Israel’s Shalom Achshav (Peace Now) last week produced a new video, formatted as a “trailer,” which wars against the bi-national state reality that Israel’s right wing is imposing on the country by its diplomatic intransigence. The video, depicting the brutality that is a bi-product of a bi-national state, is hard to watch, but it does reflect that reality-in-the-making in Israel and the Occupied Territories.

On the 20^th anniversary of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, Americans for Peace Now is joining four other progressive American Jewish organizations to take joint action to honor Rabin’s legacy of peace, security, political pragmatism, democracy, and tolerance. The five groups, Americans for Peace Now, Ameinu, J Street, the New Israel Fund and Truah, are today jointly issuing the following statement. The heads of the five organizations will discuss the statement, their collaboration and other related issues on a conference call next Wednesday, November 4^th, the yahrzeit of Rabin’s assassination. Further joint action will follow and be announced next Wednesday.

The Obama Administration enters its final 14 months in office with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalating into daily bloodshed. This crisis is taking place to a backdrop of a fatally discredited peace process, a political clock ticking down toward American elections, and an international community awaiting direction and leadership from a White House that is providing neither. More broadly, it is taking place to the backdrop of Israeli policies - including settlement expansion, demolitions, and coercive displacements - that disclose an unmistakable drive to implement a one-state outcome, notwithstanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's continued (if weak and intermittent) rhetorical support for a two-state solution.

It is now self-evident that Israeli-Palestinian peace will not be achieved on President Obama's watch, nor will meaningful progress towards a peace agreement come from another round of negotiations. In this context, the Obama Administration has three options: walking away, playing it safe, or charting a new course.

Left-wing demonstrators demand Netanyahu’s resignation, say restoring security requires ‘a diplomatic solution’

Thousands of left-wing Israelis turned out in Tel Aviv on Saturday night for a rally condemning the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what they called its poor response to the current security situation. They demanded Netanyahu resign, and said security could not be restored without negotiations with the Palestinians on a permanent accord.

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Please join us for a briefing call on Wednesday, November 4th, at 3:00 PM (Eastern Time) with the leaders of APN, the New Israel Fund, J Street, Ameinu and T’ruah. The call, on the anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, will bring together the five organizations to help unite uniting progressive Americans in a solemn demand for a peaceful and democratic Israel has never been more necessary.

The call will bring together Daniel Sokatch, the CEO of the News Israel Fund, Jeremy Ben-Ami, the President of J Street, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the Executive Director of T’ruah, and Debra DeLee, the President and CEO of Americans for Peace Now.

The call will be moderated by JJ Goldberg of the Forward.

To join the call, RSVP here, and you will receive a call-in number with an individual pin.

Washington, DC -- On the 20th anniversary of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, Americans for Peace Now (APN) is joining four other progressive American Jewish organizations to take joint action to honor Rabin’s legacy of peace, security, political pragmatism, democracy, and tolerance.

The groups, Americans for Peace Now, Ameinu, J Street, the New Israel Fund and T’ruah, are today issuing a joint statement vowing to continue on Rabin’s path, to help provide Israelis and Palestinians with hope for the security, freedom and dignity that they so deeply desire and deserve.

In memoriam of the 20th anniversary of the assassination, we believe that uniting progressive Americans in a solemn demand for a peaceful and democratic Israel has never been more necessary.

1. Bills & Resolutions
2. Hearings
3. On the Record

Shameless plug:

10/29: Time for a New Israel-Palestine Peacemaking Paradigm (by Lara Friedman, in Huffington Post)
10/20: Netanyahu's REAL Settlement Record (by Lara Friedman & Hagit Ofran)