Progressive Coalition at the Celebrate Israel Parade
Sunday, June 5th,
Meetup Time: 10:30AM SHARP
Meetup Location: 55th Street & 5th Ave
Register here - TAKE
ACTION! RSVP NOW TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday June 03, 2016
Number of the day:
22.
--The number of mandates a party led by Moshe Yaalon, Gideon Saar and Gabi Ashkenazi would receive if elections were held now, the same number Likud party would receive.**
--The number of mandates a party led by Moshe Yaalon, Gideon Saar and Gabi Ashkenazi would receive if elections were held now, the same number Likud party would receive.**
APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday June 02, 2016
Quote of the day:
“You as Mizrahi Jews have had the experience of living with Arabs, that is why we want you to build
bridges for peace. We welcome everybody because we want to live with you."
--Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said to a delegation of Israeli municipality mayors visiting him at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.*
You Must Be Kidding:
--Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said to a delegation of Israeli municipality mayors visiting him at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.*
You Must Be Kidding:
Breaking News:
Israeli forces shot Palestinian woman after alleged stab attempt at a military checkpoint near Tulkarem in northern West Bank. (Maan)
Below is the working schedule for Americans for Peace Now's Israel Study Tour, November 12-17, 2016, which illustrates the character and scope of this unique experience. Updates will come as we further develop and tweak the tour. Given that changes will occur, those of you who will be participating should not use this version to plan any personal time while in Israel.
We are receiving deposits and reserving spaces for the Study Tour. Given the strong interest shown, we encourage you to inform us of your plans to participate and reserve your spot promptly. For details on how to sign up, please scroll down past the schedule. Go HERE for more about the Study Tour.
To reserve your space, print out and complete this FORM and return to APN by mail or email with a $500 deposit (payable by check or credit card). Deposit deadline is August 31, 2016, after which reservations will be accepted if space allows.
Cost
-
$3,290 Per Person/Double Occupancy
-
$3,990 Single Occupancy
INCLUDES: Hotel Accommodations for 6 nights (check-in Saturday, November 12; check-out Friday, November 18) at The David Citadel, a premier hotel in the heart of Jerusalem, all meals with the exception of one evening and one afternoon off for your own leisure, all touring, tipping, and admissions (does NOT include airfare).
Jerusalem, Israel - Check-in: Saturday, November 12; Check-out: Friday, November 18
Watch this video with highlights of the 2015 Study Tour
For questions and to inform us of your plans to participate, email israeltour@peacenow.org or call our office at 202-408-9898.
APN Weekly Update - June 1, 2016: Thousands rally in Tel Aviv, 49 year anniversary of ’67 War, Israel Study Tour schedule, and more...
Ehud Barak, former Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister in a previous Netanyahu Government, in an interview with Israel Channel 10 on the appointment Avigdor Liberman as defense minister in place of Moshe Ya'alon
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. May 31, 2016 - The fallout from the new Israeli government Q. Last week, you described the involvement of the international community--Kerry, Blair, Sisi--in an abortive attempt to facilitate the formation of a more centrist government in Israel, one more oriented toward a peace process. Now that Lieberman is defense minister and Netanyahu's government is solidly right wing, how would you describe the fallout?
A. PM Netanyahu's new, broader and even more right-wing coalition is quite understandably pledged to a right-wing domestic agenda...
Q. What is the right-wing domestic agenda and what are its prospects?
A. The new and broader right-wing coalition plans to push four controversial laws...
Q. But both Netanyahu and Lieberman hastened on Monday, the day Lieberman officially joined the government as minister of defense, to pledge their allegiance to the two-state solution.
A. ...the two Israeli leaders were following through on a commitment to do so that they reportedly made to Egyptian President Sisi via Tony Blair a few weeks ago...
Q. In retrospect, were the abortive efforts of Kerry, Blair and Sisi to facilitate the formation of a broad, centrist Israeli coalition that includes the Labor party an exercise in futility?
A. Worse, they offer a glaring example of how well-meaning attempts to facilitate an Israeli-Palestinian solution can...prove counter-productive...
Q. What are (the near-term) conflict alerts and ongoing Israeli plans?
A. ...UN special envoy Nikolay Mladenov predicted that "unless radically more is done to address the chronic realities in Gaza, it is not a question of 'if,' but 'when' another escalation will take place"...
Peace Now: Construction for settlers in Silwan expected to be approved
The Jerusalem Local Planning Committee is expected to approve the construction of a large building for settlers in the heart of the Palestinian Batan Al Hawa neighborhood in Silwan, East Jerusalem.
Help APN while purchasing gifts for Father's Day (and any other shopping)
Go to Amazon Smile and link your account to APN. Go to iGive and select Americans for Peace Now before shopping. |
Thousands rally in Tel Aviv against right wing government at a demonstration co-organized by Peace Now
"Building the opposition: A new way for Israel" was the rallying cry for the thousands of Israelis who marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, May 28.
Go HERE for coverage from +972, including a video of the rally.
Times of Israel: "Housing minister: Government policy not to build in West
Bank"
JUST RELEASED: Schedule for the APN 2016 Israel Study Tour
The working schedule has been released for APN's 2016 Israel Study Tour, November 12-17. From Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to the South and North of Israel, this trip offers an experience unlike any other. Go HERE for the Study Tour Schedule, and how to secure your spot on it. Contact us at IsraelTour@peacenow.org or 202-408-9898 with any questions.
APN Ad features Israeli Major General (ret.) Shlomo Gazit
"I consider the continuation of our occupation...an existential danger. This situation is threatening the main achievement to which I contributed 70 years ago: the establishment of a sovereign and democratic Jewish state" These words come from the veteran of the Haganah, the 1948 War, the first administrator of the occupied territories after 1967, head of military intelligence, and one of the planners of Operation Entebbe.
Go HERE to see the full ad.
Go HERE to see the previous ad featuring the words of former Mossazd director Meir Dagan.
Join APN as we walk with the Progressive Coalition in Sunday's Celebrate Israel Parade In New York City. Let your voice be heard in support of democracy, justice, and peace. Go HERE for more information and to RSVP to the Progressive Coalition.
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"The government of Israel is stricken by budding fascism"
APN's Lara Friedman: "49 years: The difficult truths of this
conflict"
APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday June 01, 2016
Quote of the day:
"The short answer to the question, 'What does Avigdor Lieberman’s declaration about his commitment to
the two states for two peoples mean' is: ‘nothing.’"
--Yedioth Op-Ed contributor Aviad Kleinberg has a more interesting answer regarding the long version.*
You Must Be Kidding:
Former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy said in an interview with Al-Jazeera, “Let me let you into a secret. If you go now to Israel and you speak to the commanders in the field, and the IDF…every brigade commander who has been commanding a unit opposite the Gaza Strip believes the best situation for Israel at this point is that Hamas should be there rather than anybody else.” But it was all but ignored by the Hebrew media.
--Yedioth Op-Ed contributor Aviad Kleinberg has a more interesting answer regarding the long version.*
You Must Be Kidding:
Former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy said in an interview with Al-Jazeera, “Let me let you into a secret. If you go now to Israel and you speak to the commanders in the field, and the IDF…every brigade commander who has been commanding a unit opposite the Gaza Strip believes the best situation for Israel at this point is that Hamas should be there rather than anybody else.” But it was all but ignored by the Hebrew media.
For the second in a series of ads from APN. This week's message is from Shlomo Gazit, a former Major General in the Israel Defense Forces and head of Israel's military intelligence service, who later served as President of Ben-Gurion University and head of the Jewish Agency. He currently serves as member of the staff of Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at the Tel Aviv University.
You can support additional ads by donating here.
News from Peace Now's (Israel) Settlement Watch:
Tomorrow the Jerusalem Local Planning Committee is expected to
approve the construction of a large building for settlers in the heart of the Batan Al Hawa neighborhood in
Silwan. The three story building will be located in one of the most densely populated areas in East Jerusalem,
near the Yonatan House (see map). The land in the area was sold to the settlers by the Israeli General
Custodian without any tender, together with three additional parcels in the neighborhood (Parcels 73, 75, 84,
97). The pretext for selling the land to the settlers was the fact that they already own two other parcels in
Batan Al-Hawa (parcels 95-96) that were released to them by the General Custodian in September
2002 (see more here).
Peace Now: While PM Netanyahu and MoD Lieberman just backed the two state solution, on the ground they are supporting actions that are making a future compromise much more difficult. They government can still prevent the construction of the house by withdrawing from the deal of selling the four parcels to the settlers. By approving the construction on the Eve of Ramadan Netanyahu and Lieberman risk igniting the region and compromising Israelis' security for the benefit of extreme settlers.
Peace Now: While PM Netanyahu and MoD Lieberman just backed the two state solution, on the ground they are supporting actions that are making a future compromise much more difficult. They government can still prevent the construction of the house by withdrawing from the deal of selling the four parcels to the settlers. By approving the construction on the Eve of Ramadan Netanyahu and Lieberman risk igniting the region and compromising Israelis' security for the benefit of extreme settlers.
Thousands of Israelis marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to protest the appointment of Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman as Israel’s new defense minister. Protesters carried banners denouncing extremism, racism, and violence in Israel, as well as signs proclaiming “Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies” and “Israel, Palestine, two states for two peoples.” Marchers were joined by Knesset members, including Meretz leader Zehava Galon and Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh. Peace Now organized the rally together with Meretz and the Joint Arab List.
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 the fallout now that Lieberman is defense minister and Netanyahu’s government is solidly right wing; what the right-wing domestic agenda is and what are its prospects; what are the amendments Israel requires in the Arab Peace Initiative as a condition for an "Arab solution;" whether the efforts of Kerry, Blair and Sisi to facilitate the formation of a broad, centrist Israeli coalition that includes the Labor party were an exercise in futility; and the near-term conflict alerts and ongoing Israeli plans regarding the Palestinian issue.