Join us at the First Jewish Anti-Zionist Congress
People of all backgrounds are invited to join and support this call

Vienna, June 13th-15th 2025 / Sivan 17th-19th 5785 (Hebrew Date)

The world watches in horror the unfolding genocide against the Palestinian people committed by Zionism in partnership with the West. It is our obligation as Jews to take action, as this is done in our name. We must join our Palestinian brothers and sisters in their darkest hour, and work for decolonising Palestine!

Jews and people of Jewish descent everywhere - those whom the Zionist state claims to speak for – are coming together and uniting to declare the unwavering opposition to Zionism.

Since the First Zionist Congress over a century ago, Zionist leaders have claimed to speak on behalf of the entire world Jewry, thus holding Jews and Judaism hostage to Zionism, while permanently attempting to silence our opposition and trampling on the spiritual integrity of the Jewish religion. Jewish tradition, history and culture is totally opposed to genocide.

An impressive history of Jewish resistance to Zionism is as long as Zionism – it included Jewish religious communities as well as secular movements of Jewish descent, and the vehement Jewish opposition to the creation of the Zionist state from within Palestine itself.

Zionism is a crime against Judaism and the indigenous people of Palestine, and we are committed to putting an end to it. Over the years, it has been proven that Zionism, instead of protecting Jews, turned into a great danger by committing atrocious acts in the name of Jews and Judaism. Zionism claims the supremacy of Jews and thereby fully adopts the racist assumption inherent to antisemitism that insists on the “otherness” of Jews.

The Zionist settler-colonial entity denies even the most basic rights to the Palestinians. Zionism is responsible for colonialism, apartheid, ethnic-cleansing and genocide in the West Bank and in Gaza for more than eight decades. Fourteen million Palestinians worldwide are its direct victims. To the atrocities it commits we firmly say “Not in Our Name!” We are devoted to ending Zionism and we are devoted to the decolonisation of Palestine with our Palestinian partners!

Above all, Zionism is a crime against humanity. Dedicated to the oath of the survivors of Mauthausen concentration camp, handed down to us as testimony of resistance against Nazi fascism, we follow their universal legacy and reiterate their message:

“The permanence in the camp, lasting years, has reinforced in our minds the knowledge of the value of brotherhood among the people of all nations. True to these ideals, we make a solemn oath to continue to fight, firm and united, against imperialism and against the instigation of hatred between peoples.”

Together we will join forces at the first Jewish Antizionist Congress and united we will join the Palestinians in liberating Palestine, and building a just and equal society!

Judaism is not Zionism!

Share this call via:

Supporters of the Congress

• Frank Haidar , Vienna

• Valter Cvijic , Vienna , Activist with Yugoslav roots

• Nabila Irshaid , Vienna , Palestinian-Austrian artist

• Brigitte Gaertner-Coulibaly , Germany , Former teacher, daughter of an activist imprisoned by fascists in a concentration camp during WWII

• Sid Shniad , Vancouver, British Columbia , Founding member, Independent Jewish Voices Canada

• Kurt Mueller , Kreuzlingen , Retired engineer

• Miriam Delorme , Paris , UJFP (Französische Jüdische Union für den Frieden)

• Stéphane Delorme , Viroflay , UJFP (Französische Jüdische Union für den Frieden)

• Naomi Junnor, Glasgow, UNISON

• Nachshon Amir , Sandringham

• youssef karaki , United Kingdom , Marine electrician/engineer, social media activist

• Khalid Shoqeer , Jordan

• Danijela Topic Vizcaya , Vienna , Member of DiEM25

• Jacquelyn Rutchik , New York , Medical professional

• Melanie Jacobs , Colorado , Writer

• Selda Canarslan , Munich

• smadar carmon , Toronto , Independent (note: corrected spelling)

• Alan Fortuny Fortuny , Alan Fortuny Sicart

• Andrea von Sarnowski , Munich , Human being, mother, academic

• Suzanna Treumann , Munich , Artist, painter, writer, peace activist, former museum guide and teacher

• Volker Tanner , Simbach , Member of DiEM25

• Leonardo Torres , Schwabach (Germany) , MSc biotechnology

• Khayim Illia Perret , Fier, Albania , Singing syndicalist, IWW

• evelyn tischer, Regina, Activist

• Pere Solà , Barcelona

• Helmut Schriffl , Münchendorf

• Renate Bursik , Vienna , Retired teacher / Palestine Solidarity

• Gernot Gauper , Vienna

• Elisa Hebenstreit , Vienna , Teacher, member of DiEM25

• Hagen Bonn , Bernau bei Berlin , Author

• Traudlinde Aigner

• Mary Pampalk , Vienna , Women in Black, Vienna

• Viktoria Waltz , Dortmund , Retired lecturer in spatial planning, activist and author on the Palestine conflict since 1984, with a focus on Zionist "spatial planning"

• Annemarie Azman , Vienna

• Manuela Winklehner , 3500 Krems , Human

• Erica Fischer , Barcelona , Writer

• Christine Hülser , Graz

• Franz Sölkner , Thal , Retired, historian, peace activist

• Gabriel Jacovkis , Barcelona – Spain , Musician and writer

• Werner Ruf , Edermünde , Political scientist, professor of international relations, University of Kassel, Germany (retired), peace activist, spent many years in North Africa

• Michael Kösten , Vienna , Leftist, trade unionist against nuclear energy and war

• Judit Somi , Ozd (Hungary) , Militant worker

• Gerd Brodowski , Hagen/Westphalia , Ordinary average guy

• Judit Morva , Budapest , Retired

• Grete Martin , Vienna

• Susanne Brunngraber , Linz , Therapist

• Natascha Lamac , Mödling , Lawyer

• Martin Weinberger , Vienna , Freelance editor, proofreader, and adult educator

• Michaela Elgebaly , Vienna , Teacher

• Regina Wyschata , Salzburg , Social worker

• Renate Akoum , Vienna

• Erwin Zimmermann , Strasshof an der Nordbahn

• Johann Wührer , Linz , Roman Catholic priest

• Eva Maria Neubauer , Vienna , -

• Annemarie Azman , Vienna , Justice and peace for Palestine

• anita Kux , Vienna , Former teacher, now retired

• Friedrun Wiesinger , Salzburg

• Hanna Sukare Schörghofer , Vienna , Author

• Robert Poth , Vienna , Retiree

• Sonja Schrei , Vienna , Teacher

• Mag. Zita Breu , Vienna , Artist

• Sarah Winter , Graz

• thomas prader , Vienna , Retired lawyer

• Albert Schönhuber , Schildorn , Retired person and peace activist for Palestine

The Viennese Jewish Anti-Zionist Declaration was initiated by Ernst Wolrab, Dalia Sarig and Andreas Wimmer. Ernst is a descendant of Jewish resistance fighters against fascism, Dalia comes from a Jewish family that was expelled from Vienna in 1938 and Andreas' family survived the Holocaust. All three have been politically active for many years.

In December 2024 a collective of Austrian Jews signed an Anti-Zionist Declaration:

Andreas Wimmer Librarian, Marxist, founder of the “Voices for Neutrality” alliance, descendant of resistance fighters against the Nazi regime and Jewish victims of it

Ernst Wolrab Communist, former secretary of the concentration camp association who was removed because of his advocacy against apartheid, descendant of communist and Jewish victims of the Nazi regime

Dalia Sarig Co-founder of the “Not in our Name” initiative founded by Jews in Vienna and candidate on the GAZA list

Geben Sie hier den Text...

Viennese Jewish Anti-Zionist Declaration - Dec. 2024

We, the undersigned, as individuals from Jewish family backgrounds, descendants of displaced persons and/or Holocaust victims, Holocaust survivors, and resistance fighters against the Nazi regime, all with ties to Austria, oppose Zionism and the actions of the state of Israel in our commitment to universal human rights, equality, and a just peace in the Middle East.

We declare that our values are not represented by the Vienna “Israelitische Kultusgemeinde”, which claims to speak for Jews in Austria and which unconditionally supports Israel.

We oppose the marginalization or suppression of Palestinian and anti-Israel voices within Austrian politics, media, and state institutions and in particular, we call for dissenting Jewish voices to be heard.

We, like other Jews around the globe, condemn Israel’s actions against Palestinians, the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza, the ethnic cleansing, and the colonial seizure of the occupied West Bank. We unequivocally declare: “Not in our name” and “Never again for anyone.”

The anti-Semitic mayor of Vienna, Karl Lueger, once declared: "I decide who is a Jew." Those who aligned with his policies were exempt from being labelled as "Jews" by Lueger, while dissenting voices opposing his policies were, by his definition, the voices "of the Jews."

Even today, our anti-colonial Jewish voices in Austria are silenced and delegitimized according to this principle—albeit reversed as "We decide who is not Jewish." Those who align with Israel are allowed to be considered "Jewish" and to speak as Jews, while those who do not are expected to remain silent as "non-Jews." We recognize this as a form of anti-Semitism and as complicity in spreading anti-Semitism, as it conflates Jewish identity inseparably with the genocide of Palestinians and fuels hatred against Jews.

We unequivocally stand for our right to freedom of speech, to freely express our democratic and anti-colonial views without being labelled by some as “traitors,” “fake Jews,” or “self-hating Jews,” and by others as “terror supporters,” “Israel-haters,” or simply “anti-Semites.”

Our reference point is based on the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism from March 2021, which provides a timely definition of antisemitism that separates legitimate criticism of the state of Israel from hostility or prejudice against Jews. Both the authors and the 359 signatories are highly reputable academics and experts in the field of anti-Semitism research. The Jerusalem Declaration can offer an alternative to the 2016 working definition of antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The IHRA deliberately conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, serving as a political tool to suppress criticism of Israel and contributing to false accusations of antisemitism.

We support Palestinian demands for justice, self-determination, and the full realization of all national, political, civil and human rights as enshrined in international law.

We understand Judaism as a religion and a culture with rich traditions. We reject Zionism as a form of ethno-nationalism, racism, and colonialism. We recognize Zionism as a nationalist ideology that does not stand for equality among all citizens. From its inception, Zionism was a settler-colonial project, and it remains so to this day. The state of Israel was born out of the expulsion of native populations and the seizure of their land. Its foundation embodied an expansionist drive to make Israel a nation “from the river to the sea” bringing war and chaos to the entire region (Lebanon, Syria, etc.). We reject both so-called “right-wing Zionism” and “left-wing Zionism,” as both rest on the same principles.

Zionist ideology has led Israel to displace people, steal land, deny access to fields and water, build walls, and commit genocide against the Palestinian people. The extremist government of Israel continues its path of colonizing Palestine and maintaining its apartheid system with the support of the USA and the EU. We stand for a solution that guarantees equal rights to all people in the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, regardless of nationality or religion. In accordance with UN Resolution 194, the right of return applies to displaced persons and their descendants and should be upheld.

We assert that it is not antisemitic to point out and oppose the systematic racial discrimination by the state of Israel, that it is not antisemitic to accuse Israel of settler colonialism, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide and that it is not anti-Semitic to call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel as common, non-violent forms of political protest.

We oppose the Austrian Federal Government’s support of Israel and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank, an immediate halt to all arms deliveries to Israel, an end to all cooperation that supports Israel’s apartheid policies, especially in the military, security, and surveillance technology sectors, as well as an immediate termination of the EU Association Agreement. Ultimately, Israel must also be held accountable for its crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide.

We, the undersigned, assert that Israel’s existence does not protect Jews; rather, it is the duty of all states worldwide to create a climate in which racism—including antisemitism—has no ground, and all people can live in safety.

Judaism is not Zionism.

Support the Viennese Jewish Anti-Zionist Declaration!

Supporters of the "Vienna Jewish Anti-Zionist Declaration":

If you also want to support the declaration with your name or organization, contact us – the form is further down!

1. Dalia Sarig, Palestine activist, lived in Israel for a time but returned to Austria due to structural racism

2. Ernst Wolrab, antifascist, Palestine activist, communist, descendant of victims of the Nazi regime

3. Andreas Wimmer, Marxist, founder of "Voices for Neutrality," father of prominent antifascist resistance fighters, lost many family members in the Holocaust

4. Benjamin Fasching-Gray, member of Judeobolschewiener:innen

5. Monika Vykoukal, member of Judeobolschewiener:innen

6. Andrew Feinstein, his mother survived in a coal cellar hidden in Vienna Floridsdorf and later emigrated to South Africa, former ANC Member of Parliament

7. David Sonnenbaum, environmental and community activist

8. Adam Baltner, author, lives in Vienna

9. Ruth Orli Moshkovitz, BDS activist, member of Judeobolschewiener:innen

10. Elisabeth Dokulil, Dr., descendant of Holocaust survivors

11. Gunnar Bernhard, caregiver for people with disabilities, descendant of Nazi persecution victims

12. Samuel Welber, member of Women in Black Vienna, emigrated from Israel

13. Davut Mizrahi, art dealer in Vienna

14. Paul Stern, descendant of Nazi regime victims

15. Franziska Markus, granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and descendant of family members murdered in Auschwitz, member of Austrian Jews for Decolonial Anti-Zionism (OJDA) and Peace Movement West Austria

16. Maya Rinderer, activist with Judeobolschewiener:innen, descendant of Holocaust survivors

17. Mara Zuckerhut, descendant of Holocaust survivors

18. Axel Magnus, trade unionist

19. Claire Chatel, textile artist

20. Eliora Henzler, descendant of Rabbi Rashi (Talmud commentator)

21. Joan Unterweger, Women in Black Vienna, Beacon (NY) Ceasefire Now Coalition

22. Patricia Dicker, retired textile entrepreneur, daughter of opponents of National Socialism

23. Felicitas Schönauer, physician, descendant of Holocaust victims

24. Esther Attar-Machanek, artist

25. Marianne Kohn, descendant of Holocaust survivors, managing director of Loos Bar

26. Nir Adin-Unger, in exile

27. Eva Burian, retired psychologist, descendant of Holocaust victims

28. Ellen Lewis, former teacher at the International School, progressive activist, co-founder of the initiative "Not In Our Name" Vienna

29. Hannah Hetzer, works in drug policy, U.S.-Austrian citizen with Jewish roots, based in New York

30. Rebecca Hetzer, works in the humanitarian aid sector, U.S.-Austrian citizen with Jewish roots, based in Juba, South Sudan

31. Béatrice Orès, daughter of Holocaust survivors, one of whom was imprisoned in Mauthausen

32. Vidal Serfaty, descendant of Abraham Serfaty (socialist & anti-Zionist in Morocco) and Vidal Serfaty (Chief Rabbi of Morocco)

33. Albert Farkas, editor

34. Michael Srba-Deywicz, freelance consultant – political science/law/NGOs, emphasizes that as a Jewish humanist, one must never remain silent when injustice is committed against people – human rights are universal

35. Kurt Winterstein, left songwriter

36. David Zellnik, playwright, perfomrer and teacher, son of a Jew expelled from Austria in 1939

37. Martin Adel, Pensioner, descendant of a family persecuted by the Nazis

Additional signatories:

• Austrian Jews for Decolonial Anti-Zionism (OJDA)

• Peace Movement Austria West

• Jewish Voices for a Just Peace in the Middle East (Germany)