Jewish Voice for Peace, the anti-Zionist organization which has spearheaded protests against Israel on university campuses across the United States, has seen donations triple since the Hamas attack on October 7th and the outbreak of the Gaza war. According to figures published in Shomrim, the organization received donations totaling $11 million in 2024, compared to around $3.3 million the year before.

The spike in donations to JVP, and to other pro-Palestinian organizations, could be another indication of the attitude toward Israel among certain populations in the United States. At the same time, there has also been a sharp rise in donations to Jewish groups which raise money for Israeli causes.

The sharp rise in donations to JVP – all of which are tax-deductible – is especially interesting since the group has positioned itself on the front lines of the battle against Israel, especially on university campuses in the aftermath of October 7th. JVP says that it is an organization based on “Jewish values and tradition,” and is freely uses slogans associated with the Holocaust in its campaigns against Israel.

Since JVP identifies as a Jewish organization, its messaging has often been amplified by other groups that have no connection to Judaism. It accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and its slogans – such as ‘Never again – for anyone’ and ‘Stop the Palestinian Genocide” – appear regularly on its publications and at protests it organizes. Many of these demonstrations are organized in conjunction with IfNotNow, a different US-based ngo, which is yet to publish its financial reports for 2024.

In November 2023, a little over four weeks after the Hamas attack, Shomrim’s Shuki Sadeh published a report in which he described how JVP had barely a word of criticism or condemnation for the massacre. According to various media reports, one slogan often chanted at JVP rallies is “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which is interpreted as a call for the dismantling of the State of Israel as an independent state.

Prof. Shi Davidai, an Israeli American assistant professor at Columbia University’s business school, told Sadeh that he often sees JVP activists participating in demonstrations organized by Students for Justice in Palestine. “On the one hand, they’re Jewish, but they participate in pro-Hamas rallies,” Davidai said at the time. “Even if that’s not exactly how they see the situation, they participate in demonstrations organized by SJP. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if you’re holding a swastika in your own hands or whether the people standing next to you are Palestinian Children holding one,” he added metaphorically. “It’s the same thing.”

Those donations which can be traced come from foundations which report annually on donations. An analysis by Shomrim reveals that JVP has, since the outbreak of the war, received donations from a wide variety of sources, including several foundations that are headed by Jewish Americans and which have also donated money to other, less controversial Israeli causes, such as Hadassah Hospital.

From $10 million a year to more than $90 million

JVP is not the only pro-Palestinian organization in the United States which has enjoyed a spike in donations since October 7th. The Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, for example, saw donations increase ninefold, from around $10 million in 2023 to more than $90 million last year. UNRWA United States, which supports the work of the United Nations organization for Palestinian refugees, raised $32 million after the outbreak of the war, compared to less than $5.5 million in 2023.

Another example is the Palestinian American Medical Association, which sends medical aid to Palestinian physicians. After October 7, the organization raised $12.5 million, compared to less than $2 million the year before. The United Palestinian Appeal, which assists Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, has also seen donations shoot up. The year before the war, it raised $83 million; following the outbreak of the conflict, it raised around $108 million in 2023.

At the same time, donations to pro-Israel organizations in the United States have also risen significantly since the outbreak of the war. According to reports from the United Israel Appeal, which channels funds to Israel through the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization raised $308 million in its emergency campaign launched in October 2023. This is in addition to the $144 million it secured for ongoing support for Israel, matching the amount raised in the year before the war. Donations to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) also saw a sharp increase, jumping from $87 million in 2023 to $280 million last year.