Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s congressional speech today, Americans for Peace Now urges Congress to resist Netanyahu’s unattainable conditions for an Iran deal, and act responsibly by giving the Obama administration's diplomacy a chance to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
By Daniel Levy (published by APN with permission from the author)
Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu can claim a victory of sorts by having set the agenda and received wall to wall coverage of his congressional speech and by succeeding in making his message rather than empty seats the story. The speech is likely to play well at home and his re-election prospects will not have been harmed by today’s events. But that is probably where the good news ends.
--Haaretz+ reporter Meirav Arlorzoroff explains how the World Zionist Organization's Settlement Division helps the state get around its own laws to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank and avoid investing in Israeli Arab communities.**
Prime Minister Netanyahu began his speech to Congress with a reference to the book of Esther – the book also known as the “Megillah” that we read on the holiday of Purim. In attempting to make the case for his controversial speech, Netanyahu implied that he was playing the role of the heroine of the story, Queen Esther, savior of the Jewish people. It sounds absurd, but he was quite serious.
In fact, the whole path leading up to the speech was a series of twists and turns that are nearly unbelievable, although they certainly fit the themes of intrigue and absurdity that characterize the Purim story. Indeed, the political circus surrounding the speech provided us with our very own “Purim spiel” - whether it was the spectacle of House Majority Leader John Boehner inviting a foreign head of state to come to Congress and attack the elected president of the United States, or Netanyahu’s flagrant efforts to exploit the invitation for his own electoral gains, or the entire history of Netanyahu’s gratuitous jabs at President Obama (nor his unmitigated chutzpah in pretending otherwise)!
The case Netanyahu laid out against an Iran deal in his address to Congress revolves around 11 core arguments. Think they sound convincing? Look at those arguments one by one, and you’ll see why each of them is bogus.
APN's daily news review from Israel
--From a parody rhythm remix of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress.**
Americans for Peace Now (APN) strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack in Jerusalem.
A young Palestinian intentionally rammed a private car at police officers and civilians, leaving six female police officers and a male civilian injured. The attacker was shot, injured, and arrested.
APN condemns the attack. We wish full recovery to those who were injured.
--Former Mossad chief Maj. Gen. (res.) Meir Dagan tells tens of thousands of Israelis at rally last night that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is putting Israel in danger.**