Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)

Key Findings:

Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is a radical anti-Israel and anti-Zionist activist group that advocates for the eradication of Zionism and the boycott of Israel. JVP argues that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism, and that Zionism is incompatible with social justice. JVP does not represent the mainstream Jewish community (which JVP views as bigoted for its association with Israel).

JVP has played a significant role in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, using its Jewish identity to counter accusations of antisemitism. It organizes protests against U.S. support for Israel and calls for the eradication of Zionism. Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, JVP blamed Israel for the violence, with some leaders justifying the attack.

JVP has influenced progressive movements, intensifying the vilification of Zionist Jews and creating hostile environments for Jewish individuals within social justice circles. JVP has also spearheaded numerous BDS efforts since 2001, targeting companies, institutions, and religious organizations to push for economic and political boycotts of Israel.

Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) justified the violence, with its leaders blaming Israel for the massacre. JVP activists and chapters promoted rhetoric supporting Hamas and Palestinian “resistance,” often amplifying antisemitic and anti-Zionist messages.

JVP chapters played a key role in campus protests that led to hostile environments for Jewish students, with some universities suspending JVP chapters due to threatening rhetoric. The group also participated in anti-Zionist protests at synagogues and Holocaust museums, where demonstrators vilified Zionism and, in some cases, displayed symbols associated with terrorist groups.

JVP’s actions post-October 7 further aligned it with radical anti-Israel movements, while its leadership maintained ties to figures and regimes hostile to Israel.

JVP activists and events frequently justify and promoted violence and terrorist organizations like Hamas and the PFLP. Some members have denied the existence of Israeli civilians, claiming all Israelis are military combatants. Notably, in 2017, JVP honored convicted PFLP terrorist Rasmea Odeh at its conference. That same year, JVP ran an ad quoting terrorist Marwan Barghouti but omitted his conviction for murdering five Israelis.

The group has promoted or tolerated imagery that echoes classic antisemitic tropes, including cartoons and banners depicting Israelis as bloodthirsty murderers. Examples include a 2022 JVP post showing Israeli soldiers drinking Palestinian blood and a 2021 rally in Los Angeles featuring a doctored image of Benjamin Netanyahu with blood dripping from his mouth.

Its rhetoric includes statements equating Zionists with white supremacists, as seen in its 2017 “Deadly Exchange” campaign, which falsely linked Israeli security training to U.S. police brutality. Since October 7, 2023, JVP has intensified its messaging, targeting Jewish organizations like Hillel, calling for its boycott and isolation due to its support for Israel.

JVP frequently disparages Jewish traditions to further its anti-Israel agenda. It misrepresents Jewish rituals, tying them to Palestinian oppression while undermining Jewish religious observance. Examples include rewriting Jewish prayers to remove Hebrew, using Tisha b’Av to criticize Israel, and performing a “tashlich” ritual to "cast off Zionism." JVP's 2024 Passover Haggadah, Exodus from Zionism, describes Passover as a “celebration of genocide” and promotes BDS.

JVP claims to be primarily funded by small-dollar donors, with an average donation of $60, generating around $600,000 annually from membership dues. However, it also receives significant institutional funding. Major donors include the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which has given nearly $500,000 in recent years, along with the Lannan Foundation ($500,000 in 2023) and the Kataly Foundation ($50,000 in 2023). Other contributors include the Tides Foundation ($61,000 in 2022), the Proteus Fund ($12,500 in 2022), and the Foundation to Promote Open Society ($225,000 in 2022).

JVP has established subgroups such as the Rabbinical Council (2011) to promote anti-Zionist initiatives and the BIJOCSM network (2016) to engage anti-Zionist Jews of color and Sephardi/Mizrahi Jews. Around 2021, it launched the Havurah Network, a collective of anti-Zionist synagogues. JVP has been led by Stefanie Fox since 2020.