Dear friend,

Amid reports that Trump is considering publishing his political plan before Israel’s general election, I met, together with several other representatives of the Israeli Peace Camp, with US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. I thought you would be interested in the content of this meeting.

At the meeting, we expressed our dismay regarding the US government's actions in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Specifically, we argued that unilateral moves by the Trump administration are further undermining trust between Israelis and Palestinians and may spark a new round of violence, the price of which will be paid by Israelis and Palestinians on the ground.

We reminded the Ambassador that most Israelis continuously and unwaveringly support the two-states solution.  We reiterated that these Israeli citizens favor a solution guaranteeing peace and security over the Greater Israel one-state vision, which would spell an end to a democratic Israel, and would run afoul of the shared values at the core of the special relationship between our two countries.

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.

Americans for Peace Now is outraged by President Trump's statement suggesting that the vast majority of American Jews are disloyal, and strongly condemns it. This outrageous, anti-Jewish slur fans the flames of Jew hatred in the US and puts American Jews in danger.

Trump's comment also poisons US-Israel relations, attempting to shatter bipartisan US support for Israel's security and wellbeing, for Trump's own political gain.

Check out these excerpts featuring Debra Shushan, APN Director of Policy and Government Relations, on CGTN's "The Heat" from August 19, 2019, on the topic: "Israel Denies Entry to Two Members of US Congress."

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.

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The much-touted shared values between the U.S. and Israel no longer seem to include liberal protections for free speech.

By Debra Shushan, director of policy and government relations at Americans for Peace Now

Americans for Peace Now (APN) strongly condemns the decision of Israel's government to deny two US members of Congress entry to Israel. APN calls on the government of Israel to reverse its decision.

For the government of Israel to deny entry to these two US elected officials is outrageous and self-defeating for several reasons: 

Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MN) and Ilhan Omar (D_MI) are democratically elected members of the US Congress, which represents the people of the United States, and is Israel's staunchest supporting institution, bar none. Snubbing them is not only an affront to these two politicians but a blow to the institution and to Israel's relations with the American people.

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.