"He who established 28 housing units in the heart of Hevron wants to perpetuate the conflict and fan the flames in the most sensitive and explosive area of the West Bank."

From Peace Now's publicity campaign against Jewish construction in Hebron. The pro-settler Arutz 7 news covered this in an article entitled: "Peace Now 'slanders' activists over Hevron construction."

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

August 22, 2016 - Russian-Iranian strategic cooperation and its ramifications

Q. Last week you discussed the Russian-Turkish rapprochement. Now Russia is bombing Syria from a base in Iran. Are we on the cusp of a major Middle East power reorientation?

A. It’s too early to say how far this may or may not go...

Q. Let's break this down. Why would Iran, where the Islamic Republic has always insisted on "Neither East nor West", allow Russian bombers to use the Hamadan air base to launch bomber strikes against anti-regime targets in Syria?

A. ...The most obvious motive is Iran's determination to do whatever is necessary to maintain the Assad regime in Syria...

Q. And Russia's motive?

A. More power and influence in the Middle East, more ways to keep the Assad regime in power in Damascus, more blows against the Sunni Islamist movements...

Q. How are Moscow's power plays in Turkey and Iran, neither necessarily a friend of the Arabs, expanding its influence elsewhere in the Middle East?

A. Here are three examples from recent days...

Q. How does all this affect Israel?

A. Israel continues to maintain close operational coordination with Russian air units in Syrian air space...

Q. Indeed, how do you assess the US response to greater Russian penetration of the region?

A. There are two ways to view the response, or relative lack thereof, of the Obama administration...

Q. Earlier you mentioned talk of a Netanyahu-Abbas summit, perhaps in Moscow. Is this likely?

A. No...

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The Israeli government is poised to make a final decision on whether to raze almost half of this Palestinian village located on land in the West Bank long coveted by settlers. Add you voice to the efforts by human rights activists:

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More Information Revealed on Establishing a New Settlement in Hebron

Peace Now: The government invests massive efforts into establishing a settlement in Hebron, the city where the daily reality of the occupation is the harshest and the most disgraceful...The government can still prevent the establishment of this new settlement...

There is no better legacy than peacemaker

Professor David N. Myers, leading Jewish historian, writes about his close friend Rabbi Leonard Beerman (z"l) and the book Zionism: The Birth and Transformation of an Ideal that author Milton Viorst dedicates to Rabbi Beerman and the other peacemakers, "the greatest of the Zionists."

APN extends an offer to send you the book for a donation of $90 or more.

Natalie Portman film based on Amos Oz memoir hits theaters nationwide

A Tale of Love and Darkness, based on the memoir by Peace Now founder and renowned Israeli author Amos Oz, is playing in Los Angeles and New York, and opens this Friday in more Southern California and New York locations, plus the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New Jersey, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, Minneapolis, and various Florida locales.