A new poll, conducted by the respected firm Public Opinion Strategies and released on Thursday, reveals that a large majority of American Jews strongly reject the extremist views and tactics of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). The poll was commissioned by The Jewish Majority.
JVP has been criticized by several political figures, including Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), who described it as a “hate group that advocates for violence against Israel,” and Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY), who called JVP “pro-Hamas agitators.” Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) has written that JVP seeks to dismantle Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
Despite these critiques, JVP, which played a significant role in last spring’s campus anti-Israel protests, continues to claim it represents the Jewish community. The new data show that activists, funders, and politicians who support JVP or its views are engaging in tokenism by promoting a fringe organization that misrepresents the beliefs of the broader Jewish community.
KEY FINDINGS:
1. Jewish Americans Strongly Reject Anti-Zionists:
85% believe Hamas wants to commit genocide against Jews and Israel.
· Jewish Voice for Peace blamed Israel and America for Hamas’ attacks on October 7th.
70% think anti-Zionist movements are antisemitic by definition. Only 9% strongly disagree.
· Jewish Voice for Peace is anti-Zionist, calls for “Death to Israel” and says all of Israel is Palestinian.
76% believe that the 2024 anti-Israel campus protests were antisemitic. Only 6% believe they were not.
· Jewish Voice for Peace played a significant role in the 2024 campus protests.
10% strongly oppose U.S. aid to Israel.
· Jewish Voice for Peace strongly opposes U.S. aid to Israel, including funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system.
2. Jewish Americans find many of the tactics used by JVP to be unacceptable:
75% believe blocking traffic is unacceptable; only 9% strongly believe it is acceptable.
60% believe that demonstrating at the homes of government officials is unacceptable; only 12%
strongly believe it is acceptable.
55% believe that wearing a mask to conceal your identity is unacceptable; only 18% strongly believe it
is acceptable.
· Jewish Voice for Peace regularly blocks traffic, demonstrates at the homes of government officials, and wears masks to conceal their identity.
3. Jewish Americans Express Staunch Support for Jewish Zionist Organizations:
79% are members of or generally support the policies of the Anti-Defamation League.
79% are members of or generally support the policies of the Jewish National Fund.
74% are members of or generally support the policies of the American Jewish Committee.
73% are members of or generally support the policies of the Jewish Federations of North America.
· Jewish Voice for Peace shows its marginality by opposing the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish National Fund, American Jewish Committee, and Jewish Federations of North America.
“Plain and simple, Jewish Voice for Peace is an extremist group that does not represent the views of the overwhelming majority of American Jews,” stated Jonathan Schulman, Executive Director of The Jewish Majority. “American Jews share a strong and consistent stance against anti-Zionists as well as a deep concern over rising antisemitism and the tactics used by organizations like JVP. It is high time people see through the charade: JVP is not representative of anyone but a marginal fringe, even if a few radical Jews are involved in their movement.”
ADDITIONAL FINDINGS:
4. The Role of Jewish Organizations:
71% of respondents believe that for an organization to credibly speak for Jewish Americans, it must be
comprised almost entirely of Jews. Only 7% strongly disagree.
· While describing itself as a Jewish organization, Jewish Voice for Peace has never released information on how many of its members are actually Jewish. In their membership FAQ, they make clear that they are trying to recruit well beyond the American Jewish community. Some JVP chapters have been founded by non-Jews, while others are at least 50% non-Jewish.
5. Strong Views on Anti-Zionist Movements and Antisemitism:
92% believe that antisemitism has either stayed the same or worsened in the past two to three years,
with a significant portion of this group citing both an increase in antisemitic views and that more people feel free to express their antisemitism.
· Jewish Voice for Peace legitimizes antisemitic tropes, contributing to the rise in antisemitism.
· Jewish Voice for Peace places political ideology above public safety, which is why it downplays antisemitism.
· Jewish Voice for Peace opposes defining antisemitism in order to shield the anti-Israel movement.
6. Social Media and Its Impact on Jewish Communities:
91% of respondents are concerned that social media amplifies the opinions of fringe movements, making them seem more widespread than they actually are.
· Despite Jewish Voice for Peace’s positions being on the fringe of the Jewish community, they have grown on social media and may appear more widespread than they are in reality.
The poll was conducted on December 16-24, 2024, with 800 adult Jewish responders. The margin of error is ±3.95%.
