Omar Shaban is the founder and director of PalThink for Strategic Studies, a Gaza City-based think tank, or as Shaban likes to call it, a “think and do tank.”

Debra Shushan, Stephanie Breitsman and Ori Nir sat with Shaban at APN’s office in Washington on Friday June 8th, for a long, fascinating conversation on the economy, society, and politics of the Gaza Strip.

By Elana Kravitz, APN intern

When you think about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the first thing that comes to mind usually isn’t soccer. But this week, a soccer game in Israel became a highly symbolic political pawn used by the Palestinians, and specifically the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, against Israel.

The match, scheduled for Saturday in Jerusalem, was intended to be a “friendly” warm-up game between the Argentine and Israeli national teams before the World Cup next week. Palestine Football Association chief Jibril Rajoub pressured Argentina to back out of the match, even going so far as to encourage Palestinians to “burn their Messi [jerseys] and pictures and renounce him.” In the wake of this encouragement, Argentine soccer players, especially Messi, received numerous threats, leading the team to pull out of the match citing concerns about safety.

Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived

1. Bills, Resolutions, & Letters
2. Senate FY19 NDAA
3. Free Speech Watch: Kenneth Marcus Confirmed to Dept. of Education
4. Hearings & Markups
5. On the Record
 

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.

This week, Alpher discusses whether Kim Jung-un will show Iran how to fool Trump on nuclear issues; how the nuclear summit and its outcome in Singapore directly affect the US approach to Iran; where the so-called Libya precedent comes into the picture; and Trump's comment that abandoning the Iran nuclear deal is already paying off.

APN Board Chair Jim Klutznick and Marilyn Katz in The Forward: June 5, 2018
"Three Myths About Gaza Dispelled"

The front-page photos and nightly news reports of the killings at the Gaza/Israel border have faded; the issues that fueled the confrontation have not. That the lives of 119 Gazans have been lost and thousands more unalterably changed is horrific. It will be just as tragic if the history of Gaza and the truth is buried along with those killed. Read More >

APN Director of Communications and Public Outreach Ori Nir in al-Ayyam (Palestinian Arabic Daily): June 3, 2018
"APN's Ori Nir urges Palestinians to reach out to progressive American Jews"

My first story as Haaretz’s new Palestinian affairs correspondent in 1986 was a profile of Zafer al-Masri, the legendary mayor of Nablus. Mr. al-Masri was a generous, compassionate man. I remember our conversation turning to the importance of mutual empathy and compassion in relations between people. He noted that national communities too should treat each other with empathy. When Israelis and Palestinians will treat the other with mutual empathy and respect, we will get closer to the peace that we all seek, he said. Read More >

JTA: June 7, 2018
"Kenneth Marcus narrowly wins Senate approval for top civil rights post," APN's Debra Shushan quoted in a story about Kenneth Marcus winning Senate approval.

New York Jewish Week: June 6, 2018
"Defining Anti-Semitism Tests Issues Of Speech, Bias," APN opposes Antisemitism Awareness Act.

Haaretz: June 3, 2018
"Israel's Top Court Hears Petitions Against West Bank Land-grab Law," Israel's High Court hears petitions against settlement legalization law brought by Peace Now and other organizations.

i24 News: June 3, 2018
"Israel’s High Court hears petitions against settlement legalization law," Israel's High Court hears petitions against settlement legalization law brought by Peace Now and other organizations.

Jerusalem Post: June 3, 2018
"Defense Ministry official: Illegal EU housing for Palestinians has mostly stopped," Peace Now's Hagit Ofran confirms a drop in EU construction of unauthorized housing units for Palestinians in WB's Area C.

Times of Israel: June 3, 2018
"State: There’s no alternative to outpost legalization law, warts and all," High Court of Justice hears State's position in a petition submitted by Peace Now and others regarding legalizing illegal outposts.