Committee on U.S. Interests in the Middle East

(April 1992) At a recent news conference in Washington, members of the newly-formed Committee on U.S. Interests in the Middle East criticized President Bush's policy of pressuring Israel for territorial concessions and called for a U.S. Middle East policy more appreciative of Israel's value as an ally and fellow democracy.[1]

February 26, 1992

COMMITTEE OF FORMER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS RUNS PRO-ISRAEL AD

The Committee on US Interests in the Middle East runs a full-page ad in the New York Times. The ad says: "We advocate support for a US policy toward Israel that would—in contrast to current American policy—reflect the traditional, strong American support for the legitimacy, security and general well-being of the Jewish State: a proven, valuable, democratic friend and ally of the United States." The ad opposes any US pressure on Israel to make territorial concessions. Among the signers are Tony Coelho, Leonard Garment, John Lehman, Jr., Elliott Abrams, Linda Chavez-Thompson, Frank Gaffney Jr., Richard Perle and Eugene Rostow. (NYT 2-26092) [2]

"Douglas Feith, former National Security Council staff Middle East expert and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, in explaining the Committee's background, said that we wanted to put together a group of people who have some grounding, experience, and credentials in helping determine what is in the U.S. national interest, and who will say, 'Mr. President, we don't agree that the current policy of antagonism toward Israel is in the U.S. national interest.'" [3]