APN's Ori Nir was interviewed and featured in this VOA feature on the normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE, announced on Thursday, August 13. 

Washington, DC --  Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes the news of the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations between the two countries. While the two countries have unofficially been normalizing relations in recent years, an official normalization could be an important development on the path to future comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

APN hopes that the governments of Israel, the United States, the UAE, the Palestinians, and other Arab states will leverage this development toward a negotiated resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, leading to two, sovereign, viable, independent states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains the crux of the Arab-Israeli dispute, and only by resolving it will Israel be able to achieve long term peace, security, and wellbeing.

APN also welcomes news that as part of the deal reached between Israel and the UAE, the disastrous initiative to annex parts of the West Bank, pushed jointly by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the Trump administration, would be suspended. 

APN’s President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: “While this news is welcome, much better news would be an end to the Israeli government’s de-facto annexation of the West Bank through ongoing settlement expansion, and steps to reverse Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.”

Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes the news of the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations between the two countries. While the two countries have unofficially been normalizing relations in recent years, an official normalization could be an important development on the path to future comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

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BACKGROUND

The Sumarin family has been living in the same house in East Jerusalem for generations. Yet unless the Israeli Supreme Court rules in their favor, they will soon be evicted, their home and their land taken from them. Please urge your representatives in Congress to speak out against this injustice and sign the letter aimed at stopping this eviction of a Palestinian family from their home.

This case goes far beyond the struggle of one family to save its home. It is a part of a broader fight against the efforts of Israeli settlers to displace East Jerusalem Palestinians and to create facts on the ground that would block the path for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement on Jerusalem.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) is circulating a Dear Colleague letter addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging his government “to intervene on behalf of the Sumarin family and halt their eviction from their long-standing home."

Please urge your Representative to sign on to Congresswoman Speier’s letter.

Write to your Representative.

American-Israeli journalist Dina Kraft discussed the nature and impact of the unprecedented continuing protests in Israel against Prime Minister Netanyahu, government corruption, and for democracy and justice. 

LISTEN:

Dina Kraft is a journalist, editor, and educator. Currently based in Tel Aviv she is a correspondent for both Haaretz and The Christian Science Monitor where she reports on Israeli and Palestinian politics, culture and society. Dina is also the host of The Branch, a podcast hosted by Hadassah, which features stories of partnerships between Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs. Formerly, Kraft was based in Jerusalem and Johannesburg for The Associated Press and has reported from throughout Africa, as well as Pakistan, Jordan, Tunisia, Russia and Ukraine. 

NEW ITEMS 

RECORDING: "Annex and Dispossess: Peace Now's Hagit Ofran on her New Report"

VIDEO and AUDIO RECORDINGS - July 10 Webinar with Peter Beinart - "My Case for Equality" (July 10, 2020)

APN with Progressive Israel Network partners in support of Van Hollen amendment to prevent US funding for illegal annexation (July 10, 2020)

APN Senators to Join Van Hollen Amendment (July 9, 2020)

ACTION ALERT: "Say No To Your Tax Dollars Paying For Illegal Annexation" (July 8, 2020)

Peace Now New Report - Annex and Dispossess: Use of the Absentees’ Property Law (July 7, 2020)

GO TO External Recommended Readings and Resources

GO TO List of Editorials on Annexation

The joint statement issued by eight members of the Progressive Israel Network: Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, Habonim Dror North America, J Street, the New Israel Fund, Partners for Progressive Israel, Reconstructing Judaism,and T’ruah:

As progressive organizations committed to supporting democracy and equality in Israel and a just and peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians, we have made clear our staunch opposition to any unilateral Israeli annexation of occupied territory in the West Bank. Such a move would violate international law and severely imperil Israel’s future as a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people. It would aim to permanently relegate the Palestinians to life in disconnected enclaves without independent statehood or basic civil rights. 

It is because of these concerns that we strongly support Senator Chris Van Hollen’s proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which stipulates that US security assistance to Israel cannot be used to implement unilateral annexation in the West Bank. Like the Senator and his colleagues who have co-sponsored this amendment to date, we believe US security assistance to Israel should be used to help Israel meet its legitimate defense needs — not to implement actions that will undermine its own security and democracy, trample on Palestinian rights and harm US interests. 

All those who value human rights and Israeli democracy, support a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and want to see an end to decades of occupation should agree that it would be unacceptable for US tax dollars to help foot the bill for an act as extreme and destructive as unilateral annexation. Our organizations thank Senator Van Hollen and his colleagues for their strong leadership and clarity on this issue, and we urge their fellow Members of Congress to join with them in standing up for the democratic values and shared interests that are meant to form the heart of a mutually beneficial US-Israel relationship. 

Americans for Peace Now is urging members of the US Senate to co-sponsor Senator Chris Van Hollen’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which would block Israel’s Netanyahu government from using any US aid to fund the annexation of parts of the West Bank.

Update: this action, now closed, ran in July 2020.  

Annexation is a game changer. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank, with the blessing – indeed the encouragement – of the Trump administration, is a dire threat to the prospects of a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians.

Last week, Senator Chris Van Hollen introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (the bill that authorizes providing U.S. aid to Israel), which would block the Netanyahu government from using any US aid to fund its illegal annexation.

Tell your Senators to cosponsor the Van Hollen amendment or thank them if they already have.