News Nosh 08.07.16

by APN 08/07/16
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday August 7, 2016

While News Nosh's Israel editor is on vacation, we are publishing an abbreviated version produced in Washington and therefore it may be sent later in the day.
 
Quote of the day:
"The Munich Agreement didn’t prevent the Second World War and the Holocaust precisely because its basis, according to which Nazi Germany could be a partner for some sort of agreement, was flawed."
- Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, comparing
the Munich Agreement of 1938 to the Iran deal
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News Nosh 08.05.16

by APN 08/05/16
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday August 5, 2016

While News Nosh's Israel editor is on vacation, we are publishing an abbreviated version produced in Washington and therefore it may be sent later in the day.
 
Quote of the day:
"There has always been a large gap between the world the Palestinians see and the world the Israelis see, but in recent years this hasn’t been so much an argument over the narrative, or over the fairness or abnormality of the situation, so much as that, for every event, every death, every incident, there seems to be a Palestinian version and an Israeli version."
- Nir Baram, author of "In a Land Beyond the Mountains," a chronicle
of his journey through the occupied territories in the West Bank
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Daniel Kurtzer at Project Syndicate: Israel’s Government Hawks and Military Doves

by APN 08/04/16
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Kurtzer_ThumbnailPRINCETON – Those who lead Israel’s defense establishment often come to consider peace with the Palestinians a necessary condition for the country’s security. Being tasked with maintaining the territories Israel has occupied since the Six-Day War in 1967 evidently causes the military and security brass to support political measures that would end the occupation. And yet the government shows no interest in pursuing a permanent settlement.

To appreciate this divide, consider the late Meir Dagan, who served as Major General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and then as Director of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency. Several years ago, I sat on a panel at a conference in Jerusalem convened by then-Israeli President Shimon Peres. To my right sat Dagan, who had just completed eight years as head of Mossad; to my left sat Dore Gold, a former academic and former Israeli ambassador.

The two men held very different views about how best to guarantee Israel’s security, and it is worth recapitulating their respective arguments.

Gold argued that returning to pre-1967 armistice lines would leave Israel without “defensible borders.” He insisted that Israel could guard against threats from the east only if it maintained a military presence in the West Bank and controlled the Jordan River – which runs along the border separating Jordan from Israel and the West Bank.

Dagan countered that the military’s role is to safeguard Israel’s borders, regardless of where those borders are drawn. While the IDF would certainly prefer to operate with the strategic advantages that holding more territory can confer, it would fulfill its mission under whatever conditions the Israeli government set for it.

But Dagan went further...
Read more...

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News Nosh 08.04.16

by APN 08/04/16
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday August 4, 2016

While News Nosh's Israel editor is on vacation during the holidays, we are publishing an abbreviated version produced in Washington and therefore it may be sent later in the day.
 
Quote of the day:
"I wonder what Jabotinksy would think about the commissar of culture who silences everyone who thinks differently from her."
- Opposition leader MK Isaac Herzog
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APN Weekly Update - Our new ad, the settlement tamer, Peace Now activists, Alpher, and more

by APN 08/03/16
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Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: August 2, 2016


"We strongly oppose settlement activity, which is corrosive to the cause of peace. These steps by Israeli authorities are the latest examples of what appears to be a steady acceleration of settlement activity that is systematically undermining the prospects for a two-state solution."

State Department Spokesman John Kirby, in a statement in response to Israel's recent string of announcements approving new construction past the Green Line (See Washington Post: State Dept. criticizes Israeli settlement expansion, demolitions)

Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

August 1, 2016 - Bluffing or confronting history: Palestinians and Balfour Declaration; recovering Jewish property from Arab states; Bibi and Arabs in Israel

Q. Last week, the Palestinian leadership asked the Arab League to support its initiative to sue the British government "because the Balfour Declaration led to the Palestinian Nakba." Is this serious?

A. Next year, 2017, will mark a century since the Balfour Declaration...

Q. At the other end of the historical spectrum, Gila Gamliel, minister for social equality in the Netanyahu government, has declared that she is promoting a project to demand the restitution of property left behind in Arab countries by Jews who fled in the 1950s. Is this an equally fruitless attempt to reverse the course of history?

A. Gamliel is a serious and hardworking minister not known for demagogic grandstanding. Yet it is hard to take her seriously...

Q. Apropos politics and neglect, why did Netanyahu last week “apologize” to the Israeli Arab community and call upon it to “participate in Israeli society, en masse”?

A. ...The timing appears to be designed to upgrade Netanyahu’s image globally as a man of Israel-Arab peace in anticipation of attempts at the United Nations in September to condemn Israel and/or to mandate new action on the two-state solution....

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TOMORROW, Thursday, August 4, in Washington DC: Israeli Journalist and News Nosh Editor Orly Halpern Speaks at APN Offices

Is Netanyahu following in the footsteps of Erdogan and Putin? is the topic of the roundtable discussion with Orly Halpern, hosted by APN.

Thursday, August 4, 10:00-11:30am

APN Offices in Washington, DC - Go HERE for address

RSVP to asuskin@peacenow.org

The APN Weekly Update can be
Shared on Facebook and Tweeted!

 

APN Ad featuring Tzipi Livni, Former Israel Minister and Mossad Agent

The woman who has held eight different Israeli cabinet positions, including foreign minister, stated: "Making an agreement with the Palestinians is not weakness but represents the interest of the state of Israel and the entire Jewish people."

Go HERE to see the full ad as it will appear in Jewish newspapers.

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Settlement Watch

Peace Now Settlement Watch: Tenders (approval for new construction) Published for 323 Housing Units in East Jerusalem

Peace Now: "on the one hand the government does not allow for Palestinian construction, and on the other hand it promotes massive construction for Israelis."

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Israeli Government's Legal Opinion Submitted to Attorney General Crosses a Red Line -- Would Violate Private Property Rights

Peace Now: "...it could lead to the establishment of dozens of new settlements and to the multiplying of the land taken up by settlements in the West Bank."

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Taming the Settlements

 

When the Washington Post wanted to learn the facts about Israeli settlements from an authoritative source, they turned to Peace Now's Hagit Ofran, whose expertise and unflagging determination has done more to expose and tame the settlements than otherwise would be the case.

Go HERE to read more about the work and impact of Peace Now and its Settlement Watch.

 

New Peace Now Activists Tour East Jerusalem and West Bank

Recently, new Peace Now activists went on a tour to East Jerusalem and the West Bank to learn about the need for a two state solution and about the negative impact of settlements. Peace Now organizes regular educational tours to the West Bank for its activists and for the general Israeli public.

Debra DeLee - APN President and CEO on panel in Philadelphia in connection to Democratic National Convention

The panel discussion in Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention featured APN President and CEO Debra DeLee, Americans for a Vibrant Palestinian Economy Chairman Sam Bahour, Columnist and Author Peter Beinart, and Arab American Institute Founder and President James Zogby.

Read a Summary and Watch a Video of the Discussion >

News Nosh 08.03.16

by APN 08/03/16
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday August 3, 2016

While News Nosh's Israel editor is on vacation during the holidays, we are publishing an abbreviated version produced in Washington and therefore it may be sent later in the day.

Quote of the day:
"Fascism is the left's derogatory name for its enemies. Jabotinsky was called a 'fascist,' does that sound familiar to you? I suggest to my friends to read the Hebrew Encyclopedia article under the 'fascism' entry - there's a sentence there that the author wrote according to which 'there is a tendency among the left to denounce any enemy as fascist.'"
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
 
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The most powerful woman in Israeli politics on why a deal with the Palestinians is an Israeli and Jewish imperative

by APN 08/03/16
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APNlogo_donateFor the sixth in a series of ads from APN, this week's message is from Tzipi Livni.

From her origins in a prominent right-wing Zionist family, Livni has become one of the most prominent political figures advocating for a two-state solution.

She is widely considered one of the most the most powerful women in Israeli politics, and has served in eight different cabinet positions throughout her career, setting the record for most government roles ever held by an Israeli woman. In 2011, she was named one of "150 Women Who Shake the World" by Newsweek and The Daily Beast, and for three years, Forbes magazine placed her on its "List of 100 Most Powerful Women."

You can support additional ads by donating here.

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Is Netanyahu following in the footsteps of Erdogan and Putin? with Israeli journalist Orly Halpern, Thursday August 4th

by APN 08/03/16
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AlpherOn Thursday, August 4th, from 10-11:30am, APN is hosting a roundtable briefing with Israeli journalist Orly Halpern, editor of APN’s News Nosh

In a presentation titled "Is Netanyahu following in the footsteps of Erdogan and Putin?," Orly will address how the expanding hegemony of Israel’s right-wing is silencing dissent and seizing the public space.

Please join us from 10 to 11:30am at the Americans for Peace Now office at 2100 M Street NW, Suite 619. We look forward to seeing you.

As space is limited, please let us know as soon as you can whether you would like to attend by emailing asuskin@peacenow.org.

ORLY HALPERN is an independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem who writes News Nosh, a daily summary of the news from Israel. News Nosh is a free service offered by Americans for Peace Now. To receive it daily in your inbox, click here.

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They Say/We Say: "The only way to fight BDS is to attack its proponents and supporters – to name and shame them."

by APN 08/02/16
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They Say We Say We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now, we'll have ours.

Go HERE for all installments of APN's "They Say, We Say"

They Say, We Say: BDS & Criticism of Israel

They Say: The only way to fight BDS is to attack its proponents and supporters – to call them out as anti-Israel and anti-Semitic, to name and shame – and to pass laws banning boycotts and other economic pressure against Israel.
We Say: Some BDS supporters are certainly motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel agendas. Many more are motivated by legitimate frustration over Israeli policies and actions. Legislative initiatives that treat all BDS supporters as members of the first category are just as misguided and counterproductive as BDS efforts that target all Israelis for the pro-settlement policies of their government. At the same time, efforts to outlaw BDS, even if well-intentioned, represent an unacceptable effort to limit free speech and peaceful political protest – violating our own Constitution as well as the spirit of the American ideal of the free exchange of ideas. As longtime ADL leader Abraham Foxman wrote in 2015:

“Legislation that bars BDS activity by private groups, whether corporations or universities, strikes at the heart of First Amendment-protected free speech, will be challenged in the courts and is likely to be struck down. A decision by a private body to boycott Israel, as despicable as it may be, is protected by our Constitution.”

They are likewise misguided, ineffective, and counterproductive. They play into the stereotype promoted by some BDS supporters of Israel and its supporters as aggressive violators of civil and human rights. Indeed, as Foxman also noted,

“in light of such legislation, BDS campaigners would undoubtedly portray themselves as victims of efforts to stifle their free expression which would likely win them more sympathy and support from students — even those who are not inclined to be hostile to Israel.”

There is a smarter approach to the challenge of BDS against Israel. This is one that does not conflict with constitutionally-protected rights, will not fuel a pro-BDS narrative, has a real chance of convincing a lot of people –those who are frustrated with Israeli policies but are neither anti-Israel nor anti-Semitic – to adopt a better kind of activism. APN supports such an approach, which includes:

  • Recognizing and rejecting pro-settlement, anti-peace policies that feed the growing support for BDS today, and working publicly and concretely to oppose and change them.
  • Rejecting efforts to conflate Israel and the settlements and instead recognizing the legitimacy and potential value of activism and boycotts that squarely target settlements and the occupation.
  • Ceasing efforts to limit free speech. BDS supporters, regardless of their motivations, are entitled to their views and to their legal, non-violent forms of protest, just as opponents of BDS are entitled to challenge and criticize them in ways that do not trample on the First Amendment rights of any party.
  • Engaging the public and challenging BDS on its merits – through statements and other public messaging – in order to demonstrate why BDS against Israel is a misguided, counterproductive tactic in the fight to end the occupation, and to illustrate how activism focused on settlements and the occupied territories is a better way to achieve that goal.

They Say/We Say: "All BDS is anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, and unacceptable."

by APN 08/02/16
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They Say We Say We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now, we'll have ours.

Go HERE for all installments of APN's "They Say, We Say"

They Say, We Say: BDS & Criticism of Israel

They Say: All BDS – whether targeted at Israel or at settlements – is anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, and unacceptable.
We Say:It is ironic that some BDS supporters and BDS opponents share this same view that settlements and Israel are one and the same. For those who truly care about Israel and its future, this deliberate conflation of Israel and the settlements is outrageous. It in effect argues that those who care about Israel (or Palestine, or both) face a binary choice – support both Israel and the settlements, or oppose both. This is tantamount to arguing that no avenue for meaningful pro-Israel activism against the occupation and settlements exists. Such an approach is not only wrong, but a terrible mistake. It only feeds activism targeting Israel, bolstering those BDS activists who tell the world that settlements and Israel are one and the same. They are wrong, and activism targeting not Israel but, instead, the settlements and occupation, is indisputably pro-Israel and pro-peace. It is also the best answer to the BDS movement, demonstrating to activists that there is an avenue to oppose settlements and the occupation that is not anti-Israel (for more, see our other entries on BDS, including here).
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