"(It is permissible for Israeli soldiers) to satisfy the evil inclination by sleeping with beautiful gentile women against their will, out of consideration for the soldiers' hardships and for the sake of general success."

From a previous statement made by Rabbi Colonel Eyal Krim, newly IDF-appointed Chief Rabbi. Female MKs and women's organizations have called to immediately revoke his appointment.

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.

July 11, 2016 - Netanyahu meets with Egyptian FM Shukry; Expanding Israel's spheres of strategic influence while internalizing the Palestinian issue

Q. Last week, PM Netanyahu followed up Israel's rapprochement with Turkey by meeting in East Africa with seven regional leaders. Then on Sunday this week, the Egyptian foreign minister visited Israel for the first time in nine years. What's behind this flurry of diplomatic and strategic activity?

A. Netanyahu appears intent on creating a number of spheres of close strategic cooperation around Israel...

Q. Last week you talked about Israel and Turkey. Moving on to East Africa, what specifically is the strategic backdrop?

A. Israel began developing strategic relations with a variety of African countries beginning in the 1950s...

Q. Shukry presumably also wanted to talk to Netanyahu about Israeli-Turkish relations.

A. This brings us back to the events of last May...

Q. But does the right-wing Netanyahu government with its strong pro-settler element really have anything to talk about with the Arabs concerning the Palestinian issue?

A. On the face of it, there is little in common between the Egyptian and Israeli positions regarding a Palestinian state...

Q. So why do the Egyptians bother?

A. Egypt's concerns regarding Netanyahu’s Ethiopia/Nile visit and the Erdogan-Netanyahu deal are apparently reason enough to touch base in Jerusalem for a day...

Q. Returning to Netanyahu's seemingly successful drive to establish Israeli spheres of strategic influence in the region and beyond, what's next, and what might this signify for the Palestinian issue?

A. ...Netanyahu's diplomatic maneuvers in Addis Abeba, Ankara and even Cairo might be impressive. But he still has no viable strategy whatsoever for maintaining Israel as a Zionist, Jewish and democratic state.

APN Legislative Round-Up: June 8, 2016

1. Bills, Resolutions and Letters
2. Hearings
3. On the Record

APN condemns new anti-democratic Israeli law

With the 57-48 passage of the anti-NGO bill by the Knesset, APN joins its Israeli sister organization, Peace Now (Shalom Achshav), in strongly condemning it as a blatant violation of freedom of expression. APN supports Peace Now's intention to challenge the new law before Israel's Supreme Court.

Go HERE for the useful JTA op-ed by APN's Lara Friedman from earlier this year: "No comparison between Israeli NGO bill and US law."

Tell President Obama and Secretary Kerry: Take action in the United Nations Security Council

Now is the time for real leadership that can revive and re-accredit the two-state solution. President Obama can lay the groundwork for a future agreement by supporting an Israeli-Palestinian two-state resolution in the United Nations Security Council.

APN's Proud Record on BDS

APN stands firmly against a blanket boycott of Israel, and believes the most effective way to challenge BDS is to recognize and reject the pro-settlement, anti-peace policies that feed it.

Go HERE for more on APN's efforts, including support for activism targeted squarely at settlements and the occupation, and against congressional and state-level efforts that exploit fighting BDS to support settlements and erode constitutionally-protected rights to free speech and political protest.

Israeli Gov't moves to approve new settlement housing, retroactively legalize outposts

Peace Now: Netanyahu is signaling to Israel's most important allies that he is not interested in peace and two states but rather in the continuation of the occupation.

Go HERE for more on the revelation of plans for nearly 2000 new settlement housing units.

Go HERE for Jerusalem Post: 14 West Bank settler outposts to be legalize, 20 already approved"

Forward: "Why Israel's Mossad and Shin Bet Leaders Are Morphing Into 'Leftists'"
By JJ Goldberg

...The startling fact is that military expertise, familiarity with Israel's current capabilities and its neighbors' intentions, seems to lead Israel’s defense professionals almost unavoidably to the prescriptions identified with the left.