Statement of Principles
Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) is a Jewish-led organisation for members of the labour, trade union, socialist and progressive movements.
We are internationalist and anti-racist. We stand for rights and justice for Jewish people everywhere, and against wrongs and injustice to Palestinians and oppressed peoples anywhere. Our political priorities are universal human rights and dignity, justice for all, and freedom of expression.
We call out and fight all forms of racism including antisemitism, and oppose any hierarchy of racism including notions of Jewish exceptionalism.
We take inspiration from the long history of Jewish involvement in the socialist and trade union movements and in the anti-apartheid and civil rights movements.
We support the right of the Palestinians to self-determination and oppose the oppression of the Palestinian people by the apartheid state of Israel. This is not done in our name.
We oppose attempts to widen the definition of antisemitism beyond its meaning of hostility towards or discrimination against Jews as Jews. We take action against the weaponisation of antisemitism and its use to prevent criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights.
“Always with the oppressed, never with the oppressor.”
Adopted on 18th June 2023
As a goy and a member of the Green Party I welcome the formation of JVL. I believe your values reflect those of all the Jews I have met personally. A united labour party is essential to counter the extreme version of capitalism encourage by the Tories. I fail to see how this can be achieved if the party panders to the views of those who assert that destructive actions of the Israeli government and settlers should be immune from the kind of criticism that any democratic state should expect. I hope you build good relations with the Jewish Voice for Peace in the USA.
As people whose Jewish roots are old and dried out, we applaud JVL’s courage and humanity in confronting this difficult issue head on in public. it is dangerous to give free passage to an increasingly theocratic state which oppresses its minorities; Myanmar and Turkey come to mind, and Israel should not be exempt.from comment or criticism because of the oppression Jews have suffered at the hands of many regimes. It is particularly important that the Labour Party should not be silenced in its support for the victims of unjust treatment, whether at home or abroad. It is a great part of Corbyn’s appeal that he is reluctant to do politics-as-usual in this and other matters; to undermine him on this would be a cynical victory for bad old politics.
John and Lucy Stubbs
I am a member of JVL and I am grateful for the enterprise, articulacy and determination that has founded the movement. Not only is Israel’s treatment of Arabs shameful to a Jew but, pragmatically, it makes antisemites of the Muslims who have previously offered Abrahamic brotherhood to the Jews.
I am Jewish by descent. Criticising Israeli Government policy is NOT anti-semitic! I am an ordinary member of the Labour Party, writing on my own behalf, snd not on behalf of any other individual or group. I was shocked to disccover recently that there are moves to brand anyone who isn’t pro-Zionist as antisemitic! There are reports about Jeremy Corbyn supporting a change to Labour rules re anti-semitism. I am deeply opposed to REAL antisemitism and all forms of predjudice and discrimination. I am deeply opposed to discriminating against Labour members who are not pro-Zionist. The “Jewish Labour Movement” website says it hopes the change to Party rules agreed by Jeremy Corbyn will be accepted by thevNEC. Has the FINAL wording of the proposed change been published? What is that wording. The Jewish Labour movement website suggests that they are fighting people who are anyisemitic and holocaust deniers. If they are applying this description to anyone who is not pro-Zionist, this is outrageous!