What is happening at the Middle East Institute

The Institute started as a house of Arabists who were disillusioned with US bias in favor of Israel in the Middle East.  It has changed so much that I just read that someone from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies is speaking at its annual conference.  This would never have happened a decade ago.  Basically, WINEP is like the Sun now in DC, and the rest of the Middle East shops are like its little planets.