Close to 300,000 march for Israel in Washington, decry antisemitism

WASHINGTON – Close to 300,000 demonstraters gathered in Washington on Tuesday for the March for Israel, to demand the release of hostages under Hamas captivity, and demonstrate their determination to combat the increasing levels of antisemitism since October 7.

The rally was organized by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CoP) and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Estimates early in the day named the rally as the biggest one in support of Israel in the US to date.

Before the rally started, 30,000 students and youths gathered before noon at a special pre-march youth rally for Israel. Sponsored by Root One in partnership with Hillel International Movement, Prizmah, The Jewish Education Project, and others, students from USY, Young Judaea, Tsofim of North America, Ramah Camping Movement, NCSY and MaccabiaUSA, students of Jewish day schools and high schools also attended the youth rally.

Sophie, a tenth grader from a Minneapolis public school, flew in on a chartered plane for the rally. “It’s a really crazy time to be at public school – a lot of times you don’t know if you can be yourself or how other people will react to what’s going on,” she said. “I’m rallying to support everyone who is affected by this, especially all of my friends and family in Israel.” 

Bina, an eighth grader from a NYC public school, explained that she is not surrounded by a lot of Jews in her daily life. “I think it’s really important to stand up for what I believe in, because there are so many other opinions around me, I’m worried to be myself but this is a really good opportunity to share my opinion.” 

“I think it’s important to be here and help Israel and to free the hostages,” said Ruby, a sixth grader from a NYC public school

Religious a-cappella group The Maccabeats led the US national anthem, with Israeli singer Omer Adam following with a moving rendition of Hatikvah.

Featured speaker Natan Sharansky, the former chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Soviet dissident, told the pro-Israel crowd: “The outcome of our struggle can be only our victory.” 

This was Sharansky’s third feature at a mass Israeli march. The two previous ones were related to Soviet Jewry in 1987 and the need for US endorsement of Israel during the 2002 Intifada. He took the opportunity to condemn the worrisome antisemitism on campuses across the US.

Sharansky welcomed the Milken Institute’s Arielle Mokhtarzadeh, and Mijal Bitton from the Shalom Hartman Institute. Both described the generational trauma they said they faced as Jews from Iran and Argentina, respectively. They paid ode to America, it’s alliance to Israel, and trust it will listen to the concerns of Jewish American citizens.

JFNA chair Julie Platt then introduced Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who delivered a message broadcast live from the Western Wall in Jerusalem. “From the most sacred site in the Jewish world,” he said, the “people of Israel are eternal, and no one will break us. 

He thanked the crowd then: “From the Jewish symbol of fulfillment of our ancient dreams, to the American symbols of freedom, liberty, and democracy. Thank you.

“Today we come together as a family, one big mishpacha, to march for Israel. To march for the babies, the boys and girls, women and men viciously held hostage by Hamas. To march for the right of every Jew to live proudly and safely in America, in Israel and around the world. Above all, we come together to march for good over evil, for human morality over blood thirst. We march for light over darkness.

“Eighty years ago, Jews came out of Auschwitz and vowed ‘never again’. As the blue and white flag was hoisted over our ancient homeland, we vowed ‘never again’. Forty days ago, a terrorist army invaded the sovereign State of Israel and butchered hundreds upon hundreds of Israelis in the largest massacre since the Holocaust. Let us cry out, together: Never again. Never again is now.”

CoP chair Harriet Schleifer welcomed ambassadors to the stage then, including US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt. Both introduced US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA).

The crowd joined the representatives in chants, exclaiming, “We stand with Israel.” Israeli singer Ishay Ribo took the stage next, followed by actress Debra Messing, who shared her own words of grief, empowerment, and outrage. She emphasized the war against antisemitism must be fought by the Diaspora Jewish community, noting the murder of Paul Kessler, an elderly Jewish man who died from injuries he sustained during an altercation with pro-Palestinian protesters in Los Angeles. 

Messing held a moment of silence for the victims of October 7, and then introduced Orna Neutra, the mother of hostage Omer Neutra and Alana Zeitchik and cousin of six hostages. They were accompanied by the co-chairs of the Bipartisan Task Force Combating Antisemitism (BTFCA), Rep. Kathy Manning, Sen. Jacky Rosen, and Rep. Chris Smith. The heartbreaking segment held one message: Bring the hostages home. 

Antisemitism on US campuses growing

The crowd was then addressed by two college students, Sabrina Soffer, who attends George Washington University, and Noa Fay, who attends Columbia University. Both expressed their appreciation and importance for this rally as they face antisemitism on campus.

College students have been at the forefront of antisemitism in America since Hamas’s surprise massacre attack on Israel, which murdered 1,200 mostly civilians, including 30 Americans in the early morning of October 7. Hamas took 236 people hostage, including nine Americans, and wounded about 3,400 people. 

DC resident Rachel Cohen, who recently graduated from a local university, told of the displays of antisemitism there: “There was the projection on the library named after a Jewish couple that said ‘Divestment from Zionist genocide now’ and ‘Free Palestine From the River to the Sea,’ and  ‘Glory to our martyrs.’ Photos of hostages were also torn down in the Hillel building.” 

She added that she tries to “not make it as obvious that I’m Jewish by being not descriptive….” To the people at the rally, she said: “Even if you’re the only Jew, you don’t have to feel bad for showing who you are.”

“Just as almost every family in Israel has been directly impacted by the attacks and their aftermath, so too are Israeli-American families personally affected. That's why the voice of Israeli-Americans is so central a component of the Jewish-American community and why we are turning out for the March on Washington in enormous numbers," Carr concluded.  

The rally concluded with final words from JFNA CEO Eric Fingerhut, and CoP CEO William Daroff.

ZVIKA KLEIN contributed to this report.