Sarah Fadem
Overview
Sarah Fadem is an activist with IfNotNow (INN) who walked off a Birthright Jewish Heritage tour to Israel in July 2018. She has also expressed support for violent protesters and opposed the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.As of June 2018, Fadem worked as the Northeast field organizer with Our Climate in Vermont and was reportedly a student at Bennington College, in Vermont.
As of August 2018, Fadem used the name “Sara Flahive” on Facebook.
Walking Off Birthright
On July 15, 2018, Fadem was one of several Birthright tour participants who staged a walk-off protest of the tour, to join a different tour with the anti-Israel organization Breaking the Silence (BtS)INN posted a photo of the activists, including Fadem, on Instagram, and wrote: “Birthright wouldn’t show the reality and complexity of the Occupation, so earlier today 8 young Jews walked off 2 trips to go find the truth for themselves.” The activists claimed (00:00:01) Birthright trips were “like visiting the South in the 1950s and not talking about Jim Crow segregation.”
The walk-off was captured on video and posted live on Facebook by fellow INN activist, Hallie Berkson- Gold, who also walked off the Birthright trip. According to INN, Facebook removed the video: “bowing down to the right-wing Israel lobby.” Facebook later unblocked the video.
Following their walk-off, the activists set up a GoFundMe campaign to recoup their costs of walking off their trip, including deposits and return plane ticket fees.
On July 19, 2018, Fadem, along with fellow walk-offs Berkson-Gold and Rebecca Oliver, gave an interview to Neveen Ayesh of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) Missouri, on Facebook. During the interview, the activists discussed their activities after leaving their trip and Fadem talked about joining the BtS trip to East Jerusalem. Fadem mentioned that she and her fellow activists who walked off the trip had been engaging their fellow Birthright participants about the Occupation and claimed [00:09:17] “Jews in America have been systematically separated from this knowledge.”
The activists said why they chose to leave the tour precisely during their visit to the ancient City of David and Oliver alleged that the Jewish National Fund (JNF) was [00:15:01] “actively working to displace Palestinians in the name of an archaeological park, where it’s actually just a guise for settlers to move in.”
Also on July 19, 2018, Fadem appeared in a video filmed by INN activist and fellow Birthright walk-off, Elon Glickman.
In the video, seven activists stood [00:01:08] outside JNF’s office in central Jerusalem with a sign identifying themselves as “Birthright Walkoffs,” while fellow Birthright walk-off Risa Nagel read scripted remarks off her phone. Nagel spoke [00:01:12] about their recent action and stated [00:02:05] that: “rather than be complicit in this pro-Occupation agenda, we walked off our trip.”
Nagel mentioned [00:02:33] that they remembered JNF and their charity boxes and said: “Little did we know that the money was being used to...make life hell for the Palestinians.”
Nagel urged people watching the video to sign the INN letter linked in the video’s description, urging the JNF to “Stop Uprooting Palestinian Families in East Jerusalem.”
Supporting Violent Protesters
Fadem also indicated that she also “went” to a May 17, 2018 event called: “Open Meeting & Vigil: Boston Jewish Community Healing & Mourning,” hosted by INN.The event description stated: “As American Jews our hearts are broken as we see the Israeli military choosing to fire live ammunition at Palestinians taking a stand for their basic human rights. We mourn the unnecessary loss of life amidst this extremely powerful and inspiring moment of Palestinian resistance...We know that this violence is done in our name, both as Americans by Donald Trump and as Jews by Bibi Netanyahu”
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.
Fadem indicated on Facebook that she “went” to a May 15, 2018 event called: “Remember and Resist: 70 Years of Ethnic Cleansing in Palestine.” The event was co-organized by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and endorsed by Boston-Wide Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Boston University SJP and Harvard Law School Justice for Palestine.
The event’s Facebook description said: “Palestinians and their allies in Boston are marking the 70th commemoration of the Nakba - the catastrophic Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestine...Palestinians in Gaza live in the world’s largest open-air prison.”
The event’s Facebook description also described theGreat March of Return as: “a peaceful encampment and weekly protests along the border with Israel...met with Israeli snipers firing live ammunition, rubber bullets and gas at unarmed protesters, journalists and children.”
The protest was held outside the Boston offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Boston.
The INN Facebook event description called the U.S. administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the announcement America would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem “a tragedy for our beloved Jewish people,” as well as “deliberate incitement of violence and sabotage of progress towards peace.”
The event page went on to say: “AIPAC has been pushing Trump to unilaterally move the embassy since he was elected...Our generation of young American Jews will not allow Trump and AIPAC to start a war in our name.”
The event’s Facebook description said: “This is your chance to become more deeply involved in the organizing and leadership of IfNotNow and the #JewishResistance.” Flahive was featured in a photo from the event posted on Facebook.
On August 7, 2018, Fadem promoted INN on Facebook in a group called: “Bennington Environmental Action Group.”
Fadem wrote: “One of the movement spaces closest to my heart right now is If Not Now. They have compiled a bunch of movement songs (Labor, anti-coal, Momentum, #BlackLivesMatter, some in Hebrew, and also heavily Jewish) its the most wholesome (and powerful!) thing!”
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).
The event’s Facebook description said: “Palestinians and their allies in Boston are marking the 70th commemoration of the Nakba - the catastrophic Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestine...Palestinians in Gaza live in the world’s largest open-air prison.”
The event’s Facebook description also described theGreat March of Return as: “a peaceful encampment and weekly protests along the border with Israel...met with Israeli snipers firing live ammunition, rubber bullets and gas at unarmed protesters, journalists and children.”
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 also threw Molotov cocktails and firebombs, shot firearms and threw rocks.
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.”
Opposing the Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital
Fadem indicated on Facebook that she “went” to a December 6, 2017, INN-hosted event called: “EMERGENCY RALLY: Jews Say No to Trump Embassy in Jerusalem.”
The protest was held outside the Boston offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Boston.
The INN Facebook event description called the U.S. administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the announcement America would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem “a tragedy for our beloved Jewish people,” as well as “deliberate incitement of violence and sabotage of progress towards peace.”
The event page went on to say: “AIPAC has been pushing Trump to unilaterally move the embassy since he was elected...Our generation of young American Jews will not allow Trump and AIPAC to start a war in our name.”
INN Activity
Fadem attended an event called: “IfNotNow Boston Orientation Training: December 2-3.”The event’s Facebook description said: “This is your chance to become more deeply involved in the organizing and leadership of IfNotNow and the #JewishResistance.” Flahive was featured in a photo from the event posted on Facebook.
On August 7, 2018, Fadem promoted INN on Facebook in a group called: “Bennington Environmental Action Group.”
Fadem wrote: “One of the movement spaces closest to my heart right now is If Not Now. They have compiled a bunch of movement songs (Labor, anti-coal, Momentum, #BlackLivesMatter, some in Hebrew, and also heavily Jewish) its the most wholesome (and powerful!) thing!”
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/100000513575017
- Status:
- Student,Professional
- University:
- Bennington
- Organizations:
- INN
- Related Profiles:
- Last Modified:
- 05/04/2026
Videos
3 videos
Photos & Screenshots
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