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 - Monday April 19, 2021
Quote of the day:
“If I had told you five years ago that three TV stations would stop their newscast to broadcast a speech by
an Arab politician saying what he thinks about the composition of the coalition in Israel, you would have said I
was joking.”
—Arab-Israeli
activist and lawyer Ameer Fakhoury speaks about how for the first time,large parts of the Jewish population can
distinguish between the different elements of the so-called Arab parties, and are even willing to accept some of
them as partners in running the state.*
Israel-Palestine on Capitol Hill
The dynamics and politics of working on Israeli-Palestinian affairs on Capitol Hill have changed over time, as have the dynamics of advancing progressive sensibilities in Congress.
APN hosted a webinar to discuss these topics with Rep. Mark Pocan, one of the House leading progressives. APN President Hadar Susskind will engage Rep. Pocan in a conversation on April 21st.
Congressman Mark Pocan has represented Wisconsin's 2nd district in Congress for 8 years. Over that time he has become a leader and a progressive champion on many issues, including Israel/Palestine. Rep. Pocan is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. He is also the Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
The evening of Thursday, April 14th began Yom Haatzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. Every year, for Yom Haatzmaut, our colleagues at Shalom Achshav distribute hundreds of “peace flags” to fellow Israelis who endorse the notion that their country cannot be fully free and independent as long as it has not liberated itself of the occupation and made peace with the Palestinians.
This year, for Yom Haatzmaut, we are bringing these flags and this message to Capitol Hill, distributing them to members of Congress who support our mission – and to some who don’t.
We started distributing the flags on Tuesday. The first member of the House to receive a flag was Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a friend of APN and a staunch supporter of Israeli-Palestinian peace. In the photo below, holding the flag, is Rep. Raskin’s Chief of Staff, Julie Tagen.
We respect and cherish the blue-and-white Star of David official flag of the State of Israel. We view it as a symbol of the accomplishments that a nation-state of the Jewish people is, and of the many accomplishments of Israel. But we also want to see the “Shalom” flag by its side, as an aspirational expression of the peace that Israel has not yet accomplished. The absence of peace, while the occupation lingers, denies Palestinians the national independence that Israelis enjoy, but it also denies Israelis full liberty and democracy. Because an occupying power cannot be fully democratic, egalitarian, and free.
In the future, with the help of our supporters and activists, we would like to take the Shalom flag beyond Washington and make it a household symbol of support for peace at Jewish and non-Jewish institutions and homes throughout the United States.
B'Shalom,
Ori Nir
Vice President for Public Affairs
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. The
Battle Taking Shape Around Biden Decision to Resume Palestinian Aid
3. Hearings &
Markups
4. On the
Record
Shameless plugs:
In recent weeks FMEP, in partnership with the Middle East Institute, held an 8-part webinar series for members of Congress and their staff examining key aspects of the Israel-Palestine conflict & how they relate to U.S. policy. The series featured an amazing line-up of experts, and was co-moderated by MEI’s Khaled Elgindy and FMEP’s Lara Friedman (me!). And it turns out that the webinars were so good we decided to make them public. See: Israel, Palestine & the Role of Congress: An Accelerated Learning Series
Also, ICYMI, FMEP hosted two great webinars this week, both of which are well worth watching:
Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.
Twenty seven senators signed a letter to President Biden, urging him to re-join the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal that the Obama administration, together with China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom signed with Iran in 2015. The Trump administration withdrew from the deal, and the Biden administration has signaled its intention to re-join the JCPOA.
APN's daily news review from Israel - Tuesday April 13, 2021
Quote of the day:
“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.”
—Anti-Arab 'Religious Zionism' party MK
Itamar Ben-Gvir said when Arab and Jewish left-wing members of Knesset walked out when he stepped to the podium
to speak. Ben-Gvir is a disciple of anti-Arab bigot Rabbi Meir Kahane.*
APN's daily news review from Israel - Monday April 12, 2021
Quote of the day:
"This time it went well, next time it might not.”
--Security
sources tell Maariv's political analyst Ben Caspit that why Israeli attacks on Iranian targets are problematic
and possibly damaging to Israel. See translated article below.*
You Must Be Kidding:
An Israeli judge issued an arrest warrant for Majed Karshan, a Palestinian man living in Anata village in the West
Bank, because he did not show up to a court hearing in Israel, which he could not show up to because his request
for an entry permit was rejected.**
Americans for Peace Now (APN) is outraged by the Jewish National Fund-Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (JNF-KKL) Executive Committee’s vote yesterday (April 11th 2021) to allow buying land in the West Bank for settlement expansion. APN urges the JNF-KKL’s Board of directors to reject the decision when it comes to its final vote on April 22nd.