“We’re expecting a big turnout to get involved in these issues and make sure America knows where we stand,” said William Daroff, chief executive of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. .
Organizers expect 100,000 people to attend the event on the National Mall, according to a permit issued by the National Park Service. City officials also expect tens of thousands of people to attend the rally, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said at a press conference Monday. D.C. police requested assistance from the National Guard, which will assist with some traffic safety points, Bowser said.
Biden was quick to support Israel after Hamas militants broke through Israel’s border on October 7, abducting around 240 people and killing 1,200 during the attack. Four hostages were released, and Israel has said it rescued one soldier in the operation. Since then, more than 11,000 people in Gaza have been killed, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Harassment, vandalism and attacks against Jews rose nearly 400 percent in the weeks following the Hamas attack, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s Anti-Defamation Center, which catalogs antisemitic, white-collar incidents. -supremacist and others driven by hate and who encourage the march forward. his website. Oren Segal, vice president of the Center on Terrorism, said this spike in antisemitism has also been seen at protests that include “glorifying, celebrating or legitimizing Hamas’ brutal violence against Israelis and Jews.” “
“One of the things that antisemitic incidents do is make people feel isolated, vulnerable, alone,” Segal said. “Here [rally] it is not intended to be against the hate we have seen. I think this is for the Jewish community, to have an opportunity to thank people but also to mourn together.”
Tuesday’s event in Washington, known as “The March for Israel,” will be an opportunity for rally-goers to denounce hate and show that they are united behind the Jewish state. Here are the other things you need to know about the complaint.
When and where is the rally?
The rally will begin on the National Mall, between Fourth and 12th streets, at 1pm and last until 3pm. The area will open for demonstrators to arrive at 10am, and the organizers recommend that people allow time for get through security. There will also be a pre-event gathering for students at 11:30 a.m. There is no march planned.
The main entrance to the rally will be on 12th Street NW between Madison Drive NW and Jefferson Drive SW. There is also space for people with accessibility needs with an entrance at Sixth Street SW and Jefferson Drive SW.
A “peace bloc” made up of members of the “progressive Jewish community” plans to meet ahead of the gathering from the National Museum of American History on the National Mall, incoming executive director Maytal Kowalski said. -in for Partners for Progressive Israel, write in a message to the organization’s mailing list.
“We were debating whether to join this rally,” Kowalski wrote, adding that group members will show up to “share our messages of peace, of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, and makes it clear that there are no weapons. a solution to this political and national conflict.”
Organizers said on the Park Service’s permit application that they plan to have “a large security presence, large ‘bikerack’ barriers around our permitted area, and other security features,” to separate protesters from protesters. rally.
“Tensions are obviously high due to the attack by Hamas terrorists into Israel on October 7,” the organizers wrote of the permit request. “We will have a lot of professional security contracted for this event.”
The local chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement posted a statement on Instagram discouraging supporters from participating in the March for Israel.
The organizers of the rally will also distribute Israeli and American flags for attendees, but they specified that rally goers are not allowed to bring flagpoles or wooden stakes.
Will there be street closures?
There will be street closures and parking restrictions in the area near the gathering. More information can be found on the DC police website.
People can also sign up for the AlertDC notification system for traffic and public safety updates by texting MARHDDC at 888-777.
What is the purpose of the rally?
Those gathering on Tuesday will emphasize the urgent need to release the hostages captured by Hamas more than a month ago.
Earlier this month, relatives of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas traveled to Washington to urge the international community to maintain pressure and demand the release of their family members if spread This rally also comes after thousands of people rallied in Washington on November 4, calling for a cease-firein the Israel-Gaza war and an end to American aid to Israel, in what appeared to be one of the largest expressions of American solidarity with the Palestinian people to date.
“Parents have had more than 30 days without their children,” said Eric Fingerhut, president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Federations of North America. “This battle against Hamas is critical not only only for Israel, but for America.”
The organizers said they will also thank Biden and the American lawmakers who supported the Jewish state and will urge them to continue supporting Israel.
Since the start of the war, the House and Senate have voted overwhelmingly to pass resolutions supporting Israel and at least 18 senators and four members of the House have traveled to the Jewish state. The Biden administration has also asked Congress to approve $14 billion in emergency military aid to Israel.
Israel is the biggest beneficiary of US aid, having received about $150 billion in taxpayer aid as of 2022, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan organization.
Half of registered voters in the United States approve of Israel’s response to the October 7 attack, and 35 percent disapprove, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this month. However, these views vary widely by party, race and age, with the lowest approval seen among Democrats (33 percent), voters aged 18 to 34 (32 percent) and Black vote (29 percent).
Meanwhile, the poll shows, 51 percent of voters support the United States sending more military aid to Israel, while 71 percent of voters vote in support of providing humanitarian aid to help Palestinians in Gaza.
Who will speak at the rally?
Speakers will include relatives of people held hostage by Hamas, bipartisan congressional leaders, college students, actress Debra Messing, Broadway actress Tovah Feldshuh and Rochelle Ford, president of University Dillard, among others.
The organizers have not yet given details about a possible live stream.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
