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.

In Arabic, Fauda means chaos. It's also the name of a popular Israeli TV series that has made it on the international scene. Fauda's co-creator Avi Issacharoff, an Israeli journalist, talks about the show's surprising success, about the message that he and his co-creator Lior Raz are trying to convey to the Israeli audience and to the world through the show, and about the odd reactions to Fauda's second season's publicity campaign.

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Arab News (AFP story): January 4, 2018
"Israel minister calls for more settlement approvals," Peace Now data cited in piece on Avigdor Lieberman's call for more settlement construction.

New York Times: January 1, 2018
"Emboldened Israeli Right Presses Moves to Doom 2-State Solution," Peace Now's Hagit Ofran quoted in story on Israeli right's drive to doom hopes for two-state solution.

Haaretz: January 1, 2018
"Jewish National Fund involved in effort to evict East Jerusalem family," Peace Now's Hagit Ofran quoted in story on JNF's involvement in efforts to evict Palestinians from their home in Silwan.

Al-Monitor: January 1, 2018
"Israel seized 2,500 acres of Palestinian land in 2017," Peace Now data cited in a news story on increase in settlement activity in 2017.

Times of Israel: December 27, 2017
"Government grants settlements NIS 40 million for security, first-aid," Peace Now blasts Netanyahu for new government grant to settlements.

Jerusalem Post: December 27, 2017
"Additional 40 million NIS allocated for settlement security," Peace Now condemns new government grant to settlements. 

Washington, DC -- Following President Trump's ill-conceived announcement on Jerusalem, which upended prospects for a US-mediated Israeli-Palestinian peace, Trump this week lashed out at Palestinians. He threatened in a pair of tweets to cut off aid to Palestinians as long as they are "no longer willing to talk peace."

While Trump did not clarify which aid he planned to target, his tweets followed an earlier statement by US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. She had indicated that the Trump Administration wants to quit funding the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides assistance to some 5 million Palestinian refugees. The US is by far the largest single donor to UNRWA, providing $360 million to the relief organization for 2016.

Welcome to 2018!
Looking for hope?

Watch this short video featuring the staff and volunteers of Israel’s Peace Now movement. These young people work daily, year-round, with determination and faith, to keep alive the vision of Israel as a democracy and a Jewish state that lives in peace and security with its Palestinian neighbors.

This year, Peace Now’s activists are facing greater challenges than ever before. They need your help now. Please listen to them answer the question: "Why Peace Now?" and make a tax-deductible donation through Americans for Peace Now.

Reacting to several recent moves by Israel's government that sabotage a future Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, Americans for Peace Now (APN) today called on fellow American Jewish organizations to join APN in vocal opposition to annexation and to unilaterally pre-judging issues that Israelis and Palestinians should negotiate to achieve a final-status peace deal.