‘March for Israel’: Thousands expected in DC for rally to condemn soaring antisemitism

Thousands of demonstrators are expected to converge on Washington, D.C. Tuesday for a rally in support of Israel and to denounce rising antisemitism in the wake of Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

The event, dubbed the “March for Israel,” is being organized by the Jewish Federations for North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and will take place on the National Mall. The group said the event is a chance to gather in “solidarity with the Israeli people while demanding the immediate release of the remaining hostages and to condemn the rise of antisemitism.”

The rally comes amid large protests across the U.S. and around the world condemning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians and plunged the the impoverished enclave into a humanitarian crisis. The war, now in its sixth week, was triggered by Hamas’ surprise attack into Israel, in which militants killed hundreds of civilians and dragged some 240 hostages back to Gaza.

Gil Preuss, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, said that Hamas’ ambush on Israel should be an opportunity for peace-seeking Israelis and Palestinians to seek the eradication of the militant group.

“I firmly believe that Israelis and Palestinians need to be able to live in freedom and security, and it is the goal that both populations would like to have,” Preuss said. “The question is how do we get there?”

Across the country, people boarded planes and buses overnight to head to the nation’s capital.

Nate Lichtenstein of Illinois plans to attend the rally with his children and grandchildren. Lichtenstein told NBC Chicago that he’s concerned about the rise in antisemitic attacks against Jews, which has soared by nearly 400%, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

“I am a child of Holocaust survivors,” Lichtenstein said. “My parents lost their entire family during World War II. I did not believe in my lifetime that I would see the kinds of antiemetic incidents, statements and public gatherings. And in some ways, its far worse than I could have predicted.”

In Philadelphia, Jeffrey Lasday, of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, told NBC10 he’s preparing to bring 18 buses of supporters to D.C. Lasday said it’s important that they show support for Israel in numbers.

The demonstration will be met with heightened security and police presence. The Metropolitan Police Department said there are no specific threats against the event but they’ve requested the assistance of the National Guard due to the crowd size and expected attendance of members of Congress, according to NBC Washington.

Among attendees and speakers will be the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as well as actors, activists and family members of the hostages.

NBC News reports at least one pro-Palestinian group, the Washington chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement, asked its supporters on Instagram “not to engage” with Tuesday’s pro-Israel event.

The plan comes after an “alarming” uptick in incidents since the Israel-Hamas war began in early October.