How Jewish Voice for Peace Went from Fig-Leaf for Anti-Zionists to Major Source of Anti-Semitic Propaganda

Nov. 10 2021

Founded in 1996, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is committed primarily to opposing Zionism and to boycotting and libeling the Jewish state. Not content to defend those who disguise their hatred of Jews as hatred of Israel, it has also defended such figures as Louis Farrakhan. Miriam Elman provides a history of the group, and demonstrates that is has undergone a disturbing transformation: originally, it merely provided cover for other anti-Zionist groups, effectively saying, “We’re Jewish and we have no problem with them.” But more recently, Elman argues, it has become an engine of anti-Semitic propaganda, most notably the canard that Israel trains U.S. policemen to abuse African Americans, a claim that has made its way to such prominent Israel-haters as the Muslim activist Linda Sarsour and Temple University’s Marc Lamont Hill.

In a particularly telling episode, JVP activists recently found themselves protesting alongside white supremacists at a pro-Israel event held at a San Antonio church. (Video, 65 minutes.)

Read more at ISGAP

More about: Anti-Semitism, Anti-Zionism, Jewish Voice for Peace, Linda Sarsour, neo-Nazis

After Taking Steps toward Reconciliation, Turkey Has Again Turned on Israel

“The Israeli government, blinded by Zionist delusions, seizes not only the UN Security Council but all structures whose mission is to protect peace, human rights, freedom of the press, and democracy,” declared the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a speech on Wednesday. Such over-the-top anti-Israel rhetoric has become par for the course from the Turkish head of state since Hamas’s attack on Israel last year, after which relations between Jerusalem and Ankara have been in what Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak describes as “free fall.”

While Erdogan has always treated Israel with a measure of hostility, the past few years had seen steps to reconciliation. Yanarocak explains this sharp change of direction, which is about much more than the situation in Gaza:

The losses at the March 31, 2024 Turkish municipal elections were an unbearable blow for Erdoğan. . . . In retrospect it appears that Erdoğan’s previous willingness to continue trade relations with Israel pushed some of his once-loyal supporters toward other Islamist political parties, such as the New Welfare Party. To counter this trend, Erdoğan halted trade relations, aiming to neutralize one of the key political tools available to his Islamist rivals.

Unsurprisingly, this decision had a negative impact on Turkish [companies] engaged in trade with Israel. To maintain their long-standing trade relationships, these companies found alternative ways to conduct business through intermediary Mediterranean ports.

The government in Ankara also appears to be concerned about the changing balance of power in the region. The weakening of Iran and Hizballah could create an unfavorable situation for the Assad regime in Syria, [empowering Turkish separatists there]. While Ankara is not fond of the mullahs, its core concern remains Iran’s territorial integrity. From Turkey’s perspective, the disintegration of Iran could set a dangerous precedent for secessionists within its own borders.

Read more at Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security

More about: Iran, Israel diplomacy, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey