FAQ
What is Jewish Dissent?
Jewish Dissent is a global platform for Jewish dissent, solidarity, visibility, and community-building. It includes a public directory of individuals, organisations, projects, media, scholarship, campaigns, and initiatives that challenge Zionism and support Palestinian freedom.
Who can be listed?
The platform is primarily intended for:
- Jewish individuals who publicly challenge Zionism or related structures of domination in significant ways, whether or not they use a particular political label.
- Jewish organisations, collectives, publications, projects, artists, academics, rabbis, and public figures.
- Jewish individuals whose work, activism, writing, or public stance reflects meaningful dissent from Zionism or related structures of domination, even if they do not explicitly use the label “anti-Zionist”.
- Jewish individuals who are "ordinary" members of the public. Such individuals are asked to provide meaningful evidence of their public anti-Zionism or activism in opposing Israeli state policy in pursuit of Jewish supremacy, occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, or genocide.
Does someone need to call themselves anti-Zionist to be included?
No. Some people reject the label while still opposing Israeli policies, Jewish supremacy, occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, or genocide. Jewish Dissent may include people whose public work demonstrates meaningful dissent even if they describe themselves differently.
What are the categories of dissent?
These categories reflect different political locations, risks, strategies, and relationships to Zionism. They are intended to help users understand the different forms Jewish dissent can take.
Jewish Dissent uses three broad categories:
- Anti-Zionist – Entities explicitly opposing Zionism as a political or structural system, whether in Israel or the diaspora.
- Decolonial Jewish dissent – Actors challenging settler-colonial structures and systemic oppression, often in diaspora contexts, highlighting dissent rooted in decolonial frameworks.
- Critical / Reformist Jewish dissent within Israel – Actors working inside Israel who expose abuses or injustice but do not explicitly oppose Zionism. This captures dissent constrained by the legal, political, and social environment of Israel.
These categories are not endorsements. They exist to help users understand different forms of dissent, political location, and strategic orientation.
How are people selected for inclusion?
Listings are based on publicly available information such as writing, interviews, speeches, activism, campaigns, institutional affiliations, petitions, legal work, media appearances, and public statements.
The directory does not require ideological perfection or complete agreement on every issue. However, inclusion normally requires meaningful evidence of public dissent from Zionism or meaningful support for Palestinian freedom and equality.
Can someone request to be added?
Yes. This is the preferred method of inclusion. People may suggest themselves or their organisation. Submission does not guarantee acceptance. All suggestions are reviewed against the site’s criteria.
Can someone request correction or removal?
Yes. If a listing contains factual errors, outdated information, broken links, or misrepresents a person’s views, corrections may be requested.
People may also request removal from the directory. Jewish Dissent will consider such requests seriously, especially where privacy, safety, misidentification, or changed political positions are involved.
Does inclusion mean endorsement?
No. Inclusion in the directory does not necessarily mean Jewish Dissent endorses every statement, organisation, action, or political position associated with a listed individual or group.
The directory is intended as a record of dissent, solidarity, and political positioning, not as a purity test or blanket endorsement.
Why are some controversial figures included?
Some individuals may be included because they have played an important role in dissent, public debate, legal advocacy, or solidarity work, even if their record is mixed or contested.
Where appropriate, contextual notes may be included to explain significant controversies, contradictions, or limitations.
Why are some prominent critics of Israel not included?
Criticism of Israeli government policy alone is not always sufficient for inclusion. The directory focuses on people and organisations whose work reflects a more meaningful challenge to Zionism, apartheid, occupation, ethnic cleansing, genocide, or Jewish supremacy, as well as solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom.
Is Jewish Dissent neutral?
No. Jewish Dissent does not claim political neutrality. It is grounded in support for Palestinian freedom, equality, return, dignity, and justice.
It also takes seriously the role of Jewish dissent in challenging Zionism, Israeli state violence, and structures of impunity.
How often is the directory updated?
The site is updated on a rolling basis as new people, organisations, statements, campaigns, projects, and developments emerge.