Get to know the pro-Palestinian anti-Zionist Israeli Jewish groups
Several Jewish groups strongly oppose the existence of the state of Israel and its policies towards Palestine. From New York, London, to thousands of former Israeli soldiers opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
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Activists from the Jewish community group, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) rallied at the Statue of Liberty complex in New York, United States on Monday (6/11/2023).
Since the Hamas-Israel war broke out on October 7, 2023, various protests against Israel have been held in many countries by pro-Palestinian groups. They are competing to voice their support and narratives with pro-Israel groups. Among those pro-Palestinian groups, many come from the Jewish community and citizens.
Some Jewish groups have in fact opposed Israel's policies towards the Palestinian people prior to the current Gaza conflict. They are also not uncommonly involved in clashes with pro-Israel groups.
Now, with the massive number of civilian casualties resulting from Israel's attack in the Gaza Strip, pro-Palestinian Jewish groups have also shown up and voiced their call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
These groups have roots in a movement called BDS, which stands for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel(boycott, divestment, and sanction/BDS Israel). They often write articles in campus newspapers, voice calls to protect the human rights of Palestinians, and often accuse Israel of acting as a colonial and racist power.
Also read: The Story of the Gaza Underground Network and Hamas Defense Strategy
In the United States, demonstrations by anti-Israel Jewish groups took place on campuses, on Capitol Hill, and at major stations in Chicago and New York. On Wednesday (15/11/2023), they also protested outside the headquarters of the Democratic Party, the party currently in control of the US government, in Washington DC.
Who are the anti-Israel Jewish groups? One of them is the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Established in 1996, this organization calls itself as the "largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world".
"We manage a grassroots, multiracial, cross-class, and cross-generational movement among the Jewish community in the US in solidarity with the struggle for Palestinian freedom, guided by a vision of justice, equality, and dignity for all human beings," reads the vision and mission of JVP on their official website."
Activists from the Jewish community affiliated with the organization Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) staged a protest at the Statue of Liberty complex in New York City, United States on Monday (6/11/2023).
JVP claims to have over 300,000 supporters, 1 million followers on social media platform X, and has formed branches on American campuses after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In its federal tax report for 2021, JVP reported almost $2.9 million in revenue, said to come from individual donations.
Rabbi Brant Rosen, one of the co-founders of the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Council based in Chicago, expressed his condolences for the death of a fellow Jewish member, while remaining committed to standing in solidarity with Palestine.
Stop supporting Israeli apartheid
Another anti-Israel Jewish group is the organization IfNotNow. This organization was established in 2014 during the Hamas-Israel war of that year. In that war, more than 2,000 Palestinian residents were killed. As is the case now, at that time Israeli forces launched air strikes and ground attacks on Gaza in retaliation for rocket attacks from Gaza on Israel.
The goal of IfNotNow, as stated on their website, is to "organize a community to end US support for Israel's apartheid system and demand equality, justice, and a shared future for all Palestinian and Israeli citizens."
We cannot and will not say that Palestinian actions are without provocation. The choking siege of Gaza is a provocation. (IfNotNow)
At the beginning of the current Hamas-Israel war, IfNotNow strongly condemned the killing of civilians on both sides, while continuing to criticize Israel's policies. "We cannot and will not say that Palestinian actions are without provocation," the organization said regarding Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023.
“The stranglehold of the Gaza siege is a provocation. The settlers terrorizing entire Palestinian villages, the army raiding and destroying Palestinian homes... All these are acts of provocation by the most extreme right-wing government in Israel's history.”
Jewish supporters of Palestine are demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as they protest at the Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago, United States, on Monday (13/11/2023).
IfNotNow claims to have tens of thousands of members and supporters. According to tax reports, the organization's total revenue in 2021 was less than $397,000.
Reject the Israeli occupation
Some other anti-Israel Jewish groups are Neturei Karta (NK) in New York City, USA; the Jewish community in Mea Shearim Village in East Jerusalem; Na'amod in London, England; and Breaking The Silence which was led by former Israeli soldiers. They all loudly reject Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.
Na’ama, a protester from the Na’amod community, declared the gathering at Castlehaven Park in London on November 11, 2023, as a tradition to commemorate the 30-day anniversary of the victims who fell in Gaza. "We are here to fight against violence against civilians in Gaza. Whoever the victims are and whatever their nationality," Na'ama said.
Also read: American Jewish Community Condemns Israeli Attacks
Na'amod in Turkish media reports, Anadolu, is said to regularly hold demonstrations against the Israeli occupation of Palestine around the city of London. Their actions became more frequent following Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip which resulted in the deaths of more than 12,000 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children.
"The current violence is not a result of the events on October 7, 2023 (Hamas attack), but rather 70 years of violence since the Israeli military expelled Palestinians from their homes for decades," he said.
The Na'amod movement is gathering support from the Jewish community in England to end Israel's occupation, apartheid policies in Israel, and fight for freedom, equality, and justice for Palestinians and Israelis.
Na'ama also urges an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and the lifting of the blockade. The Na'amod movement is gathering support from the British Jewish community to end the Israeli occupation, apartheid politics in Israel, and fight for independence, equality, and justice for the Palestinian and Israeli people.
Israel's staunchest opponent
The group that is more hard-line against Israel is the NK. This is an ultra-Orthodox Jewish international movement with a support base in the US. The NK regards their institution as the official Jewish authority against Zionist theology and pray for the dissolution of the state of Israel through peaceful means.
The pro-Palestinian protesters from the Jewish community Neturei Karta, who are anti-Zionism, support the hunger strike of Palestinian activist Maher Al Akhras and his colleagues who are detained by Israel. The hunger strike lasted for 80 days in a prison in the city of Hebron, West Bank, which is occupied by Israeli military, in October 2020.
The name of the NK movement is taken from the Aramaic language used during the time of Jesus Christ, at the beginning of the AD era, which means 'Gatekeepers'. The movement was founded in 1938 to oppose the establishment of the state of Israel.
The NK community believes that the new Jewish state will only emerge when the Messiah or Savior awaited by the Jewish people has come to earth and restored their country in the land of Israel.
NK is known to have connections with Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and groups that choose violence against Israel.
Leaders of the NK, such as Dovid Feldman and Yisroel Dovid Weiss (spokespeople for the NK North America), are highly committed to showing the Islamic and Arab world that not all Jewish people support the existence of the state of Israel. They often appear on Al Jazeera (Qatar) and Press TV (Iran). Their appearance is distinctive, dressing in orthodox Jewish garb, all in black with beards, side curls, and black hats.
In an interview with Al Jazeera in 2012, Weiss claimed that Israeli Zionism created a river with blood flow. This goes against the will of God and is inconsistent with Jewish values. Please note: The original article did not contain any of the forbidden words.
A member of the Neturei Karta orthodox Jewish sect, who rejects the establishment of the state of Israel, wore a shawl with a picture of the Palestinian map with the name in Arabic and English translation reading "Palestine", during a rally in support of Palestinian activist Maher al-Akhras, who is detained in the Israeli-occupied city of Hebron, West Bank, on October 21, 2020.
Most of the NK leaders in the US reside in Brooklyn and Monsey in New York City. They are active in several anti-Israel and anti-Zionism protests. NK refers to Israel as a Nazi state and accuses Israel of controlling media coverage.
In the view of NK, if a Jewish citizen supports Israel, they have lost their Jewish identity. During a protest welcoming PM Benjamin Netanyahu in New York, NK activists referred to Netanyahu as not being a Jewish person because of his support for Israel.
Put up the Palestinian flag
In the heart of Palestine's East Jerusalem lies a Jewish village, Mea Shearim. Almost every day, they are raided by Israeli police and soldiers for flying the Palestinian flag. Mea Shearim's Jewish residents call the police and soldiers "Nazi terrorists."
Also read: Jerusalem, the Holy City, Microcosm of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
On various social media channels, videos of Israeli police and soldiers committing violence against Jewish residents of Mea Shearim who were protesting against Israel have been circulated. The Mea Shearim Jewish community has been living alongside Muslim and Arab Christian communities in the East Jerusalem area for a thousand years.
Israeli media, Times of Israel, said that one of the anti-Israel groups in Mea Shearim was NK. Mea Shearim Jewish elders in various television interviews said that before the state of Israel existed, they lived peacefully side by side with Arabs, Turks, Bedouins, as well as adherents of different religions and beliefs.
Jewish children also joined in mocking Israeli soldiers and police officers who routinely raid Palestinian flags secretly hung on roofs and walls in the Mea Shearim village. Various mockery posters and graffiti against Israel are always displayed on the walls of Mea Shearim.
Israeli police chase Mea Shearim residents in Jerusalem on Monday (30/3/2020). The majority of the population in this settlement are ultra-Orthodox Jews.
A collection of former Israeli soldiers
Former Israeli soldiers are also not sitting idly. They formed the organization Breaking The Silence. This organization emerged since the Second Intifada (Palestinian Resistance).
Former Israeli soldiers are exposing the behavior of Israel's military as occupiers in the West Bank, Jordan River, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
In the Breaking The Silence website, it is mentioned that soldiers stationed in the occupied territories have been actively involved in military raids and various acts of repression against Palestinian citizens, including looting and damaging buildings. These practices have become standard operating procedures for the Israeli military.
Also read: Israeli Police Destroy Palestinian Houses in East Jerusalem
A series of testimonies that have been aired on various social media platforms reveal more deeply the sad condition and collapse of moral standards among Israeli soldiers through various acts of violence under the guise of Israel's security reasons.
Various testimonies have been collected since March 2004 by the group of Israeli soldiers who were assigned in the city of Hebron, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel. Until now, Breaking The Silence has opened the eyes of the Israeli public to direct testimonies from soldiers in the occupied territories.
Palestinian civilians and Israeli activists ran to avoid tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the Jordan Valley, West Bank, on November 17, 2016.
So far, 1,400 Israeli soldiers from various ranks and positions have testified about their actions as occupation forces.
One of their standard operating procedures is to bang on the doors of citizens' homes at night and in the early morning. If necessary, they occupy Palestinian homes for days, weeks, or even months. Afterwards, they leave the house without providing any compensation to the owner when they receive a different order.
So far, 1,400 Israeli soldiers from various ranks and positions have testified about their actions as occupation forces.
Even homeowners are repeatedly checked for their identification cards by Israeli soldiers. Near the entrance to the residents' homes, there is a guard post. All residents are checked, even for simple matters.
Breaking The Silence, led by Miki Kratsman and assisted by senior member Avner Gvaryahu, often produces videos containing various testimonies from Israeli soldiers and former soldiers.
Yehuda Shaul, one of the founders and Director of Foreign Affairs of the group "Breaking the Silence", poses for a photo after a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, on November 21, 2017.
Various international media outlets, such as Al Jazeera, DW, France24, BBCNews, ABC News, and TRT World, have conducted interviews with Breaking The Silence activists.
The existence of these anti-Israel Jewish groups proves that Israel, with its apartheid Zionist ideology, is indeed an enemy of human values and equality of all people. With their capacity, these anti-Zionist Jewish groups are also one of the voices of humanity that want to fight for the fate of millions of people in the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank. (AP/REUTERS)
