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IfNotNow

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Not to be confused with If Not Now, When? (disambiguation).

IfNotNow
FoundedJuly 2014 (2014-07)
FocusIsraeli–Palestinian conflict
Location
Websiteifnotnowmovement.org
IfNotNow protesting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's 2017 Annual Policy Conference in Washington, DC

IfNotNow is an American Jewish group which opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Its membership demonstrates against politicians, United States policies, and institutions it perceives as supporting occupation, usually seeking to apply pressure through direct action and media appearances. It has been characterized variously as progressive or far-left.

Founding

IfNotNow's first public action, then under the name "If Not Now, When?" was in July 2014 to protest the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations's support for Israel during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict.[1] Activists recited the Jewish prayer of mourning, the Mourner's Kaddish, for all Palestinian and Israeli victims of the war outside the Conferences' office.[2]

The name IfNotNow is derived from a saying by the 1st century Jewish sage Hillel the Elder: "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?"[1]

Views

The organization has been variously characterized as progressive[3][4][5][6][7] or far-left.[8] The group opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip,[9][10] but is not considered as far to the left as Jewish Voice for Peace which openly characterizes itself as anti-Zionist and openly supports a boycott of Israel.[11][12]

Going beyond critiquing the actions of Israel, IfNotNow proposes a Jewish diasporic cultural identity that Professor David Graizbord of the University of Arizona characterized as "left-progressive pan-Judaism." IfNotNow rejects Liberal Zionist, centrist, and Right Zionist readings of Israeli and Jewish history and of Jewish tradition by characterizing them as artefacts of an out-of-touch American Jewish establishment, even evincing resentment of the organized Jewish community and in its institutions' claims to represent and protect collective Jewish rights. IfNotNow is largely agnostic to the desirability of Israel's existence, converging upon the idea that true Jewishness is internationalist and progressive.[13]

Strategy

IfNotNow is a movement-based organization, designed to appeal directly to the public through social media and direct action; their refusal to participate in closed-door meetings has been criticized by leaders of established Jewish institutions.[14][15] The IfNotNow movement consists of Jewish Americans, typically millennials, who demonstrate against politicians, U.S. government policies, and Jewish institutions perceived to support the occupation, primarily through direct action and media appearances.[16][1][17][18][10][19]

As part of the broader #JewishResistance coalition,[20] IfNotNow has sought to highlight similarities and ties between the Trump administration and the administration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[18][21]

Relationship with Jewish community

In 2016, the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, which manages over $1 billion in charitable funds, refused to disburse donor money to IfNotNow.[22]

IfNotNow campaigns against the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).[23] IfNotNow describes AIPAC as having supported 109 "insurrectionist Republicans" and supported "rightwing antisemites."[23] In August 2022, the AIPAC tweeted that "George Soros has a long history of backing anti-Israel groups...Now he's giving $1 million to help @jstreetdotorg support anti-Israel candidates and attack pro-Israel Democrats. AIPAC works to strengthen pro-Israel mainstream Democrats. J Street & Soros work to undermine them." In response to the tweet, IfNotNow denounced AIPAC for antisemitism, tweeting that "AIPAC is the antisemitic far right...They are not a Jewish org, nor claim to be one."[24][23]

After the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, IfNotNow issued a statement that "We cannot and will not say today’s actions by Palestinian militants are unprovoked." According to historian Sara Yael Hirschhorn, IfNotNow's statement placed the group beyond "red lines" maintained by mainstream American Jews.[25] IfNotNow's description of Israel's actions during the Israel-Hamas war as genocide led to Jewish artists Shoshana Jedwab and Rabbi Menachem Creditor to demand IfNotNow remove their songs from its literature and stop using their songs at protests.[26]

In November 2023, the Anti-Defamation League classified protest events led by groups including Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow as "anti-Israel", adding the protests to a database documenting rising antisemitism in the US. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt labelled the organizations "hate groups".[27]

Activity

In 2017, Members of IfNotNow were arrested for interrupting U.S. Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman's Senate confirmation hearing, blowing a shofar and criticizing his support and funding of settlements in the West Bank.[28][29]

IfNotNow, along with Jewish Voice for Peace, led an October 16, 2023 rally in Washington, D.C. which called for a ceasefire in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War and for United States President Joe Biden to support a ceasefire.[30] Among the speakers was actor Wallace Shawn.[30]

On 15 November 2023, they participated in the 2023 Democratic National Committee protests along with Jewish Voice for Peace and other pro-Palestinian protesters.[31]

IfNotNow and JVP were two of the organizers of the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University during the Israel-Hamas war.[32]

Funding

IfNotNow is supported by the Tides Foundation, which is seeded by Democratic megadonor George Soros.[32]

References

  1. ^ a b c Blumberg, Antonia (26 July 2014). "Jewish Group Delivers Mourner's Kaddish For Gaza Victims". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  2. ^ "J Street's Gaza War Support Wins 'Moderate' Praise — But Alienates Some Backers". The Forward. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  3. ^ Otterbein, Holly (2019-06-29). "Progressive Jewish group IfNotNow expands forces for 2020". POLITICO. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  4. ^ Kornbluh, Jacob (2023-08-03). "A progressive Jewish group is pressuring Democrats to reject AIPAC endorsements". The Forward. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  5. ^ "The left faces a reckoning as Israel divides Democrats". NBC News. 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  6. ^ Facundo, Jarod (2023-10-17). "Progressive American Jewish Groups Lead Cease-Fire Rally Near White House". The American Prospect. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  7. ^ "IfNotNow Now Officially Pushing 2020 Democrats to Speak Out Against Israeli Occupation". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  8. ^ Yavuz, Hamza (November 2018). "Reactions of the American Jews to Trump's Jerusalem Embassy Move: Continuation of the Historical Pattern?". Alternatives: Global, Local, Political. 43 (4): 213. doi:10.1177/0304375419833557. JSTOR 26727355. S2CID 150386731. At this point, JVP and IfNotNow, which fall of the far left of the political spectrum and whose positions do not coincide with the general tendency on the left...Sharon, Jeremy (2018-06-30). "Tens of Thousands of Jews, Non-Jews March to Protest Synagogue Bombing in Paris". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 September 2023. A group of five activists from the far-left IfNotNow Jewish organization infiltrated a Birthright group currently in Israel this week"Video shows far-right Jews beating protesters outside AIPAC". Times of Israel. 2017-03-30. Retrieved 15 September 2023. The video, released Wednesday night by the left-wing +972 Magazine, shows dozens of people holding JDL, American and Kahane flags setting upon protesters from IfNotNow, a Jewish far-left-wing group that was demonstrating outside of the pro-Israel lobby's annual conference.
  9. ^ "Jewish, progressive groups bring Congress 1M signatures opposing Trump's Bannon appointment". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 8 December 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  10. ^ a b Wilensky, David (17 March 2017). "Six locals activists arrested protesting AIPAC's L.A. office". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  11. ^ Rosenfeld, Arno (2023-10-09). "Meet the Jews defending Hamas". The Forward. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  12. ^ Waxman, Dov (Fall 2017). "Young American Jews and Israel: Beyond Birthright and BDS". Israel Studies. 22 (3): 183. doi:10.2979/israelstudies.22.3.08. JSTOR 10.2979/israelstudies.22.3.08. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  13. ^ Graizbord, David (2020-05-26). The New Zionists: Young American Jews, Jewish National Identity, and Israel. Lexington Books. pp. 254, 256–257, 263. ISBN 978-1498580458.
  14. ^ "Anti-Occupation Group If Not Now Wins Attention of Millennials — and Ire of Jewish Establishment". The Forward. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  15. ^ Eilberg-Schwartz, Penina (2017-04-03). "The time for working with AIPAC has passed". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  16. ^ Nussbaum Cohen, Debra (2 May 2016). "Anti-Occupation Jewish Millennial Group 'IfNotNow' Picks Up Steam in the U.S." Haaretz. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  17. ^ Nathan-Kazis, Josh (21 February 2017). "IfNotNow Holds Mock Confirmation Protest Outside David Friedman's Law Office". The Forward. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  18. ^ a b Altshuler, George (23 February 2017). "Left-wing groups ramp up protests of Trump's Israel policies". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  19. ^ Arom, Eitan (25 December 2016). "IfNotNow issues Chanukah ultimatum to Jewish Federations over Trump appointments". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  20. ^ Norton, Ben (22 November 2016). "#JewishResistance protests Trump adviser Steve Bannon, racism, Islamophobia at pro-Israel group gala". Salon. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  21. ^ Cohen, Debra Nussbaum (2017). "What Is the 'Jewish Resistance'? Behind the Movement of Millennial Jews Rallying Against Trump". Haaretz. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  22. ^ "L.A. Jewish Fund Refuses to Channel Donations to Anti-occupation Group". Haaretz. 2016-12-04. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  23. ^ a b c "In ridiculous claim, left-wing Jewish group calls AIPAC 'antisemitic'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  24. ^ "AIPAC accused George Soros of undermining American politics. Is that antisemitic?". The Forward. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  25. ^ Lebovic, Matt (2012-10-11). "A tear in the tent: The US Jews who are protesting Israel following Hamas massacres". Times of Israel. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  26. ^ Cramer, Philissa (2023-11-08). "Some Jewish musicians are asking Jewish critics of Israel to stop singing their songs at protests". The Forward. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  27. ^ "Anti-Defamation League Maps Jewish Peace Rallies with Antisemitic Attacks". The Intercept.
  28. ^ "Left-wing groups ramp up protests of Trump's Israel policies". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  29. ^ Schulberg, Jessica (2017-04-20). "6 Protesters Were Arrested. Only The 2 Arab Muslims Face Misdemeanor Charges". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  30. ^ a b White, Abbey (2023-10-17). "Wallace Shawn Calls for End of "Massacring" in Israel-Gaza Conflict at D.C. Rally: "I Don't Really Believe in Revenge"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  31. ^ Javaid, Maham; Williams, Clarence (2023-11-16). "Protest outside DNC headquarters in Washington turns violent". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  32. ^ a b Kapos, Shia (2024-05-06). "Pro-Palestinian protesters are backed by a surprising source: Biden's biggest donors". Politico. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
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