--Radio 103FM talk show host, Gabi Gazit, reacts to the killing and injuring of laborers, most assumed to be Arab or foreigners, in a massive collapse at a construction site for a parking complex.*
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 what we can learn from the exchange in late August between late August a UN envoy who called Israeli settlement construction an impediment to peace and a Netanyahu spokesperson who retorted that the envoy was “distorting history and international law;” who are the winners and losers in this round of the seemingly endless Syrian civil war and what is the strategic significance of Turkey's invasion of northern Syria with the blessing of the US; and whether Washington wins or loses and Where this leaves US and Israeli strategic interests regarding the Syria issue and its regional and international ramifications.
On Monday, September 5th, Decision at 50, a new organization composed of Shalom Achshav
(Peace Now), Israel’s preeminent peace movement, in cooperation with other Israeli civil society
organizations, issued the following press release:
Today (Monday, September 5th) "Decision at 50" launched a campaign demanding a referendum on the future of the Territories and the future of Israel during the 50th year of Israel's control over the West Bank and Gaza. Under the slogan "It's time to decide," the movement will promote a large scale media campaign, accompanied by public events and direct action throughout the country meant to collect signatures of Israeli citizens in support of a Knesset referendum bill.
"Decision at 50" was initiated by a group of organizations and individuals, including "Peace Now," "Blue White Future," as well as former security officials, former politicians, artists and social activists.
The founders of "Decision at 50" believe that after 50 years of Israeli control over the Palestinian Territories, and after 50 years of indecision by Israeli governments, it is time to bring the decision to the Israeli public and let the people decide on their own fate: a bi-national state or two states, 50 more years of military rule or a diplomatic resolution. "This is the most sensitive and explosive issue in Israeli society today, and we demand that after 50 years we will get the right to decide on our own future. We cannot allow ourselves another 50 years of governments' indecision, during which decisions are made every day on the ground," the founders of the initiatives say.
The New York Times today published the following letter by APN's Chair of the Board Jim Klutznick and its President and CEO Debra DeLee:
To the Editor:
“Israel Legalizes Outposts in the West Bank, Step by Quiet Step” (front page, Aug. 31) highlights a central truth about illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank: Extremist settlers are not rogue actors. Rather, they work hand in glove with the Israeli government in flouting Israel’s own laws in order to build more settlements.
Shalom Achshav (Peace Now), Israel’s preeminent peace movement, in cooperation with other Israeli civil society organizations, today launched a new initiative demanding a referendum on the future of Israel’s rule over the West Bank and on peace with the Palestinians.
Americans for Peace Now, the U.S. sister organization of Shalom Achshav, supports the initiative. APN calls on all Americans who care about Israel’s future to support the call for a referendum on the occupation, which is now entering its fiftieth year.
Amona is the largest illegal outpost in the West Bank, home to some fifty families, located near
the settlement of Ofra, northeast of Ramallah. Built on some 100 acres of land registered as privately-owned by
Palestinians, the outpost was built without permits from the Israeli government, but with the direct and
indirect support of Israeli authorities. In 2006, following a decision of the Israeli High Court of Justice,
nine structures in the outpost were demolished – but in the years since, the outpost has grown and flourished.
Now, the High Court is forcing the Israeli government to take action once again to remove the illegal
construction – but rather than simply removing the outpost, the Israeli government has decided to re-locate it –
to another area of privately-owned Palestinian land.
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petition
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APN Q&A on Amona
APN Briefing Call with Peace Now Settlement Watch Director
Hagit Ofran (August 25, 2016)
APN to Obama 8/11/16: Act to Reverse Israeli Government Taking
Over Palestinian Land for West Bank Settlement
Peace Now Report, August 2016: The Legal Opinion
Submitted to the Attorney General on Amona: A Crossing of a Red Line
APN report 8/8: Peace Now Settlement Watch: AG Mandelblit
Considers Relocating Amona to Lands Owned by Absentees (with translation of AG’s opinion)
Peace Now report 8/11/16: The Israeli Government is Taking Over
Absentees' Property Near Amona
Comprehensive report on the original battle over Amona and the destruction of 9 units there: APN Settlements in Focus 2/17/06 and APN Settlements in Focus 7/29/05
View this & other settlement-related developments on APN’s Map
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The Israeli government is in the process of establishing – by stealth –the first new settlement
complex (28 units, providing housing for some 100 settlers, or a 10% increase in the settler population in the
area) in Hebron in more than a decade. This action directly contravenes Israeli law, which prohibits seizing
lands for military needs and then using them for the purpose of settlements. It also contradicts the principle
of distinction between civilians and combatants, and constitutes a clear violation of International Humanitarian
Law. In addition, allocating these properties to the settlers based on the argument that they belonged to Jews
before 1948 in essence constitutes implementation of a “right of return” for Jews, at the expense of protected
Palestinians tenants – even as Palestinians are denied any parallel “right of return” to properties they left or
were expelled from before 1948. The Israeli Peace Now movement uncovered this story and is leading the effort to
pressure the Israeli government to cancel these plans.
TAKE ACTION
Write to the State Department
Sign our
petition
Forward this page
Tweet this page
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Sign up for APN’s News Nosh & Weekly Update
Donate to support our work
LEARN MORE
APN Briefing Call with Peace Now Settlement Watch Director Hagit
Ofran (August 25, 2016)
Peace Now’s August 23, 2016 report: Establishing a New Settlement
in Hebron - More Information Revealed
Peace Now’s August 22, 2016 report: Settlers' Residence Being
Prepared in a Hebron Military Compound
View this & other settlement-related developments on APN’s Map
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US OFFICIAL REACTION
Haaretz 8/24: U.S. 'Deeply Concerned' About Plans to Advance
Construction for Jewish Settlers in Hebron
State Department Press briefing
8/23: “…if these reports are true, it would appear to be an effort to expand civilian Israeli settlement in the
city of Hebron, and that would represent a deeply concerning step of settlement expansions…”
IN THE MEDIA
Arutz Sheva (settler media outlet) 8/24: Peace
Now 'slanders' activists over Hevron construction
Maan News 8/23: Peace Now: New settlement will add 100
more Israeli settlers in Hebron
Haaretz 8/22: For First Time in Decade, Israel Plans
to Expand Jewish Settlement in Hebron
Times of Israel 8/22: Israel said planning to build
several Jewish homes in Hebron
Associated Press 8/22: Israel Takes
Steps Toward New Settlement in Volatile City
The Netanyahu government is actively promoting an extraordinarily dangerous and destructive new
settlement plan which activists have dubbed “E-2” – a name that reflects the fact that the plan is as dangerous
and destructive to the two-state solution as the infamous E-1 project (against which the international community
has formed a united front). The E-2 project, which the settlers call Givat Eitam, involves thousands of new
units to be built south of Bethlehem, near the settlement of Efrat. Documents recently released by the
government in connection with a lawsuit brought by Peace Now show that the Netanyahu government is actively
moving ahead with this plan at this time, including working to seize new land on which it can build necessary
infrastructure to implement the project (a new major road).
TAKE ACTION
Write
Letters to the Editor
Get the word
out: Tweet About E-2
Sign our
petition
Forward this page
Tweet this page
Share this page on Facebook
Sign up for APN’s News Nosh & Weekly Update
Donate to support our work
LEARN MORE
APN Briefing Call with Peace Now Settlement Watch Director
Hagit Ofran(August 25, 2016)
Peace Now report 1/13/16: High Court Rejects Nahla Landowners'
Petition Removes Legal Obstacle to Establish a Settlement in E2
Peace Now report January 2015: The new
settlement in a-Nahla – a significant threat to the two-state solution
September 2014 report by Peace Now, Kerem Navot, and Combatants for Peace: The New Settlement in E2 (Nahla) - A
Significant Threat to the Two States Solution
View this & other settlement-related developments on APN’s Map
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