Dozens of Maryland Rabbis & Hundreds of

As anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace comes to Baltimore this week, Maryland rabbis and Jews urge Marylanders to see Jewish Voice for Peace for what it is: a fringe movement that undermines Jewish identity, faith and tradition

Jewish Voice for Peace conference will include speeches from prominent public figures who have been accused of promoting antisemitic views

Baltimore, MD, April 29, 2025:  A group of rabbis from diverse Jewish communities across the state of Maryland has issued a strong statement of concern regarding the upcoming national membership meeting of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), set to take place in Baltimore from May 1 to May 4. The membership meeting will include speeches from notable public figures who have been accused of promoting antisemitic views, including: Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush and Linda Sarsour. 

The rabbis are united in their belief that JVP does not represent the Jewish community, reflect Jewish values, or seek peace.  

The rabbis express particular concern over JVP’s support for terror and rejection of a Jewish state in any part of historic Israel. This is exemplified by statements following the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel, when Jewish Voice for Peace wrote, “our solidarity with Palestine must encompass any and all modes of resistance,” and stated “We stand in full solidarity with Palestinian resistance.”

“JVP’s own statements reveal that their claim of supporting peace is a lie,” the rabbis said in their letter. “JVP claims to represent the Jewish community and to support peace. We believe it is important to make clear that JVP is a fringe movement that does not speak for the majority of Jews, reflect Jewish values, or seek peace. Rather, JVP demonstrates support for terror, disrupts public life, and actively undermines the very essence of Jewish identity, faith, and tradition.”

The rabbis also raised concerns about JVP’s representation as a Jewish organization, pointing out that the group recruits non-Jews to bolster its ranks and noting that some JVP chapters have been founded by non-Jews, while others are at least 50% non-Jewish. In their letter, the rabbis demand transparency regarding the demographic makeup of the organization.

“By misrepresenting who it is, who it speaks for, and what it believes, Jewish Voice for Peace undermines the Jewish people, principles of the Jewish religion, and our deep connection to Israel,” the rabbis stated. 

The Jewish Majority organized the letter and petition at the behest of Maryland rabbis and community leaders who wanted to set the record straight about Jewish Voice for Peace and its anti-Israel agenda.

On Thursday afternoon, members of Jewish Voice for Peace Baltimore will be participating in a march where their calls for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state will be on full display for Baltimoreans to see and hear.

The rabbis statement echoes a similar statement signed by hundreds of Jewish Baltimoreans. These signatories state that, “The overwhelming majority of Jews support the existence and security of the State of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people. Polling consistently shows that more than 85 percent of Jewish Americans support Israel’s right to exist and defend itself. JVP’s relentless anti-Zionist rhetoric, which calls for the elimination of Israel as a Jewish state, represents a fringe view that is rejected by the community.”

This letter states, “As Jewish Voice for Peace’s national membership meeting comes to our city, we hope that elected officials, members of the media and everyday Baltimoreans will recognize that JVP is a token organization that exists to sell the public a false narrative that Jews oppose Israel’s existence.”

The statement concludes by directing interested parties to learn more about Jewish Voice for Peace by exploring background information from The Jewish Majority, StandWithUs, the American Jewish Committee, and the Anti-Defamation League.