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People from across the United States converged on the nation's capital on Nov. 14 for a historic event in support of the state of Israel.
Against a backdrop of rising anti-lsrael sentiment in the international community and a surge in antisemitism in the United States and around the world, nearly 300,000 individuals, representing different communities, organizations, schools and synagogues gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., under a clear blue sky and took part in the March for Israel. Another 250,000 people watched the event on the livestream and on CSPAN.
The rally, which was spearheaded by Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, had three primary objectives according to the event organizers - showing solidarity with Israel, demanding the immediate release of the hostages being held by Hamas and condemning the rise in antisemitic violence and harassment.
The huge crowd began arriving early, with many people taking their places on the National Mall hours before the rally was scheduled to begin. Amid a sea of blue and white, attendees of all ages waved Israeli flags, held up signs of support, sung Hebrew songs and stood proudly with Israel as a range of speakers addressed the crowd.
The speakers included families of some American hostages being held by Hamas, bipartisan congressional leaders, interfaith allies and Natan Sharansky, the renowned human rights activist, former political prisoner in the Soviet Union and former Israeli government official. Actress and advocate Debra Messing and U.S. Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt were among the other event speakers.
The event also featured musical performances by Israeli music stars Ishay Ribo and Omer Adam; the world famous acapella group, the Maccabeats; and Jewish reggae singer, Matisyahu. Before the main program, there was a pre-show rally for students, who heard from social media influencers and others.
President Isaac Herzog of Israel addressed the crowd via videoconference from the Western Wall. "The people of Israel are eternal, and no one will break us," Herzog said. '"Never again' is now."
"Since Oct. 7, we have been a people under siege. We have been brutally attacked in Israel and those attacks have continued here in the United States through the tsunami of Jew-hatred and...