Jewish Voice For Peace

jewishvoiceforpeace.org

We all know that antisemitism is a real and present threat—the anti-Jewish conspiracists staging an insurrection at the Capitol left no room for doubt. We also know that the conversation around antisemitism is broken. For years we've pushed back as the Israeli government and its supporters levied baseless accusations of antisemitism against Palestinians in order to evade accountability for human rights abuses, turning the concept upside down. It’s a mess, and it leaves all of our movements vulnerable.

In this context, over 200 Jewish studies scholars have just released the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA). It’s a powerful corrective to the harmful, controversial, and increasingly widespread International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, which falsely conflates some criticisms of the state of Israel with antisemitism. This new definition is remarkable in its simple affirmation of what we and our Palestinian partners have long said: Advocating for BDS, a one-state solution, or anti-Zionist politics is NOT antisemitic. 

While we welcome the rebuke of the IHRA definition, in attempting to rebut its deceptive claims, the JDA falls into the trap of linking conversations about Palestinian rights with antisemitism. Palestinians deserve to be able to advocate for themselves on their own terms, because Palestinian rights are human rights. 

Likewise, we want to dismantle antisemitism on our own terms. And so do our friends in progressive Jewish organizations across the world. We also know that definitions don’t dismantle oppression. We want those who are looking to support Jewish safety to focus on the practical and principled ways to do so that go far beyond definitions. 

That’s why we worked with progressive Jewish organizations to create five principles for dismantling antisemitism.

1. Do not isolate antisemitism from other forms of oppression. 
Situate your work to dismantle antisemitism within the broader struggle against all forms of racism and oppression.  Antisemitism is embedded in white supremacy and is part of the machinery of division and fear used to keep us isolated and vulnerable—the same machinery that is used to target Black people and other people of color, people who are Muslim, immigrants, Indigenous communities, and others. Isolating antisemitism ignores the central threats faced by these communities under white supremacy, erases the lived experiences of Black Jews and other Jews of color, and atomizes a struggle that must be united to succeed. Act from the principles that oppression is intersectional and that justice is indivisible.

2. Challenge political ideologies that foment racism, hate, and fear.
Refuse and challenge fascist, white nationalist, and far-right ideologies leading to murderous violence. These conspiratorial and dangerous beliefs are wielded to divide and sow fear across communities, and to reinforce and maintain white supremacy.  Cede no ground to the leaders, institutions, and politicians who promote these ideologies and gain power by breeding violent antisemitism, racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia.

3. Create environments that affirm and celebrate all expressions of cultural and religious life.
Institute policies and practices that actively embrace, not just tolerate cultural and religious diversity. White Christian hegemony structures many of our societies, lives, relationships, and institutions. By framing all communities that are not white and Christian as the “other,” this feeds exploitation, hatred, and discrimination.  Push back on this harmful reality by assessing your community or organization’s policies and building affirming, inclusive spaces where Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, and all other faith communities can thrive and belong. 

4. Make undoing all forms of racism and bigotry both policy and daily practice. 
Establish racial justice, religious inclusion, and social equity as central pillars for setting policy and making decisions—in organizations, institutions, and legislation. Until our entire society is transformed to the point where racism and antisemitism are truly eradicated, it is up to all of us to create open spaces, rooted in the fabric of daily practice, for anti-racist educational initiatives, curriculums, and frameworks. If we do not make undoing white supremacy, including anti-Black racism, antisemitism, and islamophobia, a part of our daily lives, we will never achieve the just future we want.

5. Practice safety through solidarity, not law enforcement. 
Resist calls to respond to violence against Jewish people by increasing police presence. Increased policing will harm some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, including Jewish people of color. Instead, invest in strategies, practices, and plans that build protection and safety for all our communities, without increasing the power and presence of increasingly militarized law enforcement. Our history shows that freedom and safety for any of us depend on freedom and safety for all of us.