Dear Friend of the Middle East Forum,
As we approach the close of 2024, I want to personally thank those of you who have already given to support the Middle East Forum’s mission this year—your generosity has been instrumental in driving our success in our 30th year. For those who haven’t yet contributed, now is the time to act. With just days left in 2024, your tax-deductible gift will ensure we remain at the forefront of shaping America's role in the Middle East in 2025. Visit www.meforum.org/2024 to make your contribution today.
The Middle East stands at a crossroads. From Tehran to Ankara, from Gaza to Washington, shifting alliances and escalating crises demand bold action and decisive leadership. At the Middle East Forum (MEF), we are not just observers of these challenges—we are leading the charge to secure American and allied interests, protect democratic values, and defend vulnerable communities.
Our plans for 2025 are ambitious, addressing the most urgent and complex issues facing the region:
1. The Iran Freedom Project
In 2025, MEF will expand its comprehensive strategy to counter Iran's regime and support Iranian dissidents. We will provide policymakers with actionable recommendations to restore maximum pressure on Tehran, targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its vast network of proxy militias. Through collaborations with Iranian opposition figures and international partners, MEF will amplify calls for regime change, advocating for stronger sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and robust support for grassroots resistance movements within Iran. Jim Hanson, Jonathan Spyer and Michael Rubin will lead efforts to deepen alliances with key players in the Iranian diaspora, ensuring their voices are heard in Washington, Jerusalem, and beyond. Our ultimate goal is to replace Iran's theocratic dictatorship with a democratic government that respects human rights and contributes to regional stability.
2. Anti-Qatar Coalition
Qatar’s malign influence in funding terrorism, Islamist extremism, and media propaganda requires urgent and decisive action. In 2025, MEF will lead an international coalition to expose and counter Qatar’s destructive activities. We will lobby Congress to revoke Qatar’s status as a major non-NATO ally, push for the closure of Al Udeid Air Base, and advocate for sanctions targeting Qatari entities that finance terrorism. Ben Baird and Sam Westrop will spearhead efforts to educate financial institutions, policymakers, and the public about Qatar’s terror finance networks. This coalition will also launch a public relations campaign to hold Qatar accountable, leveraging grassroots movements and media outreach to challenge Doha’s attempts to whitewash its global reputation.
3. Defending Syria’s Minorities
As Turkey-backed Islamists solidify power in parts of Syria, MEF will lead the charge to protect vulnerable communities, including Kurds, Druze, Christians, and Alawites. In 2025, we will advocate for targeted international intervention to prevent further human rights abuses and displacement. Jonathan Spyer, leveraging his deep expertise in Syria’s political and security landscape, will collaborate with Western policymakers and NGOs to establish safe zones and provide critical military and humanitarian aid. We will also engage in diplomatic efforts to pressure Turkey to curb its neo-Ottoman ambitions and respect minority rights. MEF aims to build coalitions with local leaders and activists to ensure these communities are not forgotten in the broader geopolitical struggle.
4. Focus on Western Islamism
The spread of Islamist ideology in Western democracies poses a growing threat to societal stability and security. MEF’s Focus on Western Islamism initiative will expand its investigations into Islamist groups operating in the U.S., Europe, and beyond. In 2025, Dexter Van Zile, and his team will publish groundbreaking reports exposing these organizations’ financial and political influence, targeting their enablers and beneficiaries. MEF will partner with legal experts and policymakers to develop strategies to combat Islamist lobbying and fundraising efforts, ensuring that these groups are held accountable under Western legal systems. This initiative will also launch educational campaigns to inform the public about the dangers posed by these organizations, reinforcing MEF’s commitment to protecting democratic institutions.
5. Islamist Watch Investigations
MEF will enhance its investigative journalism in 2025 to uncover the financial and ideological networks supporting Islamist extremism. From monitoring charities that funnel money to terrorist groups to exposing propaganda operations that radicalize individuals, our investigations will deliver actionable intelligence to law enforcement and policymakers. Under the leadership of Sam Westrop, MEF will expand its global network of sources and whistleblowers, ensuring that no Islamist financier or propagandist operates in the shadows. Our goal is to dismantle the infrastructure of extremism at its roots, cutting off its funding, disrupting its messaging, and holding its leaders accountable.
6. RICO Project and Campus Watch
In 2025, MEF will scale up its RICO Project, applying the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to address systemic antisemitism and harassment of Jewish students on college campuses. Winfield Myers will lead efforts to expand our network of legal partnerships, providing resources to students and faculty who face intimidation from groups like Students for Justice in Palestine. At the same time, Campus Watch will continue to monitor and expose the ideologies driving hostility toward America and its allies in academia, ensuring that the next generation of leaders is equipped to counter these narratives.
7. Stopping the Houthis and Securing the Red Sea
Eric Navarro will lead MEF’s efforts to develop a comprehensive strategy for securing the Red Sea, a critical artery for global trade. In 2025, we will advocate for robust U.S. and allied action to neutralize the Iranian-backed Houthis, whose attacks threaten international shipping. MEF will work with maritime security experts to propose innovative solutions, including the reopening of ports and the protection of shipping lanes, ensuring the Red Sea remains a safe and reliable channel for commerce.
8. The Israel Victory Project
In 2025, MEF will continue to advocate for decisive victory policies through publications, Knesset conferences, and public campaigns. Alex Selsky will lead this initiative, ensuring that Israeli policymakers adopt strategies that deliver lasting peace and security while reinforcing Israel’s sovereignty and global standing.
9. Expanding the Middle East Forum Observer
In 2025, MEF’s Observer will become the go-to source for Middle East analysis, publishing over 250 articles and expanding its roster of contributors. Michael Rubin and Sandra Tolliver will lead efforts to grow the Observer’s audience, ensuring it surpasses competitors. By offering timely, incisive analysis, the Observer will shape public and policymaker understanding of regional issues.
10. Strengthening Israel-Armenia Relations
MEF will work with Armenia diaspora organizations to strengthen ties between Israel and Armenia, positioning Armenia as a strategic buffer against Turkish aggression. In 2025, Alex Selsky will lead efforts to explore cultural and security partnerships, advocate for Armenia’s embassy relocation to Jerusalem, and foster closer cooperation between the two nations.
11. Advancing Policy in Washington
With the second Trump presidency looming, MEF will redouble its efforts to influence U.S. policy on Iran, Qatar, and Islamist extremism. Jim Hanson and Ben Baird will lead our Washington agenda, ensuring MEF’s recommendations are implemented at the highest levels of government. From restoring maximum pressure on Iran to expanding the Abraham Accords, MEF’s policy work will reinforce American and allied security.
Your support makes all of this possible. Whether funding investigative journalism, legal strategies, or high-level policy advocacy, your contributions fuel our mission. If you’ve already donated, thank you for standing with us. If you haven’t yet, please join us today. Every gift makes a difference.
Visit www.meforum.org/2024 to make your contribution before the year ends. Together, we can ensure that 2025 is a year of bold action and decisive victories for freedom, stability, and security in the Middle East and beyond.
With gratitude,
Gregg Roman
Director
Middle East Forum
P.S. Your tax-deductible gift ensures we remain the leading force for change in the Middle East. Don’t wait—give today at www.meforum.org/2024.
______________________________
DONATION OPTIONS
(1) Online via Credit Card or PayPal: Supporting the Forum is most easily done at our website by clicking here. (The website is secure and encrypted; your personal information cannot be read as it travels through the Internet.)
(2) Personal Check via the Postal Service: Please make a check payable to “Middle East Forum” and mail it to:
Middle East Forum
1650 Market Street, Suite 3600
Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
(3) Stock Donations: Donations of stock may be wired to:
Vanguard Marketing Corporation
Account Name: The Middle East Forum
Account Number: 59334817
DTC Number: 0062
Donations of stock may be sent by U.S. mail (with a letter of instruction) and sent to:
Vanguard
P.O. Box 1110
Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110
If you donate stock, please email us at donations@meforum.org or call 215-546-5406 x104 to inform us of the gift so that we may thank you.
(4) Planned Giving: A gift in perpetuity enhances the Forum’s capabilities while allowing you to transfer more wealth to your heirs at a lower cost. Each of the following 4 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 see philanthropy in action, making transfers to heirs at a lower tax cost and designating beneficiaries to receive payments for life or a term of years. Three types of Charitable Trusts: Charitable Remainder Trust, Charitable Lead Trust, Retained Life Estate.
For more information on MEF's Legacy Society, please contact Gregg Roman, MEF's director, at 215-546-5406 ext. 104 or Roman@meforum.org.
