This week, Alpher discusses the flood of policy statements from the most senior spokespersons on every side; whether Abbas is making concessions; Kerry's remarks about the consequences for Israel of not reaching an agreement; Indyk's statement in a phone briefing to American Jewish leaders that the upcoming framework agreement would address the right of Jews who fled Arab countries; and the issue of public attitudes toward the peace process in both Israel and the Palestinian Authority and whether they are changing.

The Forward - January 28, 2014
APN's Debra DeLee: Love Israel. Oppose BDS. Reject SodaStream.
http://blogs.forward.com/forward-thinking/191768/love-israel-oppose-bds-reject-sodastream/

Cleveland Jewish News - January 23, 2014
APN Board Member Mark Silverberg op-ed: Proposed new Iran sanctions all wrong
http://m.clevelandjewishnews.com/mobile/opinion/op-eds/article_ffa5f870-82c0-11e3-83fe-0019bb2963f4.html

Haaretz - January 23, 2014
US Students on Project Extend meet with Peace Now in Israel
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/twilight-zone/.premium-1.570193#.UuPcNFGbFRw.facebook

Arutz 7 - January 28, 2014
Peace Now organizes "Price Tag" tours
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/176810#.UughPbso5Mw

JTA - January 28, 2014
APN part of a loose coalition supporting the Obama administration on Iran
http://www.stljewishlight.com/news/world/article_53961a8f-d185-565e-a636-957989e830eb.html

LA Jewish Journal (JTA story) - January 29, 2014
APN among loose coalition working to support Obama administration on Iran
http://www.jewishjournal.com/world/article/groups_join_to_oppose_sanctions

Maariv (English translation, no link) - January 28, 2014
Peace Now Offering West Bank Tour in the Footsteps of "Price Tag"

Price Tag Tourism: Peace Now Offering Tour in the Footsteps of the Extreme Right Wing
Ma’ariv (back page) by Itamar Fleishman -- There is now another kind of tour to Judea and Samaria in addition to the popular tours to the sites where historic events took place, and visits to settlements and wineries. These news tours are being sponsored by people who oppose all settlement beyond the Green Line, and they will take visitors to places where price tag operations were committed.

These tours are being organized by Peace Now and they will go to Arab villages in the territories where participants can see the places where graffiti was spray-painted on walls and where acts of arson and attempted arson was committed, targeting houses mosques and cars. Peace Now has already prepared ads, but has not made public the date of the next tour because it fears members of the extreme right wing will sabotage it. Peace Now says that there is great demand. “There is a great thirst, mainly from students and other young people to see reality with their own eyes,” says Yariv Oppenheimer. “The goal is to present a geopolitical picture and to show that expanding the settlements hurts the chances of peace, and to show the effect of the settlements and the outposts on life in the area and to reveal to the public the attacks [on Palestinians].”

Oppenheimer promises that the tour will also visit places that have become “hostile for IDF soldiers.” He is most likely referring to outposts that are considered more militant but refuses to give details due to “concern that settlers will decide to block the roads and only let in tours of people of their own mindset,” as he puts it.

The tours are meant to counter the successful tours given by the settlers in which thousands of Israelis, among them VIPs, visit the territories, are given a subsidized tour and learn about the settlers’ view of events. One agency that gives such tours is the Settlers Council.

Settlers Council Deputy Director General Yigal Dilmoni said last night: “There’s no question that seeing and tours are important. Our tours show the reality of Judea and Samaria, without filters.”

In his State of the Union address last night, President Obama addressed in detail the issues that are at the heart of APN's mission and activities.

APN's President and CEO Debra DeLee offered the following comments on the address:

"In his State of the Union -- his annual address to Congress and the American people highlighting the most important issues and priorities on the nation's agenda -- the President rightly singled out for special mention his Administration's efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 'As we speak,' he said, 'American diplomacy is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel.'

As counterintuitive as it may be, when you see Scarlett Johansson’s Super Bowl ad on Sunday, promoting a product that lets you make carbonated drinks at home, try to see through bubbles and think about the future of the Middle East.

Jerusalem and the Two-State Solution: Breakdown or Breakthrough
Premier Jerusalem expert Danny Seidemann will discuss current developments in and around Jerusalem, and how they impact the viability of both Secretary Kerry’s ongoing peace efforts, and of the two-state solution itself.

No RSVP necessary

Sunday, February 9th
10:15-11:30 am
Temple Micah,
2829 Wisconsin Avenue NW (corner of Garfield)
in the Sanctuary

Daniel “Danny” Seidemann is the founder and director of Terrestrial Jerusalem (TJ), an Israeli non‐governmental organization that promotes an Israeli‐Palestinian permanent status peace agreement by working to ensure that an agreement is possible on the issue of Jerusalem. By providing decision‐makers and opinion‐shapers with relevant data, analyses and maps, TJ strives to engage them in preventing developments that are detrimental to (a) the two‐state solution, (b) the stability of Jerusalem, and (c) the humanitarian situation.

In addition, you can read his most recent article on Jerusalem here.