Michael Deheeger

Overview

Michael Deheeger was the Chicago Organizer for Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) at the University of Chicago (U of C). Deheeger supports the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

On November 8, 2018, JVP-Chicago announced on Facebook that Deheeger became a Congressional Organizer with JVP.

Promoting Israel Hatred over Jewish Communal Work

On October 26 2011, Deheeger resigned from his position as Chicago Program Director for Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps — an organization that strengthens the Jewish community's fight against the causes and effects of poverty in the United States.

Deheeger quit in protest over the prospect of a subsidized trip to Israel planned by Pursue. Pursue is an alumni network jointly sponsored by Avodah and American Jewish World Service, which works in underdeveloped countries.

On November 11, 2011, Deheeger wrote an article for anti-Israel online magazine Mondoweiss, explaining his resignation — and slandering Israel:

Deheeger falsely accused Israel of "systematic oppression of Palestinians across ‘Israel proper and the Occupied Territories, and enforced exile of Palestinian refugees," — describing Israel as “a state which imposes an ethnicity-based military regime on millions of people.” Deheeger said: “My decision to resign is informed by my support of the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.”

Deheeger also demonized Jewish charity donors and accused American Jewish organizations of allowing themselves to be used as "cover for the oppression of Palestinians...in exchange for funding."

Deheeger also made the questionable claim that BDS was "endorsed by the great majority of Palestinian civil society."

Trampling Others’ Free Speech

On March 3, 2016, Deheeger posted on Facebook his thoughts about an anti-BDS event at Northbrook Synagogue, organized by StandWithUs, Jewish United Fund (JUF), American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Deheeger and other JVP members, including Ben Lorber the JVP Campus Organizer disrupted the event, by standing up and shouting "we are Jews and we support BDS." Deheeger wrote — “True, disrupting an event like this is a pretty rude thing to do. However, I think supporting a system of brutal race privilege - like the one Israel has imposed on Palestinians since 1948 - is a lot ruder.”

Deheeger inaccurately summarized the goals of BDS — that lists the Council of National and Islamic Forces in Palestine as the first member of its national committee— as "human rights and equality for everyone, and people who were forced out of their homes can return.".

Deheeger then demeaned the reaction of the Jewish community members at the event to their disruption — saying: they "remind me of the pictures I've seen of whites in the '60s defending another racial caste system right here in the US."

Disrupting Israeli Ambassador’s Speech

On August 21, 2014, Deheeger joined JVP UChicago members who serially disrupted speakers, including the former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, at a Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund of Chicago fundraising event. The JVP UChicago members accused Israel, misleadingly, of "killing children," during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge.

JVP UChicago protesters outside the event chanted the slogans "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," and “Free, free Palestine, Israel out of Palestine” — used by Hamas leader, Khaled Mashal and others to call for the replacement of Israel with an Arab, Islamic state.

Cheering The Bullying of Pro-Israel LGBT Group Members

On January 26 and 28, 2016, Deheeger promoted and shared a number of links on Facebook expressing his support for nearly 200 protesters at a major U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) conference in Chicago who shut down a talk about LGBT life in Israel featuring a Jerusalem LGBT group and an American pro-Israel LGBT group.

The protestors shut down a talk about LGBT life in Israel that featured a Jerusalem LGBT group and an American pro-Israel LGBT group.

Chanting accusations of "pinkwashing" — a false claim that Israel promotes gay rights to deflect attention from her detractors, the demonstrators explicitly aimed at shutting down the talk — screaming: “Shut it down!” and “Racists go home!” Three protesters eventually broke into the event room and shouted down speakers.

Other agitators created an openly hostile environment, pushing and shoving outside the room and shouting calls for Israel’s destruction — including "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!" and “Zionism has got to go!” Shams tweeted footage of fellow student Sara Rubinstein and others chanting “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!”

Some protesters reportedly used the anti-Semitic slur "kike" against Jewish conference participants. One protester shouted: “we’re going to stay here and we’re going to challenge these Zionist racist motherf**kers.” Some attendees of the talk had to leave through side entrances — blocked from leaving the main entrance by protesters.

Eventually the police were called in to intervene.

The protest was widely criticized within the LGBT community.

Blaming Zionism and American Jews for Islamophobia

On February 13, 2015, Deheeger shared a link on Facebook to a JVP article about the murder of three young Muslims in North Carolina. Deheeger blamed "Zionism" for the crime, saying: — “I can't help but think about the contribution that Zionism is making to the worsening climate of Islamophobia in the United States today.”

On March 19, 2016, Deheeger shared a link on Facebook to a JVP article that accused AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) of promoting racism and Islamophobia. the headline read — "Trump’s Islamophobic rhetoric goes hand in hand with AIPAC’s Agenda." The article’s picture featured JVP members and read “Don’t buy AIPAC’s hate.” JVP’s article went on to condemn Israel for not throwing open its borders to accept Syrian refugees (although it regularly treats Syrian wounded without charge). The article also slammed Israel for maintaining a Right of Return for Jews as indigenous to the region and for constructing its security fence.

Defending Anti- Semitism as Anti-Zionism

On September 26, 2011, Deheeger shared on Facebook an article by Al Jazeera, titled: "The Irvine 11: Islamophobia is alive and well." The Irvine 11 refers to 11 Muslim Student Union (MSA) members who were arrested for serially shouting down former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren during a February 8, 2010 address at the University of California at Irvine. One of those arrested screamed that Oren was “an accomplice to genocide.”

Deheeger commented in the feed of the article that — "charges were pressed because the students' Muslim faith made them easy targets in the current environment of rising Islamophobia - add to that the taboo associated with criticizing Israel."

Deheeger then likened the civil prosecution of the students spewing Israel-hatred to the Nazi campaign to single out and then exterminate the Jews. Deheeger recalled a famous Holocaust poem, "First they came…" by a Protestant pastor Martin Niemöller, bemoaning his own anti-Semitism .

The article also slandered Israel with the lie that Israeli Arabs "who live within the 1948 borders are subject to an apartheid system."

In late October 2015, Deheeger promoted and joined JVP UChicago members who protested against the Jewish National Fund (JNF). Demonstrators chanted, "JNF stop pretending, you’re promoting ethnic cleansing."

One demonstrator accused Israel of "racism...settler-colonization, dispossession … a continuous regime of brutality and oppression and made the libelous claim that the JNF steals water, resources and land from Palestinians, although the JNF purchased its land from absentee landlords. Another demonstrator claimed that JNF’s planting of trees is “destructive to the land… and people of Palestine." Still other Protesters chanted “How do you spell justice? B-D-S!!” and falsely accused Israel of Apartheid.

JVP Chicago and SJP U of C - Lying To Slander Israel

On April 24, 2015 — a day after Israeli Independence Day — a group of JVP UChicago and SJP U of C members held a protest, falsely holding Israel responsible for the creation of the Palestinian refugee problem and misleadingly charging Israel with its continuation. One sign propagated a triple lie — suggesting that that Israel is engaged in an "ongoing genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid."

On May 13, 2015, SJP U of C held Palestine Solidarity Week, which featured a JVP UChicago workshop titled, "Facing the Nakba." Photos from the event were posted on Facebook of SJP U of C and JVP UChicago members holding up placards containing anti-Israel propaganda.

One placard made the misleading claim that Israel depopulated 500 Arab villages — when, in fact, Arabs were encouraged to lay down arms and stay.

Another placard stated, fraudulently, that "in 2011 the Knesset (Parliament) passed a bill which bars any public funding for any commemoration of Nakba day."

Other placards propagated the unique definition of "refugee" that UNRWA applies to Palestinian Arabs, with one placard stating that over 4.4 Million Palestinian refugees are registered with the U.N. and others estimating the total number of Palestinian refugees at 7 Million.

Privileging Force over Negotiation

On August 4, 2015, Deheeger shared a poster on Facebook of Haneen Zoabi, with a quote by Zoabi — "The Occupation will not end unless it becomes expensive...popular resistance, reinforcing boycotting movements and activating international pressure are the only ways to face the occupation."

Haneen Zoabi, a former member of the Israeli Knesset, has a long history of inciting violence. In 2014, she was suspended from the legislature after defending the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers by the terror group Hamas, and who were later found executed in a field. In 2015, a criminal investigation was opened against Zoabi after she reportedly condoned anti-Israel violence and called for a new intifada.

JVP UChicago - Demonizing Israel

On October 6, 2015, JVP UChicago posted a misleading statement on Facebook concerning the then-current wave of religiously incited Palestinian murder of Israelis. The post described Israeli counter-terror measures as an "escalated level of collective punishment being imposed on Palestinians." The post then blamed Israel for the Palestinian terror attacks, alleging “Months of incitement by the Israeli government and decades of occupation, institutionalized discrimination, and displacement” led to the attacks. Finally, the post urged that “... economic pressure, and an end to unconditional US military and diplomatic aid to Israel are the path towards a long term resolution.”

JVP UChicago- Boycotting Palestinian Livelihood

On April 23, 2014, JVP Chicago members joined a rally calling on a Boycott of the Israeli company, Sodastream.

In February 2016, 500 Palestinians lost their jobs when Sodastream moved its factory from the West Bank to southern Israel. Although the company denied that BDS had an impact on the decision, the BDS movement took credit for the factory’s relocation.

SJP U of C and JVP UChicago - Exalting Terror

On November 2, 2015, JVP UChicago and SJP U of C erected a shrine honoring Palestinian terrorists killed during the upsurge of stabbings, car rammings and other terrorist attacks against Jews, that began in October 2015.

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.

The shrine featured Palestinian terrorist Fadi Aloon, whom it portrayed as an innocent civilian was shot while "run[ning] from a racist mob."

Fadi Aloon was shot by Israeli security forces after he stabbed a 15-year-old Israeli boy. Several hours before the attack, Aloon posted “Either martyrdom or victory” on his Facebook page.

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 values.”

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.”

BDS

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by Omar Barghouti in 2005 to challenge “international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.” BDS is an allegedly “Palestinian-led movement,” although leading BDS activists have admitted [00:01:01] this is not true.

One of the demands of BDS includes [point 3] what is generally known as the “right of return,” a demand discredited as a way to eliminate Israel. Barghouti said the “right of return” is a means to “end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.”

Barghouti has said that BDS “aims to turn Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.”

In his activism, Barghouti has also said [00:05:55] regarding Israel: “Definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No…rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”

The movement has been linked to numerous terrorist organizations and received a public endorsement from Hamas in 2017.

BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.

The movement’s most notable achievement has been the infiltration of university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments and student groups, backed by their own anti-Israel members and affiliates, have proposed resolutions on some form of boycott of, or divestment from, Israel and Israeli-affiliated entities.

Boycott resolutions, although non-binding, have been passed by student governments on numerous North American campuses.

BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campus. On one campus, when the student government debated a BDS resolution, reports emerged of violent threats against those opposing it.