Event 2/9: Danny Seidemann - Jerusalem and the Two-State Solution: Breakdown or Breakthrough

by APN 01/28/14
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Seidemann

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.

New America Foundation Panel with APN's Lara Friedman: 1/31: Peace for Israel and Palestine?

by APN 01/28/14
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New America Foundation

 

Peace for Israel and Palestine?
Public Opinion 20 Years after Oslo

In collaboration with

The Arab American Institute.

As Secretary of State John Kerry's April deadline for a peace agreement approaches, a key concern is whether the Israeli and Palestinian publics are ready to support an agreement. Where do Israelis and Palestinians stand on key issues, and what kind of peace agreement do they want?

Twenty years after the signing of the Oslo Accords, Zogby Research Services examined these questions in its latest public opinion poll on Israeli and Palestinian attitudes toward the peace process. Please join the Arab American Institute and the New America Foundation's Middle East Task Force for the survey's public release and a discussion of its findings. The poll, conducted for the Sir Bani Yas Forum in the UAE, provides critical insights for today's peace negotiators as they seek a viable agreement that both the Israeli and Palestinian publics can support.

Presenter:
James Zogby
President, Arab American Institute and Zogby Research Services

Panelists:
Khaled Elgindy
Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution

Lara Friedman
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Americans for Peace Now

Moderator:
Leila Hilal
Director, Middle East Task Force, New American Foundation

Friday, January 31, 2014
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
New America Foundation
1899 L Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036

Join the conversation online using #20AfterOslo and following @NewAmerica and aaiusa.

If you are unable to join us in person, please tune in to our live webcast of the event. No signup is required to view the streaming video.

 

To RSVP for the event, click on the red button or go to the event page:
http://newamerica.net/events/2014/peace_for_israel_and_palestine

For questions, contact Liana Simonds at New America at (202) 735-2829 or simonds@newamerica.org.

News Nosh 01.28.14

by APN 01/28/14
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday January 28, 2014

Quote of the day:
“It’s unfortunate and worrying to receive yet another signal of the ongoing increase in extremism in the Orthodox education system that is funded by the state, which acts like an ignorant soccer team that is not prepared to accept even one Arab player. "
--Oren Yehi-Shalom, director of the NGO Israeli Education on the refusal of the Education Ministry to employ Arab teachers in religious Jewish schools.**
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News Nosh 01.27.14

by APN 01/27/14
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday January 27, 2014

Quote of the day:
"Those who see anti-Semitism in the criticism being leveled on Israel because of its settlement policy undermine the battle against anti-Semitism."
--Justice Minister and chief Israeli negotiator Tzipi Livni slams the Israeli government and the Canadian Prime Minister's stance on anti-Semitism and settlers.**
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APN/Peace Now in the News: January 17-24, 2014

by APN 01/27/14
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Arutz 7 (AFP story) - January 21, 2014
Peace Now: Israeli government has approved plans to build 381 new homes in Givat Ze'ev
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/176551#.Ut8wqRQo5Mw

Fox News (AP story) - January 21, 2014
Peace Now: Povernment of Israel had advanced preliminary plans to build 381 new homes in Givat Zeev
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/01/21/israeli-opposition-leader-questions-if-netanyahu-has-guts-to-make-peace-with/

Maan News (AFP story) - January 22, 2014
Israel's government has approved plans to build 381 new homes in Givat Zeev
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=667145

Jerusalem Post - January 22, 2014
Peace Now publicizes several plans advanced by the Israeli government for construction in West Bank settlements and East Jerusalem

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Jewish-building-plans-advanced-in-West-Bank-east-Jerusalem-338973

Netanyahu "doesn't intend to remove a single settler," and more: Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher: January 27, 2014

by APN 01/27/14
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Tbenjamin-netanyahu-settlements320x265his week, Alpher discusses Netanyahu's comment at Davos last week that he "doesn't intend to remove a single settler" and the reactions it provoked; whether Livni has joined the chorus of Israelis despairing of this peace process, and if so, why doesn't she resign; why is the Israeli security establishment returning to the tactic of targeted killings of Gazan extremist now, after a two-year lull, and a few last words in memory of Shulamit Aloni.

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They Say, We say: Settlements are Israel's first line of defense against attack

by APN 01/27/14
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They Say We Say We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now, we'll have ours.

Go HERE for all installments of APN's "They Say, We Say"

Are settlements really a problem?

They Say:

Settlements are Israel's first line of defense against attack. Sacrificing settlements to try to appease Israel's enemies will only invite aggression.

We Say:

The notion that civilian Israeli settlements in the West Bank are an asset to Israeli security has not been taken seriously in Israeli security, military and intelligence circles for decades.

Today, the clear reality is that settlers' presence in the West Bank places a heavy burden on the IDF, and a heavy economic, moral, and political burden on all Israelis. The only real arguments for keeping the settlements in place, and continuing to expand them, are the religious-ideological commitment to "Greater Israel" and the short-sighted argument that views the issue in terms of not wanting to be a "freier" [Hebrew slang for "sucker"] - suggesting that it is better to keep building settlements, even if it hurts Israel, than to give the Palestinians a "concession" without demanding a Palestinian "concession" of equal or greater value in return.

Neither of these arguments has anything to do with Israeli national security. Israeli national security policy shouldn't be grounded in reckless expansionist fantasies or self-defeating ego-driven concerns. Rather, they should be based on a sober assessment of current and potential threats. Any such assessment recognizes settlements today as a security liability, not an asset.

They Say, We say: Removing settlements and outposts from the West Bank will not satisfy the Arabs

by APN 01/27/14
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They Say We Say We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now, we'll have ours.

Go HERE for all installments of APN's "They Say, We Say"

Are settlements really a problem?

They Say:

Removing settlements and outposts from the West Bank will not satisfy the Arabs and bring peace. The Arabs regard even Tel Aviv as "occupied territory" and aspire to "liberate" all of Palestine.

We Say:

The question is not whether Palestinians will give up the dream of "liberating" all of Palestine. The question is whether the existence of a rejectionist minority, potentially willing to use violence against Israel to pursue their "liberation" dream, means that peace is not possible. The answer, clearly, is no.

Most Palestinians recognize that Israel is here to stay. Most also accept the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem as the only real option available to fulfill their national aspirations. Most accept that an agreement to create a viable Palestinian state would mean the end of territorial claims against Israel. For years, public opinion surveys among the Palestinians have consistently found this to be the case.

Certainly, there is a minority of Palestinians who don't accept a two-state solution, and even Palestinians who accept the two-state solution are not necessarily happy about it. But there is no reason they should be: peace requires the Palestinians to sacrifice their dream of returning to homes and land that they or their families left within living memory.

Likewise, some Israelis and Diaspora Jews dream of a Greater Israel that includes all of the West Bank and even land beyond. This minority clings to its dangerous desire, irrespective of how unattainable its dream is. At the same time, many Israelis who support the two-state solution - recognizing that it is the only thing that can guarantee Israel's future as a Jewish state and a democracy - do so reluctantly. This is understandable: just as peace requires Palestinians to give up the dream of returning to Jaffa, so must Israelis give up the dream of holding on to Shechem (Nablus) and Shiloh, or Hevron (Hebron), cradles of Jewish civilization.

The vast majority of both Israelis and Palestinians want peace and accept the two-state solution. A successful peace agreement will include two mutually reinforcing components: meaningful incentives to further buttress the notion among both Israelis and Palestinians that peace is better than the reckless pursuit of unattainable dreams; and a strong security component to deter and fend off any threats from rejectionists.

APN's Mark Silverberg - Cleveland Jewish News: Proposed new Iran sanctions all wrong

by APN 01/26/14
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Silverberg320x265

As an American supporter of Israel, I am strongly against the Iran sanctions legislation recently introduced by U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, and Mark Kirk, an Illinois Republican. I deeply hope that Senate leaders will not move this ill-timed and highly problematic legislation forward.

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Shulamit Aloni RIP

by APN 01/24/14
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Aloni320x265

Americans for Peace Now (APN) mourns the death of Shulamit Aloni, one of the founders of Israel’s peace movement and civil rights movement, a former cabinet minister and Knesset member and one of the pivotal leaders of Israel’s progressive camp.

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