Read the full, comprehensive report: The 2013 Top Ten Anti-Israel Groups in the U.S. (PDF).
Hundreds of anti-Israel groups operate in the United States today. Indeed, the domestic anti-Israel movement has grown significantly since the second intifada in 2000 and, more recently, since the 2008-9 Gaza War. Student-led organizations with dozens of chapters have been established, antiwar organizations fueled by U.S.-led wars abroad have devoted significant time and resources to anti-Israel efforts and Jewish anti-Zionist groups have made an indelible mark on the anti-Israel movement more broadly.
The groups that comprise today’s anti-Israel movement lob any and every accusation against Israel – including charges of Nazi-like crimes, apartheid policies, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and genocide – in an effort to liken Israel to the world’s true past and present evils. These accusations are rarely, if ever, balanced with acknowledgement of Israel’s repeated efforts to make peace with the Palestinians, as well as the Palestinians’ shortcomings on security issues and intransigence on the negotiation front.
Ten of these groups in particular represent the “worst of the worst.” Their leaders speak regularly on college campuses, endeavoring to convince the leaders of tomorrow that Israel is the worst violator of international human rights and should be treated as a pariah. Their materials are disseminated widely at anti-Israel conferences and other events. And, they successfully garner support by promoting their work on social media, publishing op-eds in local and national newspapers and appearing on television and radio stations.
In October 2010, ADL published a report called “The Top Ten Anti-Israel Groups in the U.S.,” which sought to contextualize the anti-Israel movement in the wake of the 2008-9 Gaza War and identify some of the major players in the movement. Three years later, the movement has changed and evolved as a result of several factors, including the Arab Spring, Israel’s November 2012 military offensive in Gaza and a renewal of efforts to delegitimize Israel through the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
These factors have significantly altered the landscape of the domestic anti-Israel scene and a new and revised “Top Ten” has become necessary.
Six groups that appeared in the original version of the Top Ten report adapted to these shifts and remain pivotal players in the anti-Israel movement today. These groups, which are featured in the current list, include: Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, Friends of Sabeel-North America, If Americans Knew, Jewish Voice for Peace, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation.
Four groups, American Muslims for Palestine, CODEPINK, the Muslim Public Affairs Council and Neturei Karta, represent new inclusions to the report as a result of their anti-Israel activity and statements. They replace groups that have become less relevant and/or groups that have scaled down the type of activity that merited their inclusion in the original Top Ten report.
These ten groups interact with each other in myriad ways, organizing anti-Israel demonstrations, programs and conference together; co-sponsoring each other’s events; and broadcasting their fellow groups’ messaging and agenda to their individual constituencies. The interactions and coordination among these groups play a critical role in advancing a hostile anti-Israel narrative and expanding the anti-Israel network in the United States.
The top ten (in alphabetical order):
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism
American Muslims for Palestine
CODEPINK: Women for Peace
Friends of Sabeel-North America
If Americans Knew/Council for the National Interest
Jewish Voice for Peace
Muslim Public Affairs Council
Neturei Karta
Students for Justice in Palestine
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
