US politicians, hostages’ families address scant crowd at pro-Israel rally in Washington

WASHINGTON, DC — A few thousand demonstrators convened Sunday night in Washington DC’s Nationals Park baseball stadium for a pro-Israel rally that stressed American Jews’ “commitment to unity” following last week’s presidential elections.

“The energy in the air is palpable,” said Michael Herzog, Israel’s outgoing ambassador to the United States, in prepared remarks that echoed across the baseball field to a scattered, sparse crowd.

Organized by the Jewish Federations of North America, which represents over 350 Jewish communities, the evening’s “Stand Together” event came a year after the umbrella organization staged a massive, nearly 300,000-strong rally on the National Mall in November 2023 – a powerful show of support for Israel in wake of Hamas’s October 7 attack.

Similar to the previous year’s, Sunday evening’s rally boasted a lineup of esteemed American and Israeli politicians, Jewish campus activists and family members of Israeli hostages.

But this time around, only a meager crowd turned up to greet the speakers, leaving the venue — which can seat over 40,000 people — almost empty.

“Hundreds of thousands of us joined together in support of the State of Israel and the Israeli people… Together we raised our voices, together we called for the release of the hostages,” Herzog recalled of last year’s “March for Israel” demonstration.

“Today, we are here to renew that vow with strength and purpose,” he said, striking an optimistic tone despite the low turnout.

Herzog also gave a brief nod to US President Joe Biden, thanking his outgoing administration for steadfastly supporting Israel amid the ongoing war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

A Nationals Stadium employee told The Times of Israel that JFNA organizers had instructed the venue staff to prepare for some 25,000 people to show up, but lowered their expectations to 12,000 a day before the event.

“Where are all the Jews out there, anyway?” the emcee, actor and comedian Tiffany Haddish, said in the middle of the event, as chilly rain drizzled on empty seats. “Where are all the Jews at?”

Bring Them Home!
Tiffany Haddish at At The STAND TOGETHER rally.#AmYisraelChai ???????????? #BringThemHome pic.twitter.com/eQ5Ntw3Ziu

— mortezart (@mortezart) November 11, 2024

Multiple factors could have contributed to the low turnout at the event billed by the two main organizers — the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations — as a chance to “stand with Israel” and “strengthen our Jewish unity.”

Attendees and speakers suggested exhaustion after a polarizing US presidential election in which most Jews voted for the loser; burnout after 400 days of advocating for the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza; lack of enthusiasm for Israel’s right-wing government; security jitters after Israeli soccer fans were attacked in Amsterdam; lackluster event promotion; and inclement weather.

The rally preceded the Federations’ annual General Assembly, a three-day conference drawing Jewish community leaders and professionals from across the continent, which kicked off later Sunday evening.

“I don’t know how many showed up, but the stands felt mostly empty,” said Ezra Landman-Feigelson, a University of Illinois student who flew to DC to attend the rally and conference.

He felt that over a year after October 7, American Jews had grown accustomed to Israel’s new reality, making it difficult to recreate the massive spectacle of November 2023.

“We were still in shock, then. We were fresh from October 7. We’ve now had a year to cope with this new reality, and in many ways we’ve gotten used to it,” he lamented.

Gabi Silver, a DC resident raised in Connecticut, felt that the rally was organized haphazardly, with the JFNA paying less attention to local federations as compared to last year.

“Only on Thursday did my federation in Hartford receive a notice that there were buses from New York that could drive them down,” he told The Times of Israel.

In a display of persisting bipartisan support for Israel, American politicians from both sides of the political aisle addressed the audience, including New York Rep. Ritchie Torres (Democrat, New York), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (Democrat, Michigan) and Sen. Joni Ernst (Republican, Iowa).

“This bipartisan presence here is a testament to some fundamental truths. We stand with the people of Israel, we share their pain, we are committed to their safety and we will never forget the horrors of October 7,” Whitmer said.

Whitmer, who is already being discussed as a contender in the 2028 presidential race, nodded to solidarity with Israel and concerns about rising campus antisemitism as anti-Israel protests proliferate.

“We stand against the scourge of antisemitism, and we will fight back against this ancient force wherever it rears its ugly head,” she said. “We must make sure all people feel safe on campus, at work and in their communities, and we stand for a more inclusive, tolerant future where people from all walks of life can thrive.”

2028?

WATCH — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 6-minute speech:

“We stand people of Israel. We share their pain. We are committed to their safety…

Post election season, “we must move forward and focus on solving problems.” https://t.co/a24UMJeBoi pic.twitter.com/2L2W4fO4rX

— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) November 10, 2024

Referencing the pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests that have swept many US college campuses since the start of the Gaza war, Republican Ernst claimed that the American universities have been “penetrated by foreign actors.”

“Today we are here, united with a clear message to those protesters, as well as to Iran and their proxies: You will not win!” Ernst shouted.

“As a long-time friend and a staunch supporter of Israel, I am proud to be here and stand united with our Jewish brothers and sisters and the nation of Israel,” she said.

Torres, a progressive Democrat known for his staunch pro-Israel views, came onstage to receive an award from UJA-Federation of New York CEO Eric Goldstein lauding his advocacy, and afterward delivered a brief address.

“Like many of you, I feel like we live in a world that has lost its mind,” he said. “We live in an alternate reality where wrong has become right. Israeli self-defense has become ‘aggression,’ and antisemitic terrorism has become ‘resistance,'” he said.

“People often ask me, ‘You know Ritchie, you’re not Jewish, you’re Black, you’re a Latino. Why do you speak out so forcefully and frequently against antisemitism?’” Torres said. “And I simply reply: ‘The question is not, why have I chosen to speak out? The question is, why have others chosen to be silent amid the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust?’”

“No one has stood stronger for our community than @RitchieTorres. Our gratitude is profound, our admiration is boundless, and our friendship is deep.”

Our CEO, Eric Goldstein, was privileged to present Rep. Torres with the Yitro Award for Courageous Leadership. #WeStandTogether pic.twitter.com/wnRBoQZBBo

— UJA-Federation of New York (@UJAfedNY) November 11, 2024

In a prerecorded video, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York noted his historic status as the most senior Jewish elected official in US history.

After the attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, Schumer said, “rallies like this are needed more than ever.”

Schumer in video to “Stand Together” rally for Israel in DC:

“Under my leadership in the Senate, we have sent a real message that America will always, always have Israel's back.

“And that's why I also continue to fight back against the vicious poison of antisemitism.” pic.twitter.com/hqbUZlNchx

— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) November 10, 2024

The family of Hamas captive Omer Neutra, as well as Yarden Gonen, whose sister Romi was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, focused on the hostages’ plight.

“The time is now. A year ago, we saw a deal that brought over 100 hostages home — it’s the only proven path to bringing them all back,” said Orna Neutra, Omer’s mother. A negotiated weeklong ceasefire in later November last year saw the release of 105 hostages held by terror groups in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Daniel Lifshitz, whose grandfather, Oded Lifshitz, 84, is being held in Gaza, urged Biden and Trump to work to secure a hostage agreement.

“President-elect Trump and President Biden, I urge you to seize this moment, with [former Hamas chief Yahya] Sinwar eliminated, to pressure the mediators to secure a deal that will bring our people home,” he said.

Representatives of JFNA and the Conference of Presidents would not comment on the turnout. Niv Elis, a JFNA spokesman, said “many thousands watched by livestream on our YouTube and [Facebook] and with the many partners who posted.”

An official of one of the partner organizations said that was one of several reasons that the timing of Sunday’s event was off.

“There were some 400 Oct. 7 memorials, there was Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur; the push on this event came late,” said the official, who maintained anonymity in order to speak frankly.

Stacy Zeitz, a special education administrator who arrived by bus from Brooklyn, said the turnout showed the impact that time could have on people’s enthusiasm.

Stacy Zeitz, 57, a special education administrator who arrived by bus from Brooklyn and who was wearing a blue “I Stand with Israel” sweatshirt, said she hoped “that we will be unified by all the voices we hear today.” Regarding unity, she said, “I think it’s been 401 long days, and it wanes. I fear that it wanes.”

She added, “Give us that feeling, really, that maybe some of us are losing. We need that feeling.”