Thousands of people are expected to rally Tuesday in Washington to show solidarity with Israel, express their resolve in combating a rise in antisemitism and demand the release of hostages abducted by Hamas.
The rally, organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, comes amid a deepening war in Gaza. Although thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters recently marched in the nation’s capital to demand a cease-fire, President Biden has supported Israel in rejecting those demands.
“We expect there to be a massive crowd that will engage on these issues and ensure that America knows where we stand,” said William Daroff, chief executive of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
Organizers anticipate that 100,000 people will attend the event on the National Mall, according to a permit issued by the National Park Service.
“We are going to Washington to stand with Israel,” Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University in New York, said on X, formerly Twitter, adding that Yeshiva undergraduate and high school classes would be canceled the day of the rally.
Biden swiftly supported Israel after Hamas militants broke through Israel’s border on Oct. 7, abducting about 240 people and killing 1,200 during the attack. Four hostages have been released, and Israel has said it rescued one soldier in an operation. Since then, more than 11,000 people in Gaza have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
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 and is promoting the march on its website.
People are encouraged to allow time to get through security and to note that there will be street closures and parking restrictions in the area near the rally. The rally will begin at 1 p.m. and last until 3 p.m., and there will also be a pre-event rally for students at 11:30 a.m.
Some of the speakers at the rally will include relatives of people taken hostage by Hamas, bipartisan congressional leaders, college students, actress Debra Messing, Broadway actress Tovah Feldshuh, and Rochelle Ford, the president of Dillard University, among others.