THOUSANDS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL ON NATIONAL MALL
Demonstrators call for unity in ongoing fight against Hamas
Thousands of demonstrators descended on the National Mall in Washington on Tuesday to express solidarity with Israel in its ongoing war with Gaza, condemn antisemitism in the United States and globally, and demand the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
With the U.S. Capitol in the background, musicians performed and speakers including actors, politicians and activists addressed the crowd from a stage bedecked with the f lags of Israel and the United States. One by one they recounted the history of the Jewish people, called for unity and support in the fight against Hamas, and expressed resolve for Israel’s future.
Speaking remotely from Jerusalem, Israeli President Isaac Herzog thanked the protesters for gathering in support and marching for “good over evil, for human morality over bloodthirst, for light over darkness.”
“I vow to you,” Herzog said, “that we will heal, we will rise again and we will rebuild.”
The “March for Israel” rally, organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, took place amid a deepening war in Gaza and renewed fears of antisemitism in the United States. Harassment, vandalism and assaults against Jews soared by nearly 400 percent during the weeks after the Hamas attack, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, which catalogues antisemitic, White supremacist and other hate-driven incidents.
Protesters from across the country joined the rally, with many traveling by bus or flying from as far away as California.
Tuesday’s rally took place at an increasingly fraught time for American leaders as they balance support for Israel with increasing demands for a cease-fire or a halt to Israeli bombing of Gaza, where more than 11,000 people have been killed in airstrikes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
CNN commentator Van Jones was cheered at the rally when he expressed his support for Israel, but when he called for an end to the bombing of Gaza the crowd erupted in a chant of “No cease-fire.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also addressed the demonstrators, standing alongside lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.
“We are here, united, Democrat and Republican, House and Senate, to say we stand with Israel,” said Schumer, who was joined by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. “The Jewish people will be resilient,” Schumer told the cheering crowd. “We are here today to show we will not hide in the face of adversity, in America and in Israel.”