JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE: Frequently Asked Questions
Adapted in part from https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/faq/ Last updated 11/21/23
Israel
Not in Our Name
A Statement by Jewish Voice for Peace of Northern NJ We grieve for the over one thousand Israeli civilians unjustly killed on Oct. 7. We grieve, too, for the many thousands of Palestinian civilians unjustly killed since then. And we are in utter anguish at the prospect of the mass killing that faces the two… Continue Reading Not in Our Name
Statement for Gathering at Gould Park, Paterson, N.J., 10/10/23
I am not a religious Jew, and yet this morning I found myself instinctively reciting the Mourner’s Kaddish—the Jewish prayer for the dead—for all the lives—young, old, mothers, fathers, children, lovers, Palestinians, Israelis, Americans, Muslims, Jews, Christians—lost on this horrific weekend. And for the much greater loss of life that I fear is yet to come.… Continue Reading Statement for Gathering at Gould Park, Paterson, N.J., 10/10/23
NYC Climate March and Rally: 9/17/23
Reflecting on the recent NYC climate march and rally, I note:
Support the Earth! Support Palestine!
Jewish Voice for Peace is an organization committed to justice for the Palestinian people. So why are we joining the March to End Fossil Fuels? Of course, environmental catastrophe threatens the very existence of life on Earth, and thus everyone needs to be deeply concerned about addressing climate change. Beyond this general commitment that we… Continue Reading Support the Earth! Support Palestine!
Response to Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas’ reprehensible antisemitic statement actively harms the struggle against Israeli apartheid by serving as a distraction from Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and by empowering Zionist claims of Palestinian antisemitism. Indeed, as approximately 200 Palestinian academics, writers, activists, and people of all walks of life said in a public statement, “The Palestinian people are… Continue Reading Response to Abbas
What’s Going On in Israel and Palestine? Why should you be concerned?
Why should you be concerned? Israel has long promoted itself as the only democracy in the Middle East—Is that really true? Not for the millions of Palestinian people who live under Israeli occupation. Israeli oppression of Palestinians has been long-standing, going back more than 75 years. In 1948, Israel subjected the indigenous population of Palestine… Continue Reading What’s Going On in Israel and Palestine? Why should you be concerned?
To the Jewish Community of Northern New Jersey
An Open Letter to the Jewish Community of Northern New Jersey From Jewish Voice for Peace of Northern New Jersey Massive demonstrations have been taking place in Israel over the future of its judiciary amid rising authoritarianism. Democratic activism is most welcome, but overwhelmingly the protests do not focus on the more than half-century occupation… Continue Reading To the Jewish Community of Northern New Jersey
Gaza Children’s Drawings Featured in Art Exhibit
Empathy is a wave that need never be stopped. If our children can catch this wave, from the ocean of tears that have been shed by Palestinian children, they might have a future in a more stable and saner world. —Alice Walker, 2012,introduction to exhibit catalogue,A Child’s View from Gaza Montclair, N.J., April 16: A… Continue Reading Gaza Children’s Drawings Featured in Art Exhibit
Why What Happens in Israel/Palestine Matters to U.S. Citizens
As the newly elected far-right-wing Israeli government tightens its noose around Palestinians in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, so too does the noose tighten around U.S. citizens and organizations who dare to criticize Israeli apartheid, occupation, and war crimes. State after state in the United States has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition… Continue Reading Why What Happens in Israel/Palestine Matters to U.S. Citizens