It’s become a common occurrence in recent years for liberal or left-of-center groups, either online or off, to get caught up in heated disagreements about Israel.
This happened with the original group that founded the Women’s March during Donald Trump’s first term, leading to its implosion, and in 2021, when a large Facebook group for Chicago mothers was torn apart over arguments about the Middle East.
Such conflicts have ramped up since the events of Oct. 7, as Democrats and anti-Trumpers have at times found themselves in disagreement with one another. Some American Jews associated with Pride marches and other LGBTQ activism have found themselves alienated when “Zionists” have been banned or rejected from such spaces.
There was another such instance last month, in the Wisconsin chapter of an anti-Trump Facebook group, which was connected to the No Kings protests that took place around the country, including in Milwaukee, on June 14.
The group is called 50501 Wisconsin, and it had over 9,000 members as of June 19. The 50501 Movement is a reference to “50 States. 50 Protests. One Movement,” and 50501 was one of the groups behind the “No Kings” protests.
Two members of the Jewish community in Wisconsin, Lauren Berger and Heather Berken, told the Chronicle that they were removed from the group, following arguments about specific recent news stories that touched on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Berger, who lives in Bayside, is the director of annual giving for Hadassah. While she hasn’t traditionally considered herself a politically active person, she’s gotten more involved in the past year, when she canvassed for the Harris campaign in 2024 and in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race earlier this year.
“I’ve been a member of several Facebook groups that are liberal-leaning Facebook groups for years,” Berger said. “But I’ve never interacted. I like to look, and watch, and see, what are the feelings going on around the country, how are people feeling, what’s important to them, just to kind of get the pulse and see what’s going on out there.”
In the run-up to the No Kings rally in mid-June, Berger noticed more activity and interactions, and in the 50501 group, “I noticed that they had all of a sudden seemingly [started] to post things that were Israel-Gaza-related.” She said that one person in the group had asked people to wear keffiyahs to carry Gaza-related signs when attending the rally.
Berken, an ER nurse who lives in Cedarburg, grew up in Fox Point.
“I grew up pretty Zionist, involved in the Jewish community,” Berken said. She spent time on a kibbutz in her youth.
“October 7, like for many people, sort of spiked this passion in me that I always had,” she said. “Since then, I’ve been much more pulled to being a part of Jewish life. I also feel like we’re circling the wagons around each other, because everyone else hates us.” Ten days after Oct. 7, Berken got on a plane to Israel to volunteer as a nurse and has returned multiple times since. She also runs the Run For Their Lives walking group in Milwaukee.
Berken was invited into the group by a friend, agreeing with the mission statement of “fighting for American democracy.” And while she started to notice occasional posts that were negative about Israel, it’s not too different from what she’s used to.
“I think what was depressing for me was when I went back to what this group was about,” Berken said. There was no indication it was supposed to be about Israel.
According to Berken, she had objected to a couple of posts in the group, including one call to “flood” the Facebook page of the Oconomowoc police department, after they posted a fundraiser for new tactical equipment. She later argued with a call in the group to wear keffiyehs at protests; she said she posted in the group that wearing such a head garment was “cultural appropriation.”
The argument that led to her removal, though, involved activist Greta Thunberg.
According to screenshots provided to the Chronicle, Berken responded to a message from a group member stating that Thunberg had been kidnapped, or taken hostage, when she landed in Israel.
“The only people abducted were the 251 people taken on Oct. 7,” Berken wrote. “These celebrity yachtists are being towed to Israel, where they will be sent home… unlike the remaining 55 hostages being tortured in the tunnels below Gaza.”
“3rd strike, you’re out,” Sunny Sam Lange, an admin of the group, replied, after which Berken was removed.
Berger remembers her thinking at the time: “Hold on, why is Heather out after a third strike?” Berger said she and Berken did not know one another before this. This moved her to post in the group after merely lurking previously.
Berger then argued with Lange, asking why this was a strike, at which point Lange said (of Berken) “that person is not here to support the movement, and they will be removed from the group.”
“If you don’t like 50501’s stance on Netanyahu’s murderous dictatorship, you will be removed from the group,” Lange wrote.
“I just had a feeling that this wasn’t going to go well,” Berger said, which was why she took the screenshots. After arguing with Lange about those rules, “next thing I know, I’m out,” Berger told the Chronicle.
Neither of the women ended up attending the No Kings protests in person.
“The real issue that I have with this is that I feel that the people who identify as liberal or Democrat… we have a real problem,” Berger said. “Because I believe approximately 70 percent of Jews in this country, historically, vote Democrat, and I believe that as long as people who identify in the Democratic Party are going to silence or erase or not welcome Jewish participants or Jewish voices, regardless of their opinions on Israel, or facts even about Israel, then the Democrats have a really big problem on their hands.”
“Those of us who do identify as liberal, or Democrat, really feel homeless,” Berger added. “It had not happened to me in the past; it was really the first time. And I didn’t even say anything that was that controversial.”
Berken, who says Trump’s victory in 2016 was “the closest I ever came to having a nervous breakdown,” now says she isn’t quite sure where she stands politically.
“I want to be anti-Trump,” she said. “But besides the fact that I’m not welcome in those circles, which is what I’m figuring out… It’s hard because the people who have reached out to me since Oct. 7 in a way that feels meaningful and cared-for are my conservative friends, who I have historically been at odds with.” She specifically remembers the Run For Their Lives group getting a warm reception during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
50501 Wisconsin’s “Group rules from the admins,” which are shared with anyone who joins the group, list eight rules, although none mention Israel, Palestine, or specific political leaders.
“Bullying of any kind isn’t allowed, and degrading comments about things like race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity will not be tolerated. This includes talking about violence in any capacity,” is listed among the rules. “We are here to organize for the rights of ALL. BLM, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, the planet, and HUMAN RIGHTS. Uphold democracy by fighting fascism. By joining this group, you agree to protect these rights and this movement.”
This reporter, while working on this story, joined the 50501 Facebook group. The group, in recent weeks, has included some posts involving plans to protest a potential U.S. strike on Iran, as well as some arguments in the comments below over whether that fits within the purview of the group.
The Chronicle reached out to Sunny Sam Lange, one of the administrators of the group and the person with whom the two banned people had argued, and asked her for comment on the removals. She replied with the following:
“50501 operates on the following principles: We defend constitutional rights and democratic norms. We oppose authoritarianism, militarism, and government overreach, wherever it exists. We support accountability, transparency, and liberation for all people. Our critiques of U.S. foreign policy are consistent with these principles and rooted in a deep commitment to human rights,” she said. “In terms of moderation of a private Facebook group, removals are made in accordance with our community policies.”
“We also take privacy seriously and do not publicly discuss individual moderation actions. We welcome back anyone who has previously been removed or departed so long as they are aligned with the movement’s values and agree to the community policies of the private Facebook page.
“We believe in dialogue, growth, and accountability, and remain committed to building a space where all people working toward justice can participate safely.”
The national movement’s “welcome guide” also does not include any reference to a position on Israel-Palestine. The 50501 movement’s national organization did not respond to a request for comment by the Chronicle.
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