This week, Alpher discusses the pronouncements on the peace process made by Secretary of State John Kerry in the course of his most recent Middle East trip, Foreign Minister Lieberman's departure from his traditional hawkish stance in his pronouncements that seem to view Kerry's performance as highly constructive, the relevance of Ariel Sharon's legacy for the current situation, and whether there is a Palestinian angle to Sunday's demonstration of more than 20,000 Eritreans in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, demanding freedom to work and live in Tel Aviv.

APN's daily news review from Israel

Monday January 06, 2014

Quote of the day:

"Friends, Bibi (Netanyahu) is not missing votes in the Knesset, the question is only if he has the backbone."
--Opposition leader and Labor party chief Isaac Herzog says Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has a mandate to reach a peace deal, but doubts if he has the courage.**

APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday January 05, 2014

Quote of the day:

"I have no problem with the political demand that the valley should be part of the State of Israel. Such a position is permissible. What bothers me is that it's being depicted as some kind of security problem."

--Former Mossad chief refuted the claim that Israel needs to keep the Jordan Beqaa Valley for its security.**

The Forward (JJ Goldberg's blog) - December 20, 2013 
APN is one of two pro-Israel organizations opposing new Iran sanctions bill
http://blogs.forward.com/jj-goldberg/189632/jewish-groups-back-new-sanctions-senators-split/#ixzz2o82O96sW

Haaretz (AP story) - December 22, 2013 
Peace Now legal counsel Michael Sfard profiled 
http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/1.564791

Ynet (AP story) - December 23, 2013 
Peace Now legal counsel Michael Sfard profiled 
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4468424,00.html

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle - December 26, 2013 
APN's Lara Friedman: Taking 'yes' for an answer on Iran 
http://thejewishchronicle.net/view/full_story/24291935/article-Taking--yes--for-an-answer-on-Iran?instance=secondary_stories_right_column

Haaretz - December 30, 2013 
Op-ed mentions APN as opposing new Iran sanctions bill 
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.566163

Oregon Salem News (online) - December 31, 2013 
APN press release re: Kerry plan carried in entirety 
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/december312013/kerry-plan-apn.php

APN's daily news review from Israel

Friday January 03, 2014

Numbers of the day:

82.5 and 65.5
Percentage of Jewish Israeli respondents of poll that believes in teaching openness and critical thinking in schools and percentage that believes that the schools must "teach Jewish and Zionist values without taking a critical stance," respectively. **

Security for Settlers, Not the State of Israel

Analysis by Peace Now's Director General, Yariv Oppenheimer

2014 starts with major promise for peace in the Middle East: An American outline of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, which Secretary of State John Kerry is reportedly discussing today with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

APN's daily news review from Israel

Thursday January 02, 2014

Quote of the day:

"If Israel wants to redraw the map we are in favor of returning to the 1947 partition lines."
--Hadash party MK Afu Agbaria responds to the Maariv/NRG report that Israel suggested transferring Israeli Arabs to live under Palestinian Authority sovereignty.**

APN's daily news review from Israel

Wednesday January 01, 2014

Quote of the day:

"Regards to John Kerry"
--Graffiti spray-painted on Palestinian home in village near Ramallah, where three cars were also torched, takes jab at visiting US Secretary of State.**

Americans for Peace Now
Lara Friedman, APN's Director of Policy and Government Relations, provides a weekly, comprehensive summary of congressional activity related to Israel and the Middle East. Includes archived installments from November 2004 until the present. Read More >