In the past week, over 2300 Americans signed Americans for Peace Now’s petition to President Biden urging him to deny entrance to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Despite vocal opposition, it appears that Smotrich will be allowed to proceed with his upcoming travel plans. It is disappointing that Minister Smotrich’s remarks calling for the Israeli government to “wipe out” the West Bank village of Huwara in the wake of the settler-led pogrom on the village on February 26th have not precluded him from entrance into the United States.

In the aftermath of violence like this, it is incumbent on political leaders to call for calm and to do everything in their power to ease the tensions. Instead, Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the civilian governor of the West Bank whose openly pro-annexation agenda has emboldened the most extreme sectors of the Israeli settler movement, called for the Israeli government to commit a war crime. This type of rhetoric doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Tragically, we have seen far too many times where incitement like this leads to violence. Just days ago, a group of young settlers raided Huwara again, attacking Palestinians and their property.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) condemns the pogrom which took place yesterday in and around Hawara and calls on the Biden administration to move past its statements of concern and to respond with action rather than words.

We hold the Israeli government responsible for its failure to prevent the settlers’ large-scale attack on Palestinians on Sunday, for its dismissive reaction to the pogrom, and for its ongoing settlement activity.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes the Aqaba Summit that the White House convened today in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, attended by representatives of the governments of Israel, the Palestinians, Jordan, Egypt, and the United States.

APN is encouraged by the language of the communique that the participants issued following their meeting.

Americans for Peace Now welcomes the Biden administration’s statement in opposition to the Israeli government’s most recent settlement drive and urges the administration to put muscle behind the words.

In a statement issued today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote: “We are deeply troubled by Israel’s decision yesterday to advance reportedly nearly 10,000 settlement units and to begin a process to retroactively legalize nine outposts in the West Bank that were previously illegal under Israeli law.” The statement noted that like previous administrations, Democratic and Republican, the Biden administration “strongly opposes” unilateral measures such as settlement activity, “which exacerbate tensions and undermine the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.”

Rather than continuing to prioritize avoiding conflict with the government of Israel – while in fact the Israeli government is perpetuating and enhancing the conflict through ”legalizing” illegal settlement activity – the United States needs to stand behind its policy positions in deed and not just in word.

APN’s President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: “While we welcome this statement, and support Secretary Blinken’s call to avoid actions that escalate tensions, we also note, with deep frustration, that the Secretary and his aides doubled down on this message in recent conversations with Israel’s leaders. Prime Minister Netanyahu and members of his cabinet listened – and did the opposite. Words do not impress this government of extremists and provocateurs. The United States’ government has numerous tools to demonstrate its discontent in actions rather than words. Time has come for action.”

Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes news that the Biden administration has warned the newly- elected government of Israel against transferring civilian authorities in the occupied West Bank to far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, clarifying that it would regard such a move as a step toward annexation.

Americans for Peace Now condemns the House vote to remove Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee

Speaker McCarthy’s claim that he did so on the basis that Representative Omar is “antisemitic” is both inaccurate and offensive. Criticizing Israeli policies and actions is not antisemitic. Antisemitism is a real and dangerous threat, and misrepresenting Congresswoman Omar’s statements does not advance the fight against antisemitism. Instead, this transparent attempt to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism to score cheap political points damages efforts to isolate and eradicate antisemitic speech. Targeting Omar has wide-ranging repercussions that go beyond congressional committee assignments. Representative Omar has been the target of disturbing and hateful Islamophobic attacks and threats, which could be further fueled by today’s House action against her.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) is horrified and outraged by today's terrorist attack on worshippers at a Jerusalem synagogue, which left at least seven people dead and several others injured.

APN strongly condemns this attack. We stand with the people of Israel. Our hearts are with the families that have been broken by today's attack. We wish full and rapid recovery to those who were injured.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) is alarmed by the radical judicial overhaul announced yesterday by Israel’s new Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a set of legislative initiatives aimed at limiting the power of the Israeli Supreme Court and the government’s legal advisors.

The plan’s objective is to dramatically diminish the judicial and legal checks and balances on Israel’s executive and legislative branches, dealing a severe blow to Israel’s democracy.

We urge the Biden administration to make clear that anti-democratic steps such as this are a severe breach the value-based foundation of the US-Israel alliance.   

As Benjamin Netanyahu presents his new coalition today to Israel’s President Herzog, Americans for Peace Now (APN) is deeply concerned about the impact of the incoming government on Israel’s future as a democracy and on its relations with its Palestinian neighbors.

Americans for Peace Now, together with Ameinu, Bend the Arc, Habonim Dror North America, J Street, New Israel Fund, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and T’ruah today released the following statement:

As Jewish American organizations, we oppose House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s pledge to strip Representative Ilhan Omar of her House Foreign Affairs Committee seat based on false accusations that she is antisemitic or anti-Israel. We may not agree with some of Congresswoman Omar’s opinions, but we categorically reject the suggestion that any of her policy positions or statements merit disqualification from her role on the committee.