Americans for Peace Now (APN) is horrified by the spiraling death-toll of the war between Israel and Hamas. Having urged a ceasefire for the past two weeks, APN welcomes the Obama administration’s efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire, and urges it to resume diplomatic efforts toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

APN strongly supports Israel’s right for self-defense and its government’s obligation to provide security for its citizens. As a Zionist, Jewish organization and as the sister-organization of the Israeli grassroots movement Shalom Achshav (Peace Now), we fully share the security concerns of the people of Israel and the yearning of Israelis for peace.
 
We mourn the death of Israeli civilians and of Israeli soldiers in the current hostilities. We also mourn the alarmingly spiraling deaths of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip – over 500 so far.

APN's daily news review from Israel

Monday July 21, 2014
 

Quote of the day:

"I’ve already raised the white flag. I’ve stopped searching the dictionary for the word to describe half of a boy’s missing head while his father screams 'Wake up, wake up, I bought you a toy!' 
--Haaretz's Amira Hass expresses her frustration at sharing stories from the Palestinian side that no one hears and about 'analysts' and 'experts' who don't understand the people on the ground.**

APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday July 20, 2014
 

Quote of the day:

"They are not to blame for the situation."
--Israeli doctors at Sheba Hospital perform life-saving surgery on Palestinian baby, while sirens go off.**

This week Alpher discusses War in Gaza: as of Monday afternoon July 21 Israel time:

Was it necessary for the IDF's Golani brigade to go into Gaza's eastern district of Shejaiya and fight a battle that caused such heavy losses on both sides and if there is a broader meaning to all this death and destruction in and around Gaza; accusations that the IDF is perpetrating war crimes in Gaza; why Hamas' ceasefire conditions are outlandish; how will this end and some early strategic lessons learned.

Ben Birnbaum and Amir Tibon / New Republic (July 20, 2014)
Provides in-depth detail into the John Kerry-led negotiations between Israel and Palestine and the reasons for its failure. Read More >

Arnon Avni, an Israeli cartoonist who lives in Nirim, a tiny kibbutz right on the border with the Gaza Strip, and a longtime Peace Now activist, on July 18 2014 spoke to APN about living in a war zone and about what keeps him committed to the cause of Israeli-Palestinian peace.