PHILADELPHIA, PA – December 15, 2023 – The Middle East Forum (MEF) is delighted to announce the appointment of Michael Rubin as its Director of Policy Analysis, significantly enhancing its expertise in Middle East and Islamism policy analysis.
Mr. Rubin has worked for two decades at the American Enterprise Institute, where he will remain a distinguished senior fellow, specializing in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, the Caucasus, and the Horn of Africa. His extensive experience in the Pentagon and as an academic in Yemen, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan give him a unique perspective on the region and a nuanced understanding of its dynamics.
A prolific author, Mr. Rubin writes frequently on U.S. diplomacy, Iranian history, Arab culture, Kurdish issues, and Shi’ite politics. His books include Eternal Iran: Continuity and Chaos (Palgrave, 2005), Dancing with the Devil: The Perils of Engaging Rogue Regimes (Encounter Books, 2014), Kurdistan Rising (AEI Press, 2016), and Seven Pillars: What Really Causes Instability in the Middle East? (AEI Press, 2019). He is currently working on a history of American diplomacy vis-à-vis revisionist states.
Mr. Rubin edited MEF’s Middle East Quarterly in 2004-09. Between 2011-20, he spent in all a year at sea teaching about Islam, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa to deployed U.S. Navy and Marine units, and also taught land-based Navy SEAL units. He continues to provide analysis for the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).
He holds three degrees from Yale University: a BS in biology and an MA and PhD in history. He is a native of Philadelphia. (He still pronounces water with a “d.”)
At MEF, Mr. Rubin will spearhead the development of MEForum.org into a full-fledged platform by broadening its content to include policy briefs, podcasts, videos, webinars, and more.
MEF President Daniel Pipes commented on Mr. Rubin’s appointment, “With his unique body of knowledge, Michael Rubin will add greatly to our team. His fearless analyses, wide range of topics, and first-hand experience will round out MEF’s work.”
The Middle East Forum, a non-profit organization, promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects Western civilization from Islamism. It does so through a combination of original ideas, focused activism, and funding allies. For more information, visit www.meforum.org.
For immediate release
For more information, contact:
Gregg Roman
roman@meforum.org
+1 (215) 546 5406
