The IfNotNow 2020 Platform is a call for every American public official to join the next generation of Jews in fighting for a better future — not just for American Jews but for all people — as we navigate this decisive moment in our country’s history.
This vision is for our present but rooted in the wisdom of our ancestors. The sage Rabbi Hillel’s three questions ring truer now than ever:
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” -- American Jews must fight tirelessly for our people, and fight this current wave of violent antisemitism and the white nationalism, the cultural movement that attacks immigrants, Muslims, people of color, and Jews in order to move forward a vision of a whites-only nation.
“If I am only for myself, what am I?” -- Jewish freedom will not come from the oppression of another people. As people in America, Israel, and all over the world face the threat of racist authoritarian politicians, it is clearer than ever that the fate of Jews is inextricably tied to the fate of all those who are oppressed, including Palestinians. In particular, we know that the struggle against antisemitism is linked to the struggle for Palestinian freedom. We recommit ourselves to the fight against the occupation, a worsening nightmare for Palestinians, and the greatest moral question Jews everywhere must face, and we will do so by educating public officials and and encouraging them to support policy positions that will end the occupation and stand for freedom and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis.
“If not now, when?” -- We will no longer wait for our leaders to present solutions to a global crisis that endangers Palestinians, Israelis, American Jews and others all over the world, knowing that the “conventional wisdom” is what has landed us here in the first place. In the face of so much uncertainty, now is the time for bold action that takes human dignity and equality as its starting point. We can win back our country and create a world that values all people -- but only if our representatives step up and follow our lead.
Guided by this refrain, we are moving towards a future set in motion by all those who have come before us. A future in which Palestinian children can grow up without living in fear, and Israeli kids are not conscripted to take away another people's freedom. A future in which Jews don’t feel frightened to pray together. A future in which to be a Jew is to stand up for the dignity of all people. A future in which we love one another and our neighbors, and together build a world rooted in our solidarity.
Hand in hand with so many others, we are demanding that world. Join us.
Every public official should commit to both pillars of the IfNotNow 2020 Platform.
Defunding Occupation
The United States currently gives more military funding to Israel than to any other country in the world, all while the Israeli government maintains a decades-long military occupation depriving millions of Palestinians of their economic, political, and civil rights. This policy runs contrary not only to the stated US position, but is in direct contradiction with American values of freedom, equality, and democracy. As the Israeli government entrenches a one-state reality, we need American public officials to use every tool in their toolbox, including American assistance, to push for an end to the occupation and ensure freedom and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians.
I am committed to finding solutions that advance the basic freedom and dignity of Israelis and Palestinians, including but not limited to: developing and supporting legislation and/or resolutions to ensure that U.S. funding is used to move towards ending the occupation and achieving freedom and dignity for all Palestinians and Israelis — and does not fund any activities of occupation, such as home demolitions, the imprisonment of Palestinian children, Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories, or the siege of Gaza; building support amongst my colleagues for such measures, and publicly advocating for an end to the occupation and for the equality and security of both peoples in the region.
Fighting Antisemitism and White Nationalism
Since the 2016 election, we have seen a surge in antisemitic hate crimes and violence, and the deadliest attack against American Jews in history. Far too often, American public officials respond to the threat of antisemitism by invoking their unconditional support for Israel, implying that the safety of Jews and the political interests of the Israeli government are one and the same. Instead, we need American public officials to fight antisemitism and white nationalism while doing everything they can to build a multiracial democracy -- the best way to ensure the long-term safety and well-being of American Jews, all marginalized people, and all who call this country home.
I am committed to fighting against the threat of antisemitism and white nationalism, including but not limited to: naming and condemning white nationalist rhetoric and ideology that threatens Jews, especially when it comes from my colleagues in Congress or the President of the United States; to not conflating antisemitism and legitimate criticism of the Israeli government and its policy of military occupation; engaging with a rising generation of American Jewish constituents, organizers, and leaders; and fighting for a multiracial democracy that includes all of us.
This is a project of If Not Now Education Fund. If Not Now Education Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to cultivate, support and train a volunteer led movement to shift the American Jewish community to end our community’s support for the Occupation and stand for freedom and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians.