Too many American Jewish groups have their heads in the sand when it comes to the damage the settlement project has done to Israel. They embrace those on the American religious right who endorse settlement as a religious principle, without realizing that the influence of these groups is declining. In this video, my colleague Lara Friedman discusses the challenges and opportunities President Barack Obama faces in pursuing peace for Israel.
American baby-boomers will always remember where they were when President Kennedy was assassinated.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 27, 2009 / CONTACT: Ori Nir - (202) 408-9898; onir@peacenow.org
Washington, D.C.-- Americans for Peace Now (APN) today congratulated J Street, the political arm of America's pro-Israel peace movement, for its successful First National Conference.
"J Street succeeded to attract and mobilize a large number of peace activists, creating a historic moment for our movement."
APN congratulated J Street this week for its successful First National Conference.
Washington D.C. - APN's Board of Directors met here today and unanimously agreed to urge Israel's government to launch its own independent investigation of alleged violations of human rights and international law that may have taken place in the context of the Gaza war, including those documented in the United Nations Human Rights Council report on last winter's Gaza conflict,known as the "Goldstone Report."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas set January 24, 2010 as the date for new elections for both the presidency and the legislature of the Palestinian Authority. 
Go HERE
to see the APN-produced flyer with a map of the
West Bank detailing: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has innumerable costs. One of them is the psychological stress on Israeli society, which is gradually becoming more violent and more brutal.
Upcoming APN events in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and the S.F. Bay Area will feature:Israel's deputy prime minister, Dan Meridor, spoke over the weekend in Washington about what he sees as the three chief foreign policy challenges that Israel faces today: Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the Goldstone report.
The second day of discussions at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy's annual conference ended with winds of war.
By Akiva Eldar and Chaim Levinson
Human rights activists monitoring the West Bank report that despite commitments Israel made to President Barack Obama's administration last month, widespread building activity commenced three weeks ago in at least 12 settlements.
Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer said, "The outpost industry will stop at nothing in order to continue thriving."
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Guard at ancient West Bank synagogue site builds illegal shed from which he carries out carpentry work defense officials believe is used for construction of caravans, outposts by settlers. Civil Administration says execution of demolition order pending authorization of political echelon
By Efrat Weiss
Americans for Peace Now and the
Foundation for Middle East Peace
invite you to a presentation and discussion with:
Akiva Eldar
Author and Ha'aretz journalist
and
Hagit Ofran
Director, Settlement Watch
Peace Now (Shalom Achshav)
The United States, Israel, Settlements and Peace
October 28, 2009, 12-2:00pm
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Second Floor, Root Room
1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC
Akiva Eldar is the co-author of the widely lauded Lords of the Land. Mr. Eldar has been with the Israeli daily Ha'aretz for over thirty years, as a diplomatic correspondent, U.S. bureau chief, Washington DC correspondent and currently serves as the chief political columnist and editorial writer.
Hagit Ofran is the director of the Settlement Watch project for the Israeli Peace Now organization. Ms. Ofran is widely recognized as the foremost Israeli expert on West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements. Ms. Ofran is responsible for monitoring and analyzing construction, planning and other settlement related developments in the occupied territories.
The highly acclaimed book, Lords of the Land by Akiva Eldar and Idith Zertal, will be sold at the event
A light lunch will be served.
Please RSVP to: info@fmep.org
**October 13, 2009** -Alon Liel, former director general of Israel's Foreign Ministry and former Israeli ambassador to Turkey, talks about the crisis in Israel-Turkey relations and about the Israel's need for a credible peace process with the Palestinians in order to maintain strong relations with the international community.
Listen to the audio
Alpher responds to questions on the ramifications of a continuing US military presence in Afghanistan, the recent unrest in Jerusalem, and Abbas' decision not to demand UN action on the Goldstone report.Co Authors Daniel Seidemann is a Jerusalem attorney and founder of Ir Amim, an Israeli nongovernmental agency, and Lara Friedman is director of policy and government relations for Americans for Peace Now.
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Jerusalem has once again emerged in recent days as the focal point of dangerous tensions that threaten to erupt into violence or even a third intifada. Much of the media analysis has overlooked the fact that this situation did not arise out of a vacuum, but is the latest manifestation of tensions that have been steadily growing for months.
The first pro-Israel group to praise Obama was Americans for Peace Now.
"President Obama deserves recognition and praise for making Middle East peace a top U.S. foreign policy priority from his first moments in the Oval Office," said Ori Nir, its spokesman
By Ron Kampeas · October 9, 2009
(JTA) -- The chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize committee cited President Obama's outreach to the Muslim world and his push for Israeli-Arab peace in explaining the shock decision.
Washington, D.C - Americans for Peace Now (APN) today congratulated President Barack Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize and urged him to keep pushing for Middle East peace, viewing the prize as an international expression of confidence in his policy of engagement, negotiations and multilateralism, particularly in the Middle East.America woke up today to a pleasant surprise: President Barack Obama is the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
I rushed the following quote to the news wires: "President Obama deserves recognition and praise for making Middle East peace a top U.S. foreign policy priority from his first moments in the Oval Office. We hope that winning the prestigious prize will further energize the President and his aides to push for peace between Israel and her neighbors."
JTA, the Jewish news service, noted that "The first pro-Israel group to praise Obama was Americans for Peace Now."
Hagit Ofran is the director the Settlement Watch project of the Israeli Peace Now movement (Shalom Achshav). Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hagit-ofran.
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Last week, an incident that could have set the entire Middle East on fire was prevented. Netanyahu's secret plan to visit a disputed tunnel in the East Jerusalem Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, at the site known as Ir David (the City of David), was canceled, probably with some international intervention. Am I exaggerating the danger? No.
by Tovah Lazaroff , THE JERUSALEM POST
Peace Now charged Monday that settlers had accelerated the pace of construction and started work on more than 800 new homes in the last three months to thwart US demands that they stop building.
Dan Izenberg , THE JERUSALEM POST
A government decision to oppose Peace Now's request for an interim injunction against the illegal construction of 15 houses in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Netafim, about 30 km. east of Tel Aviv, proved mistaken when building continued despite stop-work orders issued by the civil administration.
by Mohammed Mar'I, Arab News, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Oct. 6--RAMALLAH -- The anti-settlement Israeli watchdog Peace Now on Monday said 800 housing units have been built in West Bank settlements in the last three months. The movement said in a press statement, after its activists toured a construction site in the West Bank settlement Nokdim not far from Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's home,...
**October 5, 2009** -Tension in Jerusalem is high. Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem feel threatened by what they see as Israeli attempts to exclude them from the Holy Basin, surrounding the Temple Mount and al-Aksa Mosque, the third holiest site to Islam. From Jerusalem, Peace Now's Hagit Ofran analyzes the situation on the ground and comments on its political repercussions.
Listen to the audio
CONTACT: Ori Nir (202) 408-9898
Washington, D.C - Americans for Peace Now (APN) today expressed alarm at the spiraling violence in Jerusalem and urged the Obama administration to take immediate action to help stop the deterioration.
"Recent history teaches us that clashes in Jerusalem have a tendency to ripple throughout the region..."
Special analysis from Daniel Seidemann (Ir Amim) and Lara Friedman (Americans for Peace Now)
The recent violence on the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif is only the latest indication of the rising level of tension in Jerusalem - tension that has been steadily increasing for months. The potential for a highly disruptive, violent conflagration in Jerusalem is more likely now than at any point since the visit of then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount in September 2000, triggering the worst wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence since 1967. Indeed, as the world is coming to recognize, the current mix of destabilizing factors at play is hauntingly familiar - resembling the period that led to the outbreak of the second Intifada.
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Ori Nir is the spokesman for Americans for Peace Now. Previously, Ori worked for Haaretz Daily, Israel's leading newspaper, where he covered Palestinian affairs and Israel's Arab minority. He also served as Washington bureau chief for Ha'aretz and the Forward, America's largest and most influential independent national Jewish weekly newspaper.
A video from September 14th of the captured Israeli St.-Srg. Gilad Shalit, held in Hamas captivity for more than 3 years, was released to the public following a deal which included Israel's release of 20 Palestinian female prisoners. WATCH THE VIDEO that has raised hopes he can and will be freed from captivity.
