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Americans for Peace Now (APN) sends its condolences to the Oz family and to the people of Israel, who today lost Amos Oz, a literary giant, a beacon of morality and humanity, and a founder of Israel’s peace movement.

Watch highlights from the myriad activities and accomplishments of our Israeli partner Peace Now in 2018, and help us support their valuable work in 2019 with a tax-deductible donation.

When Jerusalem-based journalist Orly Halpern edits the daily edition of News Nosh, APN's daily roundup of news from Israel, she chooses the quote of the day and the outrage of the day, which she dubs "you must be kidding."

The Following is a small selection of the quotes and outrages featured in News Nosh in 2018.

If you have not yet subscribed to News Nosh, please subscribe here. It’s free! If you have, please make a donation to support this one-of-a-kind APN publication.

• The Higher Planning Committee approved today and yesterday construction plans for 2,191 housing units in the settlements. Another plan for 68 new housing units in Givat Ze'ev was discussed but no decision has yet been made.
• 87% of the units approved can be found in the isolated settlements that Israel will likely need to evacuate within the framework of a two-state agreement: 1,908 units east of the proposed route of the Geneva Initiative; 283 units west of it.
• 1,159 housing units have been approved for validation (the final major hurdle before it is possible to issue building permits) and 1,032 housing units approved for deposit (the first stage of the planning process after which the deposit of the plan is published).
• Two plans are designed to regulate illegal outposts, giving them legal status - Ibei Hanahal and Gvaot.
• One plan establishes a new settlement adjacent to the Mitzpeh Danny outpost in the form of an educational institution with boarding schools and residential units.
• Three plans for new settlements in the form of new industrial zones.
• In 2018 in total, the amount of units in plans advanced came to 5,618 units, of which 83% (4,672) are in the isolated settlements east of the Geneva Initiative line.

The full list of settlement plans advanced can be found here.

Peace Now: In 2018, the government advanced thousands of housing units, including most which can be found in isolated settlements deep inside the West Bank that Israel will eventually have to evacuate. Those who build these places have no intention of achieving peace and a two-state solution. The latest announcement, which as an aside was cynically passed on Christmas while most Western governments are on holiday, shows that Netanyahu is willing to sacrifice Israeli interests in favor of an election gift to the settlers in an attempt to attract a few more votes from his right-wing flank.

Significant Plans

Regulating the outpost of Ibei Hanahal (Plan No. 413/4/1) for the construction of 98 housing units in the outpost of Ibei Hanahal was approved. The outpost was established in 1999 without permission or building permits in a remote area southeast of Bethlehem. The plan defines the settlement as a "neighborhood" of the Ma'ale Amos settlement, enabling the government to avoid having to formally declare the establishment of a new settlement.