Jewish Call for Palestinian Rights is a Jewish led non-profit organization, founded in France in June 2025. Its goal is to strengthen and promote Jewish and Israeli voices for human rights. It promotes those Jewish and Israeli voices which express solidarity with the Palestinians and in favor of their rights, promoting a positive vision of peace and equal rights in Israel-Palestine for both Palestinians and Israelis. It fights all forms of racism and racial discrimination.
Registered at the EU Transparency Register, registration number 784223899689-92.
Why a Jewish call for Palestinian Rights?
The State of Israel is using Judaism – Jewish history, culture, identity and symbols – to defend itself from criticism and accountability about its violations of human rights. Israel’s instrumentalization of the fight against anti-Jewish racism (or antisemitism), notably through misuse of the non-binding definition of antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), attempts to silence defense of Palestinian rights and creates a chilling effect on civil society. In this context, a specifically Jewish voice is crucial to enable advocacy for Palestinian rights, freedom of expression on the issue of Israel-Palestine, opposition to Israel’s human rights violations and political demands for accountability and justice.
As a Jewish led organization for Palestinian rights, Jewish Call has a key strategic role to play at different political levels – local, national, European and global. Jewish Call is focused on research and advocacy, as well as enabling a Jewish safe space.
Research
Jewish Call for Palestinian Rights conducts and publishes original policy-oriented research on relevant topics in line with its aims. Research is produced in various forms: in-depth reports, policy briefings, fact sheets, surveys, etc. The research findings are disseminated among relevant decision-makers as an important part of the organization’s advocacy strategy.
Advocacy
Jewish Call for Palestinian Rights engages directly with decision-makers to disseminate its research findings and to promote their recommendations by the following means: conducting study visits and fact-finding missions for policymakers in Israel-Palestine ; meetings; participation in panels, conferences, round tables, etc.
A Jewish safe space
Jewish Call for Palestinian Rights coordinates and facilitates inclusive gatherings on Judaism and Jewish culture, such as Shabbat dinners and celebrations of Jewish holidays, thereby fostering Jewish life in line with its values, together with allies and partners, both Jewish and non-Jews.
People
Staff
Dr. Yoav Shemer-Kunz is the Jewish Call’s director. He is the co-founder of European Jews for Palestine (EJP), an expert on Israel-Palestine and on the European Union. He is a political scientist, affiliated to the faculty at Syracuse University – Strasbourg Center, where he teaches European human rights. His academic publications address Israel’s de-facto annexation of the West Bank, EU policies towards Israel-Palestine and EU political system. Shemer-Kunz was born and raised in Jerusalem.
Board
Ruth Goodwin is chair of Jewish Call’s board. She is a former civil servant at the Council of Europe where she worked in the field of democratic education and has many years of engagement in civil society organizations active for Palestinian rights in Strasbourg. She was born and raised in the UK.
Dr. John Goodman is the secretary of Jewish Call’s board. Dr. Goodman is the Director of Syracuse University study abroad center in Strasbourg. He is a Former associate director of the Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution Program. Goodman grew up in Alabama, United States.
Dr. Eran Shuali is the treasurer of Jewish Call’s board. Dr. Shuali is a researcher on biblical philology and Jewish-Christian relations and is an assistant professor at the faculty of protestant theology at the University of Strasbourg. Born and raised in Israel.
Funding
Jewish Call for Palestinian Rights is currently financially supported with a private seed funding donation and volunteers who share its goals and values.
Projects
EU anti-racism strategy (2026-2030)
Participation in shaping the new European Commission’s anti-racism strategy (2026-2030)
on including antisemitism as part of a comprehensive strategy against all forms of racism.
Aida Refugee camp, West Bank
Jewish Call for Palestinian rights is looking into coordinating an exchange project / human rights traineeship between the City of Strasbourg and the Palestinian refugee camp of Aida, in the vicinity of Bethlehem, West Bank.
Publications
Op-eds – EU-observer
Reports
Briefings
Contact
Dr. Yoav Shemer-Kunz with Aida Touma-Suleiman, Member of the Knesset, Brussels