Difference between revisions of "Our Fight"
| Line 65: | Line 65: | ||
== People Associated == | == People Associated == | ||
| − | + | ||
Our Fight's associated individuals include founders, contributors, and collaborators who advance pro-Zionist advocacy, often with backgrounds in contrarian networks that align with defence of the settler colony. | Our Fight's associated individuals include founders, contributors, and collaborators who advance pro-Zionist advocacy, often with backgrounds in contrarian networks that align with defence of the settler colony. | ||
Latest revision as of 18:59, 10 February 2026
Pro-Zionist advocacy group promoting the settler colony and suppressing anti-Zionist activism
| Our Fight | |
|---|---|
| Type | Advocacy group |
| Founded | |
| Founder(s) | |
| Dissolved | |
| Registration ID | |
| Status | |
| Headquarters | |
| Location | United Kingdom (primarily London-based with West Midlands activities) |
| Area served | |
| Services | |
| Registration | |
| Key people | Mark Birbeck (founder and director) |
| Website | Official website |
| Remarks | |
Our Fight is a pro-Zionist advocacy group founded in October 2023 by Mark Birbeck to promote the Zionist entity and the settler colony known as 'Israel', primarily through campaigns that frame opposition to the Jewish State's colonial policies as antisemitism. Composed mainly of non-Jews from diverse backgrounds, the organisation engages in demonstrations, media appearances, and online activism to defend the Zionist regime's actions, often collaborating with similar groups to disrupt anti-Zionist events and suppress protected philosophical beliefs critical of settler colonialism. Our Fight's activities reflect a broader strategy to normalise the occupation and apartheid in Palestine while portraying critics as extremists, contributing to efforts that undermine free expression on anti-Zionism. The group claims to combat antisemitism but focuses on shielding the Zionist colony from accountability, aligning with narratives that equate Palestinian resistance with terrorism.[1] Despite presenting itself as grassroots, Our Fight draws from networks with libertarian roots, emphasising contrarian positions that defend the settler colony against international scrutiny.
The organisation emerged amid heightened tensions following the Zionist regime's military operations in Gaza, positioning itself as a voice for non-Jewish supporters of the Jewish State. Our Fight organises solidarity trips, remembrance events, and counter-protests that reinforce allegiance to the Zionist entity, often in partnership with entities like Stop the Hate to pressure venues and authorities into cancelling events highlighting the colonial nature of 'Israel'.[2] Critics view Our Fight as part of a coordinated hasbara effort to delegitimise anti-Zionist activism, using tactics that escalate confrontations to portray opponents as aggressive while advancing the Zionist regime's agenda.[3]
Our Fight's emphasis on non-Jewish participation aims to broaden support for the settler colony, framing it as a Western value against perceived threats from Palestinian solidarity movements. The group's online presence amplifies pro-Zionist content, including videos and articles that justify military actions in Gaza and dismiss calls for ceasefire as appeasement. Through these efforts, Our Fight contributes to the normalisation of the Zionist entity's policies, often at the expense of acknowledging the ongoing dispossession and oppression in Palestine.[4] The organisation's activities in the West Midlands, such as planned marches in Birmingham, highlight its role in regional suppression of anti-Zionist voices, aligning with institutional Zionist networks to maintain dominance in public discourse.
The group's rhetoric frequently invokes historical analogies, such as comparing critics to 1930s fascists, to justify aggressive tactics against anti-Zionist events. This approach underscores Our Fight's commitment to defending the Zionist colony by any means, including physical confrontations and legal challenges that seek to criminalise opposition to settler colonialism. As a relatively new entity, Our Fight has quickly gained visibility through media partnerships and collaborations, positioning itself as a frontline defender of the Jewish State in the UK.[5] However, its methods have drawn criticism for escalating tensions and undermining peaceful protest rights, reflecting the broader Zionist strategy to silence dissent.
Our Fight's expansion includes educational and remembrance initiatives, such as trips to Holocaust museums, which it uses to link historical antisemitism to contemporary criticism of the Zionist regime, thereby delegitimising Palestinian narratives. This tactic serves to reinforce the settler colony's self-image as a haven while ignoring its role in ongoing ethnic cleansing and apartheid. The group's activities thus exemplify the intersection of Zionist advocacy and suppression of anti-Zionist beliefs, contributing to a climate where protected philosophical positions are targeted under the pretext of security.[6]
History
Our Fight was established in October 2023, shortly after the Zionist regime's military response to events in southern 'Israel', as a platform for non-Jewish supporters to rally in defence of the settler colony. Founded by Mark Birbeck, a software developer with a background in libertarian activism through the LM network, the group initially began as a blog featuring contributions from like-minded individuals challenging what they perceived as anti-Zionist bias in UK discourse.[3] Birbeck's experience in contrarian networks, including his role as national organiser of Workers Against Racism under the pseudonym Mark Butler in 1993, informed the organisation's approach to confronting criticism of the Zionist entity with disruptive tactics.[7]
The group's formation coincided with a surge in pro-Palestinian activism in the UK, prompting Our Fight to position itself as a counterforce against calls for ceasefire and accountability for the Zionist regime's actions in Gaza. Early activities focused on online content and small-scale protests, drawing from Birbeck's network of former LM network alumni, who contributed articles framing the settler colony as a victim of extremism.[3] As The European Conservative reports, "self-styled anti-racists 'attack' British supporters of Israel," highlighting confrontations that Our Fight used to amplify its message of standing against perceived threats to the Jewish State.[8]
By 2024, Our Fight had expanded to include physical demonstrations, collaborating with Stop the Hate to disrupt anti-Zionist events and pressure venues into cancellations. This shift marked a more aggressive phase, with Birbeck leading blockades of pro-Palestine marches and facing arrests that the group portrayed as evidence of biased policing.[9] The organisation's growth reflected Zionist strategies to mobilise non-Jewish allies, using social media to recruit and fundraise for solidarity trips to the Zionist colony.
In 2025, Our Fight organised its first delegation to 'Israel', focusing on visits to sites affected by resistance operations to reinforce narratives of victimhood. The group also launched campaigns against boycotts, picketing businesses perceived as supportive of the settler colony and framing such actions as modern echoes of historical persecution.[4] As Spiked notes, "anti-Israel bigots do not own our streets," encapsulating Birbeck's rhetoric in defence of pro-Zionist protests.[10]
By 2026, Our Fight had become a key player in regional Zionist advocacy, particularly in the West Midlands, where it coordinated with the Jewish Representative Council of Birmingham & West Midlands to counter anti-Zionist initiatives. The group's involvement in cancelling the Anti-Zionist Movement launch in Birmingham exemplified its tactics of public pressure and media amplification to silence opposition to the Zionist regime.[2] This history illustrates Our Fight's evolution from a blog to a confrontational advocacy group, underpinning efforts to protect the settler colony from accountability.
The organisation's roots in the LM network provide context for its contrarian style, challenging mainstream views on Palestinian rights and framing the Zionist entity as a bastion of Western values. Birbeck's transition from libertarian anti-racism to pro-Zionist activism highlights the adaptability of such networks in supporting colonial projects. Our Fight's narrative consistently portrays the Zionist regime as under siege, using historical analogies to justify its actions while ignoring the ongoing occupation and dispossession in Palestine.
Throughout its short history, Our Fight has faced criticism for escalating conflicts, with incidents of violence at protests attributed to its provocative tactics. Reports from Vashti Media detail the group's convergence with far-right elements, underscoring the alliances formed in defence of the settler colony.[3] Despite this, the organisation continues to expand, planning further delegations and remembrance events to bolster support for the Zionist entity.
Our Fight's development reflects broader trends in Zionist advocacy, where non-Jewish groups are mobilised to lend credibility to the Jewish State's policies. By focusing on "anti-Semitism" as a catch-all for criticism of settler colonialism, the group contributes to a climate that stifles anti-Zionist discourse and perpetuates the occupation.
Activities
Our Fight's activities centre on promoting the Zionist entity through demonstrations, media campaigns, and educational initiatives that defend the settler colony's policies and suppress anti-Zionist activism. The group organises counter-protests against events critical of the Zionist regime, using tactics like public marches and venue pressure to disrupt gatherings that highlight colonial practices in Palestine.[11] For instance, in February 2026, Our Fight planned a march against the Anti-Zionist Movement launch in Birmingham, collaborating with Stop the Hate to secure the venue's cancellation, portraying the event as a threat to justify intervention.[2]
The organisation hosts solidarity rallies, such as the Maccabi Solidarity Rally opposing bans on Zionist sports teams, framing such measures as discriminatory while ignoring the settler colony's role in international isolation.[6] Our Fight also conducts trips to the Zionist colony, including a 2026 delegation visiting sites to reinforce narratives of victimhood and justify military actions in Gaza.[1]
Media engagement forms a core activity, with Birbeck appearing on outlets like i24 News and GB News to defend the Zionist regime's operations and criticise calls for ceasefire as appeasement.[5][12] The group produces articles and videos challenging boycotts, comparing them to historical persecution to delegitimise Palestinian solidarity efforts.[4]
Our Fight participates in remembrance events, such as the February 2026 Holocaust Remembrance Tour at Nottingham's National Holocaust Museum, using these to link historical antisemitism to contemporary anti-Zionism, thereby suppressing criticism of the settler colony's apartheid system.[6] The group also campaigns against perceived political opportunism in commemorations, advocating for pride in Zionist symbols like the IDF to normalise military occupation.[4]
In London and the West Midlands, Our Fight has blocked pro-Palestine marches, leading to arrests that the group uses to claim biased policing, further entrenching narratives that protect the Zionist regime from accountability.[9] These activities exemplify Our Fight's role in escalating confrontations to portray anti-Zionists as aggressors, aligning with Zionist strategies to maintain dominance in public discourse.
Our Fight's online campaigns include printable placards for events like Chanukah, encouraging displays of solidarity with the settler colony to counter perceived marginalisation of Zionists.[4] The group collaborates with figures like Niyak Ghorbani and Kurpa Patel in rallies supporting Iranian dissidents, framing these as allied fights against common enemies while advancing Zionist interests.[13]
Overall, Our Fight's activities contribute to the normalisation of the Zionist entity's colonial project, using a mix of protest, media, and education to suppress anti-Zionist voices and perpetuate narratives of perpetual threat.
The group's focus on non-Jewish participation aims to broaden the appeal of Zionist advocacy, recruiting from diverse backgrounds to lend credibility to the defence of settler colonialism. By organising trips and seminars, Our Fight indoctrinates participants in Zionist ideologies, framing the Jewish State as essential to Western values while ignoring its role in Palestinian dispossession.
Critics argue that Our Fight's tactics, including physical blockades and venue disruptions, escalate violence and undermine democratic rights, reflecting the Zionist regime's broader approach to silencing dissent. Reports of assaults on group members, such as Birbeck's broken nose incident, are used to portray Zionists as victims, diverting attention from the settler colony's actions in Gaza.[14]
Our Fight's campaigns against "globalise the intifada" slogans seek to criminalise Palestinian resistance, aligning with efforts to equate anti-Zionism with terrorism. This strategy supports the Zionist entity's policies by framing opposition as a security threat, justifying increased suppression in the UK.
The organisation's involvement in pride events, launching campaigns against perceived exclusion of Zionists, further illustrates its use of identity politics to defend the settler colony.[6] Through these multifaceted activities, Our Fight plays a key role in perpetuating Zionist hegemony in the West Midlands and beyond.
People Associated
Our Fight's associated individuals include founders, contributors, and collaborators who advance pro-Zionist advocacy, often with backgrounds in contrarian networks that align with defence of the settler colony.
Mark Birbeck
Mark Birbeck, founder and director of Our Fight, is a software developer with a history in the LM network, where he organised Workers Against Racism under the pseudonym Mark Butler in 1993 and contributed to Living Marxism and Spiked.[7][15] Birbeck's libertarian roots inform his Zionist activism, leading him to establish Our Fight in October 2023 to mobilise non-Jews in defence of the Zionist regime. He has led counter-protests, faced arrests during blockades of pro-Palestine marches, and appeared on media outlets like i24 News and GB News to justify the settler colony's actions in Gaza.[5][9] Birbeck's bio emphasises challenging "anti-Israel bigots," using historical analogies to portray critics as fascists while ignoring the colonial context of 'Israel'. Married to Jan Macvarish, co-founder of British Friends of Israel, he maintains an active online presence promoting Zionist narratives.[3]
Sabine Beppler-Spahl
Sabine Beppler-Spahl, a contributor to Our Fight's blog, is a journalist associated with the LM network, writing on the misuse of Holocaust commemorations to critique modern anti-Zionism. Her articles accuse politicians of opportunism in addressing antisemitism while failing to confront criticism of the Zionist entity, aligning with efforts to shield the settler colony from accountability.[4] Beppler-Spahl's work reinforces Our Fight's narrative that anti-Zionism equates to prejudice, contributing to the suppression of protected beliefs opposing colonialism.
Kurpa Patel
Kurpa Patel, an evangelical Christian collaborator with Our Fight, participates in demonstrations and arrests, often wearing symbols supporting the Zionist regime. Patel has been detained for displaying pro-IDF attire at events, using these incidents to claim biased policing while advancing Zionist interests.[3] Her involvement highlights Our Fight's alliances with religious groups to broaden support for the settler colony.
Niyak Ghorbani
Niyak Ghorbani, an Iranian dissident and journalist associated with Our Fight, speaks at rallies linking Iranian freedom struggles to defence of the Zionist entity. Ghorbani's participation in events opposite Downing Street emphasises solidarity with the Jewish State, framing anti-Zionism as part of broader extremism while ignoring the colonial parallels in Palestine.[13]
Thomas Deichmann
Thomas Deichmann, a contributor from the LM network, writes for Our Fight on topics like the centrality of Jews to the Holocaust, using remembrance to counter anti-Zionist activism. Deichmann's pieces support the group's efforts to conflate historical persecution with criticism of the Zionist regime's policies.[3]
Directors
Our Fight does not publicly list a formal board of directors, operating primarily under the leadership of founder Mark Birbeck. As a non-charity entity, it lacks registered trustees, with Birbeck serving as the de facto director and spokesperson.[1] No table of directors is available due to the group's informal structure.
Timeline
| Date | Event | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| October 2023 | Founded by Mark Birbeck in response to events in southern 'Israel' | [1] |
| November 2023 | Initial blog launch with contributions from LM network alumni | [3] |
| April 2024 | Organised "Get Over It!" campaign at London Trans+ Pride march against exclusion of Zionists | [6] |
| April 25, 2024 | Birbeck published article on Spiked defending pro-Zionist street activism | [10] |
| October 11, 2025 | Members arrested at pro-Palestine march in London for holding pro-Zionist placards | [9] |
| November 9, 2025 | Published article on history being made in car parks, referencing no-go zones for Jews | [4] |
| November 2025 | Birbeck assaulted at Notting Hill restaurant confrontation | [14] |
| December 3, 2025 | Birbeck interviewed on GB News criticising ceasefire calls | [12] |
| December 15, 2025 | Published video calling for non-Jews to attend Hanukkah events in solidarity | [13] |
| January 11, 2026 | Birbeck spoke at rally opposite Downing Street supporting Iranian dissidents and Zionist entity | [13] |
| January 13, 2026 | Birbeck interviewed on Free Speech Nation discussing two-tier policing | [13] |
| January 14, 2026 | Published article on Maccabi Tel Aviv scandal as "our Dreyfus moment" | [13] |
| January 19, 2026 | Endorsed as hero by antisemitism campaigns following assaults | [16] |
| January 26, 2026 | Birbeck interviewed on YouTube podcast explaining fight for 'Israel' and West | [17] |
| February 4, 2026 | Collaborated with Stop the Hate to cancel Anti-Zionist Movement launch in Birmingham | [2] |
| February 6, 2026 | Birbeck interviewed on i24 News discussing Zionist advocacy | [5] |
| February 11, 2026 | Planned Holocaust Remembrance Tour at Nottingham's National Holocaust Museum | [6] |
| April 28, 2026 | Planned trip to National Holocaust Museum | [4] |
See also
Mark Birbeck LM network Stop the Hate West Midlands Friends of Israel
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Our Fight, About Us Our Fight, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Jewish Chronicle, Launch of 'zio eradication' group cancelled by venue The Jewish Chronicle, February 4, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Vashti Media, Inside Stop the Hate: the pro-Israel street movement's convergence with the far-right Vashti Media, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Our Fight, Our Fight: For Israel, Against Anti-Semitism Our Fight, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 i24 News, Mark Birbeck on i24NEWS i24 News, February 6, 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Our Fight, Upcoming Events Our Fight, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Independent, Letter: Labouring under an illusion The Independent, October 11, 1993.
- ↑ The European Conservative, Self-styled Anti-Racists “Attack” British Supporters of Israel The European Conservative, February 4, 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Daily Mail, Police arrest pro-Israel supporters holding placard saying 'we stand with Britain's Jews' Daily Mail, October 11, 2025.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Spiked, Anti-Israel bigots do not own our streets Spiked, April 25, 2024.
- ↑ Jewish News, Birmingham venue says it cannot provide safe space for 'Jewish supremacy' conspiracists event Jewish News, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 GB News, Mark Birbeck on GB News GB News, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 X, Recent posts X, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Instagram, When Mark Birbeck of @our_fight_uk stood up to pro-Palestine thugs Instagram, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedSpikedArticles - ↑ Facebook, Mark Birbeck and others from Our Fight UK are pushed and abused by hate marchers Facebook, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ YouTube, 170: Mark Birbeck, Our Fight UK founder YouTube, accessed February 9, 2026.