APN's daily news review from Israel - Wednesday January 27, 2021
 

Quote of the day:

“The cynics will argue that this was the deal: providing the IDF with a budget of billions to plan "offensive options" in exchange for support for (Netanyahu’s) general line. But even without being cynical - it's not certain that talking about war is a smart tactical move.”
—Yedioth’s Middle East analyst Shimrit Meir comments on IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi’s eyebrow-raising speech blasting a return to the Iran nuclear and declaring plans prepared to attack Iran.*

Washington, DC -- Americans for Peace Now (APN) warmly welcomes the Biden administration's statement yesterday, asserting its intention to restore diplomatic relations with the Palestinians, as well as aid for the Palestinians.

APN’s daily news review from Israel - Tuesday January 26, 2021

 

Quote of the day:

"It's not this or that position paper that drives the right-wing nuts, but the fear of (Israeli civil society) organizations that insist on documenting, reporting and reminding the public of what is happening in its - and ostensibly for his security - in the Territories."
--—Mickey Gitzin, Director of the New Israel Fund in Israel, writes that B’Tselem’s declaration that Israel is an apartheid state is not what right-wingers fear, but informing Israelis about what Israel is doing in the Palestinian Territories does.* 

The following speech was delivered at the UN Security Council on January 26th 2021, by Ambassador Richard Mills, the Acting Representative of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. It is the first official, public statement indicating the Israel-Palestine policy of the Biden administration. It was first posted here.  

Ambassador Richard Mills
Acting Representative
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, New York
January 26, 2021

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. President. Let me at the outset join others in taking a moment to wish Foreign Minister Jerandi, who was supposed to join us on screen today, a swift, full recovery from COVID-19.

I also want to take a moment to welcome the new UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace. It is a complicated file you have taken over, Tor, but your broad experience – not only on the Middle East Peace issues, but on the wider region – means that you have a depth of understanding that the United States hopes will help bring about a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the conflict. And I know we’ve expressed our thanks before, but I’d like to take just one more moment to express the gratitude and appreciation of the U.S. government for the work and professionalism of Nikolay Mladenov, Tor’s predecessor.

APN's daily news review from Israel - Monday January 25, 2021

 

Quote of the day:

“Israel consciously imported corona and further exempted it from customs…In the name of diplomatic advancement…”
—Einav Schiff writes in Yedioth that the fear of a diplomatic crisis with the UAE overcame scientific truth and epidemiological considerations.*

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.

Washington, DC -- Americans for Peace Now (APN) congratulates President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and wishes them success in implementing responsible and just policies both at home and abroad.

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.