APN's daily news review from Israel - Monday April 5, 2021
Quote of the day:
“Those days are gone.”
—Yedioth’s diplomatic correspondent,
Itamar Eichner, writes that the Biden administration is signaling the dawn of a new era in which the US will no
longer be basing its policies on Jerusalem's positions.*
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.
Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived.
1. Bills, Resolutions
& Letters
2. US
Law, Congress, and aid to UNRWA — Facts vs Fiction
3. Hearings &
Markups
4. On the
Record
Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.
Antisemitism: Competing Definitions
The definition of antisemitism, which many consider to be intuitive, has recently become controversial. Now, there are three definitions trending. In addition to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) “working definition of antisemitism,” there is the new Nexus definition, and the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA), which offer different perspectives and help generate a deeper, more complex discussion on the nature of antisemitism and proper ways of confronting it.
This discussion was jointly sponsored by Americans for Peace Now and T’ruah, The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. It featured Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the Executive Director of T’ruah, and Lara Friedman, the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP), and was moderated by Hadar Susskind, the president and CEO of Americans for Peace Now.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Truah’s Executive Director, holds rabbinic ordination and an MA in Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she was a Wexner Fellow, an MS in Urban Affairs from Hunter College, and a BA from Columbia University. She is the author of Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community and There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition.
Lara Friedman, FMEP’s President, is a Contributing Writer at Jewish Currents and a non-resident fellow at the U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP). Prior to joining FMEP, Lara was the Director of Policy and Government Relations at Americans for Peace Now, and before that she was a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, serving in Jerusalem, Washington, Tunis and Beirut. She holds Master’s degree from Georgetown’s School of Foreign and a B.A. from the University of Arizona.
Congress is really into flags. Every member flies an American flag outside their door. Some fly college flags or state flags. I’m sure you’ve seen the controversy as some bigoted Reps (space laser lady) posted hate-filled signs outside of their offices in response to a colleague flying a trans rights flag.
APN's daily news review from Israel - Wednesday March 31, 2021
Note: News Nosh will be off for the rest of the Passover holiday and return on Monday April
5th.
Quote of the day:
"(I am) hopeful that the elected representatives will adhere to the people's demand for unusual alliances,
cross-sectoral collaborations, and professional and dedicated work for the sake of all Israeli
citizens."
--Israeli President Reuven Rivlin
said that Israelis want their politicians to think and act out of the usual box when they make the next
government.*
APN's daily news review from Israel - Tuesday March 30, 2021
You Must Be Kidding:
Due to a financial dispute between two Israeli institutions thousands of Palestinianresidents of the capital
still have not gotten their second dose, even though more than three weeks have passed.**
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.
Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived.
1. Bills,
Resolutions & Letters
2. US Law, TFA, & Palestinian
aid — Facts vs Fiction
3. Hearings &
Markups
4. On the
Record
Special shout-out: On 3/25, a group of 200+ scholars working in Antisemitism Studies and related fields, including Jewish, Holocaust, Israel, Palestine, and Middle East Studies released the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) — a direct response to the IHRA “working definition” of antisemitism, intended to “improve on it [the IHRA definition] by offering (a) a clearer core definition and (b) a coherent set of guidelines” as well as “(1) to strengthen the fight against antisemitism by clarifying what it is and how it is manifested, (2) to protect a space for an open debate about the vexed question of the future of Israel/Palestine.” You can read the JDA text, FAQs and more here. Also recommended reading: op-ed by JDA signer Professor Trachtenberg (Wake Forest University, who testified in Congress about the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act) – Why I Signed the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism
Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.
March 2021
Dear Friend of APN,
One of the first lessons imparted by the Haggadah, the telling of the story of Passover, is that the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years before they could reach the promised land. The other lesson imparted is that this legacy commands Jews the world over to tell this story, every year, as they gather around the seder table.
We are storytellers.
This year, Americans for Peace Now is marking 40 years of working towards securing a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and we are going to use this celebration as a chance to tell our story.