Young American Jews Offer Counter-Narrative to Pro-Israel Line

FEATURING ELON GLICKMAN – A spirited protest on Friday in front of the New York City entrance to Birthright Israel resulted in 15 arrests. The group IfNotNow organized the protests led by young American Jews who are offering a counter-narrative to the rightwing American support of Israeli’s anti-Palestinian policies. Birthright Israel offers yearly all-expenses-paid trips to Israel from the US, which critics of Israel see as fulfilling a purely propaganda role.

Meanwhile on Saturday President Trump addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas where members of the same group interrupted him with chants of “occupation is a plague.”

The protests come as Israel is readying itself for an election on Tuesday. Hardline rightwing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who enjoys strong support from Trump, has promised to annex the West Bank if he wins reelection.

Elon Glickman, active member of If Not Now, a Los Angeles born Jewish American who participated in the free Birthright trip to Israel where he was one of several people who walked off the trip in protest of Israeli oppression of Palestinians last year.