Click on the center of the image to expand to full screen.
Move the slider at the top of the expanded screen to the right
to enlarge it further.

On Wednesday, June 29^th, APN intern Rebeca Feldman attended a panel discussion on the role of Syrian women journalist-activists. Following is her report:

The Middle East Institute hosted an event entitled: Media Activism Amid Civil War: The Role of Syrian Women Journalists. The event, moderated by Kate Seelye, Senior Vice President of the Middle East Institute, featured three speakers with vastly different backgrounds and experiences of the Syrian media. However, all three were unanimous in their belief in a free and empowered media for a democratic Syria, which can be achieved by making the media a voice of the people, representing all classes, communities, and genders.

From June 16-26, 2016, Israeli security expert Yossi Alpher, pictured on the right with APN President and CEO Debra DeLee , spoke at APN sponsored events in New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and as the keynote speaker for the APN Luncheon in the Berkshire Mountains in Western MA.  

The tour came shortly after the release of Alpher's new book, "No End of Conflict: Rethinking Israel-Palestine". 

(scroll down for more pictures) 

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 "new schemes" for dealing innovatively with the conflict, many of them unilateral, partial or piecemeal: the unilateral security plan presented by some 300 retired generals and senior security personnel known as “Commanders for Israeli security;” whether the commanders’ plan connect with the two-state security plan developed by a team of Americans, Israelis, Egyptians, Palestinians and Jordanians that was recently unveiled in Washington; the “Two States, One Homeland” plan; and a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation.

• Shock in Europe: Britain voted in favor of leaving European Union
• Shock in Brussels turned into rage, Merkel reacted with restraint
• Scotland advancing national referendum to separate from Britain
• Fear of sharp drops with opening of trade today in Tel-Aviv
• Britain will pay // Dov Alfon
• Strengthening Trump // Chemi Shalev
• Economy in crisis // Dafna Maor
• Inter-generational struggle // Asaf Ronal
• Loss for Israel // Barak Ravid
• The Greek tear // Avirama Golan
• Empty promises // Eitan Avriel
• No to isolationism // Haaretz Editorial
• Israel and Turkey reached understandings about Hamas; Shaul, Goldin and Mengistu families protest
• Chairman of coalition: Something happened to the heads of Shin Bet and the Mossad, they became left-wingers
• The summer camp that Emek Yizrael offers to young girls: Make-up and nail and hair styling  
• Ministers to discuss long weekend today; Netanyahu and Kahlon support it
• Study: Yoga and meditation improve memory and brain function

• The European rift // Nahum Barnea in London
• The great defeat
• After Britain’s disengagement: European stock markets dove, climactic tension in Tel-Aviv
• Economic earthquake
• Black Friday // Sever Plocker

• The European division
• The happiness, disappointment, regret and fear – Yedioth correspondent Gideon Kotz heard from British after the vote
• Comfortable despair // Yehuda Sharoni
• Wake-up call // Prof. Iris Kanor
• [Shooting Soldier from Hebron, Elor] Azariya family against the company commander
• Grudge tailwind from Donald Trump // Ron Miburg
• “There is no agreement without Oron (Shaul)”

• The big bang – Boaz Bismuth reports from shocked London
• The end the European mandate // Boaz Bismuth
• The stock markets crashed, the pound dove – and does this say about tourism and exports from Israel
• Decisive meeting today: Israel and Turkey expected to sign agreement to normalize relations; Goldin and Shaul families: “Not without (our) sons”
• MK Biton raised a storm: “Heads of Mossad and Shin Bet with time are becoming left-wingers”

• Abbas retracts claim that rabbis called for poisoning of Palestinian wells - In a statement, the PLO says it has become clear the accusations against the rabbis are 'baseless,' and the Palestinian president didn't intend to offend Jewish people. (Haaretz, Ynet and Maan) 
• Ten years since Gilad Shalit's kidnapping - The former Hamas prisoner spent over five years in captivity after terrorists infiltrated into Israel via an underground tunnel; Grandfather: 'I always knew he would return one day.' (Ynet)
• Popular Resistance Committees applaud Shalit prisoner exchange on 10th anniversary - The Committees applauded those who took part in the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, which achieved release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. However, since their release, Israel has initiated mass detention campaigns to bring hundreds of former prisoners released in the exchange back into Israeli custody. (Maan) 
• Two Israelis lightly hurt after being hit by Palestinian car - Palestinian woman shot dead after her car hits parked Israeli car at entrance to settlement of Kiryat Arba. (Haaretz, Maariv, Maan, Israel Hayom and Ynet) 
• Father of Palestinian boy killed by IDF troops urges Israel to 'recovers its sanity' - Mahmoud Rafat Badran, 15, was on his way home from a water park when Israeli troops mistakenly opened fire on the car he was in; his father expresses hope his son's death is the last of its kind as he vows to seek justice. (Haaretz+)
• Another soldier from Hebron shooting case put on trial - Sgt. D., who was present when Hebron soldier Cpl. Elor Azaria shot Abed al Fatah a-Sharif, a neutralized terrorist, will be put on trial himself for writing a Facebook post accusing Kfir Brigade company commander Tom Na'aman of giving false testimony against Azaria; IDF responded to the accusation, saying Cpl. D. 'did not see the incident.' (Yedioth/Ynet) 
• "The company commander said that if he had seen the terrorist move he would have neutralized him" - The claim made by those around the family of Elor Azariya is that: "The company commander (Maj. Tom Naaman) said there was tension in the air because they knew that another attack was going to come, in stark contrast to what (the company commander) said in court: that there was no warning and that there was no risk in the area." (Maariv) 
• **Gen. Yair Golan to graduates of officers' course: "Be brave in the face of a different opinion" - Deputy Chief of Staff was again in eye of the storm Thursday after calling on IDF officers to be "brave face in the face of the enemy fire, in the face of a different opinion, and in the face of the majority view" and create "an atmosphere of fairness, in which clear rules dominate and uniform norms reign." (Maariv and Times of Israel)
• 47% of the public: the government discriminates in favor of the residents of Judea and Samaria (settlers) - A poll published on the Knesset Channel showed nearly half of the public opposes the transfer of 80 million shekel budget to settlements. (Maariv) 
• Israeli Justice Minister berated at Ramadan iftar meal - Demonstrators in Wadi Ara wave Palestinian flags, tell Justice Minister Shaked she is not welcome, and curse the 200 Arab lawers she met with; Shaked nevertheless offered her best wishes on the 'blessed month of Ramadan.' (Yedioth/Ynet)
• Hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israel since beginning of Ramadan - An entire family was detained from the village of Qusra in Nablus: Khawla Badawi Hasan, her daughter Muna and her son Mutasem were detained on Monday, two days after her husband Khalil Abed al-Haq Hasan, 57, and their son Muhammad were detained. (Maan)
• Muslim privates swear allegiance to IDF - The March 2016 cycle of Desert Reconnaissance Battalion soldiers were sworn in on Thursday, consisting largely of Muslim Bedouins, along with some Christian and Muslim Arabs, all of who volunteered for army service; 'I understood how important it was to give and do my part for the country in which I was born, that I live my life in, and that I'm proud of. (Ynet) 
• Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands near Nablus - Israeli settlers from Rechalim set fire to dozens of dunams of nearby Palestinian agricultural lands of the village of al-Sawiya on Thursday afternoon, south of Nablus, burning dozens of olive and other trees. (Maan) 
• Right-wing lawmakers dig in for battle to stop demolition of illegal settlement - Amona, which was built on private Palestinian property, must be razed by the end of 2016, Israel's top court ruled. (Haaretz+) 
• **Israeli court rejects bid to close Palestinian quarries for environmental reasons - Forum for a Green Israel asked to close four legally operating Palestinian quarries, while ignoring Israeli-owned quarries in the West Bank. (Haaretz+ and Maan)
• IDF unveils new cyber defense HQ - Somewhere in central Israel, deep underground, is a 24/7 war room meant to enable the Israel Defense Forces to defend the country from cyber attacks. ‘We encourage initiative and innovation,’ says a high-ranking former IDF general in charge of cyber defense. (Ynet) 
• Israeli forces injure Palestinian youth with live fire during raids in Bethlehem - Israeli forces Friday injured a young Palestinian in the Dheisheh refugee camp with live fire during predawn raids carried out across the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, locals told Ma’an. (Maan) 
• Israel cracks down on PFLP prisoners amid ongoing mass hunger strike - Israel Prison authorities transferred 17 hunger-striking prisoners from Megiddo prison to Jalameh prison and other Israeli prisons in the south, while placing PFLP leaders Wael Jaghoub and Salah Ali in isolation and 10 other prisoners in Megiddo prison were reportedly placed in solitary confinement for their participation in the strike. (Maan)
• Court (Judge) acquitted four police officers of harsh abuse of prisoner: "It’s likely that the event never happened" - The prosecution accused the policemen of slamming the prisoner against the wall, beating him with their fists and pouring boiling water on him, causing severe burns until he admitted to the charges leveled against him. They also did not write up a report as per protocol. Judge Yoel Dayan: "We need to safeguard those who are responsible for keeping us safe." Police Unit Investigating Police stated that Judge Dayan refused to see all the ‘harsh’ material before acquitting policemen. (Maariv) 
• Israel moves to keep security interrogations from being filmed - The exemption, only for security cases, gets extended every few years, but some legislators want it stopped. (Haaretz+ and Maan) 
• Israel orders closure of PA-funded television channel in Israel for 6 months - Israel’s Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan issued an order Friday banning the Palestinian Authority (PA)-funded television channel Musawa for six months, claiming the channel represents an affront to Israel’s sovereignty. [The channel’s audience is mainly Palestinian citizens of Israel. – OH] (Maan and Haaretz+) 
• 8,308 Israelis renounced citizenship over past 12 years - A new report shows that rate of Israelis renouncing their citizenship has increased by 18% since 2003; reasons for so doing range from prerequisites for foreign naturalization to frustration with Israeli passport law. (Ynet) 
• First Sudanese asylum seeker receives refugee status - Sudanese asylum seeker whose home was burned down in Darfur and who crossed Israel's border in 2009 has been granted refugee status for first time in Israel. (Ynet) 
• 'We want our sons': Families of slain Palestinians held by Israel stage sit-in at Aqsa - Family members of slain Palestinians whose bodies are still being held by Israeli authorities staged a sit-in at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday, demanding Israel return the bodies under their campaign titled: "We want our sons." (Maan) 
•  Ya'alon visits Book Week, criticizes Abbas - Former defense minister signs copies of his book published in 2008; he says that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejects the 'very existence of the State of Israel as a national state of the Jewish people'; Ya'alon also reaffirms that he intends to run for the national leadership. (Ynet)
• Democrats Reject Platform Proposal Calling for 'End to Occupation and Illegal Settlements' - Members of a Democratic National Convention drafting committee considered the amendment pushed by James Zogby, who said Bernie Sanders helped craft the language of the amendment. (Agencies, Haaretz) 
• French anti-racism groups clash over mayor’s support for jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti - Human Rights League accuses National Bureau for Vigilance Agaisnt Anti-Semitism of behaving like 'a spokesperson of the Israeli government' for complaint against mayor. (JTA, Haaretz) 
• At Least 47, Including 31 Civilians, Killed in Syria Airstrikes - Either Syrian or Russian aircraft are responsible for the strikes on ISIS territory Friday, says observatory group. (Agencies, Haaretz) 
• Polish government offers to take over, upgrade, and maintain Treblinka memorial and museum - The Polish government, compelled to outline Poland's victimhood in the Holocaust and distance itself from the charge of complicity, has offered to transform the site of Treblinka into a more accessible and affecting national memorial. (JTA, Haaretz)  
• Pope Calls for Turkey-Armenia Reconciliation While Recognizing 100-year-old 'Genocide' - 'Here I pray, with pain in my heart, so that never again will there be tragedies like this,' says Francis at Armenia's genocide memorial. (Agencies, Haaretz)