The Forward (JTA story) - May 8, 2014
APN Board Member Mandy Patinkin speaks at APN event, where he is given an award
http://blogs.forward.com/the-shmooze/197856/how-to-give-a-speech-like-mandy-patinkin/

JTA - May 6, 2014
APN Board member Mandy Patinkin speaks and sings at APN award ceremony, accepting APN award
http://www.jta.org/2014/05/06/arts-entertainment/six-degrees-no-bacon/mandy-patinkin-lets-loose

JTA - May 6, 2014
APN Board member Mandy Patinkin speaks and sings at APN award ceremony, accepting APN award
http://www.jta.org/2014/05/06/arts-entertainment/six-degrees-no-bacon/mandy-patinkin-lets-loose

The Algemeiner - May 5, 2014
APN criticizes CoP vote to reject J Street's membership application
http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/05/05/after-j-street-rejection-critics-target-diversity-of-conference-of-presidents/

The Forward - May 4, 2014
APN votes in support of J Street CoP membership
http://blogs.forward.com/jj-goldberg/197563/blackballing-j-street-who-voted-how/#ixzz30rWQdmJG

Daily Kos (blog) - May 3, 2014
APN co-sponsors David Harris Gershon book reading event in DC
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/03/1296586/-Palestinian-American-asks-about-BDS-at-my-book-event-and-nobody-gets-hurt

by Matthew Duss

How can talks succeed when, throughout the negotiations, Israel is building on the very land that would comprise a Palestinian state?

There are a lot of reasons for the peace effort's failure, but people in Israel shouldn't ignore the bitter truth—the primary sabotage came from the settlements.” This is what anonymous U.S. officials told journalist Nahum Barnea, a prominent columnist in Israel’s most-read newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, in a candid interview about the collapse of Secretary of State John Kerry’s nine-month-long effort to broker talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. 

It’s not just people in Israel who shouldn’t ignore this bitter truth; it’s people in America, and particularly in Washington, where there’s an entire industry dedicated to casting the Palestinians as eternal rejectionists and downplaying the impact of the settlements and occupation that sustain them. Basically, these officials are telling us more explicitly what both Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama have told us more diplomatically: Netanyahu’s unwillingness and/or inability to reign in the settlements poisoned the negotiations, and is killing any chance of a final, two-state agreement.

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As Israel marks 66 years of independence Ha'aretz daily compiled a list of "66 Israeli women you should know". Those women are "breaking barriers, defying stereotypes and wielding influence to great effect in the corridors of power and behind the scenes. Each and every one of these outstanding achievers, we believe, is a woman worth watching."

This week, Alpher discusses why the Netanyahu government threatens to refuse to negotiate with a Fateh-Hamas Palestinian Authority unity government; what settler "price tag" attacks and provocations focused over the past two weeks on targets in Israeli Arab towns and villages rather than in the West Bank and East Jerusalem tells us; PM Netanyahu's renewed effort to legislate a basic law proclaiming Israel a Jewish state and Israel's sixty-sixth Independence Day.

On Monday, May 5, Israel marked Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day), a day in which life comes to a halt to commemorate Israelis – soldiers and civilians – who died in Israel’s many wars and terrorist attacks. On this somber day, Americans for Peace Now stands with our brothers and sisters in Israel in paying tribute to the fallen and in recommitting to fulfill our mission of securing peace for Israel, peace that will end the endless wars and bloodshed.

And when the sun sets, in an abrupt shift of emotion, Israelis start the festivities of Yom Ha’Atzma’ut (Independence Day), flooding the parks and the public squares to rejoice in the 66^th birthday celebrations of their country.