Methodist Federation for Social Action

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A Deep Dive with Jewish Voice for Peace

Communications Staff

For United Methodists and church activists in numerous denominations, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) has been a vital partner in advocacy for the human rights of the Palestinian people. Jewish Voice for Peace has courageously challenged Zionist ideology in the Jewish American community and blazed new trails with their antiracist and intersectional justice work, in the US and worldwide. Today JVP is an indispensable leader in the global movement for Palestinian rights; their work is a major factor in the changing U.S. discourse about Palestine. On July 21st we learned more about this remarkable organization, their roots and growth, and current work, as well as an insightful analysis of the situation today in Palestine/Israel in our webinar. We heard from JVP’s Organizing Director, Lisbeth Melendez Rivera, who has extensive experience organizing across the intersections of diverse justice movements in the United States, including in her last position as Director of Faith Outreach & Training at the Human Rights Campaign. We were also privileged to have the leader of the JVP Health Advisory Council, Dr. Alice Rothchild, a practicing physician and Harvard professor for decades, a filmmaker, and an esteemed author and political analyst on Palestine/Israel.

Resources

  1. Video for more about how they started and grew and what they do now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FoRt7jkvCU

  2. JVP video - animated! - “ Israel and Palestine: A Very Short Introduction” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y58njT2oXfE

  3. See the JVP Health Advisory Council and its work: https://www.jvphealth.org/ And their Covid-19 timeline for Israel/Palestine is here https://www.jvphealth.org/health-human-rights-blog/category/COVID-19+Timeline

  4. Article https://mondoweiss.net/2021/04/the-tormented-dance-of-the-colonizer-peter-beinart-liberal-zionism-and-the-battle-for-palestine/

  5. See that position paper from the Movement for Black Lives and more on Black-Palestinian Solidarity here: https://www.kairosresponse.org/black-palestinian_solidarity.html

  6. JVP led campaign, Deadly Exchange: https://deadlyexchange.org/

  7. United Church of Christ declaration https://www.ucc.org/synod-delegates-approve-resolution-decrying-oppression-of-palestinian-people/