Americans for Peace Now

Settlements 101

by APN 12/09/12

What is a settlement?

"Settlement" is the term used to denote Israeli civilian communities built in territory conquered by Israel in the Six Day War (June 1967). This territory is comprised of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula. These neighborhoods have been a major issue in the peace process since 1967 and remain highly controversial.

Settlements in the Sinai were evacuated and destroyed in 1979, following Israel's historic peace agreement with Egypt and the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.

Settlements in the Gaza Strip were evacuated and destroyed as part of Israel's unilateral "disengagement" from Gaza in 2005.

Therefore, today settlements only exist in the Golan Heights and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem).

What You Need to Know About E-1

by APN 12/07/12

Americans for Peace Now (December 2012)
APN and Peace Now provide all the information you need to know about the highly controversial E-1 settlement project near Jerusalem. Read More >

West Bank Construction Obstructs a Two-State Solution

by APN 12/03/12

PBS Newshour (December 2012)
American Task Force on Palestine's Ghaith al-Omari and Washington Institute for Near East Policy's David Makovsky are interviewed about Israeli settlements and whether a two-state solution is possible when both sides assume the worst of the other's actions. (8:02) Watch >

Public Poll Findings: Peace with the Palestinians

by APN 12/01/12

S. Daniel Abraham Center / Dahaf (December, 2012)
Finds that roughly two thirds of Israelis would support a peace agreement establishing a demilitarized Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, Israel's retention of major settlement blocs and a division of Jerusalem. Also finds support for this position from majorities of voters in the right-wing parties of Likud-Beiteinu and Habayit Hayehudi PDF >

Israeli Public Opinion after the November 2012 Gaza War

by APN 11/30/12

The Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development / PIPA / CISSM (2012)
Authoritative survey of the Israeli public that includes findings regarding the Palestinian issue (page 12). Finds that a majority of Israelis say that they are ready to accept the Arab Peace Initiative as the basis for negotiation, whereby Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders and a peace agreement is established with all Arab states. PDF >

Backgrounder: Hamas

by APN 11/27/12

Council on Foreign Relations (November 2012)
Features basic information about Hamas, including its origins, beliefs, leaders, operations, terrorist attacks, goals, and perception among Palestinians. Read More >

Operation Pillar of Defense: Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement

by APN 11/21/12

November 21, 2012
Text of the agreement between Israel and Hamas negotiated by Egypt that brought an end to the 2012 Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Outlines the parameters of the ceasefire as well as its implementation mechanism. Read Document >

Sympathies with Israelis or Palestinians; Israeli attack on Gaza justified

by APN 11/16/12

CNN / ORC (November 16-18, 2012)
Finds that 59% of Americans say their sympathies lie more with Israel, as opposed to just 13% who say their sympathies are more with the Palestinians. Also shows that 57% of Americans believe Israel justified in "taking military action against Hamas and the Palestinians in the area known as Gaza", while only 25% feel it is unjustified. PDF >

Pathways to Peace: America and the Arab-Israeli Conflict

by APN 11/13/12

Daniel C. Kurtzer (Ed.) | Palgrave Macmillan (2012)
Book Review (Americans for Peace Now) | CampusBooks

Americans on the Middle East: A Study of American Public Opinion

by APN 10/08/12

The Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development / The Program on International Policy Attitudes (October 8, 2012)
Among other findings, shows that two-thirds of Americans continue to express the view that the Arab-Israeli conflict is a "top five issue" in regard to its importance to U.S. foreign policy. Also shows that a plurality want the U.S. to maintain its current level of diplomatic activity in the Middle East. PDF >