Americans for Peace Now is the sister organization of Shalom Achshav, Israel's preeminent peace movement. APN's mission is to educate and persuade the American public and its leadership to support and adopt policies that will lead to comprehensive, durable, Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab peace, based on a two-state solution, guaranteeing both peoples security, and consistent with U.S. national interests. We also work to ensure Israel's future and the viability of Israel's democracy and Jewish character through education, activism and advocacy in the United States, and by mobilizing American support for Shalom Achshav.
1. Bills,
Resolutions, Letters
2. Hearings
3. On the Record
1. Bills, Resolutions & Letters
(FREE SPEECH? MEH) S. XXX: From Jewish Insider 7/19/22: “In remarks at a Christians United for Israel summit on Monday just outside Washington, D.C., Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) previewed plans to introduce federal anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions legislation. The legislation, as described by Cotton, would prevent the military from contracting with any companies that engage in boycotts of Israel, a similar mechanism utilized in many state-level anti-BDS laws. The legislation, if passed, would mark a major step forward in efforts to translate state-level anti-BDS initiatives into federal law. The legislation, as described by Cotton, would prevent the military from contracting with any companies that engage in boycotts of Israel, a similar mechanism utilized in many state-level anti-BDS laws. The legislation, if passed, would mark a major step forward in efforts to translate state-level anti-BDS initiatives into federal law. ‘We can fight the antisemitic BDS movement by passing a bill I plan to introduce this year to deny military contracts to any company that boycotts Israel,’ he said.’” Also see:
- Video on FoxNews of Cotton talking about the planned legislation (starting at 02:11 in the video).
- This planned legislation is similar to an amendment to the FY23 NDAA offered earlier this month by Gottheimer (D-NJ) [covered in the 7/8/22 edition of the Round-Up)]
- Tweet from FMEP’s Lara Friedman 7/19/22: “Reminder: the legal logic behind Cotton’s promised new federal anti-BDS bill is already a template by states to target free speech/protest related to industries incl fossil fuels, guns/ammo, & to attack very notion of values-informed investing.”
- US senator outlines plans for nationwide anti-BDS legislation (Middle East Eye 7/20/22)
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.
Today, Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) led 21 of her colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, expressesing serious concern for the six Palestinian human rights organizations Israel designated as “terrorist organizations” last fall.
The letter requests an inter-agency briefing to discuss this designation and the secret evidence distributed by the Israeli government. The letter urges Secretary Blinken and Director Haines to; call on the Israeli government to reverse course; to confirm a date for an inter-agency briefing with members of Congress; and provide a report to Congress on these efforts within 30 days, and ultimately to publicly reject this decision.
Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived.
1. Bills,
Resolutions, Letters
2. Hearings
3. On the Record
FMEP Events:
- 7/13/22: FMEP’s Lara Friedman interviewed on Background Briefing with Ian Masters, The Centerpiece of Biden’s Israel Visit Will Be a US-Israel Strategic Partnership Against Iran
- 7/11/22: FMEP/Jewish Currents webinar, Mr. Biden Goes to the Middle East – a conversation with U.S.-based experts Peter Beinart (CUNY), Dana El Kurd (University of Richmond), Lara Friedman (FMEP), and Trita Parsi (Quincy).
1. Bills, Resolutions & Letters
(FY23 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL – HOUSE) HR 7900: See previous Round-Ups (7/8/22 & 6/24/22) for full details of the House FY23 NDAA’s journey prior to this week, including Middle East-related provisions in the base bill. What happened this week:
- On 7/12/22, the House Rules Committee met to consider the 1230 amendments that were submitted to HR 7900.
- The Committee ruled hundreds of those amendments “in order.” Most of those amendments were then bundled together into 5 “en bloc” amendments.
- The House completed its work on HR 7900 July 13-14, passing all the “en bloc” amendments, in addition to individual votes on others (including 2 related to the Middle East)
- At the end of all of this, the House passed HR 7900 by a vote of 329-101.
- See my table of all amendments related to the Middle East/Israel/Iran, Turkey (of which there were many) to see what was introduced, what was ruled “in order,” and the ultimate fate of all those amendments.
- Next up: we repeat this whole process in the Senate!
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.
Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived.
1. Bills,
Resolutions, Letters
2. Hearings & Travel
3. On the
Record
FMEP Events:
- 7/11/22 FMEP/Jewish Currents webinar – Mr. Biden Goes to the Middle East – a conversation with U.S.-based experts Peter Beinart (CUNY), Dana El Kurd (University of Richmond), Lara Friedman (FMEP), and Trita Parsi (Quincy). Register here.
- 7/4/22 FMEP Occupied Thoughts podcast – “The people are devastated”: Demolitions, Harassment, and Live Fire IDF Training in Masafer Yatta – ft. Ali Awad (journalist and activist from the village of Tuba in Masafer Yatta) in conversation with FMEP’s Sarah Anne Minkin.
Also of note: 7/11/22 event on Capitol Hill – Human Rights Concerns in the Middle East Ahead of President Biden’s Trip to the Region [“dissidents from the Middle East and Members of Congress will join the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED), Human Rights Watch, PEN America, the Freedom Initiative, Freedom House, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Win Without War, and Human Rights First for a briefing for media ahead of President Joe Biden’s July 15-16 visit to Saudi Arabia to meet with the leaders of the GCC+3”]
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.
*This op-ed ran in Haaretz on July 7, 2022. Read the original HERE.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaking on Wednesday. Image source: Haaretz.
As you all know and as some of you undoubtedly remember, since I was elected to the Senate in 1972, I
have been to Israel more times than I can count. I visited Israel both as a Senator and as Vice
President, and throughout these many years I have been a staunch supporter of Israel and I am deeply
committed to its security and wellbeing.