Debunking Propaganda: No, Jewish Voice For Peace is Not Antisemitic
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is an anti-Zionist left-wing Jewish activist organization. Despite their principled opposition to Israeli policies towards Palestinians, JVP has been falsely accused of antisemitism by pro-Israel advocates, sometimes going so far as to label them a hate group. These accusations do not stand up to scrutiny.
What is Jewish Voice for Peace?
JVP was formed in 1996 by prominent Jewish intellectuals, including Tony Kushner and Noam Chomsky, following the Netanyahu government’s opening of an archeological tunnel under Jerusalem’s Temple Mount that led to the deaths of 65 Palestinians and 14 Israelis.
In addition to Kushner and Chomsky, JVP’s advisory board includes many prominent Jewish academics and artists such as philosopher Judith Butler and actor Wallace Shawn. Their current executive director is Stefanie Fox, who succeeded Rebecca Vilkomerson in 2021.
JVP supports using boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) to pressure Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories. As Vilkomerson wrote in 2016 in an article for the Washington Post, “I’m Jewish, and I want people to boycott Israel.” This stance has made them a major target of pro-Zionist attacks.
False Accusation #1: “Not So Jewish”
Critics claim JVP members are not sufficiently Jewish, or are non-Jews masquerading as such. However, most JVP members self-identify as Jewish, and staff are required to be Jewish. It should not need to be said that attacking or invalidating someone’s Jewishness is reminiscent of antisemitic attempts to question Jews’ place in society.
JVP’s leadership is undoubtedly Jewish. Executive Director Stephanie Fox is the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, and Rebecca Vilkomerson has described her Jewish identity as shaped especially by summers at her leftist Jewish sleepaway camp. No one has the right to police who is a “real” Jew.
Another claim is based on a tweet by Dr. Hatem Bazian, a Muslim, that was misconstrued as JVP asking him to pose as a Jewish man. In actuality, he copypasted a call to action that included the words “As jews,” which he overlooked. This was an error made by Dr. Bazian, not an intentional act of deceit by JVP. This also further showcases that most calls to action by JVP go out to a generally Jewish audience.
False Accusation #2: “Endangering Jews”
Many disingenuous pro-Zionist “accountability” organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and NGO Monitor have condemned the boycott of Israel as antisemitic and endangering Jews. However, the BDS movement is explicitly nonviolent and aims to pressure Israel through economic means, not harm Jews.
This argument is often conflated with creating “lists of Jewish companies” that could be weaponized by antisemitic hate groups. The BDS movement list, however, focuses on organizations that have publicly supported or directly funded Zionism and the Israeli government, many (if not most) of which have no direct affiliation to Judaism as an ethnicity or religion.
Suggesting nonviolent boycotts of Israel endanger Jews is reminiscent of the antisemitic dual loyalty trope, which has been used by all sides whether against or in support of Zionism. It falsely conflates Zionism with all Jews and singles out the state of Israel for special protection over defending human rights. Judaism is an ancient enthnoreligion. Israel, on the other hand, is a settler colonial ethnostate, and modern Zionism is the political movement that supports it under the guise of being in the interest of Jews. This narrative is directly threatened by the existence of anti-Zionist Jews, which is why so much effort is made to discount them with misinformation.
False Accusation #3: “Ties to the Iranian Regime”
Critics claim JVP is tied to Samidoun, and thus the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Palestinian group considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government, which in turn has ties to Iran.
This accusation relies on multiple degrees of separation. JVP partners with the group Samidoun, which expresses solidarity with the PFLP. But Samidoun is a grassroots organization that focuses on advocating for Palestinian prisoners, not terrorism. This tenuous connection does not mean JVP supports Iran or terrorist violence.
False Accusation #4: “Supporting Nazis”
One of the most absurd accusations is that JVP supports Nazism. This stems from JVP sharing a post about the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine on social media. Critics claim the revolt’s leader, Amin al-Husseini, collaborated with Nazis, which in turn paints JVP as Nazi sympathizers.
But the post said nothing about Husseini — it was about Palestinians resisting British colonial rule. Sharing historical posts about Palestine does not equate to endorsing every individual involved. This is a blatant example of guilt by extremely tenuous association.
False Accusation #5: “Blood Libel”
Some point to JVP’s use of red blood imagery as reminiscent of the reprehensible antisemitic trope known as blood libel, in which Jewish women purportedly drank the blood of Christian boys. This false connection with JVP often focuses on a pair of political cartoons shared by JVP at different times, shown below.
Blood imagery is a common trope in political cartoons about violence. The artist uses them to represent Palestinian suffering, not to make covert antisemitic references.
To say nothing of one of the most famous, totally metal political cartoons ever made, in which a robed skeletal figure drinks blood from a giant wine glass. Which, it turns out, was created by Louis Raemaekers to denounce the violence of Nazi Germany.
Conclusion
Jewish Voice for Peace is an organization focused on promoting peace and justice. They represent progressive Jewish values through opposing Israeli policies towards Palestinians. False accusations of antisemitism against JVP rely on twisting their words, questionable logic, and policing Jewish identity. While it’s perfectly reasonable for someone to disagree with certain methods or tactics, there is no evidence whatsoever that JVP promotes antisemitism. These bad-faith attacks should be rejected.
