Statement about my resignation from CNI and CNIF

By Helena Cobban,

Washington, DC, Wed., February 10, 2010

When I joined the Council for the National Interest (CNI) and the CNI Foundation as Executive Director last October I did so with high hopes, that were articulated in this press release that we issued at the time. For me, this was a significant career change that would enable me to put my many years of writing and activism on Palestinian-Israeli issues into a broader and hopefully even more effective institutional framework.

It was thus with a heavy heart that on January 23, 2010, I gave notice to the leaders of the boards of CNI/F that I planned to quit as Executive Director on February 5 unless they could assure me they would give me full authority as Chief Executive Officer of the two organizations. I felt I clearly needed this authority, if we were to have any chance of dealing effectively with the financial and management challenges that the organizations face, which I have discovered to be severe.

(I should note that the Bylaws of both organizations clearly allot the E.D. the full powers of a CEO.)

I have many good memories from my time with the organizations, including from the exhausting but exhilarating 17 days I spent in November co-leading one of CNIF’s bi-annual study tours to the Middle East, and from the many excellent interactions I had with staff members, supporters, volunteers, and donors. I shall certainly miss those interactions—though I hope to cross paths with these same people as we all continue working for Palestinian rights and justice, though I shall be doing so henceforth within a different setting.

After I returned from last November’s tour and started delving into the administrative situation at CNI/F it became increasingly to me clear that the organizations were in a sorry shape that required urgent and decisive action. From late December on, I was making various discreet efforts, along with some board leaders, to resolve the issue of authority within the organizations in a way that would allow me to work effectively with the boards in addressing these challenges.

After I gave the board leaders notice, on January 23, of my intention to quit if the authority problem could not be resolved, they took some time to respond to my plea for action. Finally, early last week, they invited me to take part in a crisis-resolution process scheduled for last Friday, February 5. Since that was also the date I had earlier defined as my departure date, there was necessarily a feeling of being somewhat hurried in this last-minute effort.

I participated in last Friday’s process in good faith, and prepared for it by writing up a proposal that, I felt, exhibited considerable flexibility and generosity while also assuring that the core issue of authority in the two organizations would be clearly resolved. I further refined that proposal during a pre-meeting with two of the board leaders; and one of them then presented it to what I understand was a determinative meeting, held Friday afternoon, in which the rest of the board leaders and CNI/F’s longstanding President, Mr. Eugene Bird, also participated.

For three further days I received no substantial response from any participants in that meeting to my (already pre-refined) proposal. Finally, early on Monday afternoon they delivered their response to me. But they did so only orally, over the phone; and I have never received it in written form. Right after the Monday afternoon phone call I responded by email to all the board leaders who had participated in the process, telling them that while I could accept some of the counter-proposals they made, and indeed actively welcomed one of them, there were still two that I judged unacceptable.

I also specifically requested that, in view of the weather conditions, we should schedule a teleconference as soon as possible to explore and hopefully resolve the remaining points of difference as soon as possible, since my February 5 deadline had by now long since passed.

I received no response at all. Therefore, shortly before noon yesterday I informed the boards that I saw no reason to rescind my previously notified intention to resign; and today, I was informed by CNIF board chair Robert Keeley that the board leaders have accepted my resignation and are not willing to discuss any of these issues with me any further.

The board leaders thus seem to have made a clear decision in favor of the status quo that prevailed at the organizations prior to my joining them last October. I wish them good luck as they deal with the challenges that face them.

As for me I shall be leaving Washington (G-d willing) tomorrow, to fly to Malta to participate as an expert in a U.N. conference on Palestine, being held there this weekend. I plan to return to my previous practice of doing frequent blogging on my Just World News blog, on the Palestinian-Israeli issue and possibly other global issues. I am hoping I can do some good blogging from the Malta conference itself, since the listed participants include a number of very interesting political leaders and other personalities.

I am also exploring several other options for pursuing my continuing leading to work for justice for Palestinians, and for fair discussion of the Palestinian-Israeli issue within the U.S. body politic. We all have a long row to hoe on this one! To me, this means we can’t be backward-looking—but we also need to build sturdy, well-run institutions in order to sustain this campaign.

--ends/hc