StandWithUs Exposes the Truth About So-Called "Jewish Voice for Peace"
New report details Jewish Voices for Peace's (JVP) connections with Middle Eastern countries, terrorist organizations, and questionable funding sources
A newly published report by StandWithUs, an international nonprofit combating antisemitism, uncovers alarming connections between Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Middle Eastern countries, terrorist organizations, and questionable funding sources.
A U.S.-based anti-Zionist group active since 1996, JVP has positioned itself as a “Jewish voice” advocating for Palestinian rights. However, the report reveals that JVP has received funding from entities linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. and Lebanon, collaborated with designated terrorist groups like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Samidoun, and propagated extremist narratives that glorify violence and even antisemitism.
Released against the backdrop of heightened tensions following the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in Israel, this exposé questions JVP’s true motives and challenges its portrayal as a pro-peace organization. By leveraging its Jewish identity, JVP emboldens hatred for Israel and aids efforts to dismantle the Jewish state. Below are some of the report’s key findings.
Ties to Lebanon
JVP’s ties to Lebanon raise significant concerns about foreign influence on its operations. The organization’s communications director worked with Beirut-based entities for over 17 years, and at one point, JVP’s Facebook page was managed by at least one individual based in Lebanon. This is particularly alarming given Hezbollah’s known collaboration with Western anti-Israel groups. Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, has openly admitted to “investing in” and coordinating with pro-Palestinian organizations to undermine Israel. The overlap between JVP’s narratives and Hezbollah’s agenda warrants further investigation into whether JVP’s messaging is shaped by external influences.
Ties to Iran
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, a member of JVP’s Advisory Board and Rabbinical Council, participated in a 2008 interfaith dinner with then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is notorious for denying the Holocaust and advocating for Israel’s destruction. Funding links between JVP and Iranian entities are also evident. The Maximum Difference Foundation, accused of ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has donated $65,000 to JVP. The Foundation has also contributed over $150K to the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), which has been accused of being a “de facto lobby” for Iran’s regime in the West, and is alleged to have been created by former Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif.
Additionally, the Violet Jabara Charitable Trust and the Halaby Family Foundation, both with connections to Lebanon and Iran, have collectively contributed over $125,000 to JVP.
Partnerships with Terrorist Organizations
JVP has a documented history of collaborating with U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. It has repeatedly partnered with members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has carried out numerous attacks, including the infamous Lod Airport Massacre that killed 26 people, 17 of them U.S. citizens. JVP celebrated the release of PFLP member Khalida Jarrar from Israeli custody, co-hosted a webinar with PFLP hijacker Leila Khaled, and campaigned in support of PFLP member and convicted murderer, Rasmea Odeh, who helped execute a supermarket bombing in Jerusalem that killed two students.
The organization also works closely with Samidoun, which was designated as a terror group by the US Treasury Department and Canadian government sanctioned by the U.S. and Canada for acting as the foreign arm of the PFLP. Moreover, JVP Seattle co-hosted a 2024 rally with Samidoun and endorsed the “Free Ahmad Sa’adat” campaign advocating for the release of the PFLP’s Secretary-General, who orchestrated the assassination of an Israeli official and numerous attacks against Israeli civilians.
Promotion of Extremist Narratives
JVP’s support also extends to Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Iranian proxy and U.S.-designated terror group responsible for numerous attacks on Israeli civilians. During an Israeli military operation against PIJ in Jenin in 2023, JVP’s Rabbinical Council released a statement condemning Israel’s actions as “unconscionable.”
Additionally, JVP promoted a campaign for the release of PIJ member Hisham Abu Hawash. JVP also praised the Great March of Return (a series of violent riots by Israel’s security fence adjacent to the Gaza Strip that was orchestrated by Hamas, PFLP, and PIJ), and commemorated the First Intifada with slogans glorifying violence.
JVP’s social media posts have amplified extremist propaganda, including sharing the Houthi terror group’s infamous slogan, “God is great, death to the U.S., death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory for Islam.”
Funding from Questionable Sources
In addition to the aforementioned Lebanese and Iran-linked funders, JVP’s financial backing from other sources raises significant concerns. It has received $650,000 from the Soros Family’s Open Society Foundation, which has also funded groups such as the Israeli terror-designated Al-Haq, as well as PFLP-linked Al Mezan, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
The Quitiplas Foundation, which supports the Samidoun terror group’s fiscal sponsor, the Alliance for Global Justice, donated $200,000 to JVP.
Notably, the Matthew G. Krane Foundation, established by a convicted felon involved in a tax fraud scheme, has given JVP $148,000. JVP appears to be the sole recipient of donations from the Krane foundation, suggesting that the foundation was established solely for donating to JVP.
Government and Institutional Grants
JVP claims it does not rely on corporate, billionaires, or government funds. Yet this is not accurate. JVP has received over $700,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans and $900,000 in grants from private foundations between 2021 and 2023—further demonstrating the organization’s dishonesty.
An Agenda Beyond Peace
The StandWithUs report exposes how JVP uses its Jewish identity as a front for emboldening terrorism, spreading antisemitism, and undermining the Jewish state. It propagates hate, glorifies violence, and aligns itself with foreign regimes hostile to Israel, including Iran and Lebanon. Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, JVP characterized the atrocities as “resistance” and campaigned for a ceasefire that would leave Hamas in power. By hiding behind the façade of “Jewish Voice for Peace,” JVP has betrayed the very principles it claims to uphold and stands as a significant obstacle to any path toward coexistence or genuine peace. This investigation calls for heightened scrutiny and accountability, urging policymakers and civil society to critically assess JVP’s actions and affiliations.
You can read StandWithUs’ full report at this link.