Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME, https://spme.org ) has recently expanded its capacity for outreach and education with the addition of David Meir-Levi to its staff, in the capacity of Director of Research and Communication.
Meir-Levi, formerly of the Hebrew University (Jerusalem, Israel) and San Jose State University (San Jose, CA), brings to the organization a long professional history of research, publication and education about both ancient and modern Middle East history and the dynamics of the Arab-Israel conflict. In addition to his academic duties, he will work to enhance communication internally to current SPME participants, and to implement outreach strategies externally to potential new subscribers.
SPME has grown exponentially since its founding in 2002, and now has nearly 55,000 university and college professors, researchers, administrators, teachers, librarians, and students on more than 3,500 campuses worldwide. All receive the SPME newsletter, Faculty Forum. Nearly 40 campuses in the US and abroad have their own chapters with 28,000 network participants (https://spme.org/chapters.html ).
SPME participants strive for peace in the Middle East, where Israel can exist as a sovereign Jewish state within secure borders, and her neighbors can achieve their legitimate peaceful aspirations.
SPME’s participants commit themselves to the promotion of research, education, and service to achieve this just peace; but this is easier said than done in an environment where academic discourse is increasingly influenced by ideological distortions, politically biased scholarship, and agenda-driven speakers who often use their academic podia for indoctrination rather than education. Such indoctrination violates academic traditions of scholarly integrity and degrades the academic enterprise. It poisons debate about the Middle East, inflames hatred of Israel, spreads anti-Semitism, incites anti-Israeli militancy, and serves to excuse or tolerate terrorist attacks and genocidal threats against Israel. Anti-Israel slander exacerbates the conflict and undermines prospects for peace.
SPME’s mission, therefore, is to motivate and encourage faculty to use their academic skills and disciplines on campus, in classrooms, and in academic publications to develop effective responses to ideological distortions, including anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist, and anti-Muslim slander.
One need not be a scholar to subscribe. SPME welcomes participants from all disciplines, faith groups, and nationalities who share a desire for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East and a commitment to academic freedom, academic integrity, and honest debate. All interested are encouraged to subscribe to the SPME Faculty Forum and to become contributing network participants.
SPME is an independent, not-for-profit organization chartered in the State of Pennsylvania under provision 501(C) 3 of the US tax code.
