Let me say this as plainly as possible: Jews are not an indigenous people. It is appropriative to make use of this word when referring to our relationship to the land of Israel, and it undermines the difficult work being done to fix the ongoing oppression of indigenous peoples 1/

Obviously there is the caveat that there are indigenous people who ARE Jews, but it is not via their Jewishness. There are also Jews who have worked to fight for the rights of indigenous people, but it is not because they are indigenous via their Jewishness. 2/

Indigeneity does not have a clear definition, which makes it all the more important that we don't muddy the waters by appropriating it. It is clear which groups the word refers to - see "a Question of Identity" below 3/ https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/5session_factsheet1.pdf

There are many fields in which indigeneity is referenced and discussed. There have been many orgs working to unite the struggles of indigenous peoples in order to right the wrongs of the past. Jews, as a people, have not been part of this struggle. 4/

Look at the UNHR work on indigenous peoples over the past 20+ years. You will not see Jews present as an indigenous group at any point. This is not by design or exclusion. It is because, up until now, no Jew would have even suggested it made sense. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/Pages/IndigenousPeoplesIndex.aspx

In short: Don't appropriate the struggle of the most oppressed peoples in our world for political cover. We have our own stories, histories, and relationships with displacement, colonialism and oppression. We don't need to appropriate the suffering of others. 5/