APN’s daily news review from Israel - Tuesday January 26, 2021

 

Quote of the day:

"It's not this or that position paper that drives the right-wing nuts, but the fear of (Israeli civil society) organizations that insist on documenting, reporting and reminding the public of what is happening in its - and ostensibly for his security - in the Territories."
--—Mickey Gitzin, Director of the New Israel Fund in Israel, writes that B’Tselem’s declaration that Israel is an apartheid state is not what right-wingers fear, but informing Israelis about what Israel is doing in the Palestinian Territories does.* 

The following speech was delivered at the UN Security Council on January 26th 2021, by Ambassador Richard Mills, the Acting Representative of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. It is the first official, public statement indicating the Israel-Palestine policy of the Biden administration. It was first posted here.  

Ambassador Richard Mills
Acting Representative
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, New York
January 26, 2021

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. President. Let me at the outset join others in taking a moment to wish Foreign Minister Jerandi, who was supposed to join us on screen today, a swift, full recovery from COVID-19.

I also want to take a moment to welcome the new UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace. It is a complicated file you have taken over, Tor, but your broad experience – not only on the Middle East Peace issues, but on the wider region – means that you have a depth of understanding that the United States hopes will help bring about a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the conflict. And I know we’ve expressed our thanks before, but I’d like to take just one more moment to express the gratitude and appreciation of the U.S. government for the work and professionalism of Nikolay Mladenov, Tor’s predecessor.

APN's daily news review from Israel - Monday January 25, 2021

 

Quote of the day:

“Israel consciously imported corona and further exempted it from customs…In the name of diplomatic advancement…”
—Einav Schiff writes in Yedioth that the fear of a diplomatic crisis with the UAE overcame scientific truth and epidemiological considerations.*

Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

Washington, DC -- Americans for Peace Now (APN) congratulates President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and wishes them success in implementing responsible and just policies both at home and abroad.

Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

APN's daily news review from Israel - Thursday January 14, 2021

Quote of the day:

“He must think Arab Israelis have a short memory.”
--Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh responding to Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's wooing of the Arab-Israeli vote.*

APN's daily news review from Israel - Wednesday January 13, 2021

Quote of the day:

“Unlike other Bibi fans, Adelson put his money where his mouth was. He poured hundreds of millions of shekels into the free daily newspaper Israel Hayom, for the sole purpose of making Binyamin Netanyahu Israel’s prime minister. From a journalistic perspective, Israel Hayom was never very important. But as a goal-oriented political project, it was Israel’s most important newspaper, contributing to Netanyahu's 11-and-counting consecutive years in office.”
—Sami Peretz writes about how the great influence the freebie Israeli newspaper, ‘Israel Hayom,’ created and published by the late Jewish billionaire and megadonor, Sheldon Adelson, had on Israelis - in support of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.*

Breaking News:
At least 40 Killed After Israel Struck Syria 'With U.S. Intel After Pompeo, Mossad Head Met in D.C.'
Senior U.S. intelligence official says Israel's strike on eastern Syria targeted arms depots, as well as components linked to Iran's nuclear program. This is the fourth alleged Israeli strike in Syria within two weeks and the deadliest attack since 2018. (Haaretz+, Ynet, Israel Hayom)

APN's daily news review from Israel - Tuesday January 12, 2021

Quotes of the day:

"A defense minister without a party, without a public mandate and without a backbone, has again failed to defend the future of Israel and is bowing to a small and vociferous minority from the settlements. Yesterday he promised that no outposts would be legalized, and today he approves an outpost with 350 units."
—Peace Now responds to Israeli Defense Minister and Kahol-Lavan chairman, Benny Gantz's approval of more settlement homes.*

“A public security minister who has lost it and a prime minister who gave up and and let this farce continue — that’s the only way to explain not vaccinating prisoners over the age of 60. This is a move that is illegal, politically motivated and life-threatening."
--Israeli Defense Minister and Kahol-Lavan chairman, Benny Gantz, said after calling on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to force Public Security Minister to allow 60+-year-old prisoners be vaccinated.**

You Must Be Kidding: 
Yesterday, a Jewish Israeli on one side of a road was moderately injured by a stone thrown by Jewish settlers at Palestinian vehicles from the other side of the road.***