Tens of thousands of people are scheduled to assemble at the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Tuesday to protest antisemitism at the “March for Israel.”
The protest, coordinated by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, comes amid escalating violence in Gaza. Speakers will include the families of those kidnapped by Hamas, college students, bipartisan congressional leaders, actress Debra Messing, Broadway actress Tovah Feldshuh, and Dillard University President Rochelle Ford.
Tuesday’s event organizers stated that in addition to demanding the release of the approximately 240 hostages, they also desire to emphasize “Israel’s right to remain free from violence and the right of Jewish communities in North America and around the world to live free from hate.”
Department of Homeland Security officials told that the event’s security level was upgraded to the highest rating under a procedure defined by the agency – which is normally done based on factors including the size of the gathering, the likelihood that members of Congress would attend, and the anticipated danger level.
The Washington branch of the Palestinian Youth Movement, among other pro-Palestinian organizations, requested on Instagram that its followers “not engage” with Tuesday’s pro-Israel rally. Pro-Palestinian organizations have staged their own demonstrations in American and international cities since the conflict started on October 7, including one in the nation’s capital on November 4.
The Jewish Federations of North America’s president and CEO, Eric D. Fingerhut, stated that Tuesday’s march will demonstrate to the world that Americans support Israel, oppose antisemitism, and demand the release of Hamas’s remaining captives.
“On October 7th, merciless Hamas terrorists launched the deadliest attack on Israel in its 75-year history, brutally murdering the most Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust,” Fingerhut said in a statement. “Israel must eliminate the terrorist threat on its border and restore safety and security to its people. Americans have rightly stood by Israel at this critical moment because Americans understand that Israel’s fight against Hamas is no different than America’s fight against Al Qaeda and ISIS.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected demands for a cease-fire on Sunday but hinted at the possibility of a compromise to free the hostages that Hamas kidnapped from Israel last month. Along with the humanitarian situation, Palestinians must flee severe combat in Gaza, where the death toll is rising, hospitals are collapsing, and gasoline, food, and electricity are still in short supply.
