Americans for Peace Now welcomes the statement issued by the European Union's foreign ministers, which states that no European agreements with Israel would be applicable in the Occupied Territories and reiterating the EU's policy of labeling products made in West Bank Israeli settlements.
APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday January 19, 2016
Quote of the day:
"B’tselem invites you – right-wing moles, imposters and pretenders – to a tour in the south Hebron
hills, on Friday Jan. 29th. Costumes are not required, no need to equip yourselves with hidden cameras.
Program: Munchies, mingling with Palestinians, discussion circles with B’tselem field investigators about the evils of the occupation, and at the end – free time for questions, quoting and taking sentences out of context."
--B'tselem ad in today's Haaretz newspaper. The ad ended with the words, "Come, ‘Im Tirtzu,'" meaning: ‘if you want,’ but also the name of the far right-wing organization that called B’tselem employees ‘foreign moles.’)
Program: Munchies, mingling with Palestinians, discussion circles with B’tselem field investigators about the evils of the occupation, and at the end – free time for questions, quoting and taking sentences out of context."
--B'tselem ad in today's Haaretz newspaper. The ad ended with the words, "Come, ‘Im Tirtzu,'" meaning: ‘if you want,’ but also the name of the far right-wing organization that called B’tselem employees ‘foreign moles.’)
This week, Alpher discusses the Iran nuclear deal being fully implemented, with sanctions lifted earlier than originally predicted, and the US and Iran exchanging detainees; where these leave Washington’s relations with Israel and the Sunni Arab states; and the essentially Sunni Arab movements of Islamic State and al-Qaeda and the collapse of several Arab states - how and why all this began five years ago and whether we have figured that out so we can avoid repeating past mistakes.
APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday January 18, 2016
Quote of the day:
“...it is impossible to repent for a sin that never occurred, and to be outraged against a situation
that does not exist. So far, no underground cell has been discovered in the Israeli left wing that has planned
to harm right wingers, soldiers or settlers; so far not a single left winger has been suspected of setting a
synagogue on fire or lynching settlers they found on the street.”
--Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer slams back at those attacking the left-wing and human rights organizations following a controversial documentary, in which left-wing activist Ezra Nawi bragged he turned in to the Palestinian security Palestinians landbrokers who sold land to settlers.
--Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer slams back at those attacking the left-wing and human rights organizations following a controversial documentary, in which left-wing activist Ezra Nawi bragged he turned in to the Palestinian security Palestinians landbrokers who sold land to settlers.
You Must Be Kidding:
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan ordered the cancelation of a cultural event in East Jerusalem on the grounds that the Palestinian Authority was behind it.**
APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday January 17, 2016
Quote of the day:
"At the beginning of my path as Mossad chief, I met with a senior official in the Arab periphery, who asked me
if we had chosen to live in the Middle East, because in his opinion, we had decided not to. When I asked
him why he thought so, he asked: 'How many Jews born in Israel know Arabic? How many of them are familiar
with Arab culture? How many of them even want to get to know it?'"
--Outgoing Mossad chief Tamir Pardo shared insight in a fascinating interview.
You Must Be Kidding:
“This is a detail, that is, part of a small picture that the untrained eye would not easily recognize that is missing.”
--Givatayim Municipality tries to explain how a poster-sized photo of the Old City of Jerusalem was distributed to city schools with the distinctive gold-plated Dome of the Rock airbrushed out.
You Must Be Kidding:
“This is a detail, that is, part of a small picture that the untrained eye would not easily recognize that is missing.”
--Givatayim Municipality tries to explain how a poster-sized photo of the Old City of Jerusalem was distributed to city schools with the distinctive gold-plated Dome of the Rock airbrushed out.
APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday January 15, 2016
Quote of the day:
"Be gentle with Israel."
--Singer Dana International told foreign journalists last night in a comical
hasbara speech, in which she flattered the journalists as the "most intelligent people in the
world."
APN's Lara Friedman op-ed: No comparison between Israeli NGO bill and US law (JTA, 1/11/2016)
APN's Ori Nir: New anti-NGO bill is part of broader battle between conservatives and progressives in Israel (Voice of America, 1/14/2016)
Peace Now's Anat Ben Nun op-ed: Israel's NGO Bill is an Attempt to Crush Critics of the Government (Newsweek, 1/10/2016)
Following Peace Now report, US condemns Israel expanding West Bank settlement bloc (Washington Post/AP, 1/8/2016)
On January 14, 2016, APN, together with New Israel Fund (NIF), J Street, Ameinu, T’ruah, Partners for Progressive Israel (PPI), Foundation for Middle-East Peace (FMEP), and B'Tselem USA, hosted MK Merav Michaeli, former Deputy Knesset Speaker Naomi Chazan, and Attorney Michael Sfard, moderated by Matt Duss, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace for a conversation on the legislation now being considered by the Knesset that targets progressive NGOs for extra scrutiny of their foreign donations, but does not require similar scrutiny of right-wing or settler groups.
This legislation is part of a long-term effort by some Israeli hardliners, backed by the government, to weaken Israel’s democracy by stifling dissent. While its supporters attempt to liken it to existing US law, it has drawn significant opposition from many quarters, both within Israel, from the US State Department and among the American Jewish community. And still, there is a real possibility that the bill will pass in the next few weeks.
On Thursday, January 14, APN's Lara Friedman joined Zeina Azzam, the
Executive Director of the Jerusalem Fund for a panel moderated by John Feffer, the Director for Epicenter
at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC for a panel discussing the performance Wrestling
Jerusalem. More information can be found here.
Wrestling Jerusalem, written by and starring Aaron Davidman, is about one
man’s journey to comprehend the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as it courses through his divided psyche and
argumentative community. Originally commissioned by Theater J in 2007, Davidman’s evolving excavation into
the contours of conflict now illuminates a personal story that grapples with the complexities of identity,
history and social justice. Wrestling Jerusalem gives voice to a dozen characters, animating their
struggles, soul searchings and defensive barriers that give way to a spiritual oneness that offers a promise
of peace in the midst of bloodshed. Part of the Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival.
--APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday January 16, 2016
Quote of the day:
"You’re the age of my son. How could you?"
--Mother of Mohammed Abu-Khdeir turned in court to the two youth on trial for burning her son alive, after telling the court how her life ended ever since. Her husband asked for the boys' homes to be demolished.
--Mother of Mohammed Abu-Khdeir turned in court to the two youth on trial for burning her son alive, after telling the court how her life ended ever since. Her husband asked for the boys' homes to be demolished.
You Must Be Kidding:
“The only thing that the Swedish Foreign Minister has yet to do is physically join the Palestinian terrorists and stab Jews. In light of her conduct now, we need to hope very much that this won’t happen.”
--Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman reacts to the call by the Swedish Foreign Minister for a probe into possible extra-judicial killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces in the recent wave of violence.