Tensions Between Protesters and Counter Protesters at rally against Anti-Semitism in DC

Description

Hundreds of members of the Jewish community and allies gathered in Washington DC, on Sunday afternoon, in a rally aimed to counter the rising anti-Semitism in the country. A diverse coalition of Jewish advocacy groups, under the leadership of 'Alliance For Israel', hosted the event titled "NO FEAR: A Rally in Solidarity with the Jewish People." The event took place on the National Mall near the US Capitol Building. Several speakers addressed the reports of rising anti-Semitism in the US, with some sharing their stories of attacks and harassment in the wake of the latest Israeli attacks on Gaza. "There's a tremendous amount of anti-Semitism across the country, and there's not an appropriate response from elected officials and other leaders. And the Jewish community is here to say 'enough'," said Alliance For Israel president Melissa Landa, adding that, "It's not criticism of policy that we object to, it's when the question of Israel's right to exist is called into question, and then it becomes anti-Semitic." Activists from Neturei Karta International, a Jewish Orthodox anti-Zionist organisation, staged a counter-protest across the street. Yisroel Dovid Weiss, a Rabbi taking part in the counter-demonstration held the Israeli government responsible for the rise in anti-Semitism. "Obviously, we hurt when anybody gets attacked, but what they're doing, their occupation of another people, their declaration that they have the right to occupy and take over Palestine will obviously incur the wrath of Muslims and many, many people around the world who feel the suffering of the Palestinian people," he said. Police were seen intervening to defuse tensions between the rally and counter-protesters.