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Every day, Rachel Goldberg tears off a new piece of masking tape and writes down how many days it has been since her son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, was abducted by Hamas militants and places it on her chest. On Tuesday, it will read “39” as she speaks to the thousands of people gathered on the National Mall at a rally to show solidarity with Israel, condemn antisemitism and demand the release of about 240 hostages, including her 23-year-old son.
“I feel like people are not realizing that time goes by,” Goldberg said in an interview ahead of the rally, “wearing the number is also something that makes people uncomfortable. And I feel like that’s my job now, to make people feel uncomfortable that they’re not doing enough to get these innocent people out of the bowels of the Earth.”
Here’s what to know about the pro-Israel rally in D.C. on Tuesday
The “March for Israel” 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. Goldberg is expected to be among the speakers. Thousands of people are expected to head to the nation’s capital from across the country.
Goldberg has shared the story of how her son, who was born in Berkeley, Calif., was abducted by Hamas and how he had backpacked across Europe by himself over the summer, heading to trance music festivals, camping and making friends along the way. He was born in Berkeley, California and she described him as a “super curious, laid back, fun-loving, voraciously well-read, wanderlust motivated music-lover” and a “pursuer of peace.”
Families of Israeli hostages will travel to D.C. to plead for release and President Biden has supported Israel since the breakout of the war. There has been an increase in antisemitic acts during this time.
