Not in our name: Jewish voices of conscience challenge US support for Israel’s Gaza War

A growing Jewish movement across the United States is rejecting Israel’s war in Gaza, asserting that Judaism must never be invoked to justify state violence. “Judaism commands us to pursue justice, not to justify injustice.” — Prof. Susannah Heschel

A weekly ritual of dissent

Each Friday at dusk, as Shabbat candles flicker into life, Jewish activists gather on sidewalks and courthouse steps from Brooklyn to Berkeley. Wrapped in prayer shawls and keffiyehs, they hold aloft placards declaring NOT IN OUR NAME, sound the shofar in calls for ceasefire, and chant Oseh Shalom in Hebrew—a prayer for peace now echoed through urgent protest.

These candlelit vigils are the heartbeat of a fast-growing movement among American Jews. Groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow are leading high-profile sit-ins at congressional offices, orchestrating mass arrests, and demanding that Jewish ethics not be weaponized to defend destruction.

Moral revulsion and political realignment

Polling underscores the seismic shift:

• 38 per cent of US Jewish voters under 44 believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
• Holocaust survivor Ruth Messinger called the war “a stain on our ethical DNA,” citing Jewish teachings on collective responsibility.

This generational reckoning reflects a dramatic departure from previous norms.

Generational divide on Antisemitism and Zionism

The weaponization of antisemitism to silence criticism is losing traction among young Jews:

• Only 27 per cent of Jews aged 18–29 believe that criticizing Israel is usually antisemitic, compared with 61 per cent of Jews over 65, according to Pew Research.

These younger voices came of age after Oslo, witnessed repeated assaults on Gaza, and are unmoved by historical appeals tied to 1945. Their critiques draw less from ideology and more from lived experience.

A tipping point in American Jewish identity

Support for a two-state solution is rising:

• In heavily Jewish precincts of New York City, 71 per cent back a two-state resolution—up 18 points in five years.
• Yet even liberal Zionists are reconsidering. Columnist Peter Beinart wrote, “The project… a state for Palestinians separated from a state for Jews—has failed.” This isn’t just disillusionment. It’s a candid admission that decades of hope for separation are dissolving under the weight of violence and political gridlock.

Ballot box backlash: The Mamdani surprise

In June 2025, Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel, won New York’s Democratic mayoral primary with notable support from Jewish districts.

“The irony isn’t lost,” wrote political analyst Rebecca Katz. “In the most Jewish city in America, voters embraced a candidate whose platform includes conditioning U.S. support for Israel on human rights benchmarks.”

Even The Yeshiva World News, typically conservative, published: “Insane: 20 per cent of Jewish votes went to Mamdani.”

Inside the Synagogues: Spiritual pushback

Rabbis are no longer confining activism to left-wing circles:

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg and Rabbi Sharon Brous lead congregations that prioritize prayers for the oppressed over calls for vengeance.

• Orthodox dissent is growing, including from Neturei Karta, a Haredi anti-Zionist group that joined Muslim clerics in a hunger strike outside the White House.

Video of rabbis sharing dates with imams during Ramadan drew over 12 million views under the hashtag #NotInOurName.

Breaking through the media wall

Long associated with AIPAC talking points, mainstream media is recalibrating:

• A March 2025 Gallup poll  showed Jewish approval of Prime Minister Netanyahu collapsing from 59 per cent to 23 per cent since 2018.
• The New York Times ran a photo essay of Jewish protesters blocking Manhattan’s West Side Highway.
• Jewish guests from Jewish Currents now appear on cable news as frequently as establishment think tank voices.

Grassroots to policy: Shaping US legislation

Jewish activists propelled HR 1243, a bill to condition arms transfers on human rights, to the House floor for the first time.

• Backed by 87 co-sponsors, including 14 pro-Israel lawmakers, the bill reflects mounting pressure from constituents.
• City councils in Seattle and New York have frozen contracts with companies tied to illegal West Bank settlements.
• Jewish founders of Ben & Jerry’s backed the move, echoing their decision to halt sales in settlements while continuing within Israel’s recognized borders.

A warning to Washington

Veteran columnist Thomas L. Friedman cautioned on PBS that the once-solid “Israel-right-or-wrong” consensus in American Jewry is fracturing:

“This Israeli government is not our ally,” he said. “Any party that ignores this fissure does so at its peril.”

A bipartisan group of 23 House members recently held a closed briefing with Not In Our Name organisers. One staffer described it as “a shot across AIPAC’s bow.”

What comes next?

This emerging Jewish coalition could rival the Soviet Jewry movement in scope and influence. But can it convert moral urgency into lasting policy?

That may depend on two things:

• Israel’s political volatility, where polls show deep distrust in Netanyahu’s war strategy.
• The 2026 US midterms, where Jewish voter turnout in key districts could shape party platforms and redefine US–Israel relations.

For now, the Friday night vigils continue. As candles flicker and prayers rise, activists recite the prophet Isaiah’s call to turn swords into ploughshares, followed by their modern rallying cry:

Not in our name—never again, for anyone.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.