Jointly authored by Lara Friedman, APN (USA) and Hagit Ofran, Peace Now (Israel)

Defenders of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have seized on a recent report in Haaretz to argue that Netanyahu’s record shows that he has, in fact, been less pro-settlements than his detractors (including Peace Now) have suggested. Their argument hinges on a single statistic raised in that story: the average number of construction starts in settlements per year, as counted by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (ICBS), across the 6 years Netanyahu has been in office, compared to that same number for previous prime ministers over the past 20 years.  But as is often the case when it comes to statistics, the devil is in the details, and a single statistic taken in isolation will always obscure more than it reveals.

Since the eruption of the current wave of horrific violence in Israel and the West Bank, we have issued a number of formal statements responding to the escalation. I've wanted to send you a personal message as well . . . but I've waited.

In times like this – when there are numerous attacks against civilians every day, when two thirteen-year-old boys are lying in the street bleeding, when Israelis and Palestinians are afraid to walk out of their homes, terrified that they will be the next victim of random violence – it is hard to write from the heart and not from the guts.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes the news that Secretary of State John Kerry will soon travel to the Middle East to try to address the terrible violence that is sweeping across Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Today, Israelis and Palestinians are increasingly locked in a dynamic of bloody escalation, with unbearable costs for both sides. Regrettably, it appears that their respective leaderships are incapable of breaking out of this dynamic.  In this context, we urge Secretary Kerry to use his visit to take concrete steps that can calm the situation: 

On October 13 2015, Jerusalem expert Daniel Seidemann analyzed the Jerusalem-specific causes for the current intensification of violence. Seidemann is a leading expert on Arab-Jewish relations in Jerusalem. He is the founder and director of Terrestrial Jerusalem.

This week, Alpher discusses the arguments that the Temple Mount and the al-Aqsa Mosque are at the heart of the current wave of terror that began in Jerusalem and explains what happened; PM Netanyahu's banning both Jewish and Arab members of Knesset from visiting the Mount and, earlier, banning two of the extremist Israeli Islamist movements; why shouldn’t Jews who wish to do so be allowed to pray on the Mount; what Netanyahu’s options are; and sums up the characteristics of the violence now that we are two weeks into this wave and there is no sign of it letting up

This week, Alpher discusses whether we are witnessing the beginning of a new intifada; how Abbas’s UN General Assembly speech figures into the violence; if there was a prominent message in Netanyahu’s UN speech; if it is possible to draw any conclusions regarding the evolution of Israeli societal values from the appointment of Shin Bet deputy head Roni Alsheich to head the Israel Police; and, with the Russians and Iranians apparently expanding their deployment in Syria, an outline of the emerging strategic picture.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) is alarmed at the rapidly spiraling violence in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and calls on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to act to stop the violence and save lives.

Over the weekend, following the murder of an Israeli couple in the West Bank, there was a stabbing and shooting attack in Jerusalem’s Old City. Two people were killed in this attack. Another Israeli, a teenager, was stabbed and lightly injured near the Old City. APN strongly condemns these attacks, sends its condolences to the families of the Israelis who were killed, and wishes full recovery to those injured. 

Following these attacks, West Bank settlers went on a widespread rampage across the West Bank, further fanning the flames of violence and revenge. 

Americans for Peace Now (APN) strongly condemns the brutal murder of two Israelis, husband and wife, in a drive-by shooting attack in the West Bank today. The two were shot dead before their four children, who were in the car with them, and were lightly injured.