The sub-committee for settlements of the higher planning committee of the military’s Civil Administration met yesterday to discuss 15 plans, at various planning stages and in different settlements. In total, the committee discussed plans that regard 1,065 housing units. Of these housing units, the plan approved 541 new housing units, retroactively legalized 228 existing housing units, and approved the development of infrastructure for a plan that consists of 296 housing units, while further approval will be needed before construction of the housing units can begin.
 

APN's daily news review from Israel

Thursday July 23, 2015
 

Quote of the day:

"It was worth it."
--Response by two far right-wing activists to their sentence for setting fire to Yad B'Yad Jewish-Arab school in Jerusalem.**

We mourn the passing of APN friend Theodore Bikel.

The world renowned stage and film actor and singer was also a leading peace activist for Israel, and was currently serving as Chairman of the Board of Partners for Progressive Israel. He publicly refused to perform in Israeli settlements, and in 2010 led a settlement boycott effort by 120 artists which he wrote about in the Huffington Post's "Legitimizing an Obstacle to Peace"

As we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words. This is our aim: to make people think and to act for peace.

This week, we bring you a new cartoon, asking what troubles the Prime Minister most: “Existential Threat”

Rabbi Seth Goldstein has served as the rabbi of Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia, WA since 2003, after graduating from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. He is a member of the board of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, served as a co-chair of an RRA task force examining issues of Jewish status and identity, is a participant in the Clergy Leadership Program of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and a fellow of CLAL's Rabbis Without Borders.

Tisha B’Av (“the ninth of Av”) is a day of fasting and mourning for the destruction of the ancient Temples in Jerusalem, and is observed this year beginning the evening of July 25. Like Yom Kippur, it is a full day fast (The fast is being observed on the 10^th of Av this year because the 9^th falls on Shabbat, and thus the fast is postponed.)

The Temple holds an important place in the collective spiritual consciousness of the Jewish people. It is seen as the place where the community was in deep and close connection to God. The destruction of the Temple led to the separation from the land, the dispersion of the community and a need to rebuild the ritual infrastructure of Judaism, so its loss is remembered as a great tragedy. In addition to setting aside this one day to mourn, prayers for the rebuilding of the Temple and Jerusalem punctuate our liturgy.

This week, Alpher sums up the Iran nuclear deal, discussing additional pros and cons for Israel; the most important criterion for Israel in addressing the Iran nuclear agreement; what should be on the agenda for Israeli-American talks regarding security assurances; and given the discussed rationales for Israel to line up behind the Iran deal, what still concerns him about the deal and its aftermath.

APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday July 19, 2015
 

Quote of the day:

"It's possible he'll tell you 'Hello' and even make small talk with you. No need to be taken aback by the the niceness attack..."
--Yedioth writes about a new initiative in Israel: saying 'hello' to strangers.