As the Obama administration prepares to kick its efforts to broker Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations into higher gear, the government of Israel is advancing plans to build 2,372 new housing units in West Bank settlements.

News of this new round of settlement construction plans was publicized yesterday by Americans for Peace Now's Israeli sister-organization, Shalom Achshav (Peace Now).

Americans for Peace Now joins Shalom Achshav in condemning the new plans for construction in settlements, many of which are east of the "Separation Barrier," in areas that are almost certain to come under Palestinian sovereignty when a two-state peace agreement is achieved.

On March 18, 2014, J Street U hosted Lara Friedman (Director of Policy and Government Relations, Americans for Peace Now) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for a talk on the APN's work and the current status of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

See photos and quotes from the event below:

San Diego Jewish World - March 11, 2014
APN urges Israeli government to stop Hebron settlement (reprint of APN press release)
http://www.sdjewishworld.com/2014/03/11/peace-group-urges-israel-stop-hebron-settlement/

JTA - March 11, 2014
APN mourns the death of Samuel Lewis
http://www.jta.org/2014/03/11/news-opinion/united-states/samuel-lewis-camp-david-era-u-s-ambassador-dies#ixzz2vktVn6t6

Haaretz - March 12, 2014
Peace Now criticizes right wing pre-army program that excludes progressive Israeli perspective
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.579269

Haaretz (JTA story) - March 12, 2014
APN mourns the death of Samuel Lewis
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.579311

This week, Alpher discusses how critical Monday's meeting between Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and US President Barack Obama is likely to be; why it took Obama and Kerry all this time to recognize just how far apart the two sides are; what the strategic ramifications of last week's firing of more than 70 rockets into Israel Islamic Jihad are;  and what it means at the national level that last week, Israel's parliamentary opposition boycotted three key Knesset debates and votes regarding highly controversial measures of national importance.