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Jews Against White Supremacy (JAWS)

Website:

www.jewsagainstwhitesupremacy.org/
Type:

Far-Left Advocacy Group
Formation:

2023
Organizers:

Michael Wisnefsky & Rebecca Gross

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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 6 As of August 2024, the organization claimed branches in Philadelphia, New York City, 7 the San Francisco Bay Area, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom. 8 9

Michael Wisnefsky and Rebecca Gross are two of JAWS’s organizers. 10 Wisnefsky has said that fighting Zionist institutions that have been responsible for “perpetuating a genocide in Palestine” is at the core of JAWS. 11

Activities

Jews Against White Supremacy was founded as an explicitly anti-Zionist, anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and internationalist organization. 12 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, 13 and states that action against Jewish Zionist and secular Zionist institutions such as arms manufacturers is critical. 14

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. 15 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. 16

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. 17

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.” 18

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.” 19   

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.” 20 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.” 21

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.” 22

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.” 23 The group is a signatory of a letter of organizations opposing the left-of-center Anti-Defamation League organized by DropTheADL. 24 25

References

  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. “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/.
  7. “X Post.” Jews Against White Supremacy NYC X Post. November 29, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://x.com/JAWS_NewYork/status/1729695975529140426.
  8. “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/.
  9. “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/.
  10. “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.
  11. “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/.
  12. “X Post.” Jews Against White Supremacy NYC X Post. November 29, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://x.com/JAWS_NewYork/status/1729695975529140426.
  13. “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/.
  14. “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/.
  15. “Home.” Jews Against White Supremacy. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.jewsagainstwhitesupremacy.org/.
  16. “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/.
  17. “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/.
  18. “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/.
  19. “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/.
  20. “Criminalizing Voices for Palestinian Freedom Is Not Fighting Antisemitism.” Safety Is Not Transactional. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.safetyisnottransactional.org/.
  21. “Good Sheperd Collective X Profile.” X Post. Posted May 1, 2024. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://x.com/Shepherds4Good/status/1785407468069109824.
  22. “X Post.” Jews Against White Supremacy X Profile. Posted February 20, 2024. https://x.com/JAWS_2023/status/1759622041399914710.
  23. “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.
  24. “Signatories.” DropTheADL. May 1, 2024. Accessed August 8, 2024. https://droptheadl.org/signatories/.
  25. “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.
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