Press Release - For Immediate Release

Press Release: For Immediate Release August 31, 2010

Washington, DC -- APN today unequivocally condemned the terrorist attack in the West Bank that killed four Israelis.  APN President and CEO Debra DeLee stated:  

"Today's attack is a senseless act of violence whose likely purpose is to derail the peace talks that are set to get underway in Washington this week.  There are no doubt self-appointed spoilers who want to force both Israelis and Palestinians to spurn negotiations in favor of continued conflict.  They cannot be permitted to succeed."  

APN is America's leading Jewish organization advocating peace for Israel.

Press Release
For Immediate Release
August 20 , 2010

Washington, DC - While welcoming the announcement of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, Americans for Peace Now calls on the parties to negotiate in earnest. APN also urges President Obama to be prepared to press both parties to engage in the talks to see them succeed.

APN President and CEO Debra DeLee commented:

Washington, DC - Americans for Peace Now (APN) today called on the Obama Administration to act quickly and resolutely to prevent an escalation of tensions and military action on the Israel-Lebanon border and between Israel and Gaza.

Washington, DC -- Americans for Peace Now today delivered a petition signed by 15,962 people to President Barack Obama, urging him to press for an extension of the moratorium on construction in West Bank settlements.

(Read coverage in Ha'aretz:

Americans for Peace Now welcomes the Israeli Cabinet's decision to ease the siege on the Gaza Strip as a positive step. What is now needed is devising a comprehensive regime that would provide security and international support for Israel, while allowing Gaza's civilian population greater normalcy.

Washington, DC - Americans for Peace Now welcomes the Israeli government's decision to form an independent commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Israeli military raid on the flotilla headed for Gaza on May 31.

APN President and CEO Debra DeLee commented: "Today's Security Council passage of a new round of sanctions against Iran sends a strong signal of international determination..., but what happens next is more important."

According to Israeli media reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reassessing elements of the blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) hopes that these accounts are true. A reassessment of the Gaza blockade is long overdue. The policy of blockading Gaza has failed. The blockade is bad for Israel and bad for peace. Israel's security needs are not met by the current approach. APN hopes that Netanyahu is in fact abandoning his dogmatic commitment to this failed policy.

What is needed today is a new strategy -- and a new security regime -- devised and implemented in coordination with the Obama Administration, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and the international community. The goal should be to replace the blockade, not to offer cosmetic tweaks.

For years, APN has called for the blockade to be replaced with a more sensible policy. We repeated that call this week. A policy statement APN released today made the case that the blockade is ineffective as a security measure, is fundamentally wrong, and is ultimately counterproductive.

APN is America's leading Jewish organization advocating for peace for Israel.