--Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told Arab first graders on the first day of school yesterday.
Shalom Achshav (Peace Now), Israel’s preeminent peace movement, in cooperation with other Israeli civil society organizations, today launched a new initiative demanding a referendum on the future of Israel’s rule over the West Bank and on peace with the Palestinians.
Americans for Peace Now, the U.S. sister organization of Shalom Achshav, supports the initiative. APN calls on all Americans who care about Israel’s future to support the call for a referendum on the occupation, which is now entering its fiftieth year.
The New York Times today published the following letter by APN's Chair of the Board Jim Klutznick and its President and CEO Debra DeLee:
To the Editor:
“Israel Legalizes Outposts in the West Bank, Step by Quiet Step” (front page, Aug. 31) highlights a central truth about illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank: Extremist settlers are not rogue actors. Rather, they work hand in glove with the Israeli government in flouting Israel’s own laws in order to build more settlements.
Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.
This week, Alpher discusses what we can learn from the exchange in late August between late August a UN envoy who called Israeli settlement construction an impediment to peace and a Netanyahu spokesperson who retorted that the envoy was “distorting history and international law;” who are the winners and losers in this round of the seemingly endless Syrian civil war and what is the strategic significance of Turkey's invasion of northern Syria with the blessing of the US; and whether Washington wins or loses and Where this leaves US and Israeli strategic interests regarding the Syria issue and its regional and international ramifications.
5 בספטמבר 2016
לכבוד
ראש ממשלת ישראל
בנימין נתניהו
משרד ראש הממשלה
הקריה
ירושלים
כבוד ראש הממשלה,
הנדון: יוזמה לעריכת משאל עם על עתיד השטחים
בכבוד רב, ובשם עמותת "מחליטים ב-50":
עמי איילון
עמרם מצנע
גיורא ענבר
הרב מיכאל מלכיאור
אורני פטרושקה
גלעד שר
ירום אריאב
צלי רשף
ג׳נט אביעד
אבי בוסקילה
מיקי מור
אריק רייכמן
אופיר פינס
יולי תמיר
דניאל בן סימון
אליק רון
שאול אריאלי
נסים קלדרון
נועה רוטמן
ריקי בליך
אלון אולארצ'יק
On Monday, September 5th, Decision at 50, a new organization composed of Shalom Achshav (Peace Now), Israel’s preeminent peace movement, in cooperation with other Israeli civil society organizations, issued the following press release:
Today (Monday, September 5th) "Decision at 50" launched a campaign demanding a referendum on the future of the Territories and the future of Israel during the 50th year of Israel's control over the West Bank and Gaza. Under the slogan "It's time to decide," the movement will promote a large scale media campaign, accompanied by public events and direct action throughout the country meant to collect signatures of Israeli citizens in support of a Knesset referendum bill.
"Decision at 50" was initiated by a group of organizations and individuals, including "Peace Now," "Blue White Future," as well as former security officials, former politicians, artists and social activists.
The founders of "Decision at 50" believe that after 50 years of Israeli control over the Palestinian Territories, and after 50 years of indecision by Israeli governments, it is time to bring the decision to the Israeli public and let the people decide on their own fate: a bi-national state or two states, 50 more years of military rule or a diplomatic resolution. "This is the most sensitive and explosive issue in Israeli society today, and we demand that after 50 years we will get the right to decide on our own future. We cannot allow ourselves another 50 years of governments' indecision, during which decisions are made every day on the ground," the founders of the initiatives say.
Recommended Readings on the new initiative from Peace Now and its allies, Decision at 50
The Forward 9/6/2016:
Israeli Leaders Call for Referendum as 50th Anniversary of Occupation Looms
Radio Tel Aviv, Tzali Reshef 9/6/16 Peace Now on the
people's Referendum on the settlements (Hebrew Only)
The New York Times, 9/5/16: Israeli Groups Seeks
Referendum on Palestinians
The Washington Post 9/5/16: Israeli groups
seeks referendum on Palestinians
Jerusalem Post 9/5/16: Most Israelis
support referendum on two states
Haaretz, 9/5/16: Israeli Public Figures, Former
Politicians Call for Referendum on Future of West Bank Territories, Hebrew here
YNet, 9/5/16: Israeli groups seeks referendum
on disputed territories
Maariv 9/5/16: Referendum Initiative: Public
Campaign to Establish a Referendum on the Future of the Settlements (Hebrew only)
Arutz Sheva, 9/5/16: New Radical Left Initiative: Deciding at
50 (Hebrew only)
Al-Monitor, Ben Caspit, 8/29/16: Will
Israel hold referendum over two-state solution?
Al-Monitor, Akiva Eldar, 8/25/16: Will 50
years of occupation unite Israel's peace camp?