECT ENTITLED, "THE MISSING PEACE IN THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS," ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2020, HTTPS://PROSPECT.ORG/WORLD/MISSING-PEACE-IN-ABRAHAM-ACCORDS- ISRAEL-UAE/ ON JULY 21, 2020, AT THE INVITATION OF THE GERMAN 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 KHALIL SHIKAKI, DIRECTOR OF THE PALESTINIAN CENTER FOR POLICY AND SURVEY RESEARCH (RAMALLAH). THE SESSION WAS ENTITLED, "THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION." THE VIDEO OF MR. LEVY'S INTERVENTION CAN BE VIEWED HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=ONRM5CS296U AND THE VIDEO OF THE ENTIRE 2.5 HOUR-SESSION WITH ALL OF THE STATEMENTS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE HTTP://WEBTV.UN.ORG/WATCH/THE-SITUATION-IN-THE-MIDDLE-EAST-INCLUDING-THE- PALESTINIAN-QUESTION-SECURITY-COUNCIL-OPEN-VTC/6173765548001/ IN DECEMBER, 2020, THE USMEP AND THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP ANNOUNCED A JOINT INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE THEIR COMMON OBJECTIVE: PROVIDING ANALYSIS AND POLICY OPTIONS TO HELP POLICYMAKERS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISTS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT. ON DECEMBER 15, 2020, HTTPS://WWW.USMEP.US/MEDIA/FILER_PUBLIC/0C/7F/0C7FAD5F- 2D17-41AF-B3D9-304A1F427DCF/ICG-USMEP-STATEMENT-15XII20_0.PDF, AND "WHY PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS SHOULD GET BACK ON TRACK" ON APRIL 30, 2021, HTTPS://WWW.USMEP.US/MEDIA/FILER_PUBLIC/5E/BA/5EBAE6B5-0318-43CC-8FB0 C035F1D77EB8/WHY_PALESTINIAN_ELECTIONS_SHOULD_GET_BACK_ON_TRACK.PDF. THE USMEP IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE ISSUED A JOINT POLICY BRIEF ENTITLED "BREAKING THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE STATUS QUO" ON APRIL 19, 2021, HTTPS://WWW.USMEP.US/MEDIA/FILER_PUBLIC/C7/4C/C74CBBC2-1E8B-4240-8197- 257D4D31267D/BREAKINGTHESTATUSQUO_FINAL.PDF. THAT WAS THE CULMINATION OF TWO YEARS OF MEETINGS AND RESEARCH WORK AND WAS DISSEMINATED WIDELY. FOLLOW UP INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH USMEP PRESIDENT, DANIEL LEVY, IN SEVERAL PODCASTS. HENRY SIEGMAN, PRESIDENT EMERITUS OF THE USMEP, AUTHORED A PIECE IN RESPONSIBLE STATECRAFT ENTITLED, "ISRAEL WILL HAVE TO RECKON WITH THE OCCUPATION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER," AUGUST 16, 2020 HTTPS://RESPONSIBLESTATECRAFT.ORG/2020/08/16/ISRAEL-WILL-HAVE-TO-RECKON- WITH-THE-OCCUPATION/ CHUCK HAGEL, A USMEP SENIOR ADVISOR AND FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, CO- AUTHORED A PIECE WITH BARONESS CATHY ASHTON IN THE HILL ENTITLED "HOW TO REVIVE THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL," ON JANUARY 21, 2021, HTTPS://THEHILL.COM/OPINION/INTERNATIONAL/535167-HOW-TO-REVIVE-THE-IRAN- NUCLEAR-DEAL SHLOMO BEN AMI, A USMEP SENIOR ADVISOR, AUTHORED A PIECE ON PROJECT SYNDICATE ENTITLED "RESOLVING THE IRAN CONUNDRUM," MARCH 19, 2021, HTTPS://WWW.PROJECT-SYNDICATE.ORG/COMMENTARY/BIDEN-SHOULD-RENEGOTIATE-AND- REJOIN-IRAN-NUCLEAR-DEAL-BY-SHLOMO-BEN-AMI-2021-03 ON MAY 24, 2021, DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT OF THE USMEP, SPOKE WITH NPR ON WHERE ISRAEL AND HAMAS STAND ON THE STATUS OF THE PEACE TALKS AFTER CALLING A CEASEFIRE, HTTPS://WWW.WBUR.ORG/HEREANDNOW/2021/05/24/ISRAEL-HAMAS-PEACE DANIEL KURTZER, A USMEP SENIOR ADVISOR, CO-AUTHORED A PIECE IN POLITICO ENTITLED, "NETANYAHU'S ON THE WAY OUT. HERE'S WHAT BIDEN CAN EXPECT NEXT," ON JUNE 2, 2021, HTTPS://WWW.POLITICO.COM/NEWS/MAGAZINE/2021/06/02/ISRAEL- NETANYAHU-NAFTALI-BENNETT-BIDEN-491621

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 PROJECT IS COMPRISED OF THREE INTER-RELATED AND MUTUALLY REINFORCING TRACKS. EACH TRACK ALLOWS ITS CONSTITUENT COMMUNITIES TO RESPOND TO ITS PARTICULAR HISTORICAL AND CONTEXTUAL REALITIES- HENCE THEY ARE CALLED THE TWO COMMUNITY TRACKS. THEY ALSO REMAIN SYNCHRONIZED THROUGH A SET OF SHARED VALUES AND STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK DEVELOPED JOINTLY THROUGH WHAT THE PROJECT CALLS THE SYNCHRONIZATION TRACK. THE USMEP SERVES IN AN OVERSIGHT, COORDINATING AND GUIDING CAPACITY FOR THE OVERALL PROJECT. THE THREE TRACKS ARE: SYNCHRONIZATION TRACK: THIS WORKS TO BRING THE GROUPS TOGETHER AT DIFFERENT LEVELS - TEAM LEADERS, THE STEERING COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE STOKE PARK GROUP AS A WHOLE; PALESTINIAN (ARAB) TRACK ISRAELI (JEWISH++) TRACK 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 COVID-19 PANDEMIC OBVIOUSLY BROUGHT UNPREDICTABILITY AND IMPACTED THE ABILITY OF THE GROUP TO MEET. THE USMEP HAS MAINTAINED REGULAR CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION WITH POSSIBLE FUTURE HOSTS FOR BROADER STOKE PARK CONVENINGS IN THE HOPE THAT WE CAN MOVE QUICKLY IN SCHEDULING FURTHER IN-PERSON CONVENING ONCE CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW. IN LIGHT OF THAT, A REUNION IS PLANNED FOR EARLY 2022 AT THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION BELLAGIO CENTER IN ITALY.