Activism

JVP offers bold universalist Hanukkah message in the wake of Gaza slaughter

Jewish Voice for Peace has published this incredible video for celebrating Hanukkah in the wake of the Gaza slaughter. Look at the bold messages of the members in this video. “Stand up to injustice… Hold Jewish institutions accountable.”  Imagine the new chapter this group is opening in the American Jewish experience.

Every bit of this video is about a renewal of Jewish universalist tradition, about facing up to the horrors of the occupation, a willingness to be accountable and to base Jewish freedom in the freedom of others. And justice. That means not just ending the occupation, but honoring the right of return of Palestinian refugees made homeless by the establishment of the Jewish state.

Screen shot: Jewish Voice for Peace - Chanukah 2014
Screen shot: Jewish Voice for Peace – Chanukah 2014

On this day, let it be noted, the New York Times slagged Jewish Voice for Peace as a marginal organization that threatens the dreamcastle Israel of liberal Zionists. And made out Boycott Divestment and Sanctions as some demon ideology. And cast the rightwing Ari Shavit as a liberal Zionist savior. Jason Horowitz wrote:

The idea of going back to campus, [liberal Zionist Ronit Zemel, 22] she told me, gave her “the worst feeling ever.” She felt besieged by pro-Palestinian groups advocating boycott, divestment and sanctions, or B.D.S., modeled after the boycott movement that helped end South African apartheid policies. “I’m more ashamed of Israel now,” she said. “But I am viewing it from a place of love and caring, and I know that they are not. So I’m very scared.” [Ari] Shavit expressed a similar concern. In November, he visited Temple Micah, and speaking as a “liberal to liberals” he worried about young American Jews losing their Jewish identity and drifting away from Israel.

Chief among the fears of liberal Zionists were groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, which in June helped provide a Jewish seal of approval for the Presbyterian Church to divest from companies seen as profiting from Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

JVP as a source of fear? Oh please. Americans need to get out of the bunkers.

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Ari Shavit is right-wing??
This is from today:
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.632412

As Mondo pointed out a few years ago, Hannukah is the last candidate for an “affirmation of universalism”. It is a historical event to which religious significance has been belatedly attributed for Zionist and other reasons, as Mondo noted in 2 posts a while back.

http://mondoweiss.net/2012/12/happy-hanukkah-thanks-but-not-for-me

http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/notes-on-hanukkah-the-maccabees-and-zionisms-invented-traditions

That is a very impressive Hanukkah message from JVP. These folks are doing a great job representing voices that do not agree with the Israeli government and zionist policies.
Their voices should be heard and their message understood in the US. Unlike other voices, JVP must find it even harder to push through the “self hating” accusation, to make their message heard. Still, they persevere. Good luck to all.

Check out this Google Trends graph, comparing interest in AIPAC, Jewish Voice for Peace and American Council for Judaism:

http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=aipac%2C%20jewish%20voice%20for%20peace%2C%20american%20council%20for%20judaism&cmpt=q

ACJ is flatlining. JVP is showing a bit of life — but overall appears to be boxed in.

More valuable for analysis would be membership numbers and budgets over time.