The Endowment for Middle East Truth, along with the Republican Study Committee is pleased to co-sponsor a briefing by Mark Langfan on the geostrategic challenges for America in the United States.

Mark Langfan is a noted Israeli security analyst who in 1991 created a 3 dimensional topographic raised-relief map system of Israel. Viewing the 3D Israel map one can easily and quickly be informed of many of the underlying resource and security issues involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict such as West Bank water resources and Israeli ‘defensible’ borders. Over the past 20 years, Mark has briefed many Congressional and Senate offices, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Israel Desk, and the New York Times Editorial Board using his topographic map of Israel. Mark wrote and published seminal articles concerning the Israeli/Middle East region including the 1992 “Demilitarization Risks” warning of future Palestinian Katyusha rocket barrages from vacated Israeli territory, the 1995 “US Troops on Golan Quicksand”  warning of the unique topographic dangers of deploying US Troops to the Golan Heights, and the 2006 “Iran: The 4th Reichastan” exposing the Iranian arming of Iraqi Insurgents against US forces, and of Iran’s other regional and strategic goals.

Mark’s Israel topographic map system facilitates policy makers by providing an actual scientifically exact topographic chess board on which to understand and game out various options for peace and to better understand the “code” in which Middle Eastern leaders actually talk. Terms such as “Settlement blocks,” “Jordan Valley,” “contiguity” and the “Mountains of the Golan Heights” will become crystal clear and easily understandable. In the comfort of Washington DC, and without having to wear helicopter ear protectors, one will be able to survey the mountains and valleys of the West Bank, Lebanon, and Golan Heights. And furthermore, one will quickly understand exactly the “whats”, the “whys”, and the “wherefores” of the current Middle East negotiations constantly dominating the news. Even those members and staff, who have visited Israel and received numerous ‘security’ briefings, will find the 3D Israel map an enriching, enlightening, and valuable policy learning experience.

The Middle East is heating up: Syrian President Assad continues to massacre his own people in a failing attempt to remaining in power, and in Egypt the power of the Islamists, who would end peaceful relations with Israel, grows.  Iran continues its efforts to develop and deploy nuclear weapons while Turkey takes an increasingly belligerent stance towards Israel, led by its Islamist President Erdogan, and the Palestinians’ unilateral statehood bid is well underway. There has never been a more important time to understand the geostrategic elements at play in the this crucial, troubled region.