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((PLAYBOOK SLUG: March for Israel TVR
HEADLINE: ‘March For Israel’ Shows Jewish Americans Are Not a Monolith
TEASER: Among the crowd that rallied in support of Israel, many expressed concerns for Palestinian civilian lives
PUBLISHED AT: 11/14/2023 at 8:16 pm
BYLINE: Veronica Balderas Iglesias
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington DC
VIDEOGRAPHER: Keith Lane
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Mia Bush, Jepsen
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Original VOA
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:38
VID APPROVED BY: mia
TYPE:
EDITOR NOTES: Radio Tracks for reversioning Included))
((INTRO))
[[Tens of thousands of Jewish Americans rallied on Tuesday in Washington in support of Israel, to call for the release of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas and to reject antisemitism. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias covered the “March for Israel” and gathered many of the diverse points of view that were expressed.]]
((NARRATOR))
Under the watchful eye of several law enforcement agencies, thousands of Jewish Americans gathered Tuesday at the National Mall in Washington to express support for Israel and call for the release of the hostages kidnapped by the militant group Hamas during a terrorist incursion into Israel on October 7.
((Rachelle Miller, March for Israel Participant))
“Just like you have Israel made a corridor for Gazan refugees who wanted to leave, who are in fear of their lives, they made a safe passage for them, I’d like to see a safe passage for the 240 kidnapped Israelis that were taken from their homes.”
((Yoel Taran, March for Israel Participant))
“Everybody saw what Hamas did. //And of course, I crave, you know, for to minimize civilian casualties.”
((NARRATOR))
Rallygoers also denounced all forms of antisemitism.
((Iris Friedman, March for Israel Participant))
“I’ve never experienced so much antisemitism in my life. I’m used to antisemitism but not at this level.”
((NARRATOR))
There were also calls for the United States to ramp up its support to Israel.
((Emma Stein, March for Israel Participant))
“I think that more financial aid is needed. I think that making sure that the Middle East stays safe is a huge priority for the United States.”
((Veronica Balderas Iglesias, VOA News))
“Among the thousands of people who gathered for the March for Israel, there was a subgroup of people who had a different set of views about the conflict in the Middle East.”
((NARRATOR))
They participated under the banner of the “Peace Bloc” and were led by lobbying groups such as J Street and the NGO Americans for Peace Now. Some questioned aspects of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
((Nate Wolfson, J Street))
“I wouldn’t consider it a counter-demonstration, I would consider it a piece of the larger conversation. // What we need immediately is we need a pause in the fighting, we need a humanitarian pause.”
((Zandra Campbell, Peace Bloc Participant))
“We condemn Hamas’ actions; however, we believe // that to fight war crimes with more war crimes does not solve the problem.”
((NARRATOR))
Others shared their views on what should happen when the fighting ends.
((Vicky Stern, Peace Bloc Participant))
“I’m in favor of a two-state solution. I think that’s the only solution.”
((Hadar Susskind, Americans for Peace Now))
“We care about Israel deeply, and we care about the Palestinians and we want to see those two peoples with dignity, sovereignty and freedom.”
((NARRATOR))
Despite the wide variety of opinions among Jewish Americans who participated in the March for Israel,
and a couple of tense moments during encounters with Jewish Orthodox protesters on the sidelines of the main event, the rally was held and concluded in an environment of peace.
((Veronica Balderas Iglesias, VOA News, Washington))
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington
Embargo DateNovember 14, 2023 20:54 EST
BylineVeronica Balderas Iglesias
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
