SodaStream, an Israeli company with a production facility in a West Bank settlement, made headlines recently due to the superstar status of its spokeswoman, Scarlett Johansson. But the real stars of the Israeli business community are those who joined with their Palestinian counterparts in an effort to use their economic heft to urge political leaders to achieve a two-state solution as soon as possible.

On Wednesday on Al Jazeera America talk show, "The Stream," APN's Lara Friedman discussed settlements & BDS, explaining APN's position opposing BDS targeting Israel and supporting boycotts targeting settlements, settlement products, and the occupation.  She appeared with guests representing the pro-BDS camp -- Josh Ruebner (US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation), and Yousef Mumayyer (The Palestine Center) -- and the camp opposing all Israel-related boycotts -- Avi Mayer (The Jewish Agency for Israel).

Washington, DC – Americans for Peace Now (APN) thanks the 104 members of the House of Representatives, Republicans and Democrats, who today sent a letter to President Obama supporting the current diplomatic efforts to resolve concerns over Iran's nuclear program.

APN strongly supported the letter and urged House members to sign it.

Thirty-one years ago, on February 10^th 1983, Peace Now activist Emil Grunzweig was murdered by an extreme right Jewish terrorist at a Peace Now demonstration in Jerusalem.

Not far from the Prime Minister’s Office, the terrorist, Yona Avrushmi,  lobbed a hand grenade at the front row of the Peace Now marchers. It killed Emil and injured several of his friends.

It was the first in a series of terrorist attacks by extremist right-wing Israelis against the Israeli peace camp. This campaign to crush peace efforts culminated with the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin twelve years later.

This week, Alpher discusses what motivates pro-settler critics of Kerry; what the Israeli public thinks about the danger of sanctions; whether there is more than meets the eye to the issue of the controversy provoked by Netanyahu's remark that he "doesn't intend to remove a single settler;" and with two Iranian warships are currently crossing the Atlantic and heading toward the US territorial water boundary, what is Iran trying to tell us.

Jerusalem expert Daniel Seidemann, on a visit to Washington, briefed APN supporters and activists on Friday, February 7^th, 2014.

Israel’s Peace Now movement took more than 150 Israelis to the West Bank Friday on a first-of-its-kind tour to learn about the extremist settlers’ violent campaign known as “Price Tag.”

Participants viewed Israeli military installations and Palestinian villages that are routinely vandalized by extremist settlers. Tour participants paid a solidarity visit to one of the Palestinian villages that has been a target of choice for the violent settlers, the village of Kusra near Nablus, where residents received them with flowers.

Peace Now has been taking Israelis to the West Bank for years to show them up close what the occupation is doing to Palestinians and to their own society. Recently, because of the uptick in settler violence and because of the re-energized peace talks, Peace Now decided to boost this program by adding topical tours. Last week it was a tour to explore the “Price Tag” phenomenon. In the coming weeks Peace Now is planning tours to other trouble spots, featuring other maladies of the occupation.

These tours are expensive, but critically important.

Please support this program. You can help Peace Now expose the occupation to Israelis.

A contribution of $50 will sponsor two seats on the bus. For $100 you can send four Israelis for a day in the West Bank, and open their eyes to what their government does there in their name, and to what the settlers are doing to the Palestinians and to the future of the state of Israel. Join us now.

B'Shalom,

Debra DeLee
President and CEO, Americans for Peace Now

A flawed but compelling narrative has taken root in the debate over SodaStream. It's the story of the politically moderate Israeli businessman building bridges to peace by providing Palestinians good employment. What could be the problem with that?

This week, Alpher discusses the flood of policy statements from the most senior spokespersons on every side; whether Abbas is making concessions; Kerry's remarks about the consequences for Israel of not reaching an agreement; Indyk's statement in a phone briefing to American Jewish leaders that the upcoming framework agreement would address the right of Jews who fled Arab countries; and the issue of public attitudes toward the peace process in both Israel and the Palestinian Authority and whether they are changing.

In his State of the Union address last night, President Obama addressed in detail the issues that are at the heart of APN's mission and activities.

APN's President and CEO Debra DeLee offered the following comments on the address:

"In his State of the Union -- his annual address to Congress and the American people highlighting the most important issues and priorities on the nation's agenda -- the President rightly singled out for special mention his Administration's efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 'As we speak,' he said, 'American diplomacy is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel.'