Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived.

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.

Americans for Peace Now mourns the death of Mary Ann Stein, a longtime member and former co-chair of APN’s board of directors, a philanthropist and an iconic leader of the American Jewish community, advancing progressive causes both in Israel and the United States.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) strongly condemns the blatantly antisemitic remarks by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which were published yesterday.

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.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes President Biden’s nomination of Jack Lew for the important position of US ambassador to Israel. We urge the Senate to expeditiously confirm the appointment.

Mr. Lew is an experienced senior politician, who is close to the President and has demonstrated his ability to represent the United States and implement US government policies. Now more than ever, when the United States needs an assertive, senior, high-profile representative in Israel, Lew would be the right person for this position.

APN’s President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: “At this tough time, when the government of Israel attacks the state’s democratic institutions and norms and acts to annex the West Bank in violation of international law and US national security interests, America needs an experienced, high-profile envoy to Israel. We need a person who can authoritatively push against unacceptable Israeli practices and policies and at the same time manage America’s relations with the Palestinians. We urge the Senate to consider Lew’s nomination through this prism.”  

Americans for Peace Now strongly condemns today’s ramming attack near the West Bank Makabim checkpoint, which left one Israeli soldier dead and six other people injured. Our condolences to the soldier’s family and recovery wishes to the injured.

What the actors strike can learn from the Israeli protest movement

APN Board Member Joshua Malina

This piece was originally published in the Forward on August 28, 2023.

I have been picketing with fellow members of SAG-AFTRA labor union, and our brothers and sisters in the Writers Guild of America, as we march in protest of a system that undervalues and mistreats us.

Day in, day out, we stand together in solidarity. As we strike, my heart is also 7,500 miles away with another, larger group of protesters. For nearly eight months, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have amassed to challenge the anti-democratic assault of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on his country’s legal institutions.

The actors and writers in the United States face issues that we deem existential to our employment; Israelis face a threat to their existence as citizens of a democracy. And we on the picket lines in America can take a few lessons from the resolve and tenacity of those protesting in the streets of Israel.

Effective protests require large numbers. They call for perseverance and single-mindedness, for creativity and vitality. Israeli pro-democracy demonstrators come from very different backgrounds, but are united in their focus: preserving their democracy.

Every week, they generate new ideas: protesting at unexpected gathering sites, refusing to appear for voluntary military service, creating clever picket signs and hyperactive social media campaigns. They find ways to create a sense of solidarity among protestors, forging commitment and dedication.

I feel this dynamic on the picket lines in Los Angeles. Walking together for hours, we trade stories about life in our industry in our different creative capacities — writers, actors, extras, stunt performers — and though our specific grievances may differ, we feel energized by the common ground we find. Together we pour our vigor into creative, dynamic ways of making our message heard.

For too long, working actors and writers have been treated as if we are lucky to be employed, as if our contributions are somehow less than creation of the very product that enriches the studios. Over time poor treatment starts to feel normal, and it takes a paradigm shift to stand up for one’s rights.

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.