“American leadership...requires a new vision adapted to the realities of the 21st century. Neither militarism nor isolationism make America safer or help the world. America’s vision must be collaborative and principled – not bullying, transactional, or opportunistic.” The Century Foundation

In prior articles I have asserted that peace is possible. Realistic solutions do exist to reduce international conflicts. We just need to abandon our failed, bipartisan militaristic behavior and embrace a collaborative and principled diplomacy by supporting the existing international institutions, courts, laws and agreements.

I have informed readers of alternatives such as World Beyond War’s detailed plan for a demilitarized conflict resolution (A Global Security System: An Alternative to War) and the United Nations effort to abolish nuclear weapons (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons).

The Century Foundation also has detailed recommendations for solutions in the Middle East. They published a 2024 document entitled “A Blueprint for a Progressive U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East.” The Century Foundation is one of the oldest public policy research institutes in the country (founded in 1919) and are a credible source.

You probably have never heard of this organization or their plan for peace. The mainstream media rarely provides any alternative perspectives to the bipartisan support for war. The media is too busy cheerleading for war (and making money off the sensationalism) to provide the public with information on viable alternatives. I found this document by accident while searching the web. 

For decades in the Middle East (and elsewhere) the United States has been part of the problem rather then the solutions with our militaristic foreign policy, weapons sales, unqualified support for Israel and recently our shameful support for genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine. After 80 years of destruction, killing and failure its time for a different approach.

The Century Foundation’s recommendations are a list of specific actions the executive branch and Congress can take to reduce tensions and begin a process of conflict resolution. It is targeted at the Middle East but they “hope... this document can grow into an enduring vision for a different approach to U.S. foreign policy.”

In this article I summarize the main points of their blueprint and highlight a few of the specific  recommended actions.

“Power through diplomacy, not war” is number one. U.S. foreign policy has become dominated by military actions and interventions. The massive, worldwide military infrastructure sucks up all the resources and leaves diplomacy and other civilian activities destitute. The Century Foundation says, “Washington should go further than ending the forever wars, it should invest in force projection through civilian means and soft power, relying on rule of law rather than coercion.”

Specific actions to demilitarize foreign policy include: closing bases in the region and reducing forces stationed there; ending military assistance to Israel, Jordan and Egypt; creating direct diplomatic channels with opponents (we have no diplomatic relations with Iran); and stopping U.S.-supplied weapons from being used to commit war crimes (i.e., following existing U.S. law).

Regarding nuclear weapons the U.S. should reinvigorate the existing Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to negotiate with all parties in the region, including Israel (who does have nuclear weapons). 

I would suggest going further. The U.S. should lead in abolishing all nuclear weapons under the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Restoring morality to our foreign relations is the second major recommendation. The Century Foundation (TCF) explains, “America’s greatest asset has always been its robust and credible world leadership – not its military might. America maximizes its influence in the world not through coercion, but when governments and people choose to emulate the U.S. approach.”

I agree with this basic point. There have been times when the U.S. led by example and modeled good government and cooperative policies. But our “credible world leadership” is more optimistic thinking than accurate history.

With only a few rare exceptions (President Jimmy Carter for example) self interest, greed, hypocrisy, commercial advantage and ideological intolerance have been the motivating factors for U.S foreign policy rather then morality or humanistic values.

The Century Foundation’s specific recommendations reflect my pessimism. For example they recommend dismantling the post 9/11 counter-terrorism abuses of unlawful detentions, torture, domestic surveillance, drone attacks and assassinations.

Other TCF recommendations include: closing Guantanamo and other detention camps, reducing the use of economic sanctions, joining  the International Criminal Court and accepting the decisions of the International Court of Justice.

We should also put our money behind our rhetoric. TCF says diplomacy should be funded equally with war and preparation for war. We should generously fund cultural, educational, scientific, medical and people-to-people exchanges and foreign aid programs.

TCF recommends creating compensation programs for the harm we do to civilians and to rebuild the civilian infrastructure we destroy. This is not a proposal for charity. It is justice and taking responsibility for our actions. Plus, like the Marshall Plan after WW2, this is good policy for preventing future problems and turning enemies into friends.

Of course the most moral action we could take would be to stop starting and supporting wars.
The third recommendation is for the U.S. to change course and actively facilitate a durable settlement to the conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians. The genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid must end. There must finally be justice for Palestinians to achieve peace and security for everyone in the region. 

The Century Foundation says, “U.S. policy is now wildly out of touch with reality, and has emboldened extremists. Israelis and Palestinians already live together in an apartheid system that is an affront to American values. It is time for America to turn a new page in its relationship with Israel, based on the principles of rights, justice, and freedom.”

Two specific recommendations are to support a political process that includes “all Palestinian and Israeli stakeholders.” Clearly peace requires negotiating with all parties including Hamas.

The second is to declare that criticism of Israeli policy is not anti-Semitism. The stranglehold of the Israeli lobby on our domestic politics is a major obstacle to peace in the Middle East.

TCF believes there are solutions to the seemingly intractable problems in the Middle East. But what is needed is political leaders “willing to act in the best long-term interests of the United States and the Middle East – rather than worrying only about the next election or the news cycle.”

Read the full blueprint: https://tcf.org/content/report/a-blueprint-for-a-progressive-u-s-foreign-policy-in-the-middle-east.