‘Not in my name’: The Jewish diaspora fighting the consensus on Israel
Progressive Jewish groups in the US and UK are rejecting pro-Israel claims made in their name, especially during the Gaza war.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
The story tracks a widening split between parts of the Jewish diaspora and Israeli leaders. Activists in the US and UK say Israel’s war in Gaza and occupation of the West Bank cannot be justified as acting for all Jews.
Some Jewish people say Israel does not speak for them. It is like someone wearing a team jersey and saying they play for everyone on the block, while many people on the block say, “Not for us.”
Analysis
A public break
The article centers on a visible clash in New York City, where Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and other far-right Israeli lawmakers joined the annual Israel Day Parade. Protesters confronted them with chants of “shame” and “war criminals,” underscoring how contested the event has become for many Jews who oppose Israel’s policies.
Diaspora groups push back
The piece highlights groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace in the US and Na’amod in the UK, which reject the idea that the Israeli government speaks for all Jewish people. They argue that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, including the war in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank, conflicts with the democratic and moral values often claimed in its defense.
Emily Hilton, a co-founder of Na’amod, says her own political shift began after Israel’s 2014 assault on Gaza and deepened through later activism. She describes moving away from Zionist consensus politics and toward a position that calls for justice and equality beyond the current state framework.
A broader identity fight
The article argues that the dispute is not only about one parade or one minister. It is about whether Israel can continue claiming to act “in the name” of the Jewish diaspora when many Jews, especially younger and more progressive ones, increasingly reject that link. The text says the Gaza war, with more than 75,000 Palestinians killed according to the article, has accelerated that shift in opinion across the US and Europe.
The result is a political and moral struggle over who gets to define Jewish safety, Jewish identity, and Jewish solidarity in an era of mass protest and war.
Key points
- Protesters challenged Bezalel Smotrich at New York’s Israel Day Parade.
- Progressive Jewish groups in the US and UK reject claims that Israel speaks for all Jews.
- Activists say Israel’s war in Gaza and occupation of the West Bank conflict with their values.
- Emily Hilton of Na’amod says her opposition grew after earlier Gaza violence and later activism.
- The article says the Gaza war has changed opinions in parts of the Jewish diaspora across the US and Europe.
If this pushback grows, more Jewish communities may feel able to speak openly against policies they see as harmful without being treated as outsiders. That could widen the space for debate over Gaza and the West Bank and make political leaders explain their positions more carefully.
The split could deepen as Israeli leaders keep linking Jewish identity to state policy, leaving more anger and mistrust on both sides. It may also harden public debate, with critics and supporters talking past each other instead of finding shared ground.
