APN's daily news review from Israel - Tuesday July 14, 2020

 Quote of the Day:"An absurd spectacle is taking place in the country. The decision-making is so shallow, like the water in the toddlers' pool. The public pools are closed, but those who are able to, can pay 500 for a one-time family entrance to the pool at a luxury hotel. Those who don’t have the money don’t interest anyone anyway. They can go to the beach and sit on the sand. The state will already take from him the 500 shekels for not wearing a mask in public."
--Commentator Orit Miller-Katav takes a sharp look at the government's handling of the corona crisis.**

You Must Be Kidding: 
Jewish Israelis are moving to the West Bank for a better quality of life during the pandemic, while Palestinian laborers from the West Bank were forced by their Israeli employer to sleep at an Israeli garbage dump because the employer did not want to allow them to go home for fear they would not be allowed to return to work.*

APN's daily news review from IsraelMonday July 13, 2020

Quote of the day:

"Junior Channel [owned by Channel 13 - OH] is very sorry for the things that 'Roy Boy' said and is disgusted by the content. This kind of conduct is in no way acceptable to the channel, for which the values of mutual respect, tolerance and equality for every person regardless of religion, race and gender are engraved on its flag."
--Israeli TV Channel 13, which owns the children's 'Junior Channel,' announced it was freezing the filming of the newest season of 'Roy Boy,' after a racist video clip filmed by its star, Roy Oz, went viral.*

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.

1. Bills, Resolutions, & Letters
2. FY21 SFOPS — House
3. Hearings & Mark-Ups
4. On the Record

Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

The joint statement issued by eight members of the Progressive Israel Network: Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, Habonim Dror North America, J Street, the New Israel Fund, Partners for Progressive Israel, Reconstructing Judaism,and T’ruah:

As progressive organizations committed to supporting democracy and equality in Israel and a just and peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians, we have made clear our staunch opposition to any unilateral Israeli annexation of occupied territory in the West Bank. Such a move would violate international law and severely imperil Israel’s future as a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people. It would aim to permanently relegate the Palestinians to life in disconnected enclaves without independent statehood or basic civil rights. 

It is because of these concerns that we strongly support Senator Chris Van Hollen’s proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which stipulates that US security assistance to Israel cannot be used to implement unilateral annexation in the West Bank. Like the Senator and his colleagues who have co-sponsored this amendment to date, we believe US security assistance to Israel should be used to help Israel meet its legitimate defense needs — not to implement actions that will undermine its own security and democracy, trample on Palestinian rights and harm US interests. 

All those who value human rights and Israeli democracy, support a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and want to see an end to decades of occupation should agree that it would be unacceptable for US tax dollars to help foot the bill for an act as extreme and destructive as unilateral annexation. Our organizations thank Senator Van Hollen and his colleagues for their strong leadership and clarity on this issue, and we urge their fellow Members of Congress to join with them in standing up for the democratic values and shared interests that are meant to form the heart of a mutually beneficial US-Israel relationship. 

Americans for Peace Now is urging members of the US Senate to co-sponsor Senator Chris Van Hollen’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which would block Israel’s Netanyahu government from using any US aid to fund the annexation of parts of the West Bank.

APN's daily news review from Israel - Thursday July 9, 2020

Quotes of the day:
"If we don't receive money in the coming days, you will have a world war."
--Unemployed sound technician, Eyal Altraz warned the Prime Minister.*

"Everything that is currently sparking public rage in Israel with violent potential – temporary unemployment, financial insecurity, violation of rights, disgust with leaders and a lack of hope – is considered superfluous among that other nation living under the rule of the Israeli government and the Israeli army."
--Haaretz's Gideon Levy looks at Israelis' rage and asks if it will help them understand Israeli violence.**

Update: this action, now closed, ran in July 2020.  

Annexation is a game changer. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank, with the blessing – indeed the encouragement – of the Trump administration, is a dire threat to the prospects of a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians.

Last week, Senator Chris Van Hollen introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (the bill that authorizes providing U.S. aid to Israel), which would block the Netanyahu government from using any US aid to fund its illegal annexation.

Tell your Senators to cosponsor the Van Hollen amendment or thank them if they already have.