Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

At 290,000-strong, ‘March for Israel’ is ‘largest pro-Israel gathering in history’

Another 250,000 watched via lifestream, according to organizers.

March for Israel
More than 290,000 people attended the “March for Israel” rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14, 2023. Photo by Shay Shohat/Flash90.

“We have indeed made history today with over 290,000 of us gathered here on the National Mall. This is the largest pro-Israel gathering in history,” William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told attendees of the Nov. 14 “March for Israel” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Daroff, whose organization represents 50 member groups, added that another 250,000 watched the march on livestream and on C-SPAN.

He added that bus drivers refused to transport 900 participants from the Detroit Federation who arrived at Dulles International Airport when the drivers learned they were going to a pro-Israel event.

Daroff Fingerhut
William Daroff (left), CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, address an estimated 290,000 at the “March for Israel” rally in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 14, 2023. Source: Screenshot.

“Look what we can do in just over a week. Imagine what we can do,” said Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, which represents 146 Federations.

“Today’s crowd brings together every sector of American life. People of all faiths and creeds, of all races and backgrounds, to say together with unity and strength, ‘We support Israel’s fight to rid itself of the terror threat and restore safety and security to its people,’” he said.

Religious Zionism’s Zvi Sukkot, writing in German, tweeted: “There must never be a policy in the world that aims to create areas free of Jews.”
At present, we live with the direct legacy of the Nazi past of the Palestinian Arabs and their sympathizers in the form of a massive antisemitic campaign, particularly following the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.
The International Human Rights Observatory and B’nai B’rith Portugal recognized Israel’s Declaration of Independence as a milestone for freedom and Jewish self-determination.
Lebanon is at a potential turning point, but without decisive action by Beirut the cycle of ceasefire, rearmament and war will continue, experts tell JNS.
The siren tradition began in the 1960s and has become one of the country’s most solemn national rituals.
Public gatherings are now limited to 5,000 people in many parts of the country, including Jerusalem.