MEF Accomplishments

From January through July 2020:

We educate decision-makers and the public.

Writings – We published 362 articles in the first half of 2020 on topics ranging from Islamists appropriating the Black Lives Matter movement and Rep. Ilhan Omar's radical supporters, to Israel's growing ties with the United Arab Emirates and Ankara's destabilizing the Middle East. Our work appeared in mass publications such as The Jerusalem Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal; D.C.-focused publications such as The Hill and The Washington Examiner; and specialist publications such as Defense News and Foreign Policy.

Webinars – Our audience is now quadrupled since we began the thrice-weekly series in March. Recent topics have focused on internal crises in Islamic societies; the pervasiveness of radical Islam being preached at American mosques; jihadists infiltrating Western societies while posing as refugees; and why the left has turned on Israel. Each 20-minute session is led by a subject matter expert from the Forum's staff or writing fellows roster, or experts such as Alberto Fernandez (former U.S. State Department official), and soon Hussain Haqqani (Pakistan's former ambassador to the U.S.). To sign up for notices of future events, click here. For past ones, go to YouTube or Soundcloud.

We team subject matter experts with activists to promote American interests at home and across the globe.

Cutting-off funding to biased universities – We launched a campaign to put biased pro-Islamist, anti-Israel, and anti-Western university Middle East Studies programs under federal investigation, and at risk of losing all federal funding under President Trump's Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism. To date, we have worked with White House and Department of Education officials, and four members of Congress (Rep. Riggleman (R-VA), Rep. Gosar (R-AZ), Rep Lamborn (R-CO) and Rep. DesJarlais (R-TN)) to spur investigations of: (i) the Duke/University of North Carolina consortium for Middle East Studies; (ii) Georgetown University; (iii) the University of Arizona; (iv) the University of California at Berkeley; and (v) Yale University.

Promoting an Israel Victory over the Palestinians – The Israel Defense Forces unveiled a new work plan inspired by our Israel Victory Project, the culmination of over three years' of our work in Israel. The five-year "Momentum" plan – designed to increase the IDF's capabilities sevenfold – "puts the principle of victory back at the top of the list of priorities," said then Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, who we have met with numerous times (he has also participated in some of our Victory events).

Countering Islamists on the local level – We produced an extensive dossier documenting the extremism and terror ties of Nadeen Ibrahim, a "Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) outreach coordinator" with the Denver Police Department's federally-financed CVE program. After we produce the dossier, Ibrahim was barred from the program.

Back-handed compliments make for some of the best ones.

"The Middle East Forum [is] conducting a politically motivated disinformation campaign against Helping Hand for Relief and Development and the Islamic Circle of North America. Based on misleading information, some members of Congress have called for investigations." – the U.S.-based Islamist group Helping Hand for Relief and Development, in response to our successful efforts to impede Islamist lobbying of Congress toward weakening counter-terrorism laws. (Our research led to the indictment of an Islamic Circle official.)

"The MEF fosters hate across the globe" and "is notorious for its virulent Islamophobia." – Raiot (a South Asian communist publication), after we exposed the terrorism ties and extremism of Stand With Kashmir, an anti-Indian movement in the U.S. championed by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).