APN Weekly Update - Settlement Watch on E-2 and Amona, remembering Menachem Brinker, Study Tour and more

Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: August 17, 2016


"I have always felt a deep attachment to Judea and Samaria because of the Bible. But at some point, we began to understand that while fighting for the land, we were losing the people . . . Rabbi Amital would tell us that the people take precedence over the land, and I have always embraced that legacy."

Rabbi Benny Lau, from Ha'aretz: "This Orthodox Israeli Rabbi Is an Ultra-liberal and Not Ashamed of It"


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

August 15, 2016 - North of Israel: Turkey, Russia, Aleppo

Q. What's the significance of last week’s rapprochement in St. Petersburg between Russia's Putin and Turkey's Erdogan? Are the Czar and the Sultan back together again?

A. ...Russia's relations with Turkey were frozen for more than half a year after Turkish Air Force planes downed a Russian combat aircraft over Syria...

Q. Where does this Byzantine labyrinth leave the US? Europe? Israel?

A. Turkey remains in NATO, however unhappy the two are with one another...

Q. Apropos Erdogan, Putin and Netanyahu, are we witnessing the evolution of regional leadership toward a kind of democratic-autocratic model? Even Egypt's Sisi fits the mold.

A. It is certainly tempting to speculate about this...

Q. How did Putin and Russia become so central to the Middle East drama?

A. Russia has been making inroads into the Middle East ever since, in 2013, Putin exploited the Obama administration’s quandary regarding a response to Syria's use of chemical weapons and stepped in to mediate their removal...

Q. Much of the Russian-Turkish dynamic appears currently to focus on the battle for Aleppo in northern Syria. Last week, 15 Syrian doctors in Aleppo wrote to President Obama begging him to intervene. Why is this city so important?

A. Before Syria fell apart, Aleppo was its economic capital...

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Settlement Watch

Land Expropriation Advanced for "E-2" - a New Settlement on JNF Lands

Peace Now has warned that the construction project referred to as E-2 "would have a devastating impact on the two-state solution."

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Peace Now in Jerusalem Post: Continued work on the project "demonstrates the true path" of Prime Minister Netanyahu's government.


APN to Obama: Act to Reverse Israeli Government Taking Over Palestinian Land for West Bank Settlement

APN calls on the Obama administration to weigh in and reverse the Israeli government's decision to rebuild Amona, a West Bank outpost built in violation of Israeli law. Peace Now: "In order to compensate a small group of settlers who stole private Palestinian lands, the Israeli government itself is now stealing private lands as well."

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APN Israel Study Tour

APN 2016 Israel Study Tour - Registration Closing Soon

Several special elements will be part of this specific trip, including travel days to the north and south of Israel, and to the West Bank.

Go HERE for more about this unique experience and how to sign up, and HERE for the Study Tour Schedule.

Contact us at IsraelTour@peacenow.org or 202-408-9898 with any questions.


Menachem Brinker, 1935-2016

Professor Menachem Brinker was a prominent political activist after the Six Day war who co-founded Israel's Peace Now movement. He helped chart the organization's path for many years, in parallel to his academic pursuits which included his receiving the Israel Prize in Hebrew Literature.

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APN Weekly Update - Remembering Board Member and friend Elaine Hoffman, Watch Peace Now's young activists, Tisha B'Av thoughts, + more

Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: August 9, 2016


"Amona must stay in place, thrive and flourish. The cabinet must make sure that a vibrant community does not become a desolate place just because of formalities."

Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev on the eviction of Amona, an illegal outpost that was built in violation of Israeli law, characterizing a ruling by the Israeli High Court as a "formality."


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

August 8, 2016 - Lieberman's sour (nuclear) grapes; Hamas, World Vision and Palestinian elections

Q. Last week, President Obama declared that the Israeli security establishment confirms that Iran is complying with the nuclear agreement. Minister of Defense Lieberman responded by (once again) comparing the nuclear agreement to the pre-WWII Munich capitulation. Why this needless confrontation over a done deal?

A. ...(Lieberman's) "Munich" comment was more likely directed at all those in Israel who he suspects have gone soft on the Iran nuclear deal or who never really opposed it...

Q. Two weeks ago, Hamas surprised the West Bank Palestinian leadership by declaring it would participate in West Bank and Gaza municipal elections scheduled for October 8. How is Israel dealing with this? How does Palestinian leader Abu Mazen hope to win the elections that he himself initiated?

A. Both Israel and the PLO were taken aback by the Hamas announcement...

Q. Can you return briefly to the Hamas/World Vision story? Why is this significant?

A. ...assuming Israel's allegations are true, they appear to verify a constant theme in the approach of the Israeli security establishment to the question of international aid for Gaza...

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Recommended Reading

Help APN while doing back-to-school and other Summer shopping!

 

Go to Amazon Smile and link your account to APN.

Go to iGive and select Americans for Peace Now before shopping.


Tisha B'Av: Silence threatens peace

Tisha B'Av (the 9th day of the month of Av), which will be observed beginning the evening of August 13th, is a fast day commemorating the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.

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John Kerry, US Secretary of State, next in series of APN security validators

"The one state solution is no solution at all for a secure Jewish Democratic Israel living in peace, it is simply not a viable option."

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Settlement Watch

Israeli Attorney General indicates willingness to relocate illegal outpost to privately-owned Palestinian land

In response to the Israeli High Court's order to evacuate the illegal Israeli West Bank outpost of Amona, a plan being considered is to re-establish it on nearby lands privately owned by Palestinians.

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APN Israel Study Tour

Come on the APN Israel Study Tour -- Meet young Israeli peace activists

Make plans to participate on the 2016 APN Israel Study Tour - November 12-17.

Always a highlight is meeting with young Peace Now activists, who demonstrate the vitality of their generation and of the Peace Now movement.

Go HERE to see a new video of Peace Now activists speaking about their motivations, including how their experience in the Israeli Army drew them to Peace Now.

Go HERE for more on the Israel Study Tour and to sign up, and contact israeltour@peacenow.org with any questions.


Recommended Reading

Project Syndicate: "Israel's Government Hawks and Military Doves"
By Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer

Those who lead Israel's defense establishment often come to consider peace with the Palestinians a necessary condition for the country’s security.

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Newsweek: "Why New Israeli Settlements Set Back the Day of Peace"
By Alon Liel, former director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and ambassador to South Africa

The further absorption of Palestinian land and erosion of contiguity inside and between Palestinian territories leads inevitably to one outcome: the geographic impossibility of a two-state solution and the continued drift into a non-democratic Israeli polity, if not an apartheid state.

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APN Mourns the Passing of Elaine Hoffman

Elaine was a longtime senior member of APN's Board of Directors, a staunch advocate for peace for Israel, a devoted leader of Los Angeles' Jewish community, and a longtime political activist. (Picture: Elaine with Senator George Mitchell at the APN Yitzhak Rabin Peace Award Event).

APN's President and CEO Debra DeLee: "The APN family lost an important member. We all admired Elaine and were inspired by her commitment to public life, to our community, and to a peaceful, progressive Israel."

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APN Weekly Update - Our new ad, the settlement tamer, Peace Now activists, Alpher, and more

Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: August 2, 2016


"We strongly oppose settlement activity, which is corrosive to the cause of peace. These steps by Israeli authorities are the latest examples of what appears to be a steady acceleration of settlement activity that is systematically undermining the prospects for a two-state solution."

State Department Spokesman John Kirby, in a statement in response to Israel's recent string of announcements approving new construction past the Green Line (See Washington Post: State Dept. criticizes Israeli settlement expansion, demolitions)


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

August 1, 2016 - Bluffing or confronting history: Palestinians and Balfour Declaration; recovering Jewish property from Arab states; Bibi and Arabs in Israel

Q. Last week, the Palestinian leadership asked the Arab League to support its initiative to sue the British government "because the Balfour Declaration led to the Palestinian Nakba." Is this serious?

A. Next year, 2017, will mark a century since the Balfour Declaration...

Q. At the other end of the historical spectrum, Gila Gamliel, minister for social equality in the Netanyahu government, has declared that she is promoting a project to demand the restitution of property left behind in Arab countries by Jews who fled in the 1950s. Is this an equally fruitless attempt to reverse the course of history?

A. Gamliel is a serious and hardworking minister not known for demagogic grandstanding. Yet it is hard to take her seriously...

Q. Apropos politics and neglect, why did Netanyahu last week “apologize” to the Israeli Arab community and call upon it to “participate in Israeli society, en masse”?

A. ...The timing appears to be designed to upgrade Netanyahu’s image globally as a man of Israel-Arab peace in anticipation of attempts at the United Nations in September to condemn Israel and/or to mandate new action on the two-state solution....

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TOMORROW, Thursday, August 4, in Washington DC: Israeli Journalist and News Nosh Editor Orly Halpern Speaks at APN Offices

Is Netanyahu following in the footsteps of Erdogan and Putin? is the topic of the roundtable discussion with Orly Halpern, hosted by APN.

Thursday, August 4, 10:00-11:30am

APN Offices in Washington, DC - Go HERE for address

RSVP to asuskin@peacenow.org


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APN Ad featuring Tzipi Livni, Former Israel Minister and Mossad Agent

The woman who has held eight different Israeli cabinet positions, including foreign minister, stated: "Making an agreement with the Palestinians is not weakness but represents the interest of the state of Israel and the entire Jewish people."

Go HERE to see the full ad as it will appear in Jewish newspapers.

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Settlement Watch

Peace Now Settlement Watch: Tenders (approval for new construction) Published for 323 Housing Units in East Jerusalem

Peace Now: "on the one hand the government does not allow for Palestinian construction, and on the other hand it promotes massive construction for Israelis."

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Israeli Government's Legal Opinion Submitted to Attorney General Crosses a Red Line -- Would Violate Private Property Rights

Peace Now: "...it could lead to the establishment of dozens of new settlements and to the multiplying of the land taken up by settlements in the West Bank."

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Taming the Settlements

 

When the Washington Post wanted to learn the facts about Israeli settlements from an authoritative source, they turned to Peace Now's Hagit Ofran, whose expertise and unflagging determination has done more to expose and tame the settlements than otherwise would be the case.

Go HERE to read more about the work and impact of Peace Now and its Settlement Watch.

 


New Peace Now Activists Tour East Jerusalem and West Bank

Recently, new Peace Now activists went on a tour to East Jerusalem and the West Bank to learn about the need for a two state solution and about the negative impact of settlements. Peace Now organizes regular educational tours to the West Bank for its activists and for the general Israeli public.


Debra DeLee - APN President and CEO on panel in Philadelphia in connection to Democratic National Convention

The panel discussion in Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention featured APN President and CEO Debra DeLee, Americans for a Vibrant Palestinian Economy Chairman Sam Bahour, Columnist and Author Peter Beinart, and Arab American Institute Founder and President James Zogby.

Read a Summary and Watch a Video of the Discussion >

Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: July 26, 2016


"Inshallah, we will meet in Riyadh."

Saudi Arabian Gen. (ret.) Anwar Eshki to a group of Jewish members of Knesset he met with in East Jerusalem. Read more from APN's News Nosh.


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

July 25, 2016 - Annexing a settlement? Saudis in Israel? Turkish purge? Netanyahu taking on the media?

Q. Netanyahu's ruling coalition has initiated a move in the Knesset to apply Israeli law to the settlement of Maaleh Adumim. What will this mean if the law is approved?

A. this would be the first territory in the West Bank (leaving aside greater Jerusalem) that is annexed by Israel (annexation being the international legal equivalent of applying Israeli law)...almost certainly be understood by the PLO as a final blow to the legitimacy of the Oslo accords, thereby generating an instant crisis in Israeli-Palestinian relations and in Israel's international standing...(the pro-settler right-wing advocates) openly acknowledge that applying Israeli law to Maaleh Adumim is a trial balloon designed to accustom the Israeli public and the world to further Israeli annexations...

Q. Indeed, last week a Saudi delegation visited Israel, led by a retired general. A breakthrough?

A. ...this must be understood as something of a breakthrough...

Q. Apropos another Muslim neighbor that just patched up relations with Israel, in the aftermath of the abortive military coup in Turkey President Erdogan appears intent on purging tens of thousands of ostensibly disloyal officers, educators and civil servants. Is this an Islamist counter-revolution?

A. Islamist counter-revolution is increasingly the only way we can describe what is emerging in Turkey...

Q. How could this development affect Turkey domestically? How could it affect Israel and the region?

A. The ramifications are potentially far-reaching...

Q. Erdogan, as noted, is clamping down on Turkish media. Is Netanyahu trying to do something similar in Israel?

A. Netanyahu is legendarily paranoid about the way the Israeli media treats him...

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Government Relations

APN Legislative Round-Up: July 9-20

  1. JCPOA Bday Week: Iran-Focused Bills Passed by the House
  2. JCPOA Bday Week: New Iran-Focused Bills & Resolutions
  3. JCPOA Bday Week: Action on Existing Iran-Focused Bills & Resolutions
  4. JCPOA Bday Week: Iran-Focused Letters
  5. Other Bills, Resolutions & Letters (Not Focused Solely on Iran)
  6. Hearings (more Iran here, too!)
  7. On the Record: Slamming the JCPOA, Supporting Iran bills, etc.
  8. On the Record: Defending the JCPOA, Opposing Iran bills, etc.
  9. On the Record: About Everything Other Than Iran

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Settlement Watch

Peace Now Settlement Watch Director in Washington Post article

Hagit Ofran, director of Peace Now Settlement Watch: "Every new construction in any settlement will make reaching a peace deal much, much harder...We are already in a situation that when we get to a peace agreement for two states, Israel will have to pay a high price removing thousands of Israelis from their homes in settlements."

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APN now on Instagram!

 

Adding to its already prominent place in social media, APN is now on Instagram.

Go HERE to see and follow APN.

 

The fifth in a series of security validators for APN features the former US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice

"The United States sees the establishment of a Palestinian state and of a two-state solution as absolutely essential for the future, not just for Palestinians and Israelis but also for the Middle East and, indeed, American interests."

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APN Events

Debra DeLee, APN President and CEO, on panel in Philadelphia in connection to Democratic National Convention

The discussion in Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention features APN President and CEO Debra DeLee, Americans for a Vibrant Palestinian Economy Chairman Sam Bahour, Columnist and Author Peter Beinart, and Arab American Institute Founder and President James Zogby.

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APN Israel Study Tour

Note from APN's Ori Nir in Jerusalem

Greetings from Jerusalem! I'm here to prepare APN's 2016 Israel Study Tour, which will be November 12-17. I've met with Israelis and Palestinians, and discussed plans for the tour with my friends at Israel's Peace Now movement. This will be an engaging, fascinating tour, and I hope you will join us.

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Go HERE for the Study Tour Schedule, and how to secure your spot on it.

Contact us at IsraelTour@peacenow.org or 202-408-9898 with any questions.


APN receives "Narrative Leadership" award

Accepting the award and speaking at the New Story Leadership event: (from L to R) APN's Aaron Mann, APN Interns Mohammed Manasrah (Palestine), Chen Attar (Israel)

APN was honored in Washington, DC for its key role and partnership in the New Story Leadership program that trains young emerging leaders from Palestine and Israel. APN has hosted interns and programs for the past eight years.


Peace Now at Jerusalem's March for Pride and Tolerance

Pictured are some of the Peace Now activists who participated in the July 21 March for Pride and Tolerance in Jerusalem, which drew estimates of 25,000 people.

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APN Weekly Update - Bresler calls out the occupation, Alpher calls out the new NGO law, Iran deal a year later, and more

Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: July 19, 2016


"...the law's purpose is to encourage popular hostility against Israeli advocates of human and minority rights. "

Yossi Alpher, in his discussion about Israel's newly enacted "NGO Law" in Hard Questions, Tough Answers (see below).


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

July 18, 2016 - Deterring human rights advocacy in Israel; terror in Nice; coup in Turkey

Q. On July 11, the Knesset passed a bill that stigmatizes human rights NGOs (non-governmental organizations, or non-profits) in Israel by obliging them to constantly and blatantly publicize funding they receive from foreign governments. What’s wrong with this measure?

A. ...A multitude of important matters of principle and of ethics that bear directly upon the dangerous course the mainstream right has set for the state of Israel...

Q. The truck attack in Nice on Bastille Day, July 14 no longer appears unusual. Can you add anything of relevance to the multitude of commentary we have heard and read already?

A. Two comments made in the aftermath by France's political leadership are worthy of our attention...

Q. And what was relevant about the failed military coup in Turkey?

A. From Israel's standpoint, a lot. Israel just reached a rapprochement with President Erdogan, Turkish aid to Gaza has begun to flow, the countries plan to exchange ambassadors within weeks, and PM Netanyahu successfully "cleared" the deal with the Russians and the Egyptians...

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APN to receive "Narrative Leadership" award

APN will be honored this Thursday for its key role and partnership in the NSL program that trains young emerging leaders from Palestine and Israel. APN has hosted interns and programs for the past eight years.

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In The News

The "Iran Deal" at One Year: A Clear Win for the US and Israel

APN celebrates the achievement of the historic Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which after one year is already proving itself by radically rolling back and limiting Iran's nuclear program.

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Go HERE for APN's resource page that includes links to statements from President Obama and recommended analyses and news commentary on the one-year anniversary.

Go HERE for a letter in praise of the Iran nuclear deal from 75 US national security leaders, and HERE to share it on Facebook.


The fourth in a series of security validators for APN features an American Statesman, General and former National Security Advisor

General Colin Powell: "Israeli settlement activity has seriously undermined Palestinian trust and hope. It pre-empts and prejudices the outcome of negotiations and, in does so, cripples chances for real peace and security."

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Recommended Reading

The New York Jewish Week: Why I Do Call Israel Out On The Occupation

By APN Board Member Martin Bresler

Ending the occupation is necessary for the sake of Israel's future as a liberal, humane, democratic society. To remain silent, is to be complicit, to be an enabler. It is unacceptable.

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APN in Action

APN's Lara Friedman featured at NetRoots Nation

Friedman spoke on the panel "What Does it Mean to be Progressive on Israel and Palestine?" at the national conference held July 14-17, in St. Louis.

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Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: July 13, 2016


"(It is permissible for Israeli soldiers) to satisfy the evil inclination by sleeping with beautiful gentile women against their will, out of consideration for the soldiers' hardships and for the sake of general success."

From a previous statement made by Rabbi Colonel Eyal Krim, newly IDF-appointed Chief Rabbi. Female MKs and women's organizations have called to immediately revoke his appointment.


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

July 11, 2016 - Netanyahu meets with Egyptian FM Shukry; Expanding Israel's spheres of strategic influence while internalizing the Palestinian issue

Q. Last week, PM Netanyahu followed up Israel's rapprochement with Turkey by meeting in East Africa with seven regional leaders. Then on Sunday this week, the Egyptian foreign minister visited Israel for the first time in nine years. What's behind this flurry of diplomatic and strategic activity?

A. Netanyahu appears intent on creating a number of spheres of close strategic cooperation around Israel...

Q. Last week you talked about Israel and Turkey. Moving on to East Africa, what specifically is the strategic backdrop?

A. Israel began developing strategic relations with a variety of African countries beginning in the 1950s...

Q. Shukry presumably also wanted to talk to Netanyahu about Israeli-Turkish relations.

A. This brings us back to the events of last May...

Q. But does the right-wing Netanyahu government with its strong pro-settler element really have anything to talk about with the Arabs concerning the Palestinian issue?

A. On the face of it, there is little in common between the Egyptian and Israeli positions regarding a Palestinian state...

Q. So why do the Egyptians bother?

A. Egypt's concerns regarding Netanyahu’s Ethiopia/Nile visit and the Erdogan-Netanyahu deal are apparently reason enough to touch base in Jerusalem for a day...

Q. Returning to Netanyahu's seemingly successful drive to establish Israeli spheres of strategic influence in the region and beyond, what's next, and what might this signify for the Palestinian issue?

A. ...Netanyahu's diplomatic maneuvers in Addis Abeba, Ankara and even Cairo might be impressive. But he still has no viable strategy whatsoever for maintaining Israel as a Zionist, Jewish and democratic state.

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Government Relations

APN Legislative Round-Up: June 8, 2016

  1. Bills, Resolutions and Letters
  2. Hearings
  3. On the Record

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The APN Weekly Update can now be
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APN Response

APN condemns new anti-democratic Israeli law

With the 57-48 passage of the anti-NGO bill by the Knesset, APN joins its Israeli sister organization, Peace Now (Shalom Achshav), in strongly condemning it as a blatant violation of freedom of expression. APN supports Peace Now's intention to challenge the new law before Israel's Supreme Court.

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Go HERE for the useful JTA op-ed by APN's Lara Friedman from earlier this year: "No comparison between Israeli NGO bill and US law."

Don't let them silence Peace Now

This law is a gross violation of Israel's freedom of expression that specifically targets only peace and human rights organizations. It intends to divert the Israeli public discourse away from the occupation and silence opposition to the government's policies. Help us redouble our efforts

 


Action Alert

Tell President Obama and Secretary Kerry: Take action in the United Nations Security Council

Now is the time for real leadership that can revive and re-accredit the two-state solution. President Obama can lay the groundwork for a future agreement by supporting an Israeli-Palestinian two-state resolution in the United Nations Security Council.


APN in Action

APN's Proud Record on BDS

APN stands firmly against a blanket boycott of Israel, and believes the most effective way to challenge BDS is to recognize and reject the pro-settlement, anti-peace policies that feed it.

Go HERE for more on APN's efforts, including support for activism targeted squarely at settlements and the occupation, and against congressional and state-level efforts that exploit fighting BDS to support settlements and erode constitutionally-protected rights to free speech and political protest.


Settlement Watch

Israeli Gov't moves to approve new settlement housing, retroactively legalize outposts

Peace Now: Netanyahu is signaling to Israel's most important allies that he is not interested in peace and two states but rather in the continuation of the occupation.

Go HERE for more on the revelation of plans for nearly 2000 new settlement housing units.

Go HERE for Jerusalem Post: 14 West Bank settler outposts to be legalize, 20 already approved"


Recommended Reading

Forward: "Why Israel's Mossad and Shin Bet Leaders Are Morphing Into 'Leftists'"
By JJ Goldberg

...The startling fact is that military expertise, familiarity with Israel's current capabilities and its neighbors' intentions, seems to lead Israel’s defense professionals almost unavoidably to the prescriptions identified with the left.

Read More

Continue reading
Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: July 6, 2016


"It must be said honestly: this is the price we are paying for sitting in the midst of a hostile Arab population...There needs to be political courage here, and there need to be other things from what we have done so far."

Former deputy head of Mossad Ram Ben-Barak, to Israel Television Channel 10 news, 1 July 2016 (commenting on the latest Palestinian terrorist attacks).


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

July 5, 2016 - Turkey and Israel

Q. Last week, after six years of crisis-ridden relations, Israel and Turkey agreed on a formula for reconciling and normalizing their relations. What did this entail?

A. Israel agreed to pay $20 million in indirect compensation for the death of nine Turks in the May 2010 Mavi Marmara incident...Turkey agreed to block all legal action against Israeli officers involved in the incident and to restore full and normal diplomatic relations with Israel...dropped its demand that Israel end its blockade of Gaza...undertook to block Hamas militant activity...assist in efforts to repatriate to Israel two IDF soldiers missing in action...

Q. This comes across as a one-sided deal: Israel seems to have achieved much more than Turkey.

A. Indeed...

Q. What are those Turkish weaknesses that Netanyahu leveraged?

A. Turkey's acute strategic dilemmas with Syria, Russia, the Kurds and ISIS...

Q. And the Israel-Egypt-Turkey triangle?

A. Egypt has not openly criticized the Israel-Turkey deal...

Q. Last week witnessed a deal with Turkey, and this week Netanyahu is expanding Israel's ties with the countries of East Africa. Is there a broad Israeli regional strategy at work here?

A. That appears to be the case...

Q. The bottom line?

A. Netanyahu's deal with Turkey reflects a largely successful effort to expand Israel's regional and international reach and to minimize the import of the Palestinian issue at the regional level...

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Government Relations

APN Legislative Round-Up: June 18 - July 1, 2016

  1. Bills, Resolutions and Letters
  2. FY17 ForOps Season Opens: House Bill
  3. FY17 ForOps Season Opens: Senate Bill
  4. Hearings
  5. On the Record

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Korach: Challenger of the Status Quo?

APN volunteer and activist Barbara Green discusses the value and import of voicing dissent against the dangerous path being taken by Israel's right wing government today.

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Do This, Not That - APN's new publication

Build Trust, Not Settlements and Draw Borders, Not Blood are two of the pages in APN's new publication

What we do and don't do does indeed influence the prospects for peace in the Middle East. Use APN as your resource, which helps educate on what it means to be pro-Israel and pro-peace.

Go HERE  to see APN's timely and motivational publication.


APN Events

Israeli and Palestinian New Story Leadership fellows visit APN

The short introductory meeting at APN in Washington, DC turned into a fascinating two-hour discussion about efforts for Israeli-Palestinian peace and prospects for a two-state solution.

APN held the introductory meeting in Washington, DC for the Israeli and Palestinian fellows of the New Story Leadesrhip program. For eight summers, APN has hosted an Israeli and Palestinian intern - sometimes in partnership with the American Tast Force on Palestine.

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Settlement Watch

Peace Now Settlement Watch: Settlement Construction Is Not The Answer to Terrorism

It has been reported that following the deadly attacks against Israelis last week, the Israeli government is advancing plans for 800 housing units in East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement.

Peace Now: "New housing units in the settlements will not prevent the next victims but rather strengthen the extremists on both sides...The real answer to terror is ending the occupation and reaching a negotiated agreement. Meanwhile, Israeli citizens will continue to pay the price of the extreme right-wing government's policies."

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APN ad features Rabbi Michael Melchior - past Israeli minister, authoritative Jewish scholar, and peace activist

Rabbi Michael Melchior is a former Israeli Minister of Social and Diaspora Affairs, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has been awarded with numerous prizes for his work on tolearance, bridge-building, peace, and reconciliation.

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Recommended Reading

Politico: "Netanyahu vs. the Generals"
By Amir Tibbon

Israel's prime minister is fighting hard to weaken the most important moderate force in his country. Which is why he's going to be a big problem for the next U.S. president.

Read More

Continue reading

APN Weekly Update – Security Hawks Turn Doves, Israel-Turkey in the News, and More

Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: June 29, 2016


"There is something that happens to those who go to serve as Heads of Mossad and Shin-Bet. Something in this post turns them into leftists."

David Bitan (Likud), Israeli Government Coalition Chairman, while speaking at a cultural event in Beersheba.


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

June 27, 2016 - All those new schemes for dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Q. Perhaps you'll start with the most prominent plan: the unilateral security plan presented by some 300 retired generals and senior security personnel known as "Commanders for Israeli security."

A. Under the heading "Agreements Out, Arrangements In", the commanders' plan proposes a regional yet unilateral process to consolidate political-security arrangements with the Palestinians and the Arab States...

Q. Does the commanders' plan connect with the two-state security plan developed by a team of Americans, Israelis, Egyptians, Palestinians and Jordanians that was recently unveiled in Washington?

A. A number of the 300-strong commanders are on this team too...

Q. Then there is the very different "Two States, One Homeland plan".

A. This is very much a local Israeli-Palestinian initiative whose boosters include a number of relatively moderate settlers...

Q. How about recent references by prominent Jordanians to the idea of a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation as a way of alleviating Israeli concerns regarding the emergence of a Palestinian state?

A. This is in some ways a Jordanian version of the "Arab solution" that PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Lieberman, as well as other prominent Israeli right-wingers and a few left-wingers, like to talk about...

Q. To sum up. . .

A. Under present circumstances, wherein both Israel and the Palestinians suffer from an acute leadership deficit, all these ideas are non-starters. Their very provenance attests to growing alarm and despair in many circles over the future of the two-state model. Still, it’s good to have them on the agenda.

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The APN Weekly Update can now be
Shared on Facebook and Tweeted!

 

Recommended Reading

Al-Monitor: "Why so many of Israel's security hawks have become doves"

When the chairman of the Likud argued June 25 that serving in the Mossad and the Shin Bet turns their chiefs into leftists, it kicked off a political storm.

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Ha'aretz: "The Multimillion Dollar Panama Channel to West Bank Settlements"

The Amana movement that carries out settlement construction in the West Bank has been receiving tens of millions from a mystery company in the Central American tax haven...

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In The News

Stay informed on the Israel-Turkey agreement and all the Israel news

APN's News Nosh has been providing readers with Israel's news coverage of the significant Israel-Turkey reconciliation agreement signed on Monday.

Go HERE for the current and and recent editions of News Nosh, and to subscribe and receive the free daily email.


APN Events

Yossi Alpher, Israeli Security Expert, speaks at APN sponsored events in several US locales

APN Berkshires Luncheon with Yossi Alpher, seen above with APN Board Member Letty Cottin Pogrebin (top right), and APN President and CEO Debra DeLee (bottom right)

Alpher, who pens the weekly Hard Questions, Tough Answers for APN, just completed a US tour with stops in New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and the Berkshire Mountains of Western MA.

Go HERE to see more pictures from the Alpher tour.


APN now on Instagram!

Adding to its already prominent place in social media, APN in now on Instagram.

Go HERE to see the first graphics and to follow APN's new Instagram.


Continue reading

APN Weekly Update - The DNC and RNC, a new cartoon, Alpher on video and in person, and more

Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: June 22, 2016


"Teach your pupils that there is no occupation!"

Israel's Deputy Minister of Defense, Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan, to Israeli graduates of the Talpiot teachers' college.


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

June 20, 2016 - Barak on fascism, is ISIS losing, Lieberman on Gaza

Q. Prominent Israeli former government and security officials spoke out last week very bluntly against Netanyahu and his government. Could this be the beginning of serious change?

A. Frankly, and sadly, I doubt it...

Q. Is ISIS losing the battle for the Levant? Is the Obama approach winning?

A. Not just in Iraq and Syria but in Libya as well, ISIS has in recent months been losing territory steadily...

Q. Are there lessons here for Israel regarding Hamas in Gaza?

A. ...a "senior source" in the Ministry of Defense--almost certainly newly-anointed defense minister Avigdor Lieberman himself--told a journalist that in the next round of fighting with Hamas in Gaza, Israel must conquer and reoccupy the entire Strip and replace Hamas rule there...

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Meet and Hear Yossi Alpher at APN events in Los Angeles (Thursday, June 23 and Friday, June 24) and the Berkshires in Western MA (Sunday, June 26), and WATCH his talk in Washington, D.C. from yesterday.

 


Government Relations

APN Legislative Round-Up: June 17

  1. Bills, Resolutions, and Letters
  2. FY17 DOD Appropriations Bill
  3. Hearings
  4. On the Record

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Recommended Reading

The Times of Israel: "Livni: Settlers run Israeli government’s national agenda"

Zionist Union number two says Barak, Ya'alon's criticism of Netanyahu important, reiterates call for referendum on two-state solution

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APN in Action

APN Written Testimony Submitted to the Democratic and Republican Platform Committees

APN believes both political parties can and should use their respective platforms to articulate fundamental truths and principles, namely:

  • Unshakeable support for Israel's security
  • Unequivocal affirmation of the two-state solution
  • Categorical rejection of violence, incitement and creation of facts on the ground which undermine the two-state solution
  • Standing up for Israel
.

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APN's latest editorial cartoon shows some of what "Bibi's wall" is holding back...

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Watch Yossi Alpher's remarks from yesterday's gathering in Washington, D.C.

APN, with suite-mate New Israel Fund, hosted a lunch with Yossi Alpher in their Washington, D.C. offices, where he discussed the peace impasse, the dangerous slippery slope Israel and the Palestinians are on, and the need to adopt a new agenda both in Israel and the US.

WATCH >

Reminder that Yossi will be speaking live in Southern California and the Berkshires:

Los Angeles

* Thursday, June 23 - LA World Affairs Council Dinner
* Friday, June 24 - APN Lunch Program - Hard Questions, Tough Answers LIVE!

Go HERE for more information and to make a reservation for the events in Los Angeles.

Berkshires in Western MA

* Sunday, June 26 - APN Luncheon. Go HERE for the invitation and to make a reservation.


The APN Weekly Update can now be
Shared on Facebook and Tweeted!

 

APN Weekly Update - Solidarity with Terror Victims, APN on Instagram, Events with Alpher, and More

Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: June 15, 2016


"It is impossible to continue having people in a reality in which you are occupying them, while thinking that they will reach a conclusion that everything is fine and that life can continue as is."

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, during a radio interview following the tragic terrorist attack in his city where four Israelis were murdered.

Go HERE for more excerpts of the Huldai interview.

Go HERE for APN's statement condemning last week's Tel Aviv terror attack.


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

June 14, 2016 - Orlando and Sarona; Netanyahu in Moscow

Q. The Sarona (Tel Aviv) and Orlando terrorist attacks have provoked a lot of analysis in Israel regarding shared characteristics. Can you comment?

A. Both attacks were perpetrated by young men acting apparently as "lone wolves"...Islamist propaganda disseminated by social media appears to have played an important role in inciting violent acts...

Q. Can you address the additional unique elements of the Sarona attack of June 8 that seem to have made it so traumatic?

A. First, considering the "lone wolf" aspect, the attack was quite sophisticated...

Q. Netanyahu traveled to Moscow last week for his fourth meeting in a year with President Putin. During that time, Netanyahu met only once with President Obama. What does this tell us about Netanyahu’s strategic world view?

A. ...the Russian military presence in Syria not far from the Syrian-Israeli border requires constant coordination at the tactical level...

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Government Relations

APN Legislative Round-Up: June 7-10

  1. Bills, Resolutions, and Letters
  2. FY17 NDAA – Senate Madness Continues
  3. Hearings
  4. On the Record

Read More


Recommended Reading

Help APN while purchasing gifts for Father's Day (and any other shopping)

 

Go to Amazon Smile and link your account to APN.

Go to iGive and select Americans for Peace Now before shopping.


The APN Weekly Update can now be
Shared on Facebook and Tweeted!

 


WATCH >

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Recommended Reading

Forward: "Anti-Defamation League Stands Almost Alone Against Communal Push for Anti-BDS Measures"

Among organizations belonging, like ADL, to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the mainstream communal umbrella group, only one other group, the dovish Americans for Peace Now, has opposed anti-BDS laws.

"My impression is that it's been pretty much a wall-to-wall consensus," said Lara Friedman of Americans for Peace Now, referring to her Presidents Conference colleagues.

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APN now on Instagram!

Adding to its already prominent place in social media, APN in now on Instagram.

Go HERE to see the first graphics and to follow APN's new Instagram.


APN Events

Yossi Alpher to speak at APN events in Los Angeles and the Berkshires (Western MA)

Alpher, whose latest book No End of Conflict: Rethinking Israel-Palestine has just been released, will be the featured speaker at these events:

Los Angeles

* Thursday, June 23 - LA World Affairs Council Dinner
* Friday, June 24 - APN Lunch Program - Hard Questions, Tough Answers LIVE!

Go HERE for more information and to make a reservation for the events in Los Angeles.

Berkshires

* Sunday, June 26 - APN Luncheon in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. Go HERE for the invitation and to make a reservation.


APN Israel Study Tour

Reserve your space on the APN 2016 Israel Study Tour

From Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to the South and North of Israel, this trip offers an experience unlike any other. Look at the working schedule for APN's 2016 Israel Study Tour, November 12-17, and make a reservation to participate. Space is limited.

Go HERE for the Study Tour Schedule, and how to secure your spot on it.

Contact us at IsraelTour@peacenow.org or 202-408-9898 with any questions.


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