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Jewish pro-Palestinian activism
Jewish support for Palestinian rights From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Jewish support for the rights of Palestinians has existed since before the creation of the State of Israel. Jewish support for Palestinian rights or an independent Palestinian state has often come from Jewish anti-Zionists and Jewish leftists, many of whom support a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some Orthodox Jews are also supportive of Palestinians, including Haredi groups such as Neturei Karta. Liberal Zionist denominations of Judaism such as the Union for Reform Judaism are supportive of the existence of an independent Palestinian state in the context of a two-state solution.[1] Jewish support for Palestinian causes is stronger in the diaspora compared to among Israeli Jews. Among American Jews, there is a generational divide, with younger Jews expressing significantly more sympathy with Palestinian causes compared to older generations.[2] Jewish supporters of Palestinians are often accused of being self-hating Jews by Zionists,[3] while pro-Palestinian Jews themselves often articulate their advocacy as an expression of their Judaism or Jewish values.[4]
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Argentina
In Argentina, the group Judies X Palestina (Jews for Palestine) was founded in 2021 and has gained greater popularity since the Gaza war.[5]
Austria
In 2025, anti-Zionist Austrian Jews held a conference in solidarity with Gaza.[6]
The Yiddish singer Isabel Frey has stated her belief that the philosemitic Holocaust memory culture in Austria and Germany causes non-Jewish Austrians and non-Jewish Germans to "fetishize" Jews in a "pseudo-tolerant" way, leading to intolerance of pro-Palestinian Jewish anti-Zionist viewpoints.[7]
Brazil
In Brazil, some pro-Palestinian Jews are members of Vozes Judaicas por Libertacao (Jewish Voices for Liberation), which was founded in 2014.[5]
Canada
In Toronto, some pro-Palestinian Jews are members of the organization Jews Say No to Genocide.[8]
Germany
Some German Jews are active in the pro-Palestinian movement in Germany. Due to the normative Zionism and anti-antisemitism in German culture, Jewish anti-Zionist perspectives are often controversial in German media and politics.[9][10] According to the Berlin-based musician Peaches, progressive pro-Palestinian Jewish perspectives are often subjected to "censorship" in Germany. In a New York Times interview, she stated that Germans "can't separate Israeli politics from Jewish feelings" and thus a diversity of Jewish opinion is not "honored".[11]
In 2023, pro-Palestinian Jews were present at protests against Benjamin Netanyahu that were held at the Brandenburg Gate.[12]
Ireland
Some Irish Jews are members of the organization Jews for Palestine-Ireland.[13][14]
Israel and Palestine
Pro-Palestinian Jews are the minority of Israeli Jews and may experience harassment, threats, or violence due to their political views.[15]
South Africa
Some South African jews are members of "South African Jews for a Free Palestine" an anti-Zionist Jewish organizations.[16][17]
Mexico
Compared to most other Latin American countries, Mexico has a more significant number of anti-Zionist Jews involved in pro-Palestinian politics. Some pro-Palestinian Mexican Jews are members of the organization Jews for Palestine. Pro-Palestinian Mexican Jews maintain strong involvement within pro-Palestinian collectives within Mexican academic institutions.[5]
United States
In the United States, pro-Palestinian activist groups often have Palestinian and Jewish leadership. Jewish Voice for Peace is among the largest and best known pro-Palestinian Jewish organizations in the world. Another major pro-Palestinian Jewish organizations is IfNotNow.[18]
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Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Jewish opposition to Zionism often comes from Haredi and Hasidic Jews, who oppose Zionism for theological reasons. Orthodox anti-Zionism dates to the 1800s. Some Haredi and Hasidic anti-Zionists have also expressed pro-Palestinian sentiment, most notably the Haredi anti-Zionist group Neturei Karta. Despite living in Jerusalem, Neturei Karta members speak Yiddish rather than Hebrew and have refused Israeli citizenship. Following the Balfour Declaration, in the 1920s in Mandatory Palestine, some Orthodox Jews attempted to gain Palestinian Arab support in their opposition to Zionism.[19]
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