What is expected by organizers to be the largest pro-Israel rally in American history will take place next Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 14, at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Starting at 1 p.m., the March for Israel is being co-organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
The March for Israel has three objectives, said Eric D. Fingerhut, CEO of Jewish Federations of North America. Attendees will demand the return of the estimated 240 hostages abducted by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, he said.
They will also call for efforts to combat antisemitism, which has spiked worldwide since the attack. And they will demonstrate their support for the unabashed backing that Israel has so far received from both parties in Congress and the Biden administration.
“All three elements are important to all of our communities,” Fingerhut said. “We’re proud of what our government has done [to support Israel], but we want them to know how much support there is not only for what they’ve done but also for the continued efforts that are going to be needed as this long conflict continues.”
Among the sponsors of the rally is The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, which with the Baltimore Zionist District and area synagogues will coordinate buses from a Pikesville location to the nation’s capital.
Seats are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The departure site will be disclosed upon registration. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times
The Associated is also encouraging attendees to take the MARC train or the Metro to D.C. and search for signs at the rally proclaiming “Baltimore Stands with Israel.”
“Join the Baltimore Jewish community and Jewish communities around the nation for a powerful event in Washington, D.C., as we come together in unity to support Israel, call for the release of hostages and stand against antisemitism, anti-Zionism and anti-Israel rhetoric, hate and violence,” read an Associated statement. “This is a crucial moment for us to make our voices heard and show our solidarity as a Jewish people.”
The rally will take place five weeks after the Oct. 7 attacks by the Hamas terrorist group, which resulted in the murders of 1,400 people, mostly Israeli civilians, in the deadliest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
The rally will be held 10 days after thousands of people gathered in Northwest D.C. for one of the largest pro-Palestinian protests in U.S. history.
William C. Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents, said organizers hope the rally on Nov. 14 will have the impact of a 2002 pro-Israel rally during the Second Intifada and a 1987 mass rally to support Soviet Jewry, each of which drew more than 100,000 Jewish demonstrators to the National Mall.
“Just as the American Jewish community and our allies spoke out with mass events in 1987 in support of Soviet Jewry and in 2002 in support of Israel during the Second Intifada, we are now in a similar moment where the American Jewish community and the American people are speaking out loudly and clearly in support of the people of Israel and demanding the unconditional return of the hostages,” he said.
Daroff and Fingerhut said there were no confirmed speakers yet for the two-hour rally, although they invited lawmakers and officials from the Biden administration at the highest level.
To register for bus transportation from the Baltimore area to the Nov. 14 rally, email information@associated.org.
For information about The Associated’s emergency fund for Israel, visit payments.associated.org/IsraelAttacked.
The JTA global Jewish news source contributed to this report.
A former resident of Baltimore and central Florida, Ritt was active in the Soviet Jewry movement of the 1970s and 1980s.
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