AIPAC Front Group
Washington Institute For Near East Policy
I was reading an article about Hamas that repeatedly referred to a “scholarly paper” produced by the Washington Institute of Near East Policy (WINEP). It reminded me, yet again, how successful WINEP has been in passing itself off as an independent “think tank” rather than what it is, a spinoff created by AIPAC that carefully disguises both its origins and what it remains: a pro-Israel research and information group.
There is nothing wrong with that if only that was how it, and more importantly the media, put the words”pro-Israel” into any description of it so that readers or viewers knew where this scholarly information was coming from and what interests it served.
So, here’s a reminder, a Huffington Post piece I wrote way back in 2010 about literally being in the room when WINEP was created. It’s a piece of forgotten “history” that shouldn’t be.
Huffington Post.
Does PBS Know That "The Washington Institute" Was Founded By AIPAC?
The Washington Institute, often featured on news outlets as an independent source, is an American Israel Public Affairs Committee cutout. How do I know? I was in the room when AIPAC decided to establish WINEP.
By MJ Rosenberg
Worked on Capitol Hill for Democratic Senators and House members for 20 years
Jun 12, 2010, 05:12 AM EDT
|Updated May 25, 2011
Professor Stephen Walt of Harvard had a great piece in Foreign Policy's blog this weekend which alluded to the fact that the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP or "The Washington Institute"), often featured on PBS and other news outlets as an independent source, is an American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) cutout.
Walt was responding to an attack on him by WINEP's current director, Robert Satloff, who indignantly went off on all those (especially Walt) who would even suggest that WINEP is an AIPAC front which invariably takes the Israeli point of view.
Walt is right. How do I know? Then an AIPAC employee, I was in the room when AIPAC decided to establish WINEP.
It was Steve Rosen (later indicted under the Espionage Act, although charges were subsequently dropped) who cleverly came up with the idea for an AIPAC-controlled think-tank that would disseminate the AIPAC line but in a way that would disguise its connections.
There was no question that WINEP was to be AIPAC's cutout. It was funded by AIPAC donors, staffed by AIPAC employees, and located one door away, down the hall, from AIPAC Headquarters (No more. It has its own digs).
It would also hire all kinds of people not identified with Israel as cover and would encourage them to write whatever they liked on matters not related to Israel. "Say what you want on Morocco, kid." But on Israel, never deviate more than a degree or two.
I didn't pay that much attention at the meeting because, despite pressure that I do so, I never intended to go near any operation ultimately under Steve Rosen's control.
But another participant at the meeting remembers it well. Like most people who criticize AIPAC and are involved professionally with the pro-Israel world, he asked not to be identified. (I respect that. I am not so much brave as I am safe from being punished for taking on AIPAC as I am not employed or paid in any way by any lobby-connected institution.)
My correspondent writes:
WINEP was created initially at a time when AIPAC was in financial trouble and having a lot of problems raising money, so it was suggested, probably by Steve Rosen, (I was at the same meeting) that we split the AIPAC research department into two parts, a minor part to service the legislative lobbying, and the major part to become a 501(C)3 that could raise big bucks tax free unlike AIPAC itself which did not enjoy that tax status.
As you wrote, it was originally in AIPAC's building and on the same floor but we started getting a lot of pressure from some of the other Jewish organizations which were worried that AIPAC would cut into their (C)3 fundraising.
As for funding, the Weinbergs were key and even worked out a deal with some big money folks who didn't want to contribute to a political operation like AIPAC but would give to (C)3's. So one could give to the (C)3 and someone else would match it for AIPAC.
This became the ultimate in interlocking directorates.
So why does it matter?
It matters because the media has fallen for this sleight of hand and WINEP spokespersons appear (especially on the PBS News Hour) as if WINEP was not part of the Israel lobby. Some truth-in-labeling is necessary.
This is especially true at critical moments…