About IMEU
Our Mission
The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) works to increase and enhance the public’s understanding about Palestine, Palestinians, and Palestinian Americans through media. We do this by offering mainstream US media organizations and journalists access to facts, resources, analysis, and experts in order to help them cover key issues with accuracy and depth, and by creating and disseminating original articles, fact sheets, videos, photo essays, and other digital content.
Our Work
The IMEU assists journalists who are working on stories about Palestine or Palestinians by:
- Providing access to the latest news stories and expert analysis.
- Maintaining an updated panel of credible experts and analysts who can comment publicly on the news, life, and culture of Palestinians and Palestinian Americans.
- Connecting journalists with Palestinian people from all walks of life — including artists, poets, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and more — who are willing to be interviewed.
- Providing a comprehensive set of answers to the most commonly asked questions about Palestine and Palestinians.
The IMEU educates the public about Palestine and Palestinians through the original content shared on our website and social media pages by:
- Providing original analysis of key current events.
- Offering historical context for what Palestinians are facing today.
- Sharing photos and videos about what’s happening in Palestine.
- Featuring subject matter experts to discuss important and relevant issues.
Our Beliefs
The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) believes in a world where all people live with freedom and safety, a world where all people are treated equally, regardless of gender, faith or national origin — whether they reside in the United States, Palestine, Israel or anywhere else in the world.
Yet for too long, Palestinians have been denied their freedom. Palestinian voices were virtually absent from US media, which led to images of Palestinians that were distorted and dehumanizing.
When Palestinians have the access they need to tell their own stories, the results are transformative. Sound public policy is achieved when citizens receive balanced and accurate information from the media. And if journalists have easy access to credible information and analysis about Palestinians, it can only result in a better informed American public.
Diverse opinions are necessary for the free and full exchange of ideas. The IMEU can best serve the media and the public by staying independent and providing access to a range of voices.
We believe that violence is abhorrent and that violence against civilians — whether perpetrated by individuals or by states — is never justified and must be repudiated in all its forms.
We operate from anti-racist principles and strongly reject all forms of bigotry and hatred, including anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, anti-Black racism, anti-LGBTQI+ racism, etc.
Who We Are
The IMEU was founded in 2005 by a group of concerned Americans who want to foster an increased understanding among Americans about Palestine and the Palestinians. The IMEU is an independent organization and is not affiliated with any government or political party. It is funded through individual donations and foundations.
Board of Directors
Khaldoun Baghdadi, Chairman
Khaldoun Baghdadi is a prominent attorney in the California firm Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger and has been recognized by the legal community through his inclusion in the “Best Lawyers in America.” He served as Chairman of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and is an adjunct professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.
Jeanmarie Condon
Veteran producer and director Jeanmarie Condon is an award-winning executive producer, director, and writer of documentary features and series. Condon’s work with outlets such as ABC, Hulu, National Geographic, A&E Networks, NPR, and Boston Globe has focused on social justice, humanitarian, and environmental issues. She has spent over 20 years directing, writing, and producing documentaries primarily with the late Peter Jennings, as well as with Ted Koppel, Christiane Amanpour, and Diane Sawyer.
Zahira Dahdul, Treasurer
Zahira Dahdul’s over twenty-year career has spanned New York, London, and Dubai, which included working for Lehman Brothers in the transaction management division, then subsequently at Nomura, where she was Head of Human Resources for the Middle East. She is an active supporter of educational and work opportunities for Palestinian women and children.
Isam Salah
Isam Salah is a former senior finance partner in King & Spalding’s New York and Dubai offices, where he led the firm’s Middle East & Islamic Finance Practice Group. He is a frequent writer and speaker on the topic of Islamic finance and investment and is a former President of the Arab Bankers Association of North America.
Nadia Tommalieh, Secretary
Nadia Tommalieh is a former localization program manager in the software industry. She is a food enthusiast, blogger, and a cooking instructor focusing on Arabic cuisine and promoting traditional Palestinian home cooking. Nadia has been an active volunteer in several organizations in the Seattle area.