BBC: March 31, 2017
“Israel Approves First New West Bank Settlement in 20 years,” Peace Now reports that in addition to the plans to build a new settlement outside Shilo, Israel approved tenders to build 1,992 new homes in at least four other existing settlements.

Times of Israel: March 31, 2017
“Palestinians, UN Chief Rap New Settlement for Amona Evacuees,” Peace Now warns that the announcement of an entirely new settlement fragments the West Bank and the possibility of a future Palestinian state.

WBT: March 31, 2017
“Israeli PM Limits Settlements While Announcing New One,” Peace Now’s Lior Amihai writes that in building a new settlement, the Israeli government is only trying to appease its right-wing settler minority.

Washington Post: March 29, 2017
"Is Israel losing it's soul?," Richard Cohen's op-ed quotes APN Board member, Letty Cottin Pogrebin's piece in Haaretz about the entry ban.

News from Peace Now:

Americans for Peace Now (APN) joins its Israeli sister organization Peace Now (Shalom Achshav) in condemning the Israeli government's decision to establish a new settlement in the West Bank, to publish tenders for some 2,000 new homes in West Bank settlements and to take measures that would allow for the retroactive legalization of three outposts built illegally, without initial government approval, in the West Bank.

APN also joins Peace Now's condemnation of the Israeli Cabinet's new policy of so-called "restraint," which in practice would allow it to continue with its unhindered expansion anywhere in the West Bank, including settlements adjacent to the Green Line ("settlement blocs"), more distant settlements, and East Jerusalem.  

Trump the peacemaker? Peace Now activist ponders the possibility

After seventeen years at Americans for Peace Now, our longtime director of policy and government relations, Lara Friedman, is moving on to become the president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP), an important member in the community of Washington-based groups striving for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

Over the past two decades, Lara – perhaps more than anyone else – has defined APN, its footprint in DC and beyond, its mission and its role. Today, she is one of the leading US experts on all things relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is recognized as such worldwide.

Thankfully, we are not losing Lara. As she likes to point out, she is moving only several city blocks away. She will still post her invaluable weekly Legislative Roundups on our web site and keep sending them to her long list of subscribers. We are confident that Lara will further tighten the already robust cooperation between APN and FMEP.

This week, Lara sent out a heartfelt message to our Board of Directors, saying: "(…) it has been an honor, a privilege, and a joy to be part of APN these many years. I am immeasurably proud of this organization and its work. And while leave-taking is bittersweet, I take comfort in knowing that APN will continue to be the most principled, powerful American Jewish voice working for peace and security for a democratic, progressive Israel."

We are very proud of Lara. We’re deeply grateful for all she has done for APN and for our cause.

In recognition of Lara’s immense accomplishments, with APN and for APN, please make a tax-deductible donation for Americans for Peace Now.

One of the things I like the most about “The Moth,” the radio/podcast storytelling program, is how successful it is at cutting through the cynicism and snark that characterize our discourse, particularly here in DC, and touching one’s heart.

In pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace, too, we could use less scorn, less debate and vitriol, and more listening, more empathy, more heart-to-heart interaction.

This is the impetus behind "The Dove: Stories Amidst Conflict." Presented by Americans for Peace Now, The Dove is a storytelling event about Israeli-Palestinian peace, in which storytellers focus on hope and prospects for reconciliation. On Thursday, April 6th in Washington, DC, The Dove will feature myself and others, who as journalists have experienced and covered this relationship on the ground – both the good and the bad – and who will accentuate hope for peace through their stories.

We have no illusions. We know that stories told live in DC have little impact on actions taken – or not taken – on the eastern side of the Mediterranean. But we also know that relations between Jews and Arabs can be different, and that empathetic interaction between people can contribute to change.

I hope you will join us for an insightful, inspiring evening. And who knows, maybe sooner rather than later, a Middle Eastern dove may flap its wings in Jerusalem, where Israelis and Palestinians could sit down together to tell stories that bring them closer to mutual understanding, reconciliation, and peace.

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