Israelis and Palestinians to Start Direct Peace Negotiations in September

The New York Times reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will join President Obama early next month to start direct peace negotiations.  Netanyahu has been a strong proponent of direct peace talks, which would break the 20 month pause in direct negotiations.  According to the New York Times, Netanyahu and Abbas have agreed to place a one-year time limit on the talks.  Click here to read more.

The AJC Angle:  In his weekly "AJC Mideast Briefing" AJC's Israel Office Director Ed Rettig writes about what will happen "When Peace Breaks Out."  Click here to read it. 

AJC Chicago Member Profile:  Gerry Franks & his Front Row Seat to History

This month marks the 74th anniversary of the Berlin Olympic Games. Click here to hear the amazing story of two young Jewish boys who saw Jesse Owens disprove the Nazi theory of racial superiority as they sat less than 10 feet away from Adolf Hitler.

Read of the Week

In “Skip the lecture on Israel's 'risks for peace',” Washington Post Columnist George Will reminds us that since 2000, Palestinian terrorism has killed more than 1,000 Israelis.  Click here to read his column.

Keeping Tabs, Locally

An editorial in the Chicago Tribune this week exhorted the international community to “squeeze harder” on Iran through stepped-up enforcement of sanctions and called on the U.S. to expand sanctions to additional areas of Iran’s economic lifeline.  Click here to read the editorial and click here to thank the Chicago Tribune for its strong support of sanctions.

The Local Angle:  AJC Chicago recently met with U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., a steadfast supporter of the last round of sanctions handed down by the U.S.  AJC Chicago thanked the Congressman for his leadership on this important issue and his strong statement in support of Israel after the flotilla incident.

AJC Chicago and Rep. Jackson Jr. discussed the Iran Transparency and Accountability Act of 2010 which would ensure that the subsidiaries and affiliates of all companies that file annual reports with the SEC are scrutinized for business dealings with Iran. 

Photo:  AJC Chicago Board Members Bruce Lubin (left) and Brad Schneider (right) discuss the importance of increased sanctions on Iran with Rep. Jackson Jr.

Big News, Briefly

This week, Governor Pat Quinn signed landmark legislation requiring utilities to buy six percent of their power from solar energy sources by 2015.

The Local Angle:  AJC Chicago is a part of the Illinois Climate Action Network, a grassroots movement for energy reform. AJC Chicago recently received the Szabad Award at AJC’s Annual Meeting for its work on energy security advocacy.  In addition, AJC Chicago recently met with officials from Governor Quinn’s office to discuss the importance of energy security legislation and the State’s divestment from Iran.  To learn more about AJC’s work on reducing the flow of millions of dollars to dictators in the Middle East for oil, click here.

According to the Jerusalem Post, a "BBC documentary screened this week that investigated the Gaza flotilla incident on May 31 is causing a storm of protest - from critics of Israel, who are furious that the program was not as hostile to Israel as they thought it should be."  Click here to watch the BBC program.  Meanwhile, Reuters reported that a Lebanese ship will attempt to break the blockade of Gaza early next week. 

The Local Angle:  You’re invited to attend a special breakfast briefing on the Gaza Blockade and International Law at AJC Chicago on Thursday, September 2 at 8 a.m. with international legal expert Eric Posner.  You can click here to register online for $10 or pay $15 at the door on September 2.