HAPPENING NOW! Jews & Palestinians & allies are marching in solidarity through downtown Cleveland to TransDigm, a supplier of military equipment used by Israel. This manufacturing of genocide is occurring in our own city. We say NO TO WEAPONS MANUFACTURERS IN CLEVELAND.
@jvplive
There's nothing antisemitic about the solidarity encampment for Palestine at
@cwru
, just as there's nothing antisemitic about criticizing a government. In the past few days, Jews held a seder, made prayers, hosted a Mimouna dinner, danced, sang & imagined a better world for all.
CLEVELAND PASSES CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION! For 17 weeks, Clevelanders packed City Hall demanding a ceasefire resolution & made 100 public comments during council meetings. Cleveland quickly & quietly became the longest running push for a ceasefire resolution in any U.S. city.
On 4/29, the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Case Western Reserve began peacefully occupying the lawn in front of KSL Library (now renamed Hind Oval). The week has been filled with powerful solidarity among students & community despite intractibility with university adminstration.
The students are leading the way! Join them again at Case Western in the KSL Circle from 8 am to 8 pm on Tuesday in the People’s University for Palestine. Community members are welcome to join & show support & solidarity. ❤️🍉🍓
What does Cleveland have to do with Palestine? As the genocide in Gaza continues, many have asked why Cleveland keeps mobilizing, showing up to City Hall & demonstrating in the streets. The answer: the U.S. plays a huge role in funding Palestinian oppression—Cleveland included.🧵
Jewish critics of Israel & supporters of Palestinian liberation are often called “kapos” — it’s a hateful slur, the worst accusation one Jew can make about another — and an absolute oxymoron. Here’s a helpful breakdown of its meaning & usage.
After 17 weeks of packing Cleveland City Hall & 100 public comments from Palestinians, Jews & allies all calling for a ceasefire, the Cleveland City Council finally passed a Ceasefire Resolution! 🇵🇸
For the 12th week, Palestinians, Jews & allies packed Cleveland City Hall to demand Council Members pass a ceasefire resolution. Rabbi Miriam Geronimus, of
@rodfeishalom
& Cleveland Jewish Collective, gave an impassioned speech calling for a ceasefire.
Cle city hall was packed tonight, for the 13th week in a row, with constituents demanding that council pass a ceasefire resolution. We won’t tire! We will keep showing up until council listens and to stand in solidarity with Palestine🍉
#alleyesonrafah
#ceasefirenow
The facts are clear. The people of Ohio stand with Gaza and demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire. It is long past time for our elected officials to represent their consituents and stop the U.S. government’s funding of Israel.
JVP Cleveland is appalled at
@cwru
’s suspension of Students for Justice in Palestine. CWRU has continuously treated students supporting Palestine as guilty until proven innocent, and we condemn this treatment. (1/3)
JVP CLE celebrates the courage and determination of students mobilizing within the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at
@cwru
. The students at CWRU are organizing to end university complicity and investment in the ongoing genocide in Gaza and across occupied Palestine.
🚨🚨Congress is voting today on a bill that weaponizes the threat of antisemitism on college campuses. Call your representatives now to tell them to VOTE NO on H.R. 6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act.
Public comment at the
@CuyahogaCounty
meeting on 6/4 lasted 3 hours as residents responded to a proposed resolution to end investment in Israel & all foreign countries. Jewish supporters advocated for investing locally & deconstructed the opponents’ accusations of antisemitism.
The Cleveland, Pittsburgh &
@JVPPhilly
chapters of
@jvplive
&
@Cle_Palestine
denounce a bill introduced in Congress this week that would extend military benefits to U.S. citizens serving in the Israeli military. Read on for more info & ways to demand its rejection. 🧵👇
You are cordially invited to join students from CWRU on Sunday 5/19 at Wade Lagoon at 1 pm for The People's Commencement.
@ninaturner
will be the keynote speaker for this celebration of liberation education. Lunch & refreshments will be served. RSVP:
People in Ohio pay $99,629,630 for weapons to Israel through Federal Tax Dollars every year. Instead of funding destruction & death, that money could be used locally for public housing, healthcare, education, education & sustainable energy.
Good morning from the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Case Western Reserve. Yesterday, led by
@NationalSJP
, students supported by the Cleveland community successfully held the Oval at Kelvin Smith Library! Activities run 8 am - 8 pm today & community members can freely join in.
The student encampment at Case Western Reserve University remains in place, even after campus police employed repressive tactics in an attempt to intimidate and disperse protesters this morning.
The Senate & House are gearing up to send more bombs & munitions to Israel — weapons that will be used to further Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians.
Congress needs to hear from their constituents. Tell them to Vote NO on more weapons to Israel.
The 10th evening at the Solidarity encampment for Gaza at Case Western began with a rally for Rafah at the Wade Lagoon and ended with a sit-in at the
@cwru
campus administrative offices at Adelbert Hall.
We stand in solidarity with respected educator Sarah DeBolt Badawi and denounce her targeting by
@StopAntisemites
and
@CleveJN
and her coerced resignation from
@HawkenSchool
.
Cleveland! Join us on March 30th at 2 pm at Edgewater Upper Pavilion for a march for Land Day! We'll be gathering together with Palestinians, Jews, allies & all people of conscience to march in solidarity with Palestine. 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸
@jvplive
@palyouthmvmt
@pslnational
@uspcn
@Cle_Palestine
@cwru
Throughout the week, hundreds of community members came out to support the encampment with donated food & supplies, speeches, teach-ins, songs, artwork & a powerful show of interfaith solidarity. The encampment was visited twice by
@ninaturner
who shared wisdom on liberation.
Happening Now: Over 250 cars decorated with slogans & signs & waving Palestinian flags make a slow approach to the Cleveland airport in a Car Caravan for Palestine 🚗🇵🇸
@jvplive
Want to support the CWRU encampment?
Right now we’re hearing there’s a need for:
- food storage (e.g. coolers)
- cups, utensils, plates
- water in jugs (not individual bottles)
- tents and blankets
- donations to the accounts below
Most importantly, keep spreading the word!
Over 40 students & staff at
@cwru
were suspended & banned from & campus graduation at for their alleged involvement at the Gaza solidarity encampment at Case Western. Please sign the petition to show support for students & staff.
Cleveland
@jvplive
joins the call to boycott
@KeyBank
for their ongoing Israel Bonds fundraising & investments. They currently hold $30 Million dollars in Israel Bonds & continue to hold private sales events for Israel Bonds even as the war rages on in Gaza.
#BoycottKeyBank
We call on all Palestinians, supporters, and people of conscience to participate in boycotting
@KeyBank
!!!!
Check out the thread below to find out why:
#BoycottKeyBank
On 4/9, dozens of local residents filled Cuyahoga County Council chambers & gave impassioned public testimony, calling on
@CuyahogaCounty
council to end their $16 million investment in Israel Bonds — which fund illegal settlements & the siege on Gaza.
🚨Cleveland Heights City Council passed a ceasefire resolution tonight🚨This adds to the long list of city councils in the Cleveland and Ohio areas that have also passed resolutions. We all demand that the US government push for a
#CeasefireNOW
‼️🇵🇸
City Councils across Ohio are passing ceasefire resolutions, but Cleveland has not budged.
@CleCityCouncil
— what will it take for you to introduce the proposed resolution? How many more meetings will we have to attend to convince you that your constituents want a ceasefire?
JVP is the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world. We're organizing Jews into solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle, guided by a vision of justice, equality, and dignity for all people. Join us.
Is that you speaking
@RepShontelBrown
or the $1 million dollars that you pocketed from AIPAC? Where has your concern for Palestinians being bombed in Gaza for the last six months? Where is your responsibility to your constituents?
I’m deeply concerned by Iran’s multi-layered attack on Israel and am praying for our ally and Americans in the region. President Biden and the U.S. remain unwavering in our commitment to Israel’s defense and security. Full statement ⤵️
Who are you calling “bullies”
@jewishcleveland
? Are you really suggesting that an interfaith, multi-ethnic group of people calling for an end to war & violence are bullies?!Truly, the real bullies are those with power who persist in bombing innocent civilians & aid workers.
Today
@MayorBibb
made clear he can’t be bullied into ignoring the fact that Hamas has refused all ceasefire agreements that would stop Israel’s rescue mission to bring the hostages home. Thank you Mayor Bibb!
Unsurprisingly,
@MayorBibb
refused to sign the Ceasefire Resolution passed last week by Cleveland City Council & parroted the spurious “no partner for peace” Zionist talking point as justification.
A quick update to the second half of the schedule:
Schedule for May 6th at the CWRU Gaza Solidarity Encampment:
5:30 pm: Dinner
6:00 pm: Posters and Crafts Session
7:30 pm: Spirit Wall Painting
8:30 pm: Protest Songs with JVP Cle
WATCH as Cleveland
@MayorBibb
flees from constituents asking him to condemn the murder of Palestinians. On 10/7 he proudly proclaimed "Cleveland stands in solidarity with Israel" but after 12 weeks of attempts to get him to speak on Gaza, all he can manage is a quick getaway.
Mark your calendars, Cleveland‼️📆Two nights from now, we will pack city hall for the 12th week in a row. We are demanding that city council introduce and pass a ceasefire resolution, and we won’t let up🗣️
#ceasefirenow
#jewsforceasefire
The assertion by
@HawkenSchool
&
@StopAntisemites
that antisemitism is fueled by the word "genocide" is a logical fallacy that should be obvious to any educator. Antisemitism is fueled by Israel committing genocide & a conflation of all Jews with Israel — not the term itself.
UPDATE: Sarah DeBolt Badawi has resigned from her position at the prestigious Hawken School effective this morning.
Furthermore, the school states: "The term "genocide" carries immense weight and historical significance, and its usage in the context of the Israeli-Hamas war is
Solidarity to the peaceful protest and encampment happening at Case Western Reserve University.
Contribute to the bail fund here:
Contribute to the general fund for supplies here:
These people at the
@CuyahogaCounty
meeting include local judges, council members & elected leaders — their first responsibility should be the betterment of our communities but instead they came to demand our tax money be sent to Israel rather than put in local projects & hands.
Tomorrow at 5:30 at Cleveland City Hall the Cleveland Palestinian Advocacy Community is protesting the attacks on Rafah as the last ‘safe place’ in Gaza, which was attacked further tonight during the Super Bowl.
@jvpcle
@IRTFCleveland
@CAIRCleveland
Please join us again on March 25 at city hall! We invite you to fast on Monday to stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza. There will be an Iftar, a fast-breaking meal, post-council meeting.
Despite the twisted narrative the
@cwru
administration spins, our togetherness is a beautiful representation of our diversity & our solidarity with each other across so many identities that mainstream media & politicians attempt to pit against each other.
Join us on 1/8 as we begin the new year at City Hall, continuing our struggle to demand a ceasefire resolution from Cleveland City Council.
For 12 straight weeks they have ignored their duty to represent the popular will of the people demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Schedule for May 6th at the CWRU Gaza Solidarity Encampment:
10:00: Study Hour
1:00: Lunch
1:30: Protest Party
2:30: Quad Rally and Advocacy Wall Painting
4:00: Democratic Socialists of America Teach-In
5:30: Dinner
6:00: Posters and Crafts Session
8:00: Spirit Wall Painting
This week, CWRU Graduate Student Council passed a resolution urging CWRU to divest from war profiteers involved in the occupation of Palestine. Read on for a statement from JVP CLE member Harley Rubin, Graduate Student Council VP of Equity and Inclusion:
Cleveland! On April 9th, join us to pack the Cuyahoga County Council meeting. For 17 weeks, our coalition pushed for a ceasefire resolution & we won. Now we begin a divestment campaign to free Cuyahoga County from their $16 million in Israeli bonds and investments.
Members of the Cleveland community, join us once again to stand in solidarity with the students of Case Western as we continue to advocate for Palestinian human rights together. Show up at 7 pm at Hind Oval (previously known as KSL Oval).
For our 16th week at Cleveland City Council, we held an interfaith prayer service, shared a Ramadan iftar dinner & laid out children's shoes for the over 13,000 murdered Palestinian children. We are still asking councilmembers to call for a Ceasefire& they are still refusing.
The Passover seder is not only about remembering the past, it’s a call to action, in the here and now. An important part of celebrating Passover is the seder, a ritual meal of symbolic foods that help us retell the story of the Exodus: 1/6
(by Benjamin Bilgen, JVP Cleveland)
Historically, kapos were Jews forced to work for Nazis in concentration camps under threat of death. Now the word is often used as a slur to describe Jews who criticize Israel, with the implication that they are sacrificing the Jewish people for their own self-preservation.
This usage of the word trivializes & weaponizes the memory of the Holocaust against Jewish people who understand that “never again” means “never again for anyone.” Our interest in the safety & lives of others is in fact the opposite of being a kapo.
We are not motivated by self-interest or self-protection. We wholly believe our safety should not come at the expense of another’s. We call on our community to honor pikuach nefesh, the belief in the sanctity of all life, rather than implying those they disagree with serve Nazis.
Thank you to everyone who has been supporting the student-led revolution at Case Western and beyond. We urge President Kaler to meet with the students instead of ignoring them. We continue to chant alongside the students: “disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!”
Read a statement co-written by members of Cleveland’s Palestinian & Jewish communities in response to four months of requests for Cleveland City Council to pass a ceasefire resolution & four months of their refusals.
On the 7th night of Hanukkah, members of
@jvplive
in Cleveland joined friends from the Palestinian community to rekindle the light of justice together in a menorah lighting for ceasefire.
While millions of Americans watch the Super Bowl, our tax dollars continue to fund the ever-intensifying genocide in Gaza. Don’t look away. Don’t stop talking about Palestine.
#ceasefirenow
#alleyesongaza
#rafah
Join us on Friday 6/14 at 7 pm in Tuxedo Park for a welcome potluck Shabbat! New & old
@jvplive
members welcome. We will say the Shabbat prayers, build community & paint JVP action shirts. Please bring a shirt to paint & a vegetarian dish to share!
Instead of condemning those who use the term “genocide,”
@HawkenSchool
should be more concerned with why the term is being used in the first place, why the ICJ found plausible evidence to conclude that Israel is committing genocide & why leading Holocaust scholars agree.
MEDIA ADVISORY: CWRU Encampment Sanctionee Press Conference. All media are invited to a press conference demanding amnesty for Case Western students exercising their right to advocate for Palestine & divestment at the recent encampment.
Press release:
Cleveland! Join us March 4 at City Hall at 6 pm as we pass the People’s Resolution. For the past 15 weeks, we've told
@CleCityCouncil
that Cleveland stands with Palestine. in this time, we've created the longest & most sustained push for a ceasefire resolution across America.
Open letter from university faculty in Northeast Ohio in support of the rights of students to protest — including students currently encamped at Case Western Reserve. Add your name:
Schedule for today at the CWRU Gaza Solidarity Encampment:
1:00 - Lunch
1:30 - Irish and Palestinian Solidarity
3:00 - Palestine Environment and Intergenerational Trauma Teach-In
5:30 - Dinner and Performance by Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) students
8:00 - Poster making
On our 15th week at Cleveland City Council, our coalition of Palestinians, Jews & allies stopped waiting for
@CleCityCouncil
to pass a ceasefire resolution & instead we held our own council & passed our own resolution — even after cops kicked us out.
Tonight, two members of the Cleveland pod of
@jvplive
joined the local Palestinian community & allies to make public comments at City Hall & once again ask
@CleCityCouncil
to pass a ceasefire resolution & respond the devastation in Gaza & its impact on our city.
If you truly wanted Muslims to have a joyous & PEACEFUL Eid,
@RepShontelBrown
, you'd support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza & return the ONE MILLION DOLLARS you took from AIPAC & rescind your unconditional support of Israel.
We join the global movement demanding divestment from Israel Bonds. We join the fight to invest in the lives of our local communities, not in the destruction of Palestinian lives. Join us!
BREAKING: Over 250 cars (& a few trucks) in a caravan for Palestine shut down the highway in Cleveland as police block the entrance to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
@palyouthmvmt
@pslnational
@jvplive
Investment experts recently downgraded Israel’s debt rating, indicating 5 months of genocide significantly impacted its economy. The downgrade will likely make it more expensive for Israel to borrow money & represents a critical opening to push for divestment from Israel Bonds.
@jewishcleveland
@MayorBibb
None of the ceasefire agreements introduced by Israel or the U.S. in the last 6 months promised Palestinians lasting safety or a pathway to long term, sustainable peace — a fact
@jewishcleveland
&
@MayorBibb
deliberately & consistently ignore. Israel is not a partner for peace.
After months of protests, Cleveland City Council passes resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza. The measure was approved unanimously and calls for an immediate halting of hostilities as well as the release of all hostages.
THREAD: Condemnations of the slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free” are designed to pit our communities against one another & undermine any future of justice & freedom for all people living between the Mediterranean Sea & Jordan River.
JVP Cleveland members include CWRU faculty, students & alumni. Because it is a common strategy to slander pro-Palestine organizing as such, we must clearly state: it is not antisemitic to protest the actions of the Israeli government, which is waging a genocidal campaign on Gaza.
14 weeks at city council and our movement continues growing🗣️
When will you listen to us,
@CleCityCouncil
? How many more people have to die for you to budge? How long will it take for you to gain moral clarity?
In response to a proposal to end
@CuyahogaCounty
’s investments in Israel, dozens of opponents accused the resolution & its supporters of antisemitism. Yet the real antisemitism was entered in the public record when one speaker smeared Jewish supporters with the vile slur “kapos.”
Fundraiser concert for Palestinian Relief this Friday 12/15 at Happy Dog 8-10pm in Cleveland. Performances from Last Gasp, Bigg Egg, Lowspot & The House of Wills. Hosted by
@DSA_Cleveland
. Proceeds will go to
@PCRF_Cleveland
.