Young Jews Walk Out of Birthright Trip to See the Reality of Occupied Palestine Firsthand
Zaid
Jilani, The Intercept, June 29 2018
For
decades, Birthright Israel has offered free trips to Israel for young Jews
around the world.
decades, Birthright Israel has offered free trips to Israel for young Jews
around the world.
 |
| Five Birthright participants on Breaking the Silence tour of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, after the walkout of their Birthright trip. Photo: Sophie Lasoff |
The
purpose is to grow the bond between the global Jewish population and the state
of Israel. But while the trips help connect young Jews with Jewish heritage and
culture in Israel, what they don’t do is expose them to the realities of the
Israeli occupation of the Palestinians — the people displaced by the creation
of Israel and currently living in refugee camps and behind military
checkpoints.
This is
no surprise, as the program is partly sponsored by philanthropists associated
with the Jewish and Israeli right — casino magnate and GOP donor Sheldon
Adelson pledged $70
million toward it this year.
no surprise, as the program is partly sponsored by philanthropists associated
with the Jewish and Israeli right — casino magnate and GOP donor Sheldon
Adelson pledged $70
million toward it this year.
On June
28, five program participants on the 10th and final day of their Birthright
trip decided to take a stand. They walked off their bus and met up with the
group Breaking the Silence, an anti-occupation group run by former Israeli soldiers.
From there, they went to occupied Hebron, where they met Palestinians living
under occupation.
28, five program participants on the 10th and final day of their Birthright
trip decided to take a stand. They walked off their bus and met up with the
group Breaking the Silence, an anti-occupation group run by former Israeli soldiers.
From there, they went to occupied Hebron, where they met Palestinians living
under occupation.
Before
they walked off the bus, they read a statement to fellow participants.
they walked off the bus, they read a statement to fellow participants.
“We each
came on this trip separately with hope that — especially in light of the recent
killings of more than a 100 protesters in Gaza and Trump moving the U.S.
embassy to Jerusalem — Birthright would trust its participants enough to give
us an honest education,” they said. “We came with questions about what’s
happening in the occupied territories and wanted to engage with new
perspectives, but what became clear over the course of 10 days was that
Birthright did not want to truthfully engage with our questions. It’s clear
that young Jews who have critical questions about Israel are not welcome on
Birthright. It’s shocking that given all the recent violence Birthright would
continue to act as if we can’t handle the truth.”
came on this trip separately with hope that — especially in light of the recent
killings of more than a 100 protesters in Gaza and Trump moving the U.S.
embassy to Jerusalem — Birthright would trust its participants enough to give
us an honest education,” they said. “We came with questions about what’s
happening in the occupied territories and wanted to engage with new
perspectives, but what became clear over the course of 10 days was that
Birthright did not want to truthfully engage with our questions. It’s clear
that young Jews who have critical questions about Israel are not welcome on
Birthright. It’s shocking that given all the recent violence Birthright would
continue to act as if we can’t handle the truth.”
In the
mid-2000s, as Israel was building its separation wall through occupied
territory, Birthright faced a similar issue, with trip participants walking off
and joining protests against the construction of the barrier.
mid-2000s, as Israel was building its separation wall through occupied
territory, Birthright faced a similar issue, with trip participants walking off
and joining protests against the construction of the barrier.
Katie
Fenster, 25, was one of the participants who walked off of the bus this time.
Going on Birthright was important to her as means of connecting to a larger
Jewish community.
Fenster, 25, was one of the participants who walked off of the bus this time.
Going on Birthright was important to her as means of connecting to a larger
Jewish community.
She had
just moved from Philadelphia to the town of Brookings, South Dakota. “I’m the
fifth Jew in the town I moved into, I’m number five!” she told The Intercept,
laughing. “I came on the Birthright trip because Birthright’s just so huge in
the Jewish community, and it’s so huge in the education of the Jewish
community.”
just moved from Philadelphia to the town of Brookings, South Dakota. “I’m the
fifth Jew in the town I moved into, I’m number five!” she told The Intercept,
laughing. “I came on the Birthright trip because Birthright’s just so huge in
the Jewish community, and it’s so huge in the education of the Jewish
community.”
During
her time in Philadelphia, she had met activists from IfNotNow, a movement led
by young Jews who organize to end the American Jewish community’s support for
the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. She began to question
Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians, and was hoping the Birthright trip
would also be an opportunity to meet Palestinians and explore the dynamics that
sustain the occupation.
her time in Philadelphia, she had met activists from IfNotNow, a movement led
by young Jews who organize to end the American Jewish community’s support for
the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. She began to question
Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians, and was hoping the Birthright trip
would also be an opportunity to meet Palestinians and explore the dynamics that
sustain the occupation.
“I really
wanted to learn more and try to reconcile my feelings between knowing that
Judaism is about social justice and seeing all the violence that is happening
in Gaza,” she explained.
wanted to learn more and try to reconcile my feelings between knowing that
Judaism is about social justice and seeing all the violence that is happening
in Gaza,” she explained.
But
whenever she and a small group of other participants asked the Birthright tour
leaders about the occupation, they would be evasive. At one point, they
traveled to a beach in the West Bank, and they started asking
questions about the occupation nearby. “We were told, ‘No, that’s not part of
the program,’” she said.
whenever she and a small group of other participants asked the Birthright tour
leaders about the occupation, they would be evasive. At one point, they
traveled to a beach in the West Bank, and they started asking
questions about the occupation nearby. “We were told, ‘No, that’s not part of
the program,’” she said.
IfNotNow
has launched a formal campaign — called “Not Just a Free Trip” — to
encourage Birthright participants to pressure the organization to educate young
Jews about the occupation. “[Birthright] brings 40,000 Jews every summer
to Israel on its trip. It has a responsibility to be honest about what’s going
on in the region, and we’re saying that … as young Jews, we are going to demand
that they tell the truth, and we can handle the truth, and we need to know that
complexity,” spokesperson Sarah Brammer-Shlay told The Intercept.
has launched a formal campaign — called “Not Just a Free Trip” — to
encourage Birthright participants to pressure the organization to educate young
Jews about the occupation. “[Birthright] brings 40,000 Jews every summer
to Israel on its trip. It has a responsibility to be honest about what’s going
on in the region, and we’re saying that … as young Jews, we are going to demand
that they tell the truth, and we can handle the truth, and we need to know that
complexity,” spokesperson Sarah Brammer-Shlay told The Intercept.
Fenster
also noted that while the trip advertises itself as apolitical, participants
were handed a map of Israel that does not demarcate the occupied territories —
a message that Israel owns all of the land and that the Palestinians are not to
be recognized.
also noted that while the trip advertises itself as apolitical, participants
were handed a map of Israel that does not demarcate the occupied territories —
a message that Israel owns all of the land and that the Palestinians are not to
be recognized.
Toward
the end of the trip, the five participants contacted Breaking the Silence and
decided to make a statement by walking off the bus and meeting Hebron’s
Palestinian residents instead.
the end of the trip, the five participants contacted Breaking the Silence and
decided to make a statement by walking off the bus and meeting Hebron’s
Palestinian residents instead.
“We
needed to really make a statement that probably the greatest educator of Jews
in the diaspora is actively ignoring talking about the occupation. That’s
unacceptable. The occupation is polluting the soul of Judaism. Judaism is about
social justice,” Fenster said.
needed to really make a statement that probably the greatest educator of Jews
in the diaspora is actively ignoring talking about the occupation. That’s
unacceptable. The occupation is polluting the soul of Judaism. Judaism is about
social justice,” Fenster said.
Fenster
was taken aback by the acerbic reaction from many of the participants who did
not join them. “This is going to go to the heads of Birthright Israel,” the
tour guide can be seen telling them in the video. Another participant told them
they would be killed or raped if they ventured into the West Bank.
was taken aback by the acerbic reaction from many of the participants who did
not join them. “This is going to go to the heads of Birthright Israel,” the
tour guide can be seen telling them in the video. Another participant told them
they would be killed or raped if they ventured into the West Bank.
“We
really value the relationships we made on the trip, with the tour guide, with
our fellow participants. It’s a sacrifice for us to end it this way without a
proper goodbye. Some people were so actively against it … and a lot of people
thought it just wasn’t the time and the place,” Fenster told us.
really value the relationships we made on the trip, with the tour guide, with
our fellow participants. It’s a sacrifice for us to end it this way without a
proper goodbye. Some people were so actively against it … and a lot of people
thought it just wasn’t the time and the place,” Fenster told us.
When they
arrived in Hebron, Fenster was shocked by what they found there. “It’s like a
ghost town. We walked down a street, and we saw a photo of what the street
looked like in 1994 — it was a bustling spice market, and it was profoundly sad
to see what has been lost because of this violence,” she reflected.
arrived in Hebron, Fenster was shocked by what they found there. “It’s like a
ghost town. We walked down a street, and we saw a photo of what the street
looked like in 1994 — it was a bustling spice market, and it was profoundly sad
to see what has been lost because of this violence,” she reflected.
Over the
summer, IfNotNow plans to continue a campaign it started in the winter aimed at
reaching Birthright participants. “We’re going to be at airports, handing out
materials for people going on Birthright, saying, ‘Hey, we know you’re going on
this trip, and we hope that it includes talking about the occupation, and if it
doesn’t, here’s ways to ask those questions, and here’s ways to get the
learning that you deserve,” Brammer-Shlay told The Intercept.
summer, IfNotNow plans to continue a campaign it started in the winter aimed at
reaching Birthright participants. “We’re going to be at airports, handing out
materials for people going on Birthright, saying, ‘Hey, we know you’re going on
this trip, and we hope that it includes talking about the occupation, and if it
doesn’t, here’s ways to ask those questions, and here’s ways to get the
learning that you deserve,” Brammer-Shlay told The Intercept.
Fenster
had no ill will toward Birthright or the participants who did not join them in
the walkout. But she wanted the program to engage with the reality of what is
happening to the Palestinians. “It’s their responsibility to honestly educate
us about the occupation. And we really want Birthright to engage in this and to
not hide what is happening,” she said.
had no ill will toward Birthright or the participants who did not join them in
the walkout. But she wanted the program to engage with the reality of what is
happening to the Palestinians. “It’s their responsibility to honestly educate
us about the occupation. And we really want Birthright to engage in this and to
not hide what is happening,” she said.
“Since we
respect the ability of our participants to formulate their own views, we reject
the promotion of any agendas, attempts at manipulation or provocations from
either political side,” Birthright told
the Times of Israel in a statement.
respect the ability of our participants to formulate their own views, we reject
the promotion of any agendas, attempts at manipulation or provocations from
either political side,” Birthright told
the Times of Israel in a statement.
