Dr. Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in Ramallah and a professor of political science, discussed the state of Palestinian affairs following President Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem.

Dr. Shikaki has also been a senior fellow at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University since 2005. His research focuses on the peace process, Palestinian state building, public opinion, transition to democracy, and the impact of domestic Palestinian politics on the peace process.

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Washington, DC -- In the strongest possible terms, Americans for Peace Now condemns the murder of Rabbi Raziel Shevach, which occurred yesterday in the West Bank outside Nablus. According to news reports in Israeli media, Shevach was shot by an unidentified attacker who fired on his vehicle from a passing car. We note that Hamas’s military wing, while not taking responsibility for the shooting, praised the killing as “heroic” and a sign of future attacks to come. Islamic Jihad also welcomed the attack.

With great concern, we are following developments in the wake of Shevach’s killing. Israel’s right-wing politicians are shamelessly exploiting this deplorable act with calls for settlement construction, making clear that they intend to use settlement building in the Occupied Territories as a means to punish Palestinians. Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has also ordered his agency to examine the possibility of legalizing Havat Gilad – the illegal outpost near Nablus where Shevach lived, parts of which are built on private Palestinian land.

APN's Debra Shushan in Haaretz: December 24, 2017

"The Israeli 'Left' Is Gaslighting U.S. Jews Into Support for Trump on Jerusalem"

If President Donald Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem had a silver lining, for me it is this: many progressive, pro-Israel American Jews saw Trump’s gambit as the narrowly self-serving, reckless move it was, and rejected it.

For this reason, I read with great interest the recent Haaretz op-ed by Rabbi Eric Yoffie, a former president of the Union for Reform Judaism (U.S. Liberal Jews Read It Wrong. Trump’s Call on Jerusalem Was Good for the Peace Camp). Read More >

i24 News: January 10, 2018
"300 US Jewish clergy oppose razing West Bank village in letter to Netanyahu," APN co-sponsors rabbis' letter to Netanyahu opposing razing of West Bank village.

Al-Monitor: January 4, 2018
"Trump Jerusalem decision opens Israeli expansionism floodgates," APN press release quoted in a story on repercussions of Trump's Jerusalem statement.

New York Times: December 6, 2017
"Praise and Alarm from American Jews Over Trump's Jerusalem Move," APN's Debra DeLee quoted in a story about US Jewish reactions to Trump's move on Jerusalem. 

ABC (Australia): December 7, 2017
"'The worst thing he could have done': Middle East peace advocate," APN's Debra Shushan interviewed on Australian radio and TV regarding Trump's Jerusalem decisions. Listen to the radio interview here.

Cleveland Jewish News (JTA story): December 4, 2017
"Jared Kushner talks about his peace plan, and leaves everyone guessing," APN criticizes the administration for not offering a conflict-ending horizon to Israelis and Palestinians.

Washington, DC -- Israel yesterday published a list of 20 organizations the activists of which will be prevented from entering the country in accordance with Israel’s 2017 Entry Law. Just as we condemn the Entry Law, Americans for Peace Now opposes this blacklist.

The Entry Law is aimed at organizations that support boycotts against Israel or West Bank settlements. Under the just-released blacklist, senior officials and key activists in blacklisted organizations who promote boycotts in an active and continuous manner will be denied entry.

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 the main strategic issues, threats and opportunities that are likely to characterize the Middle East in the new year; the influence of outside powers; what a Korean war would mean for the Middle East; how Islam will affect Israel and the region; and what's next for Israel and the Palestinians.