As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced tonight the formation of a narrow government coalition that brings together Israel's right-wing and religious parties, Americans for Peace Now (APN) is expressing deep concern for the new government's impact on Israel's future as a democracy and a Jewish state.
APN's President and CEO Debra DeLee said: "This government, based on the ideology of its members, is bound to act to further hinder the viability of a two-state solution, to further exacerbate Israel's isolation internationally, to intensify West Bank settlement construction, promote undemocratic legislation and act to stifle dissent.
Americans for Peace Now (APN) applauds the letter sent today to President Obama, signed by 150 House Democrats, in support of ongoing diplomacy with Iran. APN congratulates Representatives Schakowsky (D-IL), Doggett (D-TX), and Price (D-NC) for their leadership in spearheading this effort and commends all House members who co-signed this critically important letter, which APN backed strongly.
The coalition agreement between the Likud and the Jewish Home party (Bayit Yehudi) reveals the
plans of the new government and indicates its intentions, including:
1. Granting the settlers control over the construction of settlements and
over Israel's authority in the West Bank, while allocating more funds to the settlements.
2. Passing legislation and reforms that change the democratic rules of
the game.
3. Allocating public funds to bolster the political power of the
Israeli Right.
This agreement, which includes a Jewish Home stronghold on a variety of
positions directly related to settlement development, constitutes a clear danger to the possibility of
arriving at a two state solution and illustrates the true intention of the current government - massive
settlement expansion and the silencing of opposition to the occupation.
Americans for Peace Now (APN) commends President Obama for eloquently articulating the strong bond
between core American values and progressive Jewish values, and for expressing his frustration with the growing
gap between these values and those that are increasingly manifesting themselves in Israeli public life.
Americans for Peace Now today called on the Obama Administration to reject Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's cynical call for negotiations over settlement blocs and to instead prepare itself to lead or co-lead a resolution in the United Nations Security Council laying out clear parameters for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, consistent with longstanding U.S. policy. APN President and CEO Debra DeLee issued the following statement: