Jews Against White Supremacy (JAWS) is a radical-left Jewish anti-Zionist, anti-colonial, and anti-capitalist organization. ¹ JAWS is a self-described “revolutionary socialist” organization that supports pro-Palestinian activists “by any means necessary.” ²

JAWS’s activist activities include mobilizing anti-Zionist Jews; engaging in direct action opposing Jewish Zionist institutions and cultural Zionism; creating educational initiatives to support its ideology; building networks of anti-Zionist Jews and their allies; and working to hold Israel accountable as an “apartheid state.” ³

History and Leadership

Jews Against White Supremacy was founded in August 2023. ^{4 5 4} As of August 2024, the organization claimed branches in Philadelphia, New York City, ¹ the San Francisco Bay Area, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom. ^{6 3}

Michael Wisnefsky and Rebecca Gross are two of JAWS’s organizers. ⁷ Wisnefsky has said that fighting Zionist institutions that have been responsible for “perpetuating a genocide in Palestine” is at the core of JAWS. ³

Activities

Jews Against White Supremacy was founded as an explicitly anti-Zionist, anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and internationalist organization. ¹ JAWS exists to fight for what it calls the liberation of Palestine by any means possible, claims that it is an imperative for Jews to oppose Jewish Zionist institutions, ³ and states that action against Jewish Zionist and secular Zionist institutions such as arms manufacturers is critical. ⁶

The organization is a self-described “revolutionary socialist,” intersectional feminist, queer, and trans organization that opposes white supremacy, Zionism, antisemitism, racism, Islamophobia, transphobia, and homophobia. ⁵ JAWS claims that genocide is being committed in their name as Jews and that that the entire Zionist project has been committed in their name as well. ⁶

Activities

Jews Against White Supremacy works to challenge and abolish Zionist Jewish institutions. Its activist activities include organizing anti-Zionist Jews, taking direct action, running educational campaigns, and building networks. ⁶

In November 2023, JAWS published an article claiming that everyone must oppose what they call “Zionist settler colonial genocide.” It said it must be unabashedly anti-Zionist, support a ceasefire in Gaza, and that the organization must not stop until “Palestine is free from the river to the sea.” ⁶

Some of the organization’s key objectives include the mobilization of anti-Zionist Jews; direct activism and action opposing Jewish Zionist institutions and cultural Zionism; educational initiatives to support its ideology; building networks of anti-Zionist Jews and their allies; and holding Israel accountable as an “apartheid state.” ³   

JAWS is a signatory of Safety is Not Transnational’s petition opposing the criminalization of students, faculty, and others for speaking out and organizing against what it calls the “genocide of Palestinians in Israel.” ⁸ JAWS shared a post claiming that “Zionism is a form of settler colonialism; it’s an extension of Western imperialism, and that the ruling class understands any anti-Zionist formation is anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist.” ⁹

JAWS has recruited new members with slogans and posters saying that “if you are anti-Zionist, anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and support Palestinian liberation by any means necessary, please join in its fight to dismantle the Jewish Zionist.” ²

JAWS has hosted an event at University of California Santa Cruz that was condemned by the pro-Israel group StandWithUs for requiring attendees to affirm that “antizionism is not antisemitism.” ¹⁰ The group is a signatory of a letter of organizations opposing the left-of-center Anti-Defamation League organized by DropTheADL. ^{11 7}

1. “X Post.” Jews Against White Supremacy NYC X Post. November 29, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://x.com/JAWS_NewYork/status/1729695975529140426.
2. “X Post.” Jews Against White Supremacy X Profile. Posted February 20, 2024. https://x.com/JAWS_2023/status/1759622041399914710.
3. “New Jewish organization commits to fighting Zionist institutions.” Mondoweiss. August 31, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://mondoweiss.net/2023/08/new-jewish-organization-commits-to-fighting-zionist-institutions/.
4. “New Jewish organization commits to fighting Zionist institutions.” Mondoweiss. August 31, 2023. Accessed August 10, 2024. https://mondoweiss.net/2023/08/new-jewish-organization-commits-to-fighting-zionist-institutions/.
5. “Home.” Jews Against White Supremacy. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.jewsagainstwhitesupremacy.org/.
6. “A Call to Action to Anti-Zionist Jews: We must do the work to defeat Jewish Zionist Institutions.” Mondoweiss. November 22, 2023. Accessed August 8, 2024. https://mondoweiss.net/2023/11/a-call-to-action-to-anti-zionist-jews-we-must-do-the-work-to-defeat-jewish-zionist-institutions/.
7. “Jews Against White Supremacy.” Millennials Are Killing Capitalism Live! YouTube Channel. Uploaded November 30, 2023. Accessed August 8, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/live/fTGYDBAelx8?app=desktop.
8. “Criminalizing Voices for Palestinian Freedom Is Not Fighting Antisemitism.” Safety Is Not Transactional. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.safetyisnottransactional.org/.
9. “Good Sheperd Collective X Profile.” X Post. Posted May 1, 2024. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://x.com/Shepherds4Good/status/1785407468069109824.
10. “StandWithUs Letter to UC Santa Cruz.” SandWithUs. March 7, 202.4 Accessed August 8, 2024. https://www.standwithus.com/post/standwithus-letter-to-uc-santa-cruz.
11. “Signatories.” DropTheADL. May 1, 2024. Accessed August 8, 2024. https://droptheadl.org/signatories/.