Brady Hirsch
Overview
Brady Hirsch [Nicholas Brady Hirsch] is an activist with IfNotNow (INN) who has shown support for violent protesters and protested the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. He has also opposed the Birthright Jewish heritage tour, participated in an event repurposing Jewish rituals and has taken part in INN workshops.As of June 2019, Hirsch’s LinkedIn page said he was Communications Associate at ACLU of Northern California since 2017. His LinkedIn page also said he graduated from Williams College with a degree in Political Science and Economics in 2016.
Supporting Violent Protesters
On May 24, 2018, Hirsch participated in an event “in solidarity with the Palestinian victims of last week's massacre in Gaza,” titled: “Iftar in the Streets for Gaza.”In a video posted by INN on Facebook from the event, Hirsch accused Israel [00:40:12] of “shooting indiscriminately” at Palestinian protesters in Gaza.
In May 2018, terror group Hamas instigated violent riots on the Israeli-Gaza border. Thousands of rioters attempted to breach Israel’s border fence, declaring their intention to harm Jews across the border under the pretext of “peaceful resistance.”
On May 16, 2018, a Hamas senior official, Salah al-Bardawil, stated that 50 out of 62 protesters killed during the May 14 Gaza border protest were Hamas operatives. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also claimed that three of its members were killed at the same protest.
The event was organized by INN together with MPower Change, co-founded by Linda Sarsour, and American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), which has been accused of providing a platform for anti-Semitism and of connections to Hamas.
At the event, AMP founder Hatem Bazian said [00:00:31]: “MPower, IfNotNow and AMP are coming together to craft a new path for change.” He went on to say [00:07:35]: “we want to celebrate the fact that a new broad coalition is coming together.”
Activists recited [00:13:35] the Mourner's Kaddish prayer for Palestinians who had been killed in the Gaza border protests.
On April 27, 2018, Hirsch participated in an INN protest against The North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), calling on them to “condemn Israeli gun violence against Palestinian protesters in Gaza,” in reference to the Great March of Return Gaza border protests.
On April 13, 2018, Hirsch participated [01:55:18] in an INN protest in San Francisco, in support of the Great March of Return. On March 30, 2018, some 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza approached Israel’s border to take part in “Land Day Protests” or the “Great March of Return.” The March was organized and funded by Hamas as a campaign of violent protests along Israel’s border.
Activists blocked the doors of United States Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office for over two hours, forcing the building to close for the duration of the protest.
The activists also recited [00:05:55] the Mourner’s Kaddish prayer for Palestinians killed during the Great March of Return protests. INN stated: “The demonstrators called on Feinstein to condemn Israeli violence against Palestinian protesters in Gaza” and referred to “The Great March of Return” as “a protest which has not injured or endangered Israeli soldiers or civilians.”
INN Bay Area member Amitai Ben-Abba eulogized [00:34:32] photojournalist Yasser Murtaja. Murtaja was reportedly a Hamas spy who useddrones to film Israeli positions. He was shot on April 6, 2018 as he filmed the 2018 March of Return protest in Gaza.
Most of the Gazans who died between March 30 and April 6, 2018, were identified as terror operatives who were killed while carrying out terrorist attacks, rioting against IDF forces or attempting to breach the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Activists distributed materials about “the Occupation” and the INN Facebook post linked to an INN petition that accused Birthright of “hiding the truth about Israel and the Occupation from us.”
A Seder is a Jewish Passover ritual, that involves telling the story of the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in ancient Egypt and their travels to the Promised Land.
On January 23, 2018, Hirsch appeared in a group photo on Facebook of INN Bay Area activists attending a two-day orientation training session in Berkeley, California.
INN claims to take no position on the BDS movement and that it is “open to any who seek to shift the American Jewish public away from the status quo that upholds the Occupation.” However, INN organizes with pro-BDS, anti-Israel organizations including American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brady-hirsch-905a7574/
At the event, AMP founder Hatem Bazian said [00:00:31]: “MPower, IfNotNow and AMP are coming together to craft a new path for change.” He went on to say [00:07:35]: “we want to celebrate the fact that a new broad coalition is coming together.”
Activists recited [00:13:35] the Mourner's Kaddish prayer for Palestinians who had been killed in the Gaza border protests.
On April 27, 2018, Hirsch participated in an INN protest against The North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), calling on them to “condemn Israeli gun violence against Palestinian protesters in Gaza,” in reference to the Great March of Return Gaza border protests.
Media reports confirmed [00:00:20] the March of Return protesters’ breaches and attempted breaches of Israel’s border fence, some by armed Palestinians. One Hamas leader declared [00:00:30]: “We will take down the border [with Israel] and we will tear out their hearts from their bodies.”
On April 13, 2018, Hirsch participated [01:55:18] in an INN protest in San Francisco, in support of the Great March of Return. On March 30, 2018, some 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza approached Israel’s border to take part in “Land Day Protests” or the “Great March of Return.” The March was organized and funded by Hamas as a campaign of violent protests along Israel’s border.
Activists blocked the doors of United States Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office for over two hours, forcing the building to close for the duration of the protest.
The activists also recited [00:05:55] the Mourner’s Kaddish prayer for Palestinians killed during the Great March of Return protests. INN stated: “The demonstrators called on Feinstein to condemn Israeli violence against Palestinian protesters in Gaza” and referred to “The Great March of Return” as “a protest which has not injured or endangered Israeli soldiers or civilians.”
INN Bay Area member Amitai Ben-Abba eulogized [00:34:32] photojournalist Yasser Murtaja. Murtaja was reportedly a Hamas spy who useddrones to film Israeli positions. He was shot on April 6, 2018 as he filmed the 2018 March of Return protest in Gaza.
Muhammad Abu Amro was also eulogized [00:36:40]. Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades identified Abu Amro as one of their “martyrs” and posted a photo of him armed and in uniform on both their website and on Twitter.
Most of the Gazans who died between March 30 and April 6, 2018, were identified as terror operatives who were killed while carrying out terrorist attacks, rioting against IDF forces or attempting to breach the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Opposing the Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital
On December 8, 2017, Hirsch participated [00:07:13] in an INN Bay Area protest against the U.S. government’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The event’s Facebook description called the recognition “incitement” and said: “We will not wait to see how this plays out before taking a side; we know this is wrong and we take action now.”
Opposing Jewish Heritage Tour
On July 2, 2018, Hirsch and fellow INN Bay Area activists gathered at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), where Jewish students were preparing to go on their Taglit-Birthright trip to Israel.Activists distributed materials about “the Occupation” and the INN Facebook post linked to an INN petition that accused Birthright of “hiding the truth about Israel and the Occupation from us.”
Repurposing Jewish Rituals
On April 7, 2018, Hirsch participated in INN Bay Area’s “wandering Seder” in which activists used different items from the Passover Seder plate to tell [00:00:14] the story of Passover and “to condemn the brutality toward Gazans.” INN Bay Area member Amitai Ben-Abba read the names of Palestinians who had been killed and said [00:00:11] “may their names be carved into our Hagaddah.”A Seder is a Jewish Passover ritual, that involves telling the story of the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in ancient Egypt and their travels to the Promised Land.
INN Workshops
On May 22, 2018, Hirsch co-hosted an INN event titled: “IfNotNow Story Workshop: Growing UP.”On January 23, 2018, Hirsch appeared in a group photo on Facebook of INN Bay Area activists attending a two-day orientation training session in Berkeley, California.
IfNotNow (INN)
IfNotNow (INN) is an anti-Israel organization founded in 2014, in response to Israel’s Operation Protective Edge (OPE) against Hamas.
INN claims to be “young Jews angered by the overwhelmingly hawkish response of American Jewish institutions” to OPE. INN presents three demands on its website: “Stop the War on Gaza, End the Occupation, and Freedom and Dignity for All.”
INN defines “the Occupation as the military rule over Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza,” which is land Israel has controlled for nearly 50 years since the 1967 Six-Day War. However, INN leaders have made [00:34:32] the claim [00:13:49] at protests that the occupation is 70 years long, referring to Israel’s founding in 1948.
INN actions have aimed to demonize [00:38:13] Israel, harass [00:05:44] mainstream American Jewish organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and decrease support for Israel among American Jews.
INN has used “public action and imaginative ritual” to achieve its goals, including disruptions where activists were arrested.
One of the high-profile arrests occurred at a May 2018 disruption at a U.S. Senator’s office in Washington, D.C. to protest legislation against the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
At the same incident, INN used [00:07:17] the Jewish ritual of the Mourner’s Kaddish prayer to mourn [00:09:10] protesters who were killed during the Hamas-organized and funded Great March of Return riots on the Israel-Gaza border.
INN activists have also staged and promoted walk-offs from Birthright Israel trips, a heritage trip to Israel for young Jewish adults from across the world.
INN claims to be “young Jews angered by the overwhelmingly hawkish response of American Jewish institutions” to OPE. INN presents three demands on its website: “Stop the War on Gaza, End the Occupation, and Freedom and Dignity for All.”
INN defines “the Occupation as the military rule over Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza,” which is land Israel has controlled for nearly 50 years since the 1967 Six-Day War. However, INN leaders have made [00:34:32] the claim [00:13:49] at protests that the occupation is 70 years long, referring to Israel’s founding in 1948.
INN actions have aimed to demonize [00:38:13] Israel, harass [00:05:44] mainstream American Jewish organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and decrease support for Israel among American Jews.
INN has used “public action and imaginative ritual” to achieve its goals, including disruptions where activists were arrested.
One of the high-profile arrests occurred at a May 2018 disruption at a U.S. Senator’s office in Washington, D.C. to protest legislation against the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
At the same incident, INN used [00:07:17] the Jewish ritual of the Mourner’s Kaddish prayer to mourn [00:09:10] protesters who were killed during the Hamas-organized and funded Great March of Return riots on the Israel-Gaza border.
INN activists have also staged and promoted walk-offs from Birthright Israel trips, a heritage trip to Israel for young Jewish adults from across the world.
INN claims to take no position on the BDS movement and that it is “open to any who seek to shift the American Jewish public away from the status quo that upholds the Occupation.” However, INN organizes with pro-BDS, anti-Israel organizations including American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).
Social Media and Weblinks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/586830738LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brady-hirsch-905a7574/
