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 what’s wrong with the Knesset bill passed July 11th, that stigmatizes human rights NGOs (non-governmental organizations, or non-profits) in Israel by obliging them to constantly and blatantly publicize funding they receive from foreign governments; truck attack in Nice on Bastille Day, July 14; and what was relevant about the failed military coup in Turkey.

New York Jewish Week - July 14

Board Member Martin Bresler's op-ed, "Why I Do Call Israel Out On The Occupation" is published as a response to David Bernstein's "Why I Don't Call Israel Out On The Occupation." 

Media Coverage of Peace Now's Response to NGO Law

Al Jazeera - July 12
Israel passes controversial NGO bill amid criticism

Washington Post - July 12
Israel NGOs decry 'deeply anti-democratic' move as new law approved

Reuters (featured in Daily Mail and Voice of America) - July 12

EU says Israel's new NGO law risks 'undermining values'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3686192/EU-says-Israels-new-NGO-law-risks-undermining-values.html

http://www.voanews.com/content/eu-says-israels-new-ngo-law-risks-undermining-values/3414830.html

The Guardian - July 12
Israel passes law to force NGOs to reveal foreign funding

BBC - July 12
EU criticises Israel law forcing NGOs to reveal foreign funding

The Times of Israel - July 12
EU: NGO law risks undermining Israel's democratic values

The Times of Israel - July 12
Left-wing groups slam 'anti-democratic' NGO law

Al Arabiya - July 12
>Israel approves NGO foreign funding law

The Forward - July 12
Israel Passes Controversial Anti-NGO Law

Jewish Telegraphic Agency - July 12
Knesset passes controversial 'transparency' law on NGO funding

i24 News - July 12
EU Slams Israel's controversial NGO law

Deutsche Welle - July 12

France 24 - July 12
Israël adopte une loi controversée sur le financement étranger des ONG

The Associated Press (featured in Washington Post and New York Times) - July 11

Israel passes law targeting human rights organizations 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israel-passes-law-targeting-human-rights-organizations/2016/07/11/a54a8132-47af-11e6-8dac-0c6e4accc5b1_story.html

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/07/11/world/middleeast/ap-ml-israel-ngo-law.html

Reuters (also featured in Ynet News and the Jerusalem Post) - July 11

Israel NGO bill, seen as targeting left-wing groups, becomes law

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-ngo-idUSKCN0ZR2JB

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4827203,00.html

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-NGO-bill-seen-as-targeting-left-wing-groups-becomes-law-460126

Haaretz - June 26
Haaretz Daily Cartoon features Peace Now

News 24 (AFP Story) - July 4
Peace Now quoted in comment on settlement construction strengthening extremists

Daily Mail - July 6
Peace Now quoted for a fact on settlement expansion: Israeli government initiates construction of 42 new homes in West Bank settlement

APN Statement Celebrating One-Year Anniversary of the JCPOA (7/15/16)

Recommended reading: The Obama Administration on the 1-year anniversary of the JCPOA

Recommended Reading on the JCPOA 1-year Anniversary - Analyses/News/Commentary

APN archived/historic resources: Diplomacy Produces Good Iran Deal

This week, on the first anniversary of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Americans for Peace Now (APN) celebrated the achievement of this historic deal – a deal that has already proven itself by radically rolling back and limiting Iran’s nuclear program. 

APN President and CEO Debra DeLee commented:

“We reiterate today our thanks and congratulations to President Obama and his P5+1 partners – France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China – on this historic agreement and its ongoing implementation. A year on, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has proven itself a clear win for the American people, for U.S. leadership, for U.S. national security and, we believe, for Israel. Already this agreement has dramatically and verifiably rolled back Iran’s nuclear program, stringently limited Iran’s ongoing and future nuclear activities, and taken off the table what pre-JCPOA was the looming threat of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon in the foreseeable future.  The implementation of the JCPOA also ensures that, where in the past the U.S. and international community had very limited means to monitor Iran’s activities, today, should Iran decide to break the terms of the deal and try to ‘sneak out’ to a nuclear weapon, there is a far greater chance such an effort would be detected and the U.S. and its allies would be in a far stronger position to respond effectively.

David Bernstein has written an articulate defense of those who, like him, refuse to denounce the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, or in some extreme cases even admit that an occupation exists. (“Why I Don’t Call Israel Out on the Occupation,” Opinion, July 8) He argues that simply calling for an immediate end to the Occupation does not recognize the complexity of the situation and will not bring peace and security to Israel.

Sadly, however, my friend David has missed the mark. The occupation can be denounced without calling for immediate withdrawal.

The occupation is evil. It is immoral. It is un-Jewish. When I carried my JNF blue “pushka” on the streets of Brooklyn as a child, when I literally leapt for joy as I listened to the announcement of results of the UN vote in 1947, when I worked, together with David Bernstein at the American Jewish Committee and now at the JCPA, and as chair of Americans for Peace Now, for the safety and the security of the State of Israel I did not dream of a Jewish nation that would be the oppressor of another people.