More than 300,000 people are estimated to have attended a pro-Israel rally in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, including 170 family members of Israelis who were kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists last month.
The day kicked off with Senate Republican Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) welcoming the hostages’ families to the bipartisan event, which included lawmakers from both the House and Senate.
“We are all standing here in unity with you,” he said. “For the family members, you have seen the face of terror, the horrors, the brutality. We are heartbroken by that. We stand with the people of Israel and that is very heartfelt. And we wanted to be here to see the faces, to hear the stories, to share the pain and make sure that the world never turns its back on the stories or the people, never turns its back on the people of Israel.”
“We want to work with you in every way that we can for the safe return to all of you of your family members who are currently being held hostage,” he added. “Thank you, welcome to Washington, we are all brothers and sisters here today.”
The rally — organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations — was held on the National Mall and was attended by hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Christians and Jews, from across the U.S.
Christians United For Israel’s Pastor John Hagee said at the rally “if a line has to be drawn, then draw that line around both Christians and Jews. We are one!”
Dovid Efune, Publisher of The New York Sun, said organizers confirmed that 290,000 people passed through the metal detectors to attend the event. However, the real number was likely even higher as “it looked like tens of thousands more didn’t have the required wristbands to get past security,” he said.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that this was “the largest Jewish gathering in history since Mount Sinai.”
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Final estimated headcount at the pro-Israel rally in DC: 290,000 people. Makes this the largest Jewish gathering in history since Mount Sinai.
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) November 14, 2023
Israel Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog called the rally “an unprecedented show of support for Israel, a clear call for the immediate release of the hostages and a powerful coming-together to combat antisemitism.”
“There are defining moments in history, and this was one of them,” he said. “As I said at this amazing gathering: ‘together through our shared voices, values and strength, we will defeat evil and we will prevail.'”
Today, I addressed hundreds of thousands at a rally in downtown Washington DC. It was an unprecedented show of support for Israel, a clear call for the immediate release of the hostages and a powerful coming-together to combat antisemitism.
There are defining moments in… pic.twitter.com/VdcLdJkhe9
— Ambassador Michael Herzog (@AmbHerzog) November 14, 2023
Others noted a stark contrast between how the people behaved at the event versus how people behave at pro-Palestinian events.
290,000 Americans assembled on the national mall to rally for Israel, demand freedom for Hamas-held hostages, & protest antisemitism
No masks to hide our identities; no tearing down statues
Just an outpouring of love for Israel, America, the Jewish people, the West, & humanity pic.twitter.com/5qhJQTKWrs
— Jesse Arm (@Jesse_Leg) November 14, 2023
7 major differences between the anti-Israel protests and the pro-Israel rally today at the National Mall:
1. Nobody was assaulted.
2. There were many American flags.
3. There was no racism or bigotry.
4. Nobody was hiding behind a face mask.
5. Concern was expressed for… pic.twitter.com/RpQJNhmode— Dovid Efune (@Efune) November 14, 2023
The final estimated turnout for the rally for Israel and against Jew hatred is now 290,000, making it the Jewish community's largest turnout ever. The previous record gathering was 250,000 to free Soviet Jewry in 1987. pic.twitter.com/bI9QwxXy8Z
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) November 14, 2023
American flags wave and the Star Spangled Banner sung at the Israel rally in DC.
🇺🇸🇮🇱pic.twitter.com/5b3nFr3TnA
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) November 14, 2023
America stands with Israel. pic.twitter.com/x50D3ArpcO
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 15, 2023