Natalie Bamdad

Overview

Natalie Bamdad spoke, as a leader of IfNotNow (INN), in defense of United States Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, alongside representatives of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).

Bamdad also demonized Israel and indicated that she “went” to INN’s protest demonizing the 2017 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Conference.

As of May 2019, Bamdad’s LinkedIn page said she was an “Organizer, Trainer” with the “IfNotNow Movement” since May 2016.

Her LinkedIn also said she was a “Social sector strategy consultant” at Management Assistance Group (MAG) in the Washington D.C. Metro area since February 2017. On April 30, 2019, Bamdad tweeted that MAG changed its name to Change Elemental.

Bamdad’s LinkedIn listed her as receiving a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Psychology from Swarthmore College (Swarthmore) in 2011.

Defending Ilhan Omar

On March 6, 2019, Bamdad represented INN in defending Ilhan Omar during a press conference, after top Congressional leaders rebuked Omar for anti-Semitic comments.

Ilhan Omar was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2018. In February 2019, top Congressional leaders denounced Omar for tweeting anti-Semitic remarks.Omar has demonized Israel and endorsed BDS. In July 2019, Omar introduced a pro-BDS resolution in the U.S. Congress, which she described as “an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support…the BDS movement.”

During the press conference, Bamdad declared [00:01:28]: “Representative Omar’s words were not anti-Semitism. They reflected a valid critique of the occupation and AIPAC, which thousands of young Jews, including me, share.”

Bamdad also criticized [00:02:06] U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for “allowing”a resolution condemning anti-Semitism that was introduced in the wake of anti-Semitic tweets made by Congresswoman Omar.

Osama Abuirshaid, the AMP national policy director and Kareem El-Hosseiny, AMP national government relations coordinator both attended the press conference.

Other press conference attendees included Jinan Deena, the National Events and Outreach Manager of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and CAIR founder and CEO Nihad Awad, as well as Ramah Kudaimi, the Director of Grassroots Organizing for the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR).

Also present were JVP Deputy Director Alissa Wise, as well as anti-Israel Professor Noura Erakat and anti-Israel agitator Linda Sarsour.

After the news conference, participants reportedly delivered a letter to Pelosi's office alleging that accusations against Omar were “unfounded.”

Demonizing Israel

On August 11, 2016, Bamdad indicated on Facebook that she “went” to an INN DC protest in support of “the Movement for Black Lives and against the occupation.”

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) previously issued a statement that strongly “condemned the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel views expressed in the platform,” of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) policy platform. The platform claimed Israel was committing “genocide” and promoted the Boycott Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Bamdad retweeted a July 18, 2018 NowThis tweet and video of INN activist Elon Glickman disrupting a Birthright trip and then taking part in an INN-staged walk-off from the trip.

Birthright Israel is a heritage trip to Israel for Jewish young adults from across the world.

In the video, Glickman likened [00:00:01] visiting Israel on Birthright to “going the Jim Crow South during segregation.”

On July 15, 2018, Glickman was one of several INN activists who staged a walk-out in protest from a Birthright tour of Israel.

Protesting AIPAC

In March 2017, Bamdad indicated she “went” to two INN planning events held to mobilize support in anticipation of a March 26, 2017, INN anti-AIPAC protest.

On March 26, 2017, Bamdad also indicated that she “went” to INN’s protest outside the Washington, D.C. venue of the AIPAC policy conference, where some activists chained themselves to the entrance of the conference center.

The stated mission of AIPAC is to “strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.”

Four INN activists purchased tickets to the conference as AIPAC delegates, in order to gain access to the building. Once inside, the INN activists dropped [00:00:37] banners from the center’s third floor, stating that they “reject AIPAC and the occupation,” before being removed by security.

INN Activism

On March 3 and 4, 2018, Bamdad hosted an “IfNotNow DC Orientation Training.”

On May 7, 2017, Bamdad was the contact person for an INN DC Orientation Training.

On February 14, 2017, Bamdad participated in an INN DC training.

On September 19, 2016, Bamdad participated in an INN DC training.

On August 20, 2016, Bamdad attended an INN DC event titled: “IfNotNow Community Building Potluck & Havdalah.”

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 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).