Saban Center for Middle East Policy

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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

References

  1. 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
  2. Connie Bruck, "The Influencer", New Yorker, 10 May 2010