Dear Friend,

Two years ago, I wrote to you about my refusal to wallow in hopelessness and doom, whether due to the destructive and demoralizing policies of Benjamin Netanyahu or those of Donald Trump. Things have gotten worse but, as my friend, Gloria Steinem likes to say, I remain a hope-a-holic.

In the past two years, the American President has seriously undermined the diplomatic foundations that previous U.S. administrations have laid for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Israeli Prime Minister, given a pass by Trump, has revved up settlement expansion in the Occupied Territories and added flagrant racism to his bag of tricks. Jointly, the two leaders have done everything possible to erode Israeli-Palestinian relations, whether it was moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem or cutting off desperately needed aid to the Palestinians. And now, the two men casually refer to annexation as if it's imminent.

=================
Donate to APN Today [ [link removed] ]
=================

I'm not naive. But regardless of how bad the situation appears, I refuse to succumb to hope fatigue or activist burn-out. None of us has the luxury of passivity or defeatism. There's too much at stake.

Moreover, when reality wears me down, *I draw strength and inspiration from the staff and supporters of Americans for Peace Now and the young leaders and volunteers at Shalom Achshav (Peace Now in Israel). *I'm always re-energized by their astonishing dedication and indefatigable efforts to end the Occupation, protect Israeli democracy, relieve Palestinian suffering, and prepare the ground for peace.

Today, our Israeli cousins are as politically polarized as we are here and the prospects for a two-state solution seem remote. But I stay hopeful thanks to allies of APN and Shalom Achshav in both countries who are fighting as vigorously as ever for a negotiated peace and a guarantee of full civil rights for all.

In Israel, Peace Now is leading the charge against settlement construction, annexation, occupation, and the erosion of democracy. In the U.S, Americans for Peace Now is forcefully challenging news commentators and government officials when their statements are willfully inaccurate or incendiary. APN is monitoring the anti-peace moves of the Trump administration. And APN is bringing global attention to Israel's illegal land grabs by amplifying the work of Shalom Achshav's Settlement Watch.

We need your help to continue the work of informing policymakers, opinion leaders, and members of the Jewish community and others about what's happening on the ground in Israel.

Many of you are long-time supporters of APN. Some are relatively new, and some may be reading about us for the first time. Regardless of where you fit into our history, we need you now more than ever. Doubtless, many worthy causes are competing for your attention as they are for mine. Still, I always put APN near the top of my charitable priority list because I deeply believe in supporting its important work on The Hill and in the public square. I'm asking you to help APN keep its voice strong and its vision alive until new leadership in both countries can reverse the madness and again give peace a chance.

Please resist hope fatigue. Send APN your tax-deductible donation today [ [link removed] ].

Sincerely,

Letty Cottin Pogrebin
APN Board Member and Past Chair