Tens of thousands of people descended on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to call for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and to condemn rising antisemitism in the wake of the war between Israel and Hamas.
It’s been over five weeks since Hamas took more than 200 hostages from Israel during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.
"What weighed the most is the children seeing the children, the kidnapped children, some of them babies. I have young kids myself and I think about those children in those tunnels away from their parents not knowing what to do not knowing what the next hour will bring, that keeps me up at night," said Noam Bentov of Needham, Massachusetts.
Bentov is from Israel and has been living in New England for many years. He was among over 1,500 Boston area residents who traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend what's been dubbed the March for Israel — an event to rally against antisemitism and hate.
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"It's very important for us in this time when there's been so much hatred towards Jews and towards Israel that we felt that we needed to be here," said Barbara Gaffin of Newton.
Faced with terror, violence and hate, thousands of families, students and community groups gathered in the nation’s capital to stand together.
"It's hard to find hope these days. It's been a really dark time, but I think for all of us standing here right now, it’s just incredibly hopeful to see people who have put aside their jobs, their families and any expense to be here and to show their unity and support for Israel," Brookline resident Jennifer Weinstock said.
The march began with a focus on the youngest generation of Jewish communities across America, who have been facing rising antisemitism since the start of the war. About 200 college students from New England traveled to take part.
"A lot of them have been dealing with bullying, harassment, intimidation, in the name of, I think, free speech, and like, it's difficult for Jews to feel like they are being blamed for what is going on in the Middle East," Meir Zimmerman of Ayer said.
Thousands of people have been killed as the war between Israel and Hamas continues in the Middle East. After the Hamas attack, Israel vowed to crush the militant group that controls Gaza, but the results have been devastating for the 2.3 million Palestinians that live in the territory, many of whom have been displaced by Israel's military campaign.
Some demonstrators at Tuesday's march voiced empathy for the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies.
"I do empathize with, obviously, the many Palestinian lives lost, as well. I don't want any civilians to die, I want all people to live in peace, but at the same time, Israel has to defend itself," said Phil Hochman of New Haven, Connecticut.
The plight of civilians is fueling tensions as the conflict creates a humanitarian crisis in the enclave and the complex history of the region offers no simple solution to the conflict.
