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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 week, Alpher discusses what’s behind the flurry of diplomatic and strategic activity, including Israel’s rapprochement with Turkey, Netanyahu's meeting in East Africa with seven regional leaders, and the Egyptian foreign minister visiting Israel for the first time in nine years; the strategic backdrop in East Africa; Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry's presumed discussion with Netanyahu about Israeli-Turkish relations; Shukry and Netanyahu's statements Sunday concerning the need to renew some sort of Israeli-Palestinian peace or at least confidence-building process; whether the right-wing Netanyahu government with its strong pro-settler element really has anything to talk about with the Arabs concerning the Palestinian issue; and what’s next regarding establishing Israeli spheres of strategic influence in the region and beyond, and what might this signify for the Palestinian issue.

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News Nosh 07.11.16

APNs daily news review from Israel
Monday July 11, 2016
 
You Must Be Kidding #1: 
A donation drive met its 400,000 shekel target within 12 hours. Those who donated 500 shekels get a tour of the right-wing Channel 20 studios and a lecture about the media.
--An Internet donation drive was created to help pay lawyer's fees for Elor Azariya, the ‘Shooting Soldier from Hebron,’ who is on trial on manslaughter charges after shooting dead an already wounded and incapacitated Palestinian assailant in Hebron.

You Must Be Kidding #2: 
"I have thought about it since yesterday and in order for him to be able to improve his defense, my wife or I may do this today. It definitely may happen."
--Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) said he may donate to the fund.
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News Nosh 07.10.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday July 10, 2016
 
Quote of the day:
“I didn’t follow Twitter for a few hours. Can anyone tell me what Lihi’s husband said?”
--MK Tzipi Livni made fun of MK Yair Lapid by referring to his wife, after the MK made a sexist attack on the new female editor of Haaretz English.**
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United_Nations_Security_Council320x265

Update: this action, now closed, ran in July 2016. 

Last Wednesday, the Israeli government announced plans for hundreds of new homes in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In response, the U.S. Department of State issued a sharply-worded statement pointing out how destructive these new settlement plans are.

State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said, "…this report would be the latest step in what seems to be a systematic process of land seizures, settlement expansions and legalizations of outposts that is fundamentally undermining the prospects for a two-state solution…

He went on to state, unequivocally: “We oppose steps like these, which we believe are counterproductive to the cause of peace. In general, we’re deeply concerned about settlement construction and expansion in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Click here to thank President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry for their unwavering stance opposing settlements and urge them to support action in the United Nations Security Council to advance the two-state solution.

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News Nosh 07.08.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday July 08, 2016
 
You Must Be Kidding: 
El-Al security barred Arab-Israeli violinist Hisham Khoury from taking his instrument on board as carry-on luggage on the flight from Berlin to Tel-Aviv.
--Khoury said he told the security officers they were welcome to X-ray the violin or search it manually, but they refused. They also asked questions, “like how much I earn and why I’m returning to Israel. I reminded them that I’m an Israeli citizen; my parents live in Haifa, and I’m returning home.” Khoury took a different flight home with a German airline. (See and hear him play on the suspicious violin here.)
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News from Peace Now's (Israel) Settlement Watch:

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News Nosh 07.07.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday July 07, 2016
 
Quote of the day #1:
"A clear moral line passes between the emotional hooligan conduct of [the father of Elor Azariya, the 'Shooting Soldier'] Charlie Azariya and between the rational conduct of Col. Ben-Ezra and Maj. Naaman [who testified against Azariya.] The same tense line exists between the facts and the nationalist gut feelings, and between the populist support Netanyahu and Lieberman gave to the shooter just after the incident and between the weak backup (against “all uniform wearers”) that they gave following the threats heard against Maj. Naaman. And that is the same line that is stretched between the actions of most of the IDF combat soldiers and between the modus operandi of Elor Azariya and the stars of other video clips that embarrass and shame Israel. On either side of this line are two States of Israel, which are enemy states."
--Insightful Op-Ed by Yonatan Yavin in today's Yedioth. Well-worth reading.*
 
Quote of the day #2:
"The point of 'never again' is that Jewish people use the trauma and lessons of the Holocaust to speak out against dangerous forces and trends. First and foremost, this means criticizing their own Jewish neighbors or government. The Israelis who do so prove their moral rigor. Not only is the Germany/Israel comparison valid, but it is the ethical inheritance of the Holocaust. If Israel really is the only real democracy in the Middle East with 'the most moral army in the world,' then it can surely stand up to the strictest ethical tests."
-- David Sarna Galdi writes in Haaretz+ that comparing Israel today with Germany of the '30's is not about precise factual parallels, but about the expression of fear from seeing one's country creeping toward belligerent nationalism.**

You Must Be Kidding: 
TV SKETCH: The Ugandan soldier who killed Yoni Netanyahu at Entebbe becomes a hero in his country, much like Yoni Netanyahu became a hero in Israel, and his brother is elected to serve as prime minister of Uganda thanks, in part, to his brother's popularity.
--Last night on his Channel 10 show, 'Good Night,' audacious TV host Assaf Harel dared to point his satire at Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. [Israel Hayom said Harel “mocked” Yoni’s death, but more correctly he mocked Binyamin’s rise. – OH] ***
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Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: July 6, 2016


"It must be said honestly: this is the price we are paying for sitting in the midst of a hostile Arab population...There needs to be political courage here, and there need to be other things from what we have done so far."

Former deputy head of Mossad Ram Ben-Barak, to Israel Television Channel 10 news, 1 July 2016 (commenting on the latest Palestinian terrorist attacks).


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

 

Yossi Alpher is an independent Israeli security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

July 5, 2016 - Turkey and Israel

Q. Last week, after six years of crisis-ridden relations, Israel and Turkey agreed on a formula for reconciling and normalizing their relations. What did this entail?

A. Israel agreed to pay $20 million in indirect compensation for the death of nine Turks in the May 2010 Mavi Marmara incident...Turkey agreed to block all legal action against Israeli officers involved in the incident and to restore full and normal diplomatic relations with Israel...dropped its demand that Israel end its blockade of Gaza...undertook to block Hamas militant activity...assist in efforts to repatriate to Israel two IDF soldiers missing in action...

Q. This comes across as a one-sided deal: Israel seems to have achieved much more than Turkey.

A. Indeed...

Q. What are those Turkish weaknesses that Netanyahu leveraged?

A. Turkey's acute strategic dilemmas with Syria, Russia, the Kurds and ISIS...

Q. And the Israel-Egypt-Turkey triangle?

A. Egypt has not openly criticized the Israel-Turkey deal...

Q. Last week witnessed a deal with Turkey, and this week Netanyahu is expanding Israel's ties with the countries of East Africa. Is there a broad Israeli regional strategy at work here?

A. That appears to be the case...

Q. The bottom line?

A. Netanyahu's deal with Turkey reflects a largely successful effort to expand Israel's regional and international reach and to minimize the import of the Palestinian issue at the regional level...

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Government Relations

APN Legislative Round-Up: June 18 - July 1, 2016

  1. Bills, Resolutions and Letters
  2. FY17 ForOps Season Opens: House Bill
  3. FY17 ForOps Season Opens: Senate Bill
  4. Hearings
  5. On the Record

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Korach: Challenger of the Status Quo?

APN volunteer and activist Barbara Green discusses the value and import of voicing dissent against the dangerous path being taken by Israel's right wing government today.

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The APN Weekly Update can now be
Shared on Facebook and Tweeted!

 

Do This, Not That - APN's new publication

Build Trust, Not Settlements and Draw Borders, Not Blood are two of the pages in APN's new publication

What we do and don't do does indeed influence the prospects for peace in the Middle East. Use APN as your resource, which helps educate on what it means to be pro-Israel and pro-peace.

Go HERE  to see APN's timely and motivational publication.


APN Events

Israeli and Palestinian New Story Leadership fellows visit APN

The short introductory meeting at APN in Washington, DC turned into a fascinating two-hour discussion about efforts for Israeli-Palestinian peace and prospects for a two-state solution.

APN held the introductory meeting in Washington, DC for the Israeli and Palestinian fellows of the New Story Leadesrhip program. For eight summers, APN has hosted an Israeli and Palestinian intern - sometimes in partnership with the American Tast Force on Palestine.

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Settlement Watch

Peace Now Settlement Watch: Settlement Construction Is Not The Answer to Terrorism

It has been reported that following the deadly attacks against Israelis last week, the Israeli government is advancing plans for 800 housing units in East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement.

Peace Now: "New housing units in the settlements will not prevent the next victims but rather strengthen the extremists on both sides...The real answer to terror is ending the occupation and reaching a negotiated agreement. Meanwhile, Israeli citizens will continue to pay the price of the extreme right-wing government's policies."

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APN ad features Rabbi Michael Melchior - past Israeli minister, authoritative Jewish scholar, and peace activist

Rabbi Michael Melchior is a former Israeli Minister of Social and Diaspora Affairs, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has been awarded with numerous prizes for his work on tolearance, bridge-building, peace, and reconciliation.

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Recommended Reading

Politico: "Netanyahu vs. the Generals"
By Amir Tibbon

Israel's prime minister is fighting hard to weaken the most important moderate force in his country. Which is why he's going to be a big problem for the next U.S. president.

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Lara_headshot_4.2016-320x265APN's Lara Friedman, director of policy and government relations for Americans for Peace Now, joined a panel with Joseph Berman, Heather Hurlburt, and Yousef Munayyer, and moderated by Mitchell Plitnick on Saturday July 16th, at 9am, to have a constructive conversation on what it means to be progressive on Israel and Palestine

In the Spring of 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed himself as a partisan Republican in a way that he hadn’t publicly before. This created the space for “mainstream” progressivism regarding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Put another way, it became more comfortable to identify as an American whose progressive values apply to United States politics as well as the situation in the Middle East. But what does that mean? From Israeli settlement expansion to the BDS movement to the peace process to human rights, the progressive space has paved several paths toward the common goal of peace.

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Peace Now Settlement Watch: Tender for 42 Housing Units in Kiryat Arba Issued

News from Peace Now's (Israel) Settlement Watch:

Today, (Wednesday, 6th of July) the Israeli Ministry of Housing issued a tender for the construction of 42 housing units in Kiryat Arba. The tender was issued today but bids can only be submitted at the 31st of July. This means that the Government wanted to publish the tender quickly, before the paperwork is completed, in order to make the connection between the deadly attacks against Israelis last week and the promotion of the construction in Kiryat Arba. 

Peace Now: "Construction in settlements is not an answer to terrorism; it is not going to save the life of any Israeli but rather strengthen the extremists on both sides. The real answer to terrorism is ending the occupation and reaching a negotiated peace agreement. Unfortunately, Israeli citizens continue to pay the price of the extreme right wing government's policies."

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