Reuben Telushkin
Overview
He has also praised anti-Israel agitators, promoted the anti-Israel organization Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)’s Deadly Exchange campaign and expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS).
Telushkin was an activist with JVP in Detroit, Michigan and was listed as a contact for JVP in Berkeley, CA. Telushkin was also affiliated with the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)-Detroit.
As of June 2019, Telushkin’s LinkedIn page said that graduated from Hampshire College (Hampshire) in 2012 with a degree in Art and Design. It also said he was an Advanced Preparator at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Supporting Violent Protesters
Telushkin reportedly attended a March 14, 2019 event featuring Ahmed Abu Artema, a Palestinian writer on a nine-city speaking tour of the United States with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), an anti-Israel Quaker organization that promotes BDS. The topic of the event was a discussion around life in Gaza and the March for Return.Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to an April 14, 2018 event called: “Great Return March kick-off,” hosted by USPCN- Detroit. The event’s Facebook description said: “We, the members of Palestinian Youth Movement of Southeast Michigan, are heeding the call by organizing an action in the form of a vigil for Gaza, to uplift and honor our martyrs, and to condemn the Israeli state and the media’s misportrayal of Palestinian popular resistance..”
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.
Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to an April 17, 2018 event called: “Transnational Great Return March- Ann Arbor Vigil,” hosted by Palestinan Youth Movement (PYM) and Eastern Michigan University (EMU) SJP.
The event’s Facebook description said: “We are calling our community and allies to take action and launch demonstrations in support of the Great Return March on April 14th up until May 15th, just as the righteous resisters in Gaza have declared...There will be no solution without the total end of the Zionist colonization of Palestine--return is our right, and demand.”
On May 14, 2018, Telushkin tweeted: “Struggling to find words to express my anger and sadness about Israel's massacre of Palestinians.”
On May 15, 2018,Telushkin wrote on Facebook: “These last few weeks of protest are called the#GreatReturnMarch. It is not a protest at the ‘border’, as many have reported. It is a demand from the Palestinians in Gaza to return to where they come from. They are not trying to cross the border. The border has crossed them.”
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.
Spreading Hatred of Zionists
On December 7, 2018 Telushkin tweeted: “I'm not disputing that Jews have an ancient connection to the land. What I'm disputing is the way that history has been exploited to justify land theft, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing.”On December 6, 2018 Telushkin tweeted: “So excuse the f**k outta me if I absolutely do agree that Zionism is a form of racism. You take a group of antiZionists and the Arabs and Black folks among them are disproportionately targeted. Not a coincidence. Zionism is a subdivision of white supremacy.”
That same day he also tweeted: “I'd argue that the main premise of Zionism is the idea that Jewish longevity will be ensured by building fortresses and crushing everyone else into the dust. That is the whitest s**t I ever did hear. It's fragility, the unwillingness to distinguish between a critique and a threat.”
On June 1, 2018 Telushkin tweeted: “White supremacy and Zionism are so inextricable.”
On February 7, 2018 Telushkin tweeted: “...Zionism is a white nationalist identity that transcends historical opposition between Jews and Nazis in the name of Islamophobia and antiblackness.”
On April 4, 2016 Telushkin tweeted: “Yes, Zionism is Settler Colonialism” and linked to a piece written by anti-Israel activist Brant Rosen with the same title.
Demonizing Israel
On March 24, 2019, Telushkin tweeted that “Apartheid Israel...continued the research trying to make a weapon that would only affect Arabs...did i say honorable mention? I think I meant to say ‘may all genocidal settler colonial apartheid regimes crumble in our lifetimes.’”On March 17, 2019, Telushkin shared a graphic on Facebook which said: “Solidarity with the Muslim communiy also means ending drone strikes and bombing of Muslim countries, ending the war on terror and ending the Israel occupation of Palestine. Selective rage is not enough.”
On January 7, 2019, Telushkin tweeted: “US Congress pushing a bill that requires a loyalty oath to Israel. AL Civil Rights museum betraying its values to appease the Zionist community. Israel forming alliances with antisemitic fascist regimes. White US Jews harassing JOC's for whistleblowing on racism in Jewish cmmty.”
On November 24, 2018, Telushkin tweeted: “Israel is antisemitic.”
On May 15, 2018, Telushkin posted a photo of three maps on Facebook known as the “Map That Lies."
The maps claim that lands once controlled by Britain, Egypt and Jordan as autonomous “Palestinian land” were purportedly stolen by Israel. In February 2016, publisher McGraw-Hill Education recalled copies of a college textbook containing the fraudulent maps. In October 2015, American cable news network MSNBC apologized for airing a similar series of maps and retracted them.
The photo in Telushkin’s Facebook post called the maps: “Palestinian Loss of Land from 1946-2010.” Telushkin wrote on his post: “Today is the 70th anniversary of the #Nakba: A word that means 'catastrophe', used to describe the ethnic cleansing of over 750,000 Palestinians from their villages in the late 1940's.”
The term “Nakba” is generally translated as “catastrophe” in Arabic, referring to the outcome of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It is a term often used to delegitimize the creation of the State of Israel by defining it as a catastrophe.
On August 19, 2017, Telushkin tweeted: “WWII: White Supremacist colonial powers vying for global power: The outcome? Installation of new white supremacist colonial state, Israel.”
Opposing the Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel
Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to a December 10, 2017 event called: “Emergency Rally For Palestine,” hosted by SJP at Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).The event’s Facebook page said: “In the wake of Trump's announcement declaring U.S. support for Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the moving of the U.S. embassy there...Palestinians are calling for 3 days of rage, and other people of conscience around the world are joining in.”
Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to a December 8, 2017 another event called, “Emergency Rally: Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine” hosted by USPCN-Detroit. The event’s Facebook description used the hashtag: “#HandsOffJerusalemDet [Detroit]”
The hashtag “#HandsOffJerusalem” was created to protest the U.S. government’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Praising Anti-Israel Agitators
On Nov 27, 2018 Telushkin tweeted: “Zionists keep going after @lsarsour [Linda Sarsour] because they know she’s not actually dangerous to Jews. They want a scapegoat for antisemitism who they can repeatedly attack without risk. They won’t bring half the smoke to these nazi militias that we all know are quietly reloading.”At Farrakhan’s 2015 #JusticeOrElse March, Sarsour asserted [00:00:36]: “The same people who justify the massacres of Palestinian people and call it ‘collateral damage’ are the same people who justify the murder of young black men and women.”
On March 1, 2019, Telushkin was featured in a photo with JVP founder Rebecca Vilkomerson for a JVP campaign page to defend Congresswoman Ilhan Omar against charges of anti-Semitism.
On March 15, 2019, Telushkin posted an article on Facebook called: “How targeting Ilhan Omar instead of white supremacy furthered both anti-Semitism & Islamophobia.”
Promoting the Deadly Exchange
On May 16, 2018, Telushkin tweeted: “US/Israel police training = a #DeadlyExchange! This Jewish/Muslim/Black/Arab coalition got Durham city council to ban these exchanges: deadlyexchange.org.”On Apr 18, 2018 Telushkin tweeted an image that said: “Congratulations Durham, NC! First U.S. City to Ban Police Exchanges with Israel. Deadly Exchange.”
On April 16, 2018 Telushkin tweeted: “#DURHAM2PALESTINE COALITION JUST WON THEIR LOCAL CAMPAIGN TO END POLICE EXCHANGES BETWEEN DURHAM AND ISRAEL
Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to a March 21, 2018 event called: “JVP: End the Deadly Exchange,” hosted by Easten Michigan University Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
The event’s Facebook description accused Israel of “extrajudicial executions, shoot-to-kill policies, police murders, racial profiling, massive spying and surveillance, deportation and detention, and attacks on human rights defenders.”
Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to a January 20, 2018 event called: “2018 Kick-Off: The Deadly Exchange Campaign, Palestine Partnerships & More!” hosted by JVP-Twin Cities.
The event’s Facebook description said it would: “Unveil our 2018 strategy to end these exchanges. The strategy includes legislative and educational initiatives to increase awareness and end the exchanges.”
Anti-Israel Activism
On November 27, 2018, Telushkin shared a fundraiser to Twitter in honor of “Giving Tuesday” and tweeted: “Hey y'all, please consider donating to JVP, the largest Jewish organization in the US that supports the full call for Palestinian right of return and BDS. We tryna make moves in 2019 and it costs money.”Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to a June 4, 2018 event called: “Protest Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer in Detroit” hosted by USPCN-Detroit.
The event’s Facebook description stated: “three weeks after Israel’s massacre of unarmed Palestinian protesters in Gaza, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer is coming to Detroit...Join us to demand an end to the Blockade and Killings in Gaza, and the Occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem; support for the Right of Return for Palestinians.”
Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to a May14, 2018 event called: “Nakba Day: Jerusalem is (still) the Capital of Palestine!,” hosted by USPCN-Detroit and PYM.
The event’s Facebook description said: “March 15th, 2018, marks 70 years of the ethnic cleansing of almost 800,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands, at the hands of zionist gangs...The Israelis have used unimaginable brutality in response to the #GreatReturnMarch in Gaza, using chemical weapons and murdering dozens of unarmed protesters..The Palestinians of Gaza have inspired the world with their protests demanding the full Right of Return.”
On April 21, 2018, Telushkin attended an event called: “Gaza Unlocked: Hearing in the Heartland,” hosted by AFSC. The event’s Facebook description said the event was: “a special opportunity to learn more about the crisis in Gaza and connect with others working to end the blockade.”
Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to a December 8, 2017 event hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace - Indiana and AFSC Indiana. The event’s Facebook description said: “Panelists will include Rabbi Alissa Wise, Deputy Director of Jewish Voice for Peace and Rabbi Brant Rosen, Midwestern Regional Director for the American Friends Service Committee.”
Telushkin indicated on Facebook that he “went” to aFebruary 26, 2018 event called: “Give Israel 1st Prize for its Purim costume: "Democracy," hosted by JVP- Chicago. The event description said, “Next Monday evening we are awarding Israel first-place in our Purim costume contest for dressing up as a ‘democracy.’ ..Purim is a time when we wear costumes to help us envision a different world, one in which power relations between oppressor and oppressed have been inverted. “
Supporting BDS
On November 3, 2018, Telushkin tweeted: “ Your bubbe trying to understand how I’m simultaneously the charming Jewish boy helping her carry siddurim and also a BDS supporter.”On August 20, 2018, Telushkin tweeted: “ Activists: Please show solidarity with Palestinians by honoring the call for a cultural boycott of Israel. Every fence-sitting artist ever: ‘You know what would potentially be even more powerful? If I like...went anyway. Just imagine the HEALING 🙄.”
On October 23, 2017, Telushkin tweeted: “None of this is about protecting Jews, but economic/military interests. White Jewish zionists happy to receive symbolic gesture from goys. the dissent-chilling effect of anti-BDS laws are very real. It's the pretense that this helps Jews that is symbolic.”
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.”
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.
Social Media and Weblinks
Twitter:https://twitter.com/telushk [Deleted]
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rtelushk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/telushkin_studio/ [Deleted]
Personal Website:http://reubentelushkin.com/
Medium:https://medium.com/@telushk
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFkJEWOpavZHQHsRe8yRSvw
Photos & Screenshots
