Why We Need You

The American Educational Trust (AET) was founded in 1982 by retired U.S. Foreign Service officers to provide readers with balanced and accurate information concerning U.S. relations with Middle Eastern states. Over the past 40 years we have had some close financial calls, but thanks to the generosity of our founders (who were also our lenient landlords), donors, subscribers and bookstore patrons we continued to publish the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs upstairs and maintain Middle East Books and More—a gem of a bookstore—downstairs.

It’s Time to Double Down

Today the community we serve is threatened. Just as Israelis are finally realizing their state will no longer be a democracy for its Jewish citizens (it never was for Palestinians), it is becoming nearly impossible for students, teachers, librarians and taxpayers in the U.S., Canada and Europe to criticize Israeli policies or support BDS without being accused of anti-Semitism—or even fired! We ask our community to come together to support education, culture and freedom right now. We believe this is the time to multiply our outreach and provide a safe and flourishing place for like-minded friends to connect and share ideas.

Calling All Bookstore Customers

Many of you order online from Middle East Books and More. Or perhaps you are one of our many in-person customers, including activists, diplomats, government employees, neighbors and tourists. Students studying international relations and their professors from nearby Georgetown, George Washington, American University, Johns Hopkins, Catholic University and other important schools (and soon the University of Southern California) all stop by to purchase books, olive oil, coffee, pottery and other cultural items. Many people just pop in to discuss recent events, knowing that our store is a safe place to express their views. Perhaps even more importantly, those unfamiliar with the region often come in to pick up books and copies of our magazine to begin in-depth learning about the issues they have only vaguely encountered in the often biased mainstream media. 

Tear Down Those Walls

We currently have the rare opportunity to enlarge Middle East Books and More to provide a larger meeting space for book clubs, book talks, children’s reading hours, film screenings and even tatreez classes and other cultural events. We don’t want to miss this chance to fulfill our community’s need for an expanded store/event space! But we can’t do it without your generosity. Before the pandemic, an architect designed a $100,000 renovation. Our new focus is more modest—but a real game-changer: structural changes including tearing down walls for extra space, improving air circulation as well as lighting and seating. These changes will allow us to grow from a retail space to a true communal gathering place. 

Your Donations Large and Small…

Encourage the next generation to read and gather together to support each other while we work to improve our foreign policy! Together we can make a difference today!