Israel's propaganda war received a significant boost on Wednesday night, when most of the American media extensively covered the unprecedented rally in support held in Washington.
Omer Adam sings "Hatikvah" in front of hundreds of thousands in Washington // Noam Galai
Even before the event began, media teams fought among themselves over broadcast areas and went live from morning to afternoon. According to the organizers, over a quarter of a million participants attended the rally, making it the largest show of support for Israel in U.S. history. A similar number watched the event via the online broadcast on the rally's website.
The headlines in the local media were not long in coming. "Speeches in the background of a sea of American and Israeli flags," according to the Associated Press. "Hundreds of thousands came to the national 'Mul' under heavy security, to stand with Israel in the war against Hamas, and cried 'never again.'" The leading Jewish news website in the United States, Jewish Insider, popular among influential people in the United States, called the event "the largest gathering of support in American history." "Thousands of flags and signs signaled support for the Jewish state and drew the world's attention to the hundreds of hostages held in Gaza," the website said.
The rally in support of Israel held in Washington, D.C., photo: AP
The New York Times stressed that "there were no calls for a ceasefire from the speakers," which helped the rally organizers "fight Israel's critics." "The Mall area was packed with people from Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, and elsewhere who declared support for Israel. Many speakers sensed rising anti-Semitism and emphasized what was happening on American campuses." The newspaper also stressed that "the rally was a kind of antidote to the loneliness and isolation felt by many since the Hamas attack."
"The pro-Israel rally attracted a huge crowd to Washington," read the front page of ABC, the country's leading media network. Network reporter Christina Ruffini told millions of viewers live that she was impressed by the number of people who came to Washington and filled the famed national area weeks after the war began. "We haven't seen many anti-Israel demonstrations in the region," Ruffini added.
Fox called the rally "an enormous event of support by nonviolent demonstrators for the release of hostages, the eradication of anti-Semitism, and the victory of Israel." Fox also declared it "the greatest demonstration in American history." The Arab media network Al-Jazera also covered the rally extensively, adding that "despite presenting a united front, the Democrats and the United States are divided on the direction Israel is taking and its attitude toward the Palestinians."
Herzog's speech is screened at a rally in Washington, D.C., Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO
Reports about the rally continued to circulate in the American media even after IDF forces entered Shifa Hospital in Gaza, and they made sure to extensively cover the great response of Americans from around the country to come to the capital to support Israel. At the same time, there were reports of bus drivers who did not arrive at the Washington airport to pick up hundreds of attendees who had come specifically from Detroit for the rally. As a result, many were late for the rally, and others turned back.
U.S. security authorities have raised security alert in the rally area to the highest level, similar to major events such as the Super Bowl. Accordingly, there was a heavy presence of federal security around the rally, in part because of the senior speakers who spoke at it.
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