Last month the Middle East Forum commemorated 25 years of promoting American interests at a gala dinner with dignitaries from around the globe; while thanking its supporters for helping it transition from a traditional think-tank to a “think & action tank.”
“We are very lucky to have the Middle East Forum play such a leading, muscular, activist role.” – The Honorable John Baird, former foreign minister of Canada.
“When I found out this gala dinner was taking place, I called my office and said, ‘Please clear my agenda because I need to be there to congratulate Daniel [Pipes] and the Middle East Forum.’” – Dr. Rafael Bardají, former national security advisor of Spain and executive director of the Friends of Israel Initiative.
“The job of every member of Congress is to know what he or she does not know. The people in this room eat, sleep and breathe these [Middle East] issues every single day of the week. We need your advice, your counsel – particularly [those of us on] the Foreign Affairs Committee – to advise us on ... that region.” – Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).
"[Ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict] requires the Palestinian cause to lose. The Palestinian cause, unfortunately for a century, has been to destroy the Jewish state. They have never been committed to building [their own] state ... which has been terrible for Israel and a tragedy for their own people. ... It’s important to defeat that rejection, which is the core of the conflict.” – Ambassador Ron Dermer, Israeli ambassador to the United States.
