Mission

The Center for Middle East Peace & Economic Cooperation encourages all relevant parties – Israel, the Palestinians, Arab countries, the United States, Europe, etc. – to reach just and comprehensive peace that will bring an end to the Israeli-Arab conflict.  With this mission in mind, the Center's activities include travel in the region, diplomatic exchanges, and conferences featuring Middle Eastern and relevant international leaders seeking peace. The Center brings Middle Eastern policy makers, American and European officials, and international business leaders together to help provide an atmosphere that encourages a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.  Established in 1989 by then-Slim Fast Foods Chairman S. Daniel Abraham and then-Utah Congressman Wayne Owens, the Center is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization.

Meet the Center

Readers are welcome to review the on-line tribute to the Honorable Wayne Owens, the Center's late co-founder and president.

• S. Daniel Abraham, Chairman
• Toni Verstandig, Senior Policy Advisor
• Jihan Ghanim, Executive Assistant
• Dan Rothem, Research Director

History

The Center for Middle East Peace & Economic Cooperation was established in 1989 by Slim Fast Foods Chairman S. Daniel Abraham and Utah Congressman Wayne Owens. A World War II combat veteran, Mr. Abraham had experienced the horrors of war and committed himself to the prevention of future conflicts. When he met Congressman Owens, who served on the then House Foreign Affairs and Select Intelligence Committees, the two men recognized that they shared a determination to achieve a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Toni Verstandig, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State during the Clinton Administration, joined the Center in 2001. Notably, Dr. Stephen Cohen served on the Center’s staff between 1990 and 2000. Robert Malley, a Special Assistant to President Clinton for Arab-Israeli Affairs and Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council also served on the Center’s staff from 2001 to 2002.

Since its founding, the Center’s officers have traveled extensively and regularly throughout the Middle East. The Center has also sponsored numerous fact-finding missions to the region for Members of Congress, government officials, and private citizens to meet with Middle East leaders. Visiting Israel and more than 20 Arab countries, the Center has enabled American decision makers to witness first hand the challenges facing leaders who seek peace in the region.