ICMEP Annual Report 2021

Indiana Center for Middle East Peace Annual Report, 2021

L. Michael Spath, DMin, PhD, Executive Director

INTERVIEWS*

• Mark Braverman
• Daphna Levit
• Robert Cohen
• Zoughbi Zoughbi
• Max Blumenthal
• Daoud Nassar
• Dr. Mohammad Khan Kharoti
• Don Wagner (x2)
• Leila Farsakh & Jeff Halper
• Rev. Loren McGrail
• There Is A Field (Jen Marlowe, Lara Al-Qasem, Darius Khalil Gordon)
•  Dr. Anan Ameri and Prof. Dalia Gomaa (co-sponsored with Jewish Voice for Peace-Central Ohio)
•  Omar Barghouti, Dr. Amy Shuster (co-sponsored with Jewish Voice for Peace)
•  Tarteel Al-Junaidah (Christian Peacemaker Teams), Sami Huraini (Youth of Sumud), Cody O’Rourke (Good Shepherd Collective)
•  Series with UCC-PIN – (1) Sin, (2) Apartheid, (3) Political Solution based in Human Rights Framework
  
  *thanks to Terry for his expertise in running the Zoom sessions 
  *thanks to John for converting the Zoom interviews to YouTube and maintaining ICMEP YouTube page

OTHER PROGRAMS

• Two “Rallies In Support of the Palestinian People” (second with Masjid Noor ul-Islam, Burmese Muslim mosque). Special thanks to Sam and Ahmed for speaking; thanks to Terry for emceeing.
• National Co-Sponsor – “Break the Siege: Medical Relief for Gaza.” With Ronnie Malley in support of the Al-
• Awda Hospital and the work of our Mission Partner, Palestine Medical Relief Society (Steve Sosebee)

PETITIONS

• Against Facebook adding “Zionist” to its hate speech policy (FOSNA)
• Call for the immediate freedom of imprisoned Palestinian students and protection of their rights (Samidoun)
• To Stevie Wonder to decline Israel’s Wolf Prize (US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel)
• To the United Nations, also to the Biden administration to support the residents of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan (Palestinian Human Rights Organization Council; Al Haq Center for Human Rights; Jewish Voice for Peace; US Campaign for Palestinian Rights; Palestine Bar Association; American Muslims for Palestine; FOSNA; and others)
• One of the original 70 activist organizations to co-sponsor Rep. Betty McCollum’s HR 2590, “prohibiting United States Government funding to Israel from being used to support the detention and prosecution of Palestinian children in the Israeli military court system; the seizure, appropriation, and destruction of Palestinian property and forcible transfer of civilians; and further annexation of Palestinian land in violation of international law and internationally recognized standards of human rights.”
• Demand President Biden halt US sales of $735 million of weapons to Israel (JVP-Action, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Adalah Justice Project, Defense for Children International-Palestine)
• Support fairer coverage in The Christian Century in the obituary of former editor, Dr. James Wall, censured by the magazine for his anti-Zionist and Palestinian justice views (Dr. Don Wagner, Dr. Mark Braverman, Dr. Pauline Coffmann, and other friends of Jim Wall)
• Petition in Support of “Establishing an Ongoing UN Commission of Inquiry into Systemic Violations Targeting the Palestinian People on both sides of the Green Line” (US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Adalah Justice Project)
• Support the Boycott of Muslim community to boycott the White House Eid event (American Muslims for Palestine)
• Condemned Gov. Eric Holcomb’s trip to Israel, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (JVP-Indiana)
• Call to Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, to insist they demand the Israeli government immediately halt the scheduled expulsions in Silwan (US Campaign for Palestinian Rights)
• Support Dr. Fidaa Wishah upon her dismissal from Phoenix Children’s Hospital for social media posts critical of Israel (Council on American-Islamic Relations)
• Rep. Lewis Hamilton leading up to the F1 Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia to address human rights concerns. CODEPINK wrote a letter to Hamilton asking him to highlight women's rights, labor rights, prisoners of conscience, the war on Yemen, and democracy in Saudi Arabia.
• Urgent Interfaith Letter: Stop Ethnic Cleansing in Silwan & Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem and all of Palestine (US Campaign for Palestinian Rights; American Muslims for Palestine)
• To President Biden in his meeting with Israeli PM Naftali Bennett to demand the Israeli government: (1) Halt plans to displace Palestinians ; (2) End its illegal siege on Gaza; (3) Stop building illegal settlements on Palestinian land; (5) End its arbitrary permit regime which perpetuates Palestinian displacement and denies Palestinians the right to build on their own land; (6) And hold Israel accountable for killing Palestinians with US taxpayer-funded weapons (Americans for Justice in Palestine Action)
• Letter to Secretary Blinken from US Orgs & Leaders in Solidarity with Palestinian Civil Society
• A Declaration Regarding Respect for the Bodies of the Deceased (FOSNA)

FALL PROGRAMS

OTHER

• Developed "Levels of Support" with Executive Committee (Terry Dougherty, Ahnee Conner, Patty Pendleton, John Detraz) 
• Successful National Endowment for the Arts, Indiana Arts Commission, Arts United Grant to partially underwrite Ziryab: Songbird of Andalusia program with Ronnie Malley
• Built a strong YouTube library of our interviews and programs; in 2021, 74,500 Watch Time Minutes, and 6009 Total Views (thanks to John and Kim Detraz and Loren Woody)
• Successful Plymouth Church Benevolence Grant ($1000)
• ICMEmPower, twice-monthly newsletter (thanks to ICMEmPower editor, Pam Etheridge)
• Established a relationship with leaders of Masjid Noor ul-Islam, the Burmese Muslim mosque
• Strengthened our relationship with Masjid Al-Quds (Fort Wayne Islamic Center), and the Universal Education Foundation Islamic Center 
• Continued meeting with local Christian clergy partners
• Began initiative to engage millennial participation in ICMEP events 
• Because of social media presence – (a) a sharp increase in Facebook postings and ICMEP Group “members” (thanks to Pam Etheridge, Terry Dougherty, and Sam Jarjour); (b) increased Twitter postings; and (c) an Instagram presence (thanks to Pam Etheridge)
• Strengthened our relationship with United Church of Christ Palestine-Israel Network and ICAHD withjoint programming
• Supported national Palestine human rights organizations in education and advocacy work (JVP, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, PCAP, FOSNA, and others)
• Hosted national and international audiences with our Zoom interviews and webinars
• Maintained our support of our Mission Partners - Al-Rowwad Cultural Arts Center, Aida Refugee Camp (Abdelfattah Abusrour); MCRC, Nablus (Ayman Shaka'a); Tent of Nations, Bethlehem (Daoud Nassar); Wi'am Conflict Resolution Center, Bethlehem (Zoughbi Zoughbi)
• Partnered with Playgrounds for Palestine, an outlet for their olive oil in NE Indiana
• Michael is a member of Global Kairos for Justice and ICAHD-USA
• Creation of ICMEP "Peace Wheel,” dedicated, September 2021 (thanks to Loren Woody and Pam Etheridge)

THANK YOU

And most important, we are very grateful for the generosity of our Benefactors, friends,
and supporters, whose partnership enables us to be “a voice of conscience
for peace, justice, human rights, and intercultural encounter.”
Through us, with us, together, we are making a difference!