This morning, the 34^th member of the Senate came out in support of the Iran deal – meaning that opponents of the deal will not be able to override a presidential veto of a resolution of disapproval of the deal that GOP leaders in Congress intend to pass in the coming days.

APN President and CEO Debra DeLee commented:

“We applaud the 34 U.S. senators who have come out in support of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the landmark diplomatic agreement to roll back Iran’s nuclear program and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.  We likewise applaud the more than 80 House members who have come out in support of the Iran agreement.  By doing so, these lawmakers are showing leadership, clear-eyed vision, and courage. They are doing what is right for America and for Israel – supporting a historic diplomatic achievement that has the potential to prevent war, reduce the threat of nuclear proliferation, and, we hope, lead to greater security and stability in the future.

This week, Alpher discusses why a huge controversy has erupted over the appointment of former IDF brigadier general, Gal Hirsch, to head the Israel Police; the legacy of the 2006 Second Lebanon War; what justifies rehabilitating Hirsch and promoting him by two ranks and why can’t the police produce a suitable commander from within its own ranks; where the security consultancy industry enters the picture; the future role of the police vis-a-vis the Palestinian issue and Israel’s security;

Mark Silverberg: Why I Support the Proposed Iran Nuclear Deal (Cleveland Jewish News, August 27) 

Lara Friedman: Cheap Claims of Anti-Semitism Can't Change Reality of Iran Deal Lobbying (The Huffington Post, August 14)

Study: 15% of West Bank Settlers Are American (Newsweek, August 28) 

Settlers Take over East Jerusalem Home in the Dead of Night (+972 Magazine, August 28)

Jewish Group Moves into Building in East Jerusalem (The Times of Israel, August 27)

Iran Deal Divides US Jewish Organisations (The Arab Weekly, August 21)

American Jewish Opinion Deeply Divided on Iran (Deutsche Welle, August 14)

 The debate regarding the proposed nuclear deal with Iran reminded me of a meeting I participated in with Daniel Kurtzer, then U.S. Ambassador to Israel under George W. Bush, at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv in 2007. Though I’ve been to Israel several times, both before and after, our meeting stood out in my memory, helping me to separate politics from facts in considering the proposed nuclear deal.

The purpose of my 2007 visit to Israel was to join a delegation from Americans for Peace Now in a series of meetings with politicians, experts, analysts, and activists from across the spectrum of Israeli public and political opinion. Our group heard of the many challenges and possible solutions to the significant security, demographic, water, and civil issues that Israel faced. This trip to Israel and our meetings left me better informed, and even more motivated to devote my energies to defending Israel’s security and its essential Jewish and democratic character. Toward the end of our weeklong visit we met with Ambassador Kurtzer.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) joins its Israeli sister organization Shalom Achshav (Peace Now) in strongly condemning the expanded Israeli settlement activity in the Palestinian East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, and warns against the repercussions of this provocative act.

As Peace Now reported, dozens of Jewish settlers overnight took over a large, five-story building in Silwan, and tried to pressure a Palestinian family who resides in it and holds a legal rental contract, to leave. The house is located in a part of Silwan that settlers have not yet tried to penetrate, deep inside this densely-populated Palestinian neighborhood.

Last night approximately 70 settlers, with police escort, entered the Sarhan House in Silwan. The Sarhan House is a 5-floor building located at the Batan Al-Hawa neighborhood which includes 12 housing units. The house is close to the Abu Nab House as well as to additional houses under threat of eviction based on settlers' claims of ownership prior to 1948. (To learn more about the mechanism of settlement in East Jerusalem neighborhoods click here.) One Palestinian family, whose lease is not up for another few months, is still residing in one housing unit at the Sarhan house. Today, settlers, escorted by police, came to this family's house and tried to intimidate it to leave.
 
The settlers' entry must be understood as a strategic takeover; this is yet another step in a larger attempt to alter the character of the neighborhood and change the status quo in Jerusalem. Even prior to last night's entry, in the past year the settlers managed to double their presence at the Batan Al-Hawa neighborhood. After last night's entry, the settlement has expanded from approximately 10 families residing in two houses to approximately 35 families residing in six houses.