Israel’s war crimes and crimes against humanity could not have been carried out or sustained “without the active and enthusiastic support of Western powers”
A meeting of over 1,000 anti-Zionist Jews and non-Jews in Vienna has called on all states and societies to fulfill their obligations under the Convention of the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and take all necessary measures to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza, including sanctions.
“Sanctions must include the suspension of Israel from the United Nations General Assembly, as was done in 1974 with South Africa for its practice of apartheid. Clearly, Israel’s crimes are even more horrific,” the Jewish Anti-Zionist Congress declared.
The Anti-Zionist Congress: A New Era for Jewish-Palestinian Solidarity
The first event of its kind in Europe, the congress was held from June 13 to 15 and included presentations and workshops.
“As anti-Zionist Jews and allies, we stand together with all Palestinians—in Palestine and in exile—against Zionism and its crimes, including genocide, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and occupation, the declaration stated.
It affirmed “the right of people under occupation to resist by any means,” as is recognized by several UN provisions.
‘All War Crimes’
“We condemn without qualification all war crimes committed by Israel since October 7, 2023, including ethnic cleansing, militarised apartheid, urbicide, scholasticide, medicide, mass starvation as an instrument of forced expulsion of more than two million Gazans, as well as an extant genocide of hundreds of thousands—one of the worst war crimes of our time,” the Congress declared.
It pointed out that these acts “have already been recognised” as such by the ICC and ICJ, though Israel has rejected the demands of both courts.
Economy of Genocide: UN Report Links Western Firms to Israeli War Crimes
Israel has also rejected numerous calls from both the UN General Assembly and Security Council in the same manner, it stated.
As a result, roughly two million civilians “are now incarcerated in a tiny area of the Gaza Strip,” without access to food, water, medicine, shelter, or medical care.
“These new crimes are but the latest additions to an impossibly long history of similar offences dating back to 1948,” the declaration stated.
‘Repeated Violations’ of UN Resolutions
Despite “repeated violations” of UNGA and UNSC resolutions, as well as extensive reports by UN Special Rapporteurs, “no sanctions have ever been imposed on Israel,” it emphasized.
The declaration pointed out that none of these war crimes and crimes against humanity could have been carried out or sustained “without the active and enthusiastic support of Western powers—through military aid, financial backing, and political and diplomatic cover—led by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.”
It highlighted that by “enabling and arming a criminal state committing genocide,” these governments share legal and moral responsibility under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
In a call to Jews worldwide, the declaration emphasized that “It is vital that Jews of conscience everywhere unite in opposing Zionism, in collaboration and solidarity with the global movement for Palestinian liberation.”
The Congress pointed out that while the UN has deployed international forces for decades “to separate combatants” between Israel and Egypt, and Israel and Lebanon, it has never established a protection force” to protect Palestinian lives from systemic oppression and terror by the Israeli state.”
“We concur that the time has come to enact such a humanitarian measure. Without it, Israel will continue its mass murder of Palestinians,” the declaration stated.
EU-Israel Association Agreement
The Congress also demanded that the European Union “abide by its own laws and adhere to Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which obligates it to cease business ties with Israel and end its associate membership status in EU-funded programmes.”
EU foreign ministers met on Monday and Tuesday to discuss growing concerns over Israel’s attacks in Gaza, amid mounting civilian casualties and international calls for accountability. However, member states were unable to reach a consensus, resulting in no formal decision to suspend the agreement or impose sanctions.
Albanese Slams EU for ‘Consciously Supporting Israel’s Genocide’
The declaration further called on all international societies, associations and organisations to expel Israel from membership until it complies with all UN and UNGA resolutions, ends its ongoing genocide in Gaza, and removes its military forces from all territories acquired by force in 1948 and 1967, as well as from all Syrian and Lebanese territories occupied since 1967.
“Israel must immediately and completely withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip, lift the blockade that has been in place since 2006, and allow unrestricted access for all aid agencies to operate freely,” it stated.
BDS, Nuclear Threat
The declaration urged all states, institutions, and civil society organisations to implement and uphold the demands of the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) National Committee.
This, it stated, includes severing all financial, academic, military, cultural, and diplomatic ties with Israel until it meets the outlined conditions as well as fulfilling the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.
On Boycott, Divesment and Sanctions and the Decolonization of the Palestinian Mind
The meeting also called on the UN to impose “immediate and comprehensive” sanctions in response to Israel’s “unprovoked and illegal” attacks on Iran “and the mass killing of civilians.
“These sanctions must also extend to the Western governments that aid and abet—through military and political support—in Israel’s ongoing international crimes,” it emphasized.
Israel’s nuclear weapons, the declaration noted, “illegal as they are —must be decommissioned through a transparent process, supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency.”
Call to Jews Globally
Calling on Jews worldwide “to rise against the Zionist state,” participants “categorically” rejected the claim that Israel acts in the name of Jews, “or that its criminal activity is supported by all Jews.”
They called on Jews “to deny it legitimacy and demand an immediate end to its criminal and depraved actions.”
“Israel and Zionism act illegally and immorally while insisting that they do so in the name of Jews—thereby placing all Jews everywhere in harm’s way. This insistence that Jews inherently support Zionism and the abhorrent Zionist state—that is real antisemitism,” the declaration stated.
🚨 Basel 1897 – Vienna 2025: 128 years after the first Zionist congress took place in Basel, Switzerland – the world’s first Anti-Zionist congress takes place in Vienna, Austria 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/c7jUzCKxtI
— Mahmood OD | محمود عودة (@MahmoodAudah) July 15, 2025
It also called upon Israeli Jews “to reconsider their allegiance to a regime which has denied Palestinian rights for over eight decades.”
“Honouring the Jewish historical legacy and the principles of Judaism itself, we urge Jews of conscience all around the world to stand shoulder to shoulder with Palestinians in rejecting the racist ideology of Zionism and its inherent supremacy,” the declaration stated.
Varied Support
The Congress expressed commitment to expand its European roots to include anti-Zionist voices from around the world, including the global South. A second congress has been planned for 2026.
On ‘Moral Panic’ and the Courage to Speak: The West’s Silence on Gaza
Among those who signed the declaration were renowned historians and activists such as Professor Ilan Pappe, Israeli historian and author; Gharda Karmi, Palestinian physician and academic; Roger Waters, musician and Pink Floyd co-founder; Roshan Dadoo, human rights activist and BDS South Africa coordinator, as well as Ramzy Baroud, the Palestine Chronicled Editor and author.
Read the full declaration here.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
