Dear Friend,
What is your vision for 2015?
Those of us who care about Israel know that the coming year will be a critical one in determining Israel’s future character. Will Israel pursue the xenophobic vision of the nationalistic extreme-right? Or will it pursue a progressive vision, reflecting the values of its majority -- Jewish values of peace, pluralism, and democracy?
Philadelphia Inquirer - December 14, 2014
APN's Ori Nir quoted in Trudy Rubin's column on Israeli elections
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20141214_Worldview__Israel_is_facing_a_big_election.html
Associated Press - December 15, 2014
Peace Now's Lior Amihai: Significant growth in settlement construction under Netanyahu
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2014/12/15/4028741_netanyahu-years-see-surge-in-west.html?rh=1
San Diego Jewish World - December 15, 2014
APN press release on UN Action reprinted in its entirety
http://www.sdjewishworld.com/2014/12/15/apn-u-s-support-frances-mideast-proposal/
Israel’s policy of perpetual occupation is already causing an increase in animosity toward the Jewish people and their state. Perpetuating this policy fosters the beginning of an anti-Israel movement – from within and without the state – that will be difficult to reverse.
Casino tycoon and right-wing political patron Sheldon Adelson has finally spoken to the existential issue of
Israeli democracy absent a Palestinian state. Many observers were shocked by the multi billionaire, hard-liner's
recent statement proclaiming, "Israel
isn’t going to be a democratic state – so what?”
While I passionately oppose Adelson's views, his remarks provided clarity by openly acknowledging that a binational
Jewish state would not be a democracy, an obvious consequence largely ignored by the Israeli right wing.
Latest Information
L. Friedman & D. Seidemann in JPost: A divided city
Rabbi Suskin in DC Jewish Week: On the Temple Mount…
Briefing call with Lara Friedman & Danny Seidemann
Reclaiming Israel's Future: Jerusalem
Jerusalem: Learn More
The Jerusalem chapter from APN’s
publication, “They Say, We Say”.
APN today called on the Obama Administration not to block the Jordanian-backed resolution in the United Nations Security Council regarding Israeli-Palestinian peace. APN president and CEO Debra DeLee commented:
"We urge the Obama Administration, as a true friend of Israel, not to block the Jordanian-introduced resolution in the United Nations Security Council setting out parameters and a timeline for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Notwithstanding the misleading reports and cynical criticisms of this UN effort, the bottom line is this: the substance of this resolution is firmly in line with longstanding U.S. policy regarding a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and passage of this resolution is consistent with the national interests of both the U.S. and Israel. For these reasons, the Obama Administration, if it is not prepared to support the resolution, should not intervene to block its passage.
This week, Alpher discusses the primary strategic developments in the Middle East in 2014 from Israel’s standpoint; strategic lessons do you draw from Secretary Kerry’s peace process failure and the Gaza war; the US-IS conflict that emerged in 2014; the revolutionary situation in general in the Arab Middle East and US-Iran negotiations; the worsening of Israel’s growing isolation; and the bottom line for the Middle East in 2015.
