Donna Nevel
New York
PARCEO (parceo.org) Jews Against Anti-Muslim Racism (jaamr.com) South Fl Coalition for Justice in Palestine
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Articles by Donna Nevel
It's Time to Cut Ties With the Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, is holding its annual summit in New York City this week. The ironically-named summit on “hate” features far-right MAGA pastors and politicians, billionaire CEOs, and conservative journalists among its speakers. No longer putting on the pretense of opposing all forms of bigotry, the ADL has shown it's perfectly comfortable with Trump-era racism.
What’s wrong with the Anti-Defamation League | Commentary
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... During the evening of March 5, I joined other Jewish activists to pass out leaflets about the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) outside Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach, the synagogue where I grew up and had my Bat Mitzvah over 50 years ago. My parents were both active in the synagogue — my father with the youth program and my mother with the library.
Rooting out Islamophobia must be a priority | Commentary
People across the country are paying close attention to the New York City Mayoral race. As Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has put forth a platform that shows real, principled care for all New Yorkers, his detractors have spent their time hurling vile, Islamophobic attacks against him that are not only dangerous and damaging but all too reflective of the normalization of Islamophobia within our society. Islamophobia, or anti-Muslim racism, has a long, ugly history in the United States.
South Florida Jews Organizing for Palestinian Justice: Reality Defies Reputation | Common Dreams
The actual reality of organizing for Palestinian justice in South Florida defies the region’s reputation of near unanimous support for Israel and its genocide against the Palestinian people. And the belief that all Jewish people in South Florida support Israel (it’s almost a mantra) is also not reflective of the full picture.
Speaking Out Against Genocide: Reckoning and Accountability | Common Dreams
I’ve been seeing a number of different discussions lately (posts and articles) about how Jews who have been speaking out against Israel’s genocide since October 2023 are feeling about Jews who are only more recently speaking out. How one feels, how one thinks these “newcomers” should be regarded, and one’s (potential) relationship with them, how one embraces them (or not), are part of the discussion.
We deserve a South Florida that enacts care, not harm | Opinion
South Florida can — and must — do much better. Too many of its resources are harming people and communities instead of going toward protecting and caring for them. Let’s begin in our backyard.
Mamdani's NYC win is a template for unity in South Florida | Opinion
The results of the recent mayoral election in New York City can be a powerful lesson for all of us in South Florida concerned with justice and dignity for all people. Zohran K. Mamdani – a Muslim, a democratic socialist, a supporter of Palestinian justice, and someone deeply committed to the well-being of the working people of New York – won the primary to become Democratic nominee to become the city's mayor.
Mamdani's NYC win is a template for unity in South Florida | Opinion
The results of the recent mayoral election in New York City can be a powerful lesson for all of us in South Florida concerned with justice and dignity for all people. Zohran K. Mamdani – a Muslim, a democratic socialist, a supporter of Palestinian justice, and someone deeply committed to the well-being of the working people of New York – won the primary to become Democratic nominee to become the city's mayor.
Mamdani's NYC win is a template for unity in South Florida | Opinion Original
In our community, opposing all forms of injustice must be lived out through daily action, not just words. This includes Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, antisemitism and xenophobia. Show Caption Hide Caption Who is Zohran Mamdani? 33-year-old could become first Muslim NYC mayor Presumptive Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani would be the New York City's first Muslim mayor and its first Asian American mayor.
Why a Workshop on Antisemitism Is Accused of Being Antisemitic
Why a Workshop on Antisemitism Is Accused of Being Antisemitic Published April 10, 2025 An education group makes plans to hold a workshop for its community on antisemitism from a framework of collective liberation; publicity goes out; and, before you know it, a right-wing organization (that has never actually seen the curriculum) is determined to get it cancelled. The firestorm is so intense that it’s hard to imagine that it’s about one workshop.
Miami Beach mayor’s censorship of ‘No Other Land’ is yet another authoritarian move to shield Israel
In the last week, Miami Beach has rapidly become an international news story as the local government seeks to silence opposition to Zionism through baseless accusations of antisemitism, but this kind of authoritarian repression of pro-Palestine perspectives isn’t a new development – either internationally or locally.
Stop the killing in Gaza. Opposing Israel’s genocide isn’t antisemitic.
Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people of Gaza has galvanized vociferous opposition across the globe, most recently on college campuses throughout the U.S. and in other countries as well.
We spent 48 hours together in solidarity calling for ceasefire in Gaza | Opinion
As we witness the enormity of Israel’s relentless violence against the Palestinian people of Gaza, communities and groups across the globe are organizing as expansively and furiously as possible. In South Florida, organizing has taken many forms and has included many different communities.
US Foreign Policy Establishment Is Instrumentalizing Islamophobia, Report Shows
Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation An incisive new report released by researchers affiliated with Rutgers University lays out in detail the many ways in which the U.S. political establishment has instrumentalized anti-Muslim bigotry and disingenuously redefined the idea of “antisemitism” in order to defuse criticisms of the Israeli government and justify dehumanizing policies toward Palestinians.
Violence will beget violence until Palestinians have freedom and self-determination | Opinion
Three weeks ago, the two of us, with other members of South Florida’s chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, joined several hundred demonstrators calling upon Israel to cease its genocidal assault on Palestinians living in Gaza and upon our own government to stop funding that assault. We have continued to organize and join protests with communities across South Florida in the weeks that have followed.
Oslo Accords Were Signed 30 Years Ago. They Killed the Two-State Solution.
Briefly, we wanted to update you on where Truthout stands this month. To be brutally honest, Truthout is behind on our fundraising goals for the year. There are a lot of reasons why. We’re dealing with broad trends in our industry, trends that have led publications like Vice, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic to make painful cuts. Everyone is feeling the squeeze of inflation. And despite its lasting importance, news readership is declining.
The Story of Palestine’s Colonization, and Resistance, Is Embodied in the Trees
Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation A 20-year-old born in Gaza, Khaled (who asked to use a pseudonym for his own safety) has been climbing trees since he was a toddler. He recalls the “beauty and freedom you feel when you climb to the top of an olive tree and see all the greenery.” But Khaled explains that now there are no trees to climb. In May 2021, on the first day of the Eid al-Fitr celebration, Israeli missiles were fired into Gaza.
Israeli Parliament Passes Part of Reforms Popularly Opposed as “Judicial Coup”
Update: Israeli lawmakers on Monday approved part of a proposed judicial overhaul that would limit the Supreme Court’s power to check government action, a key priority of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government. The vote took place as protests raged outside the Israeli Knesset and across the country. Polling has shown that a majority of Israelis oppose the sweeping overhaul, which has sparked mass outrage across Israel in recent months.
Palestinians Say U.S. Is “Normalizing Apartheid” by Hosting Israeli President
As President Biden meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House today, several progressive Democrats have announced plans to boycott Herzog’s address to a joint session of Congress. This comes after Biden invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the United States this year despite recently criticizing the makeup of Netanyahu’s far-right Cabinet as “one of the most extremist” he has seen.
The White House’s Strategic Plan on Antisemitism Is Fatally Flawed
A recently released White House strategic plan on combatting antisemitism, while including numerous mentions of “cross community solidarity” and the importance of combatting all forms of hate, fails to promote a framework that makes that kind of solidarity possible. The plan, in actuality, singles out antisemitism and, by extension, Jews, as requiring a special strategy — one that does not embrace a commitment to the well-being of all communities.
The White House’s Strategic Plan on Antisemitism Is Fatally Flawed
Skip to content Skip to footer Those concerned with antisemitism must understand what it truly means to challenge it as part of movements for justice. A recently released White House strategic plan on combatting antisemitism, while including numerous mentions of “cross community solidarity” and the importance of combatting all forms of hate, fails to promote a framework that makes that kind of solidarity possible.
DeSantis and Netanyahu Are Anti-Democratic Brothers-in-Arms
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, ahead of his expected presidential run, flew all the way to Israel to give the keynote address at an event at the Museum of Tolerance April 27. A press release announcing the speech said he was going to “introduce changemakers to those who embrace tolerance and acceptance.” Though it’s hard to believe, this is actually not a joke.
Donna Nevel
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Zionism and the Nakba at 75 - Change-Links
Zionism and the Nakba by Donna Nevel As Israel and many of its supporters prepare to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its settler colonial foundaing, and Palestinians mark the anniversary of the Nakba (atastrophe and ethnic cleansing), we are reprinting excerpts from this Jewish critique of Zionism as a contribution to international solidarity with the just struggle to free, free Palestine. See calendar listings for pro-Palestine actions around May 15.
DeSantis and Netanyahu: Shameless, Dangerous Anti-Democratic Brothers-in-Arms
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, ahead of his expected presidential run, flew all the way to Israel to give the keynote address at an event at the Museum of Tolerance Thursday. A press release announcing the speech said he was going to “introduce changemakers to those who embrace tolerance and acceptance.” Though it’s hard to believe, this is actually not a joke.
DeSantis and Netanyahu: Shameless, dangerous anti-democratic brothers-in-arms
Opinion | Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is doing acrobatics to outflank Trump as the most uncritically 'pro-Israel' GOP candidate.
DeSantis and Netanyahu: Shameless, dangerous anti-democratic brothers-in-arms
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, ahead of his expected presidential run, flew all the way to Israel to give the keynote address at an event at the Museum of Tolerance Thursday. A press release announcing the speech said he was going to "introduce changemakers to those who embrace tolerance and acceptance." Though it's hard to believe, this is actually not a joke.
We Can’t Let Antisemitism Be Weaponized to Criminalize Solidarity With Palestine
Skip to content Skip to footer A recent Department of Education decision marks a victory for Palestine solidarity organizing, but the fight isn’t over. Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation As Jewish students and anti-Zionist organizers, we know that it is in no way antisemitic to support the fight for Palestinian liberation. False accusations of such should not be used to silence Palestinian solidarity activists.
What Antisemitism Is, What It Is Not, and Why It Matters
As we enter the Jewish New Year, many Jews are beginning to reflect upon our past year and consider how we — individually and collectively — can participate in creating a more just world in the year to come. One of the critical issues that I hope will engender a good deal of reflection in our Jewish communities is how we speak and think about antisemitism, and why it matters. Antisemitism, like all forms of injustice, harms people and communities.
What antisemitism is, what it is not, and why it matters | Opinion
As we enter the Jewish New Year, many Jews are beginning to reflect upon our past year and consider how we — individually and collectively — can participate in creating a more just world in the year to come. One of the critical issues that I hope will engender a good deal of reflection in our Jewish communities is how we speak and think about antisemitism, and why it matters. Antisemitism, like all forms of injustice, harms people and communities.
Opinion | Our Silence Is Complicity When It Comes to Palestinian Rights
Opinion | Our Silence Is Complicity When It Comes to Palestinian Rights | Donna Nevel
Israeli Assaults on Palestinians: Silence is Complicity Tikkun
Watching live videos of young Israeli Jews in Jerusalem chanting, with unbridled venom and violence: “Death to the Arabs,” “May your village burn,” and other epithets (that belie a breath-taking inhumanity), is beyond heartbreaking. How can one not feel shaken to your core watching this?
Opinion | Anti-Zionism Is About Dignity for All Peoples: A Response to ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt
Opinion | Anti-Zionism Is About Dignity for All Peoples: A Response to ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt | Donna Nevel
Opinion | Pushing Back on ADL's Criticism of Amnesty's Classification of Apartheid in Israel
Opinion | Pushing Back on ADL's Criticism of Amnesty's Classification of Apartheid in Israel | Donna Nevel
Resolution 194 and the Palestinian call for justice - thoughts for Florida’s Jewish communities
Opinion By Donna Nevel December 14, 2021 0 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email I wrote the piece below in response to — and offering a different perspective from — opinion pieces that have appeared in South Florida’s Jewish newspaper. I am always anxious to engage with Florida’s Jewish communities about these issues and how we can most meaningfully participate in seeking and pursuing justice.
Boycott Duty Free Americas: Don’t buy airport goods that fund Israeli settlers
The article was originally published by Truthout on October 6, 2021. Palestinian lawyer Mohammed Khatib once dreamed of bringing his own children back to ride the swing in the roman olive tree where he used to play as a child, but that vision was shattered by the ongoing illegal expansion of Israeli settlements. “I always dreamed that this olive tree and this place that I used to play when I was a child, that my children will play there,” Khatib said.
Boycott Duty Free Americas: Don’t Buy Airport Goods That Fund Israeli Settlers
Palestinian lawyer Mohammed Khatib once dreamed of bringing his own children back to ride the swing in the roman olive tree where he used to play as a child, but that vision was shattered by the ongoing illegal expansion of Israeli settlements. “I always dreamed that this olive tree and this place that I used to play when I was a child, that my children will play there,” Khatib said.
Duty Free shops are funding expulsion of Palestinians
You go into a Duty Free Americas shop in any airport, and it seems to be simply another store selling upscale items. But to know about its owners, the Falic family of South Florida, and what they fund is to know another story altogether. It is a story of support for land theft and the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes. It is a story of support for the illegal settlement enterprise in Israel.
Israel and apartheid | Opinion
By Donna Nevel Special to the Sun Sentinel | May 04, 2021 at 11:03 AM Palestinian laborers some wearing protective face masks amid concerns over the country's coronavirus outbreak, cross illegally into Israel from the West Bank through an opening in a fence, south of the West Bank town of Hebron on Sept. 6, 2020. One of the world's best-known human rights groups says Israel is guilty of the international crimes of apartheid and persecution.
Challenging Antisemitism: Why Criticism of Israel Shouldn’t be Singled Out & Our Interconnected Struggles for Justice
I remember attending a pro-Israel hasbara (propaganda) workshop over forty-five years ago that strongly encouraged, as a response to critics of Israel, accusations of antisemitism. Don’t focus on the argument, we were told, but, rather, discredit the person making the argument by accusing them of antisemitism. Accusations of antisemitism directed at Palestinians and supporters of Palestinian rights are not new and have been a strategy of Israeli government and pro-Israel hasbara for decades.
Accusations of Antisemitism
I remember attending a pro-Israel hasbara (propaganda) workshop over forty-five years ago that strongly encouraged, as a response to critics of Israel, accusations of antisemitism. Don’t focus on the argument, we were told, but, rather, discredit the person making the argument by accusing them of antisemitism. Accusations of antisemitism directed at Palestinians and supporters of Palestinian rights are not new and have been a strategy of Israeli government and pro-Israel hasbara for decades.
On Corbyn and accusations of antisemitism – Mondoweiss
Editor’s Note: The following letter to the editor was submitted to Jewish Currents who declined to publish it. In a recent article in Jewish Currents by Joshua Leifer, “The Tragedy of Jeremy Corbyn,” he criticizes those from within the British Jewish community who attacked Corbyn while also perpetuating some of the same rhetoric and pitfalls as the community he critiques.
Older Jews in Florida: Caricature vs Reality
In this past election, the Jewish community in Florida, particularly its older Jews, were caricatured in unflattering and inaccurate ways. The images of older Jews who needed to be persuaded to vote against Trump, and assertions that Jews in Florida, particularly older Jews, were more conservative than elsewhere, were simply not rooted in fact.
Florida’s Jews, Trump and DeSantis | Opinion
Skip to content xml:space="preserve"> xml:space="preserve"> Donna Nevel (Donna Nevel/Courtesy) The majority of Florida’s Jews, like Jews nationwide, voted for Joe Biden for President. Jews across the U.S. largely made it clear that they did not support President Trump’s policies and did not want him in the White House. Polls show that Jews were saying no to Trump in even larger numbers than in 2016 and that their major concerns were the pandemic, healthcare, the economy, and climate change.
Not only the Right misuses antisemitism – Mondoweiss
Opinion Facile accusations of antisemitism on the Left have real consequences for people’s lives, and feed into dangerous, reactionary attacks that harm our movements for justice.
Without Radical Community Education, We Won't Move Beyond “Comfortable” Reforms
Many of us are reflecting on what it means to engage critically within our own communities as a way of supporting and being accountable to broader movements for justice.
Bloomberg’s ‘kibbutz’ comment recalls Zionist history | Commentary
Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at a campaign event Wednesday in Providence, R.I. Bloomberg recently said he's the only candidate who "doesn't want to turn America into a kibbutz." (David Goldman/AP) Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg recently remarked to a Jewish audience in South Florida, “I’m not the only Jewish candidate running for President.
Florida’s and Trump’s fight against anti-Semitism reek of hypocrisy | Opinion
President Trump continues to make clear that his opposition to anti-Semitism has more to do with curtailing criticism of Israel than with actual anti-Semitism. For example, just recently, at the Israeli American Council’s summit in Hollywood, Fla., as the president boasted that “the Jewish state has never had a better friend in the White House than President Donald J.
What About Palestine?
The President claimed recently that Jews are disloyal to Israel and the Jewish people for voting Democrat because, in his view, the Democratic party is disloyal to Israel. Underlying Trump’s cheerleading for loyalty to Israel is his hostility towards the Palestinian people and those calling for Palestinian rights.
Jewish Activists for Justice Must Not Ignore Palestine
Taking seriously the principle that “Never Again” means never again for anyone, progressive and left-wing Jewish organizations have taken to the streets to vehemently oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the concentration camps incarcerating thousands of migrants, and the grave injustices perpetrated by the Trump administration. These Jewish groups and individuals have devoted countless hours to creating and organizing protests alongside immigrant rights and racial justice groups.
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