Saban Center for Middle East Policy
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy is a research organization established at the Brookings Institution in 2002 through the donation of $13 million by the Israeli media-mogul, Haim Saban.[1] Its current director is Kenneth M. Pollack. Pollack took over from veteran pro-Israel lobbyist, Martin Indyk, who founded the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, an AIPAC think-tank.
History
After founder Haim Saban closed a profitable multi-million dollar business deal he reportedly contacted Martin Indyk to discuss how he could set up his own think-tank:
- When they met in New York about a week later, Indyk recalled, “Haim said, ‘I’ve made all this money; I’m giving ten million to the D.N.C., and I want to set up a think tank. I think we really have to resolve the Arab-Israel conflict. These terrorists give me a potch in the panim, but I still think it’s important for Israel’s future to achieve peace.’ ” Indyk advised him to make a donation to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, but Saban said, “ ‘You don’t understand. I want my own.’ ”[2]
At this time Indyk was working at WINEP but joined the Saban's think-tank shortly after Saban made an initial contribution of 13 million dollars for its establishment.
Explaining his rationale behind the center, Saban told the New York Times:
- "I've heard from leaders on both sides of the aisle in the United States and leaders in Europe about what Sharon shouldn't do, I haven't heard one educated suggestion about what he should do."[1]
Principals
- Kenneth Pollack - Director (2009-present)
- Martin Indyk - Senior Fellow, former director (2002-09)
- Haim Saban - Founder
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Andrew Ross Sorkin, "Schlepping to Moguldom", New York Times, 5 September 2004 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ARS" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Connie Bruck, "The Influencer", New Yorker, 10 May 2010
