Link to the article from American President Obama at the top of the page, as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' piece also published in conjunction with the Ha'aretz Israel Peace Conference.
See a large and readable version of APN's Ad
Israeli strategic affairs expert Yossi Alpher, who authors Hard Questions Tough Answers, APN's
weekly news analysis, was our guest on Thursday, July 3rd, for a briefing call on the current
Israeli-Palestinian security crisis and its repercussions. Since Thursday, Alpher's presentation has been
overtaken by events; we have included here the still relevant Q&A session.
Dave Pollock of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy is the author of Beyond Words, a study of Palestinian incitement. In this interview, he talks about his study, about the impact of incitement – both Palestinian and Israeli – and about ways to reduce it.
Americans for Peace Now (APN) mourns with the Palestinian people the death of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, the 16-year-old Palestinian kidnapped and brutally murdered last week in Jerusalem. APN (once again) condemns the kidnapping and the killing, and sends its condolences to the Abu Khdeir family. APN calls on the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority and all Palestinian factions, to prevent further escalation and further loss of innocent lives.
APN's President and CEO Debra DeLee said:
Q. The past week has witnessed the discovery of the three yeshiva students' bodies near Hebron, their highly emotional funeral, the kidnapping and brutal murder of a Palestinian boy from Jerusalem, and the apprehension of his young Jewish murderers. Meanwhile, Arab citizens of Israel are rioting, while rockets from Gaza continue to hit as far as Beersheva. A new intifada?
A. No, or at least, not yet. There are a number of important factors that distinguish the current situation from the circumstances that led to the second intifada that erupted in the fall of 2000; they mitigate against a new one.
APN condemns the killing of a Palestinian youth in East Jerusalem. The government of Israel must act swiftly to investigate the murder and bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice. It remains to be established whether Muhammad Abu-Khdeir (16) was murdered as revenge for the kidnapping and murder of the three Israeli youths in the West Bank. What is absolutely clear is that in the wake of the murder of the three Israeli youths, the Israeli government has fomented a mood of revenge among Israelis, beginning with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s promise of “revenge” for the killings. That mood began taking concrete form in demonstrations and marches yesterday in Israel, which were marked with calls of “death to Arabs,” as well as attacks against Arabs inside Israel.
by APN's Summer Intern, Hannah Ehlers
Not by might and not by power,
but by spirit alone shall we all live in peace.
I can still remember as a young girl sitting on the sun-stained carpet of our synagogue’s makeshift music room and allowing my shy, quiet voice to rise with the voices of the other children surrounding me. Our childish, out-of-tune voices sang of our love of God, the Earth, and one another. Debbie Friedman’s song, “Not by Might, Not by Power” became my Sunday school favorite and, when I was brave enough to speak up, I requested it and shouted “ruach!” as loud as I could at the right time.
Please join us for a briefing call with Israeli strategic affairs expert Yossi Alpher on Thursday,
July 3rd at 2:00 PM Eastern Time to analyze the security and political situation following the murder
of the three Yeshiva students in the West Bank.
The details of the call are as follows:
Date: Thursday, July 3rd
Time: 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Dial-in Number: 951-797-1058
Participant Access Code: 147414
To receive a link of the recording, please email us at kcunningham@peacenow.org
Americans for Peace Now (APN) stands with the people of Israel as it mourns the death of the three Israeli Yeshiva students, Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach, who were kidnapped earlier this month in the West Bank. APN strongly condemns the kidnapping and the killing of the three, and sends its condolences to their families. APN calls on the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority and all Palestinian factions, to prevent further escalation and further loss of innocent lives.
This week, Alpher discusses new policy departures, including in the Palestinian sphere, that Netanyahu has justified by citing events in Iraq that affect Israel (see also last week's Hard Questions, Tough Answers); Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's new "peace initiative," whereby a solution to the Palestinian issue would be part and parcel of broader Israel-Arab peace arrangements; Netanyahu's support for an independent Kurdistan, which contradicts US policy; and the continuing West Bank kidnap drama.