WASHINGTON — First thing Tuesday morning, hundreds of Northeast Ohioans boarded buses to head to the nation’s capital to participate in the "March for Israel" rally. The Jewish Federation of Cleveland tells 3News 25 buses left the area, and says in total, about 1,700 Greater Cleveland residents made their way to Washington, D.C.
The rally brought together people from across the country to stand in support of Israel, speak out against antisemitism, and call for the release of hostages.
Among them was Jill Zimon, board president of the American Jewish Committee Cleveland regional offices. She had been with AJC colleagues in New York when she took a bus to D.C. Tuesday morning, arriving around noon.
"There's just no denying that we must condemn the terrorism that happened on Oct. 7," she said of Hamas' assault on Israel last month, "and I believe that everybody who's coming here today is of one mind about getting the hostages back and also really showing our fight and our standing up against the antisemitism."
Zimon believes a lot of the antisemitism comes from ignorance or lack of education, and says a number of Jewish organizations, including the AJC, work to address that. Over the weekend, a Jewish cemetery in Brooklyn was vandalized, with gravestones spray-painted with swastikas.
"The biggest hope would be to have the hostages freed as soon as possible; that is just a top priority," Zimon told 3News of the Israeli hostages currently being held by Hamas. "The second is to see people continue to combat the antisemitism, and hopefully start to see changes of heart."
Zimon adds she hopes people in Israel feel and see the support of those who attended the rally. According to WKYC's sister station WUSA in Washington, tens of thousands of people gathered at the National Mall. Photos sent to 3News from Northeast Ohioans in Washington also showed crowds of people walking with signs reading "Cleveland stands with Israel."