Reexamining Power and Resistance: Critical Theory and the ‘Not in Our Name’ Movement Amid the Israeli War on Gaza

This article examines the Not in Our Name (NION) movement through the integrated lenses of Critical Theory and Resistance Studies, focusing on how Jewish activists in the United States challenge dominant Zionist narratives and reframe Jewish identity through ethical dissent, historical trauma, and nonviolent resistance. Drawing on public discourse, protest materials, and digital media, the study examines how NION utilizes trauma-informed and relational activism to craft counter-hegemonic narratives that challenge the dominant ideological narratives of structural violence promoted by pro-Israel Zionist voices. Positioned within the context of the latest Israeli war on Gaza, the NION movement interrogates prevailing assumptions that conflate Jewish identity with unconditional support for Israeli state policies. By invoking Holocaust memory, NION critiques state violence and advocates for a justice-oriented Jewish identity rooted in universal human rights. This article demonstrates how collective trauma becomes a catalyst for cultural and political identity reconstruction, enabling marginalized voices within the Jewish community to contest dominant power structures. Ultimately, this article contributes to scholarship on resistance by illustrating how memory, identity, and activism intersect to foster long-term emancipatory change.