--IDF Maj. Gen. Danny Efroni, the man charged with probing the IDF’s actions during last summer’s Gaza war, says he refuses to adopt the mantra decreed by then-Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz during the Second Intifada [2000-2006].**
APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday April 8, 2015
Quote of the day:
"...but for some the running event will mean a grind to a halt."
--Haaretz describes how the first 'Bible Marathon,' an Israeli sporting event meant to recreate a Biblical run from modern-day Rosh Ha'ayin to ancient Shiloh, will shut down a major West Bank highway Thursday.**
Written before the elections, our Passover letter noted how wealthy extremists like Sheldon Adelson support programs based on their right-wing values. We ask in our letter how those of us who support peace can do the same. It's time to step up.
In case you missed it, I include our passover message below, as well as a link to Israeli security expert Yossi Alpher's warning against complacency. You do not need to be a billionaire to make a difference; you only need to act!
Mark Rosenblum
Founder, APN
For pro-peace American Jews and Israelis, billionaire Sheldon Adelson is the object of both fear and scorn.
He’s certainly an easy target. Crass and richer than Croesus, he seems to get a blank check for irresponsible remarks, such as calling the Palestinians “an invented people” and advocating a preemptive nuclear strike against Iran. He has made it his mission to thwart a peace deal that would bring a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Tell your Senators: Give diplomacy every possible chance to work – Reject S. 269 & S. 615
For his entire career – including three previous terms in office as Prime Minister – Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently acted to subvert Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and undermine the two-state solution. He has done so through the promotion of settlements, the laundering of illegal outposts, and various other policies that have expanded and deepened the occupation across the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. Many hoped that Netanyahu’s verbal embrace of the two-state solution in his 2009 Bar-Ilan speech marked a turning point, and that his rhetorical nods to the Arab Peace Initiative signaled an openness to a broader agreement with the Arab world. Netanyahu’s actions and policies, however, have consistently belied his words, demonstrating unequivocally that he remains committed not to achieving peace, but to implementing an expansionist, “Greater Israel” agenda.
LA Jewish Journal - March 25, 2015
APN Board Member Dick Gunther: Why I continue to support peace
http://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/why_i_continue_to_support_peace
Los Angeles Times - March 22, 2015
Peace Now's Hagit Ofran: Pressure will be imperative to curtail next government's settlement construction
intentions
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-israeli-settlements-election-20150322-story.html#page=1
This week, Alpher discusses the positive aspects of the agreement announced in Lausanne last week from Israel’s standpoint; Netanyahu's response; what the agreement’s drawbacks are where Israel can make a case for a tougher approach; if the Iran agreement could affect Netanyahu’s coalition calculations; and is Netanyahu more likely now to be pressured by Obama and Kerry on the Palestinian issue.