Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.
A proud Progressive Zionist, Nomi is the Executive Board Chair and Vice President of Ameinu. Nomi is also the current Vice President for Programming of the American Zionist Movement and is involved with Brit Eytz- the World Labour Zionist Union and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. Trained as a foreign policy analyst specializing in the Arab World and the Persian Gulf, Nomi speaks frequently on the subjects of current events in the Middle East and Israel and speaks Hebrew, Arabic, and French.
April 19, 2024- Americans for Peace Now (APN) applauds the Biden administration’s announcement of a third round of sanctions addressing extremist settler violence. This latest round of sanctions, which predominantly targets crowdfunding campaigns for violent extremist settlers, marks a significant advancement in efforts to confront and deter settler violence in the West Bank.
The decision to impose sanctions on entities facilitating fundraising campaigns for individuals like Yinon Levi and David Chai Chasdai, known for their involvement in violent acts against Palestinian civilians, sends a clear message that the United States is committed to disrupting the financial networks that sustain and enable extremist activities.
Hadar Susskind, President and CEO of Americans for Peace Now, remarked, “These sanctions demonstrate President Biden’s commitment to action against the epidemic of ongoing violence by extremist settlers. By targeting not only individual perpetrators but also those who provide financial support to fuel their violence, the United States is taking meaningful steps to undermine the systems that support settler violence.”
April 18, 2024 - Americans for Peace Now welcomes the release of the Israel-Gaza Aid Supplemental text in the House of Representatives. In the wake of Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack on Israel this week, we continue to support assistance that enables Israel to defend itself against Iran and other adversaries.
As important, this package contains vital humanitarian assistance to Gaza at a time when millions of Palestinians are facing famine and a lack of medical care and housing.
We continue to call for conditions to be placed on US military aid to Israel. Although this text does not include any new guardrails on the aid to Israel, there are existing mechanisms and laws to prevent the misuse of US military aid including section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act and the National Security Memorandum issued in February. It is imperative that the President utilizes these existing mechanisms and laws to ensure that our assistance is used in accordance with American policy.
APN’s President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: “The Israel-Gaza aid supplemental bill should be passed by Congress and signed by President Biden. And like any and all aid to Israel, it should be used as mandated by American policy and international human rights law. The US must uphold the important principles of allyship while remaining consistent with our democratic values.”
Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy 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.
Yesterday (April 13), Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles in a direct assault on Israel. To discuss how tensions between Israel and Iran reached this point, what happened, and the possibilities going forward, we will speak with noted Iran expert Barbara Slavin in a special APN webinar tomorrow, April 15, at 3:00 pm Eastern Time.
Barbara Slavin is a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. and a lecturer in international affairs at George Washington University. The author of Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the US and the Twisted Path to Confrontation, and Mullahs, Money and Militias: How Iran Exerts Its Influence in the Middle East, she is a regular commentator on US foreign policy and Iran on NPR, PBS, and C-Span.
This webinar will take place on April 15th at 3:00 pm Eastern Time.
Register HERE.
Over the last few weeks, the subject of humanitarian aid has dominated conversations about the Gaza War. Headlines depict aid trucks being stopped or blocked altogether from entering Gaza and global experts warning that Gaza is on the verge of famine with Northern Gaza likely already experiencing famine. Some individuals and organizations are still managing to offer food and support, providing some measure of relief. To discuss the situation on the ground and the logistics of providing aid, we spoke with Shachar Zahavi, the founder of SmartAid: an international aid agency that leverages technologies to enhance humanitarian efforts worldwide.
In addition to his role at SmartAid, Shachar Zahavi was the founder and Chairperson at IsraAID, where he served as Executive Director for 16 years. There, he spearheaded the organization's global strategy, overseeing its expansion and operations in over 50 countries for both disaster relief and long-term sustainable programs. Shachar is also credited with co-authoring in-depth research on Israel's foreign aid and its impact in the context of foreign government relationships.
At the end of March, the United States made the preliminary determination that the IDF’s conduct in Gaza does not violate US and international humanitarian law. This determination followed months of elected representatives, intergovernmental bodies, international courts, Israeli and global human rights observers, and members of the Biden Administration themselves persistently expressing grave concerns regarding the actions of the Netanyahu government.
Preliminarily finding Israel in compliance with President Biden’s National Security Memorandum (NSM-20), which requires that all countries receiving US security assistance comply with US and international humanitarian law before receiving US assistance, means that the United States will continue to send weapons to be used in the war in Gaza.
Now, in advance of the May 8th deadline for the State Department to report to Congress about Israel’s compliance with NSM-20, Congresswoman Escobar and Congressman Castro are circulating a letter addressed to Secretary Austin, Secretary Blinken, and Director Haines expressing deep concern over the State Department’s preliminary determination and seeking their responses to a series of questions about whether have produced any substantive analysis related to Israel’s actions in Gaza as it relates to NSM-20.
Hadar's section begins at 20:08.