This week, Alpher discusses that given both an intensifying Israeli-Palestinian negotiating process and a spike in violent incidents with Palestinians, which way we are heading; whether, in addition to the Saudi decision to reject a UN Security Council seat, there are additional manifestations of anger or disappointment with America among its Middle East friends; and what was significant about Israel's recent municipal elections for the broader public and political scene.
APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday October 28, 2013
Quote of the day:
"I loved you in summer."
--The song, by Lebanese singer Fairouz, was posted on Facebook by Israeli forces Arabic public
relations Spokesman Avichay Adraee causing a storm among Arabs.**
APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday October 27, 2013
Quote of the day:
"I left the UK because of my mother's illness and I returned to Israel, which depends on its sword. If I had known, I would probably not have returned."
--Famous Israeli poet Natan Zach tells Yedioth why he thinks it is okay for Israelis not to live in Israel.**
Earlier this week, APN Director of Policy and Government Relations, Lara Friedman, had the honor (and fun) of participating in the 2013 Google Ideas Summit in New York, as part of a panel entitled, "Digital Word Warriors." The panel was moderated by Michele Dunne, of the Atlantic Council.
The Jewish National Fund has in the past been caught lying about its role in East Jerusalem evictions of
Palestinians. Now its role in Israeli land policy in the Negev is revealed to be much larger than it admits. A
former JNF board member demands the organization take responsibility for its actions.
For many years the Jewish National Fund (KKL/JNF), the group known largely for planting trees in Israel, has denied
any involvement in taking Bedouin land as part of its efforts to Judaize the Negev. Its website says, "KKL-JNF
develops land only in areas designated in the master plans as instructed by, and as requested by the ILA (Israel
Land Authority), which are state lands or KKL-JNF lands."
Putting it simply, they were just taking orders.
Click here for
more.
APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday October 25, 2013
Quote of the day:
"They reached out and I responded."
--IDF spokesman Peter Lerner on his Twitter exchange with Hamas's military wing.**
APN is the sister organization of Shalom Achshav, Israel's preeminent peace movement. APN's mission is to educate and persuade the American public and its leadership to support and adopt policies that will lead to comprehensive, durable, Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab peace, based on a two-state solution, guaranteeing both peoples' security, and consistent with U.S. national interests. We also work to ensure Israel's future and the viability of Israel's democracy and Jewish character through education, activism and advocacy in the United States, and by mobilizing American support for Shalom Achshav.
For more about where APN stands click here.
APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday October 24, 2013
Number of the day:
1 million.
--The amount of dollars billionaire Power Rangers creator Haim Saban said
he would donate to Israeli soldiers if Simon Cowell would sing 'Go Go Power
Rangers.'**
APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday October 23, 2013
Quote of the day:
"...history's judgment will doubtless be damning. And it will cite, inter alia, his obsessive demand for Palestinian recognition as proof that he always intended to avoid a pragmatic, two-state solution, despite his Bar-Ilan declarations."
--Journalist and commentator David Landau explains in Haaretz why Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel "as the Jewish state" is proof of his disingenuousness regarding peace between Israelis and Palestinians.**
APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday October 22, 2013
Quote of the day:
"It looks like a terrorist act."
--Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's reaction upon seeing his creamy calorie-laden surprise birthday cake
at the Likud-Beiteinu meeting yesterday.**