This week, Alpher discusses how the Netanyahu government plans to deal with the anomaly of its position vis-a-vis the new Palestinian government and the proposals and counter-proposals for unilateral and bilateral initiatives which are everywhere in the Netanyahu government; last weekend's dramatic withdrawal from the race of Binyamin (Fuad) Ben Eliezer, who had suddenly come under suspicion of receiving bribes and and when will the corruption trail end; who among the candidates benefits from Ben Eliezer's departure; and how dangerous is it that Palestinian prisoners under administrative detention in Israeli jails are on hunger strike, demanding to be charged and tried and why does administration detention exist in Israel?

There’s a lot of talk these days – from pundits, lobbyists, members of Congress, and others – to the effect that according to U.S. law, the Obama Administration must cut off all aid to the Palestinian Authority now that a new government is in power, a government that was produced out of a PLO-Hamas reconciliation agreement.

Regrettably, most of this talk appears to be informed more by anger, opinion, or wishful thinking than a careful analysis of the actual laws in question.   And as always, while every person is entitled to his or her own opinion, there is only one set of facts.  So now it's time to set the record straight.

This week, Alpher discusses the challenges the new Palestinian "technocrat" unity government sworn in in Ramallah this week presents to Israel and the US; the strange melodrama over the election of Israel's next president and what this tells us about PM Netanyahu's functioning; the US swap of five Guantanamo prisoners with the Taliban for an imprisoned US army sergeant; and why does either country need a "hot line" emergency phone connection between Netanyahu and Putin?

Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes the swearing in of a new Palestinian Authority government, headed by current Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and comprised of apolitical technocrats.

While Israeli politicians flip the finger at the world to score points with right-wing voters at home, they are alienating Israel’s most important, loyal allies: Progressive U.S. Jews.

Lately, American friends are asking me whether Israeli leaders are thinking straight, whether they realize how unreasonable their statements sound here in Washington, and how odd some of their policies seem.

The holiday of Shavuot, which begins the night of Tuesday, June 3rd, and continues through Thursday, celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Shavuot completes the cycle that celebrates the origin of the Jews as a people, starting with Passover. The holiday of Shavuot, once an agricultural festival, has come to represent the importance of the Torah, and our understanding that freedom is not complete until there is rule of law to guide us.

This week, Alpher discusses the significance of the Pope's visit to the Holy Land; whether the June 10 presidential elections is something to get excited about or just another ho-hum affair; and whether we about to witness a new Israeli unilateral initiative.

We will be marching with the group of progressive, pro-Israel organizations committed to Israel's core values, as laid out in its Declaration of Independence 66 years ago.  Our organizations support and advance the ideals of democracy, freedom, justice, peace and human rights and will be marching loud and proud on June 1.

Come out and make your voice heard! Don’t miss this opportunity to show the world that there is a strong and vibrant progressive voice supporting Israel. Please register at this link to receive our meeting point for the parade.

This weekend, Pope Francis will be visiting the Middle East on a historic trip. Many people the world over have been impressed by the humility of this pope, by his loving mien, and his ethical stances. We also are encouraged by his friendship with Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Omar Abboud - leaders of the Jewish and Muslim communities in Argentina - and his determination to demonstrate the normalcy of interfaith friendship.