Brian Flescher
Overview
Brian Flescher has expressed support for a terrorist and anti-Israel agitators as an activist with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). He has supported the “March of Return” protests organized by Hamas, demonized Israel and opposed the United States embassy move to Jerusalem.He is also an activist with IfNotNow (INN) and a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Flescher has promoted and attended anti-Israel demonstrations in New York, including events co-organized by Al-Awda — the Palestinian Right to Return Coalition.
In 2018, Flescher was affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)
In 2018, Flescher was also affiliated with Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.
As of August 2018, Flescher’s Instagram bio said he was a “Member of JewishVoiceForPeace + IfNotNow,” and a “Traveling✈️ percussionist/timpanist.” As of the same date, Flescher’s Facebook page said he was a “Former Extra Percussion” at the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 2016.
Supporting a Terrorist and Anti-Israel Agitators
On January 21, 2018, Flescher wrote on Instagram: “I marched with the #FreeAhed contingent at #womensmarchnyc yesterday ✊ ☮️ #JewishVoiceForPeace #samidoun #adalah #freetamimiwomen #FreedomAndDignity4All #FreePalestine 🇵🇸 @jewishvoiceforpeace.” The post featured a photo of Flescher with JVP activists holding signs supporting Khalida Jarrar and Ahed Tamimi.Khalida Jarrar is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization. She has reportedly been the head of the PFLP in the West Bank since 2016. In 2015, an Israeli military court sentenced Jarrar to 15 months in prison for calling to kidnap Israeli soldiers. Israel arrested Jarrar again in 2017 “on suspicion of involvement with terrorist activities and violent public disturbances.” In 2019, she was arrested by Israel with 50 other PFLP operatives following a deadly 2018 bombing attack.
The hashtag #freetamimiwomen is associated with Ahed Tamimi and her mother, Nariman.
Ahed Tamimi was detained after she was filmed punching and kicking Israeli soldiers. She has a long history of physically attacking Israeli soldiers.
Ahed Tamimi has a long history of physically attacking Israeli soldiers. Tamimi is the daughter of Bassem Tamimi, who is known for exploiting young children as political props in staged confrontations with Israeli soldiers.
Nariman Tamimi is a prolific promoter of terror. In 2015, she shared a Facebook post during the “Knife Intifada”providing graphic instructions on where to aim a knife to kill an Israeli.
In October 2015, there was an upsurge in violence across Israel incited by Palestinian political and religious leaders. The wave of stabbings, known as the “Knife Intifada,” was characterized by young Palestinians throughout the country stabbing and attempting to stab Israeli civilians.
In 2016, Nariman shared her approval of a teenage Palestinian terrorist who broke into the home of 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel and killed her in her bed.
Nariman Tamimi has, for years, groomed children as props in violent anti-Israel demonstrations, including her daughter Ahed.
On February 13, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Interesting how Ahed specifically asked for the trial to be public and then the judge denied her request on the premise that it was for her own good. #kangaroocourt #FredAhed.”
On February 9, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “#FreeAhed.”
On December 27, 2017, Flescher tweeted: “We will build this world with love
Support for March of Return
On May 24, 2018, during the Hamas-organized “March of Return” protests, Flescher tweeted: “En route. Getting v positive feedback in my neighborhood (crown heights) ‘Schumer needs to be voted out!!” @IfNotNowOrg.’”The tweet featured a photo of a coffin that INN NYC activists delivered to the office of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer.
On May 18, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “...I went 2 @chuckschumer 's nyc office today 2 drop off coffins commemorating the dead of gaza 's #GreatReturnMarch We will not let your silence make these people's lives invisible to the public & we will be back with more until you speak out @IfNotNowOrg
Flescher’s tweet linked to a Facebook livestream of INN NYC activists outside Chuck Schumer's office demanding “that Schumer speak up and condemn the brutal killing of Palestinian protesters in Gaza.”
In May 2018, violent riots, instigated by Hamas on the Israeli-Gaza border, saw thousands of rioters attempting numerous breaches of Israel’s border fence, with participants declaring their intention to harm Jews across the border.
Media reports confirmed [00:00:20] the March of Return protesters’ breaches and attempted breaches of Israel’s border fence, some by armed Palestinians. On May 15, 2018 senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahhar said explicitly that Gaza protests were only a pretext of “peaceful resistance.”
On May 16, 2018, a Hamas senior official stated that 50 out of 62 protesters killed during a May 14 protest were Hamas operatives. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also claimed that three of its members were killed at the same protest. On May 15, 2018 senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahhar said explicitly that Gaza protests were only a pretext of “peaceful resistance.”
On April 26, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “You know what’s more dangerous than terrorists? A well funded military who routinely murders non-violent protestors with impunity #standupforgaza #GreatMarchOfReturn.”
On April 10, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “#HowManyMore dead palestinians will it take for @chuckschumer to condemn Israel's continued massacre of palestinians in #Gaza ?”
On March 30, 2018, some 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza approached Israel’s border to take part in “Land Day Protests” or the “March of Return.” The March of Return was organized and funded by Hamas as a campaign of violent protests along Israel’s border to spotlight the demand of Palestinians to “return” to Israel.
The “right of return” is a Palestinian demand discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.
March participants sent scores of kites bearing explosive devices across Israel’s border to burn Israeli crops and homes. Participants also attempted to breach the border fence, which caused the Israeli Defense Forces to respond with live fire.
Agitators threw molotov cocktails, firebombs, shot firearms and threw rocks under the cover of smoke from burning tires.
Demonizing Israel
On June 8, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “If you meet an Israeli, there’s a small chance that they might be part of the 4.5% , but the overwhelming odds is that they are complicit in/actively support ethnic cleansing and genocide by the idf. That’s not unfair stereotyping, that is the reality”On July 26, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Israel is engaged in large scale ethnic cleansing and genocide of the palestinian people. I’ll worry about anti-semitism when israel stops murdering and indefinitely detaining children and innocent civilians who are palestinian.”
On July 22, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Israelis care about anyone and anything so as long as it's not palestinian. Murdering innocent palestinian children at the gaza border. Silence. Take away the rights of gay Israelis to adopt. Unconscionable!”
On July 20, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Israel is bombing the most densely populated stip on earth right now. If you support Israel, you are supporting a government that murders children, babies, and other civilians at will #GazaUnderAttack.”
On May 30, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Yeah but all of Israel is a grave violation of intl law so
On May 29, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Palestinian communities in the west bank face daily violence, resource theft, from jewish settlers and the army. If only Israel was held to the same standard as it holds hamas to in gaza.”
On May 18, 2018, Flescher tweeted a photo from a Samidoun-organized anti-Israel demonstration in Times Squares, New York. Protesters held signs that read: “Zionism is Racism” and “Trump & Netanyahu — Partners in Racist Oppression,” as well as, “End Aid to the Racist State of Israel.”
On April 28, 2018, Flescher blamed Israel for anti-Semitism, tweeting: “If germany & the larger jewish community is concerned with anti-semitism, then maybe they should stop financially supporting Israel, who murders and displaces palestinian communities to this very day #NotInOurName”
On April 24, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “met a guy yesterday who works to document Idf's aeriel spraying of #gaza farmland. They make sure wind is blowing westwards to minimize pesticide drift into Israel. The occupation has no limit in it's cruelty #EndTheOccupation.”
On January 24, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Zionism is racism.”
Flescher retweeted a tweet from April 8, 2018, that read: “RT @catmidnite: There were no innocent people in Warsaw ghetto in 1943, was the Nazis’ point of view. There are no innocent people in #Gaza is the Zionist Nazis’ point of view today.”
INN Activism
INN actions generally aim to demonize Israel, harass the American Jewish establishment and decrease support for Israel among Diaspora Jewish young adults.On May 17, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Put a
Flescher retweeted a tweet from April 15, 2018, that read: “For @IfNotNowOrg's #LiberationSyllabus project, I'd recommend the novellas ‘Khirbet Khizeh’ by S. Yizhar and ‘Returning to Haifa’ by Ghassan Kanafani.”
Kanafani was a leading member and spokesperson for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) during the terrorist organization’s early years. Kanafani announced the PFLP’s responsibility for the Lod Airport Massacre of May 1972 and was linked to the airport attackers. The attack killed 26 people and wounded 80 others.
The #LiberationSyllabus is a part of INN’s online “You Never Told Me” campaign calling on Jewish educational organizations and institutions to include information about “the occupation” in their teachings about Israel.The #LiberationSyllabus was created as a “model for Jewish schools, camps and youth groups.”
Opposing U.S. Embassy Move
On May 14, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Just took the whole intersection at 12th and pennsylvania ave @IfNotNowOrg #EmbassyOfFreedom #WeWillBeTheGeneration.”Flescher’s tweet featured video footage from that day’s INN demonstration in Washington D.C., to mourn the Palestinians killed during the 2018 Gaza border protests and to protest United States President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
INN wrote on the Facebook post that live streamed the May 14 protest: “We reject Trump's Embassy of Occupation and instead, we’re building our own #EmbassyOfFreedom in the streets to protest decades of Occupation and Israeli violence against Palestinian protesters in Gaza”
In May 2018, violent riots, instigated by Hamas on the Israeli-Gaza border, saw thousands of rioters attempting numerous breaches of Israel’s border fence, with participants announcing their intention to harm Jews across the border.
During the protest, Sarah Brammer-Shlay, co-founder of INN, condemned [00:00:43] “Israel’s violent response to Palestinian non-violent protests.”
One INN speaker lauded [00:37:37] the Gaza border protestors as “thousands upon thousands of brave Palestinians” and labeled the Israeli Defense Force the “Israeli Occupation Forces.” Another claimed [00:38:12] “[The Palestinians] they are protesting peacefully, they are being met with a massacre.”
INN leader Nathan Young led protesters in chanting [01:09:33]: “We are horrified. Horrified by Israel’s violent response. Violent response to to non-violent protests. We are mourning. Mourning the dispossession and loss of life Palestinians have been suffering since the ‘Nakba’ in reference to 1948.” Young added [01:21:48] “during this period of time millions of Palestinians were displaced and thousands were killed.”
Towards the end of the demonstration, INN coordinator Stephen Lurie claimed [01:57:52] that Gaza’s March of Return was protestors “engaging in an attempt at democratic participation” and [01:58:58] when Palestinians “speak out against the occupation it is a lethal risk.” Lurie called [02:01:44] for a moment of silence for those killed and injured.
During the protest, INN speakers demonized the founding of the state of Israel.
One speaker claimed [00:34:38] that “Palestinians have been suffering under violence for 70 years,” while another led [00:37:05, 01:32:13] protestors in chanting: “we are mourning the dispossession and loss of life Palestinians have been suffering since the ‘Nakba’ began 70 years ago. ”
Also on May 14, 2018 , Flescher tweeted more footage from the INN D.C. protest and wrote: “‘Heyhey, hoho, the occupation’s got to go!’ @IfNotNowOrg #EmbassyOfFreedom #WeWillBeTheGeneration”
A day earlier, Flescher tweeted: “On my way to dc to participate in @IfNotNowOrg ‘s #EmbassyOfFreedom event. #JerusalemIstheCapitalofPalestine.”
Supporting BDS
On June 12, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “We are now seeing #BDS coming out of it’s infancy and into another phase of growth. An Israeli orchestra getting cancelled anywhere for political reasons is almostly completely unprecedented. Don’t let anyone tell you that bds is ineffective, even the editor of @972mag.”On April 8, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “The cultural boycott against Israel is strengthening #IsraeliApartheid.”
On January 31, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “The two main ‘left’ political parties in Israel, Yesh Atid and Labour, support the w bank settlements built illegally on stolen Palestinian land. Israel will never willingly stop oppressing Palestinians and achieve
On January 14, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “It’s gonna be embarrassing for Israel when @jeremycorbyn becomes the UK pm and is inadvertently banned from entering Israel
On December 15, 2017, Flescher tweeted: “If you aren’t OUTRAGED by Israeli apartheid, then you aren’t paying attention #BDS #FreePalestine
Anti-Israel Activism
On March 30, 2018, when 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza approached Israel’s border during “Land Day Protests” Flescher posted on the “Emergency rally: solidarity with Gaza #GreatMarchofReturn” Facebook event page: “Israel is massacre-ing non-violent protesters RIGHT NOW in Gaza. Please show up and spread the word and show your support.”The “Emergency rally” referred to in Flescher’s post was co-organized by several anti-Israel organizations, including Within Our Lifetime (WOL). WOL was formerly known as New York City SJP. Other co-organizers were two New York chapters of SJP, NYU JVP and Al-Awda.
The rally’s Facebook event page description said: “... . What is happening right now in Gaza is nothing short of a massacre and we must demand an end to Zionist violence…”
On May 3, 2018, Flescher tweeted: “Packed house for @mikopeled ‘s lecture at CUNY #holyfoundationfive #palestine.” The tweet referred to an event that Flescher indicated on Facebook that he “went” to that day, organized by SJP at City College, New York (CCNY).
The tweet featured a photo of anti-Israel activist, Miko Peled, speaking before an audience at CCNY, giving a presentation, titled: “The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
Miko Peled is an anti-Israel activist. In January 2017, Peled said [00:00:06] that the Israeli army was one of the “best trained, best equipped, best fed, terrorist organizations in the world,” and claimed [00:00:16] that “their entire purpose is terrorism.”
The HLF5 were five individuals associated with the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) indicted for funnelling funds to Hamas in the guise of humanitarian aid.
The men were were all convicted and sentenced in 2009 to federal prison terms ranging from 15 to 65 years.
The HLF5 were five individuals associated with the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) indicted for funnelling funds to Hamas in the guise of humanitarian aid.
The men were were all convicted and sentenced in 2009 to federal prison terms ranging from 15 to 65 years.
JVP
JVP was founded in Berkeley, California in 1996, as an activist group with an emphasis on the “Jewish tradition” of peace, social justice and human rights. The organization is currently led by Rebecca Vilkomerson and its board members include Israel critics Naomi Klein, Judith Butler, Noam Chomsky and Tony Kushner.
JVP, which generally employs civil disobedience tactics to disrupt pro-Israel speakers and events, consists of American Jews and non-Jewish “allies” highly critical of Israeli policies. A staunch supporter of the BDS movement, JVP claims to aim its campaigns at companies that either support the Israeli military (Hewlett-Packard) or are active in the West Bank (SodaStream).
Although several Jewish groups critical of Israeli policies, like J Street and Partners for a Progressive Israel, make efforts to operate within the mainstream American Jewish community, JVP functions outside. The group is often criticized for serving as a tokenized Jewish voice for the pro-Palestinian camp and is widely regarded as the BDS movement’s “Jewish wing.”
JVP denies the notion of “Jewish peoplehood” and has even gone so far as to refer to its own Ashkenazi (Jews who spent the Diaspora in European countries) leadership as “white supremacy inside of JVP.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has accused JVP of being “the largest and most influential Jewish anti-Zionist group in the United States,” and said the group “exploits Jewish culture and rituals to reassure its own supporters that opposition to Israel not only does not contradict, but is actually consistent with, Jewish value.”
The ADL also claimed that “JVP consistently co-sponsors rallies to oppose Israeli military policy that are marked by signs and slogans comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, demonizing Jews and voicing support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.”
According to the ADL website, JVP “uses its Jewish identity to shield the anti-Israel movement from allegations of anti-Semitism and provide it with a greater degree of legitimacy and credibility.”
SJP
SJP is a student organization engaged in anti-Israel activity on North American college and university campuses.
The first chapter of SJP was founded in 2001 at the University of California at Berkeley by Professor Hatem Bazian. Bazian has spread classic anti-Semitism, reportedly promoted religious anti-Semitism and defended the Hamas terror group. In 2004, Bazian called for “intifada” in America.
SJP organizes anti-Israel campaigns, including running annual Israel Apartheid Weeks, often in collaboration with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Muslim Students Association (MSA) campus chapters.
SJP has been a major force in pushing the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement on campuses. Chapters have initiated dozens of BDS resolutions in student governments, which have been proposed on or around Jewish holidays, a time when many Jewish students are off-campus.
SJP activists have reportedly physically assaulted, intimidated and harassed Jewish students, disrupted pro-Israel campus events and demonized pro-Israel campus organizations.
Chapters have often endorsed and campaigned for numerous terrorists and whitewashed terrorism.
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:www.facebook.com/78900383
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jewishanarchy
https://twitter.com/mynameisbrianf [Deleted]
https://twitter.com/Brian_Flescher [Deleted]
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/therealbrianflescher/[Private]
Videos
1 videos
Photos & Screenshots
72 images
Infamous Quotes
“Zionism is racism.”
“If you meet an Israeli, there’s a small chance that they might be part of the 4.5% , but the overwhelming odds is that they are complicit in/actively support ethnic cleansing and genocide by the idf. That’s not unfair stereotyping, that is the reality”
“Israel is engaged in large scale ethnic cleansing and genocide of the palestinian people. I’ll worry about anti-semitism when israel stops murdering and indefinitely detaining children and innocent civilians who are palestinian.”
“If germany & the larger jewish community is concerned with anti-semitism, then maybe they should stop financially supporting Israel, who murders and displaces palestinian communities to this very day #NotInOurName”
“Israel is bombing the most densely populated stip [sic] on earth right now. If you support Israel, you are supporting a government that murders children, babies, and other
civilians at will #GazaUnderAttack.”
