The Middle East Research and Information Project

The Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) is an independent, non-profit research organization established in 1971, dedicated to providing critical analysis and alternative reporting on political, social, and economic developments in the contemporary Middle East. MERIP is best known for its publication, the Middle East Report, which serves academics, journalists, NGOs, policy organizations, and informed citizens interested in the region’s affairs (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2025; Beinin, n.d.).

Location

MERIP is based in the United States, with its current mailing address at 30 Ardmore Ave., PO Box 390, Ardmore, PA 19003, USA. Historically, MERIP operated out of Washington, D.C. (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2025).

History

Founded in 1971 by anti-Vietnam War activists and members of the American New Left, MERIP emerged from a commitment to opposing U.S. imperialism and supporting marginalized and working-class populations in the Middle East. Its early publication, MERIP Reports, evolved into the regularly published Middle East Report. The organization has played a significant role in advancing political economy and Palestine studies within Anglophone Middle East scholarship. Notable editors and contributors have included Joe Stork, Judith Tucker, Philip Khoury, Beshara Doumani, and others (Beinin, n.d.; Middle East Research and Information Project, 2023). Since 2022, MERIP has partnered with the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter, which now hosts the executive and managing editor positions (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2025).

Establishment and Founders

MERIP was established in 1971 by a group of anti-war activists associated with the American New Left. The founding members, such as Joe Stork, were influenced by a commitment to political economy, class analysis, and solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Other early contributors included Judith Tucker, Philip Khoury, Beshara Doumani, Eric Hooglund, Zachary Lockman, and Rashid Khalidi (Beinin, n.d.; Middle East Research and Information Project, 2023).

Financial Sponsors

MERIP is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It is primarily funded through donations, subscriptions, and institutional partnerships. Key partners have included the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter, the IMPOP Program at George Washington University, the MESA Global Academy, and Pluto Press. Detailed lists of individual financial sponsors are not publicly disclosed (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2025).

Website and Contact Information

• Website: merip.org
• Mailing Address: 30 Ardmore Ave., PO Box 390, Ardmore, PA 19003, USA
• Email Contacts:
• General/Business: business@merip.org
• Editorial: editor@merip.org
• Subscriptions/Donations: subscriptions@merip.org
• (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2025)

Prominent Research Figures

MERIP has been shaped by a distinguished group of scholars and intellectuals, many of whom are prominent in Middle East studies. Key figures include Joe Stork (long-time editor), Chris Toensing (executive director and editor-in-chief from 1995 to 2017), Steve Niva (executive director from 2017 to 2019), Mandy Terc (executive director from 2019 to 2024), and James Ryan (current executive director) (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2023). Influential editors and contributors have included Judith Tucker, Philip Khoury, Beshara Doumani, Eric Hooglund, Zachary Lockman, Rashid Khalidi, Maxime Rodinson, Fred Halliday, Ervand Abrahamian, and Hanna Batatu. These scholars have played leading roles in the development of political economy and Palestine studies within Anglophone Middle East studies (Beinin, n.d.; Beinin, 2022).

Key Fields of Concentration (Research)

MERIP’s research is concentrated in several interrelated fields:

• Political Economy: Analysis of state power, class, capital, markets, and the historical development of capitalism in the Middle East and North Africa (Beinin, 2022).
• Social Hierarchies and Popular Struggles: Focus on workers, peasants, marginalized groups, and grassroots movements (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2023).
• US Policy and Imperialism: Critical examination of US foreign policy, military intervention, and arms transfers in the region (Beinin, 2022).
• Palestine and the Question of Palestine: Palestine has been a central, though not exclusive, issue in MERIP’s work (Beinin, n.d.).
• Gender and Social Relations: Including studies on women’s labor and gendered aspects of political economy (Beinin, 2022).

Relations to the Islamic World

MERIP has maintained a critical and analytical relationship with the Islamic world, including Iran. The organization’s coverage has included in-depth analysis of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, US-Iranian relations, and the broader implications for regional and global politics. Notably, scholars such as Fred Halliday and Ervand Abrahamian, both authorities on Iran, have been among MERIP’s most prolific contributors on Iranian topics. MERIP’s analysis often challenged prevailing Western narratives, providing alternative perspectives on Islamic movements and revolutions (Beinin, 2022). The organization’s approach has been to situate Islamic movements within broader political, economic, and social contexts, rather than viewing them solely through a religious or cultural lens.

Publishing/Significant Reports

MERIP’s flagship publication is the Middle East Report, a quarterly magazine that features rigorously researched articles, interviews, and literary works in translation. The magazine is now fully online and open access (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2023). MERIP has published significant analyses on:

• The political economy of oil and its role in regional and global power structures.
• The 1979 Iranian Revolution and its aftermath.
• The dynamics of US arms transfers and military policy in the Middle East.
• Critical reviews of landmark works such as Edward Said’s The Question of Palestine and Hanna Batatu’s The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq (Beinin, 2022).

Impacts and Partnerships

MERIP has had a substantial impact on Middle East studies, particularly in advancing political economy and Palestine studies. Its editors and contributors have gone on to lead the Middle East Studies Association of North America and have shaped academic discourse in the field (Beinin, n.d.). MERIP’s commitment to evidence-based, critical analysis has influenced both scholarly and public understanding of the region.

In terms of partnerships, MERIP collaborates with the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter (which houses key editorial positions since 2022) and the independent publishing house Pluto Press, with whom it shares a mission to promote alternative viewpoints on the Middle East (Middle East Research and Information Project, 2023; GuideStar, 2024).

Critiques of the Middle East Research and Information Project

critiques of the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) often focus on its perceived ideological biases and hidden objectives, particularly regarding its stance on Israel, U.S. foreign policy, and regional conflicts.

MERIP is widely recognized as a left-leaning organization critical of U.S. policy in the Middle East, with a strong emphasis on supporting Palestinian claims and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. This has led to accusations that MERIP harbors an anti-Israel bias, which some critics argue may overshadow balanced analysis (InfluenceWatch, 2020). For example, Joe Stork, a founder and key figure at MERIP, has been criticized for inflammatory rhetoric towards Israel in early publications, including justifying violent resistance against Israeli settlers (InfluenceWatch, 2020).

MERIP’s work can be seen as aligned with broader anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist narratives that resonate with Iran’s official positions, especially regarding Palestine and opposition to U.S. influence. However, some analysts might also regard MERIP’s framing as part of a Western leftist project that selectively critiques U.S. and Israeli policies while potentially underplaying complexities within Iran and the Islamic world. For instance, MERIP’s coverage of Iran often highlights internal political struggles between reformists and conservatives, as well as Iran’s nationalist and regional security concerns, but it also frames Iran’s foreign policy in terms of resistance to U.S. pressure and regional rivalries (MERIP, 2001).

Moreover, MERIP’s "dialogue of civilizations" framework has been critiqued within its own analysis as a statist project that limits discussion on universal human rights standards and excludes independent civil society voices inside Iran, thus implicitly supporting the Iran's control over political discourse (MERIP, 2001). This suggests that while MERIP critiques Western policies, it may also avoid confronting some of Iran’s internal human rights issues, which could be interpreted as a hidden objective to protect certain state narratives.

In summary, MERIP is both a valuable source of critical analysis that challenges U.S. and Israeli policies and a left-leaning organization whose ideological commitments may limit its critique of Iranian state practices and obscure the full complexity of regional politics. Its alignment with anti-imperialist and pro-Palestinian positions corresponds with Iranian foreign policy narratives, but its selective approach to human rights and internal political debates reveals potential hidden objectives consistent with protecting state sovereignty and limiting external criticism (MERIP, 2001; InfluenceWatch, 2020).