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About
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is a progressive American Jewish organization founded in 1996 in the San Francisco Bay Area by three University of California, Berkeley undergraduates as an all-volunteer peace group. It is critical of Israeli government policies and the occupation of Palestinian territories, advocating for Palestinian rights and opposing what it sees as unjust Israeli actions such as settlement expansion and military operations. JVP supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel and opposes U.S. military assistance to Israel. As a left-wing, anti-Zionist group and pro-Palestinian solidarity organization, it positions itself as a political home for left-leaning Jews, emphasizing justice, multiracial and intergenerational organizing, and turning grief into strategic action against perceived injustices in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since its founding, JVP has grown into a national movement with over 35 chapters across the United States and more than 32,000 active dues-paying members. The group engages in high-profile campaigns, protests, and direct actions, often targeting pro-Israel organizations such as Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. It gained significant notoriety following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza as a leading force in U.S. protests calling for an end to U.S. support for Israeli military actions, including campus encampments and nationwide rallies.
JVP is seen as divisive within the broader Jewish community; critics label it anti-Zionist and accuse it of supporting Palestinian claims to land vacated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War or promoting anti-Semitism, while supporters regard it as a vital voice for progressive Jewish values centered on human rights and anti-occupation activism. Rooted in Jewish traditions of social justice, the organization extends its influence through educational resources, policy advocacy, and coalition-building with other progressive and Palestinian solidarity groups.
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