Thousands Rally In Washington DC, Supporting Israel, Demanding ‘No Ceasefire’
03:54 GMT 15.11.2023 (Updated: 10:27 GMT 30.01.2024)
© Jacquelyn Martin
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Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in DC to voice support for Israel and demand that no ceasefire be called in its war with Hamas. Speakers at the protest praised Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza and US President Joe Biden’s support of the campaign.
Dubbed the “March for Israel” the event was organized by the Jewish Federations for North America, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and other Jewish groups. They described the event as standing in “solidarity with the Israeli people while demanding the immediate release of the remaining hostages and to condemn the rise in antisemitism.”
The event was also in response to protests nationwide that have called for a ceasefire in Gaza and condemning the indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas. On November 4, a protest in support of a ceasefire gathered between 100,000 and 300,000 people in Washington. More than 3,700 demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians took place between October 7 and 27.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) spoke at the event, which also featured leaders of Jewish organizations, celebrities and Christian televangelist John Hagee, who founded Christians United for Israel.
Hagee’s invitation drew criticism from some Jewish groups because he claimed during a 1999 sermon that “God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land.” The evangelical Christian would eventually apologize for the comment nearly a decade later. In 2006, he said Hurricane Katrina, which killed 2,000 people, was God’s punishment for a gay pride parade.
After he was added to the speaker’s list, Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs tweeted the organization's opposition. “We can build broad coalitions against antisemitism and in support of the Israeli people without platforming bigots like Pastor Hagee — who promotes an apocalyptic, antisemitic worldview rooted in hate against LGBTQ, Muslim, and other communities,” the tweet read.
Hagee told the crowd that “Israel is not just a state… Israel is the apple of God’s eye,” and said the conflict is the greatest threat Israel has faced “since it returned 75 years ago.”
American political commentator Van Jones called for the crowd to “take a stand against anti-Jewish bigotry, let’s take a stand against Muslims, let’s take a stand against hatred.”
Protesters carried signs with pictures of hostages taken by Hamas, as well as pleas to “bring them home.” Other signs were more aggressive, calling to “Let Israel finish the job” and “Many Gazan civilians are Hamas or in training.” One sign on social media stated “From the sea to the river, Israel is forever” a play on the Palestinian slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” a statement that the Anti-Defamation League contends is an antisemitic slogan.
Torres was the event’s first featured speaker, taking the stage to say that he was there “as an American, to defend one of our greatest American values: the US-Israel relationship,” adding that it’s a value “encoded in our DNA.”
The speakers were unified in their calls for Hamas to release the hostages. On Monday, it was reported that Hamas was willing to release 70 of the women and children hostages if Israel agreed to a five-day ceasefire and released some of its female and child prisoners.
Speaker Johnson told the crowd that “the calls for a ceasefire are outrageous,” prompting a loud “no ceasefire” chant from the crowd.
Schumer, Johnson, Jeffries and Ernst joined each other on stage, holding hands and proclaiming “We stand with Israel,” and Israeli President Issac Herzog addressed the crowd by video, saying that there was “no greater cause than this.”
Organizers claimed that 290,000 people attended the event, though the crowd looked much smaller than protest events which were estimated at much lower. The aforementioned Palestine protest in DC was estimated to have been attended by 300,000 supporters according to its organizers, but images and videos of the event appeared to show a crowd multiple times larger than the pro-Israel event.
🇵🇸Today, the people made history! 300,000 marched in Washington DC to demand an end to Biden and Israel’s genocide against Gaza and demand freedom for Palestine!#March4Palestine pic.twitter.com/RmDqZCftAD
— ANSWER Coalition (@answercoalition) November 4, 2023
The Israel on Campus Coalition, a Jewish advocacy group, was offering “microgrants” to reimburse Israeli students who attended the event. It claims on its website that it “successfully allocated funding to help thousands of students attend the event.” According to a Jewish site blog post from before the event, the Israel on Campus Coalition was offering $250 for students to attend the event.
What looked to be a few hundred counter protesters gathered across the street from pro-Israel rally, both sides stayed peaceful during the event, according to reports.
Early in November, UN experts warned that “time is running out to prevent genocide and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.” Since that time, the conflict has only escalated, with Israel launching a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip and increasing involvement of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, roughly 11,400 Palestinians, more than one out of every 200 residents in Gaza, have been killed by Israeli strikes since October 7, including more than 4,100 children. More are suspected dead, with their bodies uncounted under the rubble.
According to official numbers, roughly 1,200 Israelis died during Hamas’ October 7 attack.
