Nearly 300,000 Israel Supporters Rallied in DC; 900 Stuck as Bus Drivers Refuse To Serve Jews

America rallies for Israel, Jews, and October 7 hostages in massive DC show of solidarity

Hamas terrorists attacked Israel 39 days ago. Today, nearly 300,000 Israel supporters gathered peacefully to show support for Israel and the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. A string of high-profile speakers and entertainers took to the stage lined with US and Israeli flags; the US Capitol building was the backdrop. 

The rally, which was organized by Jewish Federations of North America alongside the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, drew nearly 290,000 pro-Israel supporters on a Tuesday afternoon. The US Department of Homeland Security designated the rally a “level 1” security event. 

According to the DHS, a level 1 security event is defined as “having such significant national and/or international importance that it may require extensive federal interagency security and incident management preparedness.” 

Capitol Police, Washington Metropolitan Police, and the US Park Police had jurisdiction over the event, according to a spokesperson for the Park Police. But a wide range of federal agencies took part in keeping security tight at the historic gathering as well. 

Chants of “Bring them home!” punctuated thoughts as the peaceful crowd waved posters of the nearly 240 hostages being held by Hamas.  

“We will win. We always have. We are strong, resilient, and devoted. And we will not lose ourselves. We will worry for our global Jewish family and also hurt for the innocent Palestinians used as human shields by Hamas,” Debra Messing said from the stage. “We will pray for the success of the IDF in a war Israel did not start and did not want, but a war Israel will win,” the American actress continued. 

Israeli President Isaac Herzog appeared digitally from Israel to address the crowd.   

“Today we come together, as a family, one big mispacha, 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,” Herzog told the protestors in a live message from the Western Wall. “Above all, we come together to march for good over evil, for human morality over bloodthirst. We march for light over darkness,” Herzog said. 

Also attending were representatives from the Hispanic Christian community in the USA who came to the march in Washington, DC to show their support for Israel. Carlos Duran, President of the National Hispanic Pastors Alliance, told The Media Line that they were there to “show support for her right to defend against any attack, to demand the liberation of all hostages, and to stand against the growing antisemitism in the USA.” He added, “An attack on the Jewish community is an attack on the foundation of our faith and our Judeo-Christian values, thus an attack on us.”

Jonathan Avendano, managing director of the National Hispanic Pastors Alliance

The DC Rally for Israel comes in light of an alarming number of antisemitism incidents in America, especially on US college campuses. Sabrina Soffer, a George Washington University student called today’s atmosphere on college campuses “a hate fest” against Jews. 

According to data from the Anti-Defamation League, “a total of 312 antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7 and Oct. 23, 2023, 190 of which were directly linked to the war in Israel and Gaza.” A Jewish man was killed by a pro-Palestinian supporter last week. “From the river to the sea,” is one of the last things he would have heard as he lay dying on American soil simply for being a Jew in support of Israel.

After Soffer finished speaking about the blinding antisemitism occurring on her campus, the group began to chant “No cease-fire.”

More people would have been in attendance, but two planes full of potential attendees were scrapped before they could take off. The 350 would-be rallygoers were told last night that Washington-area airports could not accommodate their chartered planes due to the airports’ inability to handle so many passengers at the smaller airports. The group, however, made the best of the situation by watching the livestream at Toronto’s JCC.   

“It was amazing how the community came together,” a man with the group, who asked not to be identified, told The Media Line from the Toronto JCC. 

Not all was lost either. Each of the 350 passengers paid 1,100 Canadian dollars for the trip to support Israel in DC. They will send their refunded money to an Israeli charity.  

The rally had a similar vibe of goodwill and community.   

“The rally was uplifting as it was encouraging to hear so many speakers in support of Israel and the efforts of the IDF and in strongly expressing the extreme importance of freeing the hostages and bringing them home,” Anne Gober, who attended with her husband Arthur, told The Media Line. “It was heartwarming to see and to be a part of a large gathering of so many Jews and supporters,” Gober continued. 

Anne and Arthur Gober, who came from New York to attend the rally, hold up a sign of 9-month-old baby Kfir, the youngest hostage captive in Gaza.

Two weeks ago, Palestinian supporters left graffiti on numerous American monuments in Washington. As of publication, there were no reports of violence or property destruction that accompanied the pro-Israel rally. 

Not all went off without a hitch, though. For hundreds of supporters from the Detroit Jewish Federation, antisemitism made an appearance, again. As referenced by William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Detroit Federation found themselves stranded on the tarmac after the bus drivers refused to drive Jews. Around 900 people were left stuck as the situation unfolded.