Middle East Eye interviewed young Jewish Americans who reject the idea that Judaism and Zionism must go hand in hand—often at the risk of being isolated from their own communities.
One image is deeply imprinted in Hanna Stolzer’s mind. It was a photograph shared on social media on October 10, showing a surgical board in a Gaza hospital where doctors tracked surgeries.
The board carried a haunting message in bold blue: “WHOEVER STAYS UNTIL THE END, WILL TELL THE STORY. WE DID WHAT WE COULD. REMEMBER US.”
These words shook Stolzer. “How can you see that and not feel the need to act?” she said.
Three months later, on January 10, that same image was presented as evidence at the International Court of Justice. South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza after launching relentless attacks following Hamas’s assault on southern Israel on October 7. Right after the original image was displayed, another one appeared—the surgical board had been destroyed, and the message was barely visible among the wreckage.
“I now see how dire the situation is for Palestinians and how responsible Israel is—along with the U.S. which continues to support Israel,” Stolzer told Middle East Eye.
Stolzer, a 24-year-old Jewish American, proudly supports Palestinian freedom. She is one of many Jewish Americans who believe Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. But she wasn’t always aware of this history.
A Shift in Perspective
Growing up, Stolzer was never taught the full history of Israel and Palestine. She attended Hebrew school where she learned that Israel was the sacred homeland of the Jewish people. She vividly remembers studying the Holocaust and wondering, “Why didn’t people speak up?”
Standing on the bima (a platform in a synagogue) during her bat mitzvah, she repeated values from the Torah: “Honor thy neighbor.” Now, she says:
“Being a Jewish American means standing against the Israeli government and living by the values I was raised with. Judaism, to me, is about compassion and humanity for everyone whether they live in DC, New York, or Gaza.”
In December 2019, Stolzer joined Birthright Israel, a free 10-day trip funded by the Israeli government and private donors. The trip includes visits to places like Jerusalem and the occupied Golan Heights.
She admits that part of her reason for going was simply because it was free. “Who turns down a free trip to a historic place?” she said.
However, looking back, she sees it as propaganda. The group did meet Palestinians, but only those who promoted a peaceful, two-state solution. Stolzer now realizes they were shielded from voices that could have given them a more honest view of Israel’s actions.
“It was the most sanitized version of ‘both sides’,” she said.
After the trip, Stolzer started educating herself. She learned about the Nakba of 1948 when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly displaced. She read about children left orphaned and families torn apart. She devoured firsthand accounts from journalists in Gaza, years before the current war.
“I used to believe in a two-state solution,” she said. “But now, with all the knowledge I’ve gained, my perspective has completely shifted.”
Her stance has led to backlash from her Jewish community. Some have accused her of betraying her religion. “I’ve been told I’ve turned a blind eye’ to my Jewish faith but I completely disagree,” she said.
This only strengthens her resolve. “The crimes being committed are supposedly for my safety, in the name of my religion. But that offends me—it goes against everything I know about Judaism.” “If safety means wiping out another population, then it was never real safety to begin with.”
What frustrates Stolzer most is how some Jewish people invoke past Jewish suffering to justify Israel’s actions. “They talk about antisemitism and how people want to harm Jews—and while that’s true, it’s not the full picture,” she said.
“They’re using a hypothetical genocide to justify a real genocide.”
“Israel is not Judaism. Opposing Israel is not antisemitic. People support Palestine not because they hate Jews, but because Palestinians deserve freedom.”
Learning the Truth About Palestine
Carly Shooster, a 28-year-old Jewish woman from Florida, attends weekly protests in Gainesville. Led by her Palestinian colleague, they stand at a busy intersection every Sunday, chanting for a free Palestine. Some passersby honk in support, while others hurl insults even threats of violence against Jews.
Despite this, Shooster returns every week.
Like Stolzer, she attended Hebrew school and took a Birthright trip. Most of her education about her Jewish identity focused on the Holocaust. Her journey toward understanding Palestine’s history began when she read Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa. She then read The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by historian Ilan Pappe, which she now recommends to everyone.
Since 2014, Shooster has been labeled a “self-hating Jew” by many in her community, including family members. They tell her she’s uninformed, or that “Palestinians should just move to another Arab country.”
The more she learns about the Middle East, the more she sees Zionism as a political tool one that allows Western powers to control the region.
“The harm this has caused to the indigenous Palestinian population is unacceptable and should be condemned,” she said.
For Shooster, being Jewish in America means actively rejecting Zionism. It means refusing to support Israel financially. It means celebrating Jewish traditions with loved ones while standing against injustice.
“I’m deeply proud of my Jewish heritage,” she said. “The way I talk, laugh, argue—it’s all deeply Jewish. But that’s exactly why I reject Zionism.”
A Growing Movement Among Young Jews
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization, reports that more Jewish Americans especially young ones—are rejecting Zionism.
“Since October 7, our support has doubled,” said Sonya Meyerson-Knox, JVP’s communications director. “More people than ever are questioning Zionism and wanting to learn what it truly means to be anti-Zionist.”
A 2022 poll found that 69% of American Jews do not identify as Zionist when it is defined as prioritizing Jewish rights over non-Jews in Israel.
Rachel Liberty, a spokesperson for IfNotNow, a Jewish activist group opposing Israel’s occupation of Palestine, says young Jews are increasingly refusing to support Israel’s military actions.
“In the last few months, we’ve seen an overwhelming demand for a ceasefire and Palestinian liberation,” she said.
According to the Brookings Institution, younger Jewish Americans hold far more favorable views of Palestinians than older generations.
Geoffrey Levin, a professor of Jewish Studies at Emory University, believes young Jews today are more informed about Israel’s far-right politics and the suffering of Palestinians than any generation before.
“They’re not distancing themselves from Israel because they don’t care they’re distancing themselves because they care,” he explained.
The Struggle Continues
Despite growing support for Palestinian rights, young Jewish anti-Zionists face hostility—even threats. Some have been doxxed or had their jobs threatened.
Yet, activists like Stolzer, Shooster and Nelson refuse to stay silent.
“We say ‘never again’ and that must include Palestinians,” Knox said. “Our Jewish tradition teaches us to stand for justice everywhere.”
For them, true Jewish values mean fighting for all oppressed people including Palestinians.
