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.

This week, Alpher discusses whether there is a chance to avert conflict in Syria and Gaza; the recent mortar fire on Israel's Gaza perimeter settlements; de-escalation on the Israel-Iran front in Syria; and Israel registering success or at least limited progress on both the Iran/Syria and Hamas/Gaza fronts.

Americans for Peace Now urges the Trump administration to demand that the government of Israel reverse its plan for a massive new wave of settlement construction in the West Bank.

Yesterday, Israel's Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman announced a new plan for massively expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including in areas that past Israeli governments and past US administrations agreed would become the future Palestinian state. Liberman announced plans to grant final construction approval for 2,500 new homes in settlements and preliminary approval for an additional 1,400 homes. Most of these housing units would be added to settlements that lie deep in the West Bank, in areas that according to any past peace plans would be a part of the future Palestinian state.

Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived

1. Bills, Resolutions & Letters
2. Renewed Threat to Free Speech – the “Anti-Semitism Awareness Act”
3. FY19 NDAA – Full Details of House Version
4. Hearings
5. On the Record

Shameless plug: On 5/14, Sen. Sanders (I-VT) hosted a live town hall on the Iran nuclear deal (and also covering the situation in Gaza). Sen. Sanders was joined by Joe Cirincione, president of the nuclear disarmament group Ploughshares Fund; Suzanne DiMaggio, a senior fellow at New America; Rob Malley, president and CEO of International Crisis Group; and Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Full video is here.

Maan News: May 25, 2018
"Israeli defense minister to approve thousands of new illegal settlement units," Peace Now criticizes Israeli government statement regarding plans to construct more homes in West Bank.

Times of Israel: May 24, 2018
"Defense Minister: 3,900 settlement homes to be green-lit next week," Peace Now slams Israeli government's plans to approve more construction in settlements.