Video shared on social media shows a March for Israel counter-protester taunting children, saying they're not "real" Jews.
The March for Israel rally kicked off at 1 p.m. local time Tuesday on the National Mall in Washington D.C. and was organized by Jewish organizations as part of a response to criticism of Israel amid the county's ongoing war with Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The March for Israel brought more than 100,000 people to the nation's capital in a show of solidarity for Israel and to call attention to the hostages that are still being held by Hamas. According to the New York Times, a host of U.S. lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, attended the march.
While the event was peaceful and garnered support from legislators of both major political parties, videos shared on social media show counter-protesters heckling rallygoers.
In the 31-second video, shared to X, formerly Twitter, by TENET Media, a counter-protester yells at children shortly after the march ends. In the profanity-laced clip, the protester taunts the kids, saying they're "not the real Jews."
"Counter protester walks around after the Americans March For Israel event concluded and yells at children 'Sorry kids, you're not the real Jews,'" TENET Media posted.
Newsweek reached out via email and social media on Tuesday to the march's organizers for comment.
The video, the authenticity of which Newsweek was unable to independently verify, was first posted to X just after 3:40 p.m. EST. Newsweek reached out via TENET Media's website for comment and additional information about the incident.
The March for Israel, organized by the Jewish Federations of North America, comes as tensions between supporters of Israel and supporters of Palestinians continue to brew in the U.S. as the Israel-Hamas war wages on.
Hamas launched a surprise attack on October 7, which was the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. According to Israeli officials, 1,400 people in Israel have been killed and at least 240 hostages have been taken back to Gaza as of Tuesday, the Associated Press reported, while more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to officials from the health ministry in Gaza, the AP said.
Since the bloodshed began last month, people have taken to protesting the U.S.'s response to the unrest, provoking strong reactions and heated debate.
The violence in the Middle East has ignited widespread pro-Palestinian protests across the globe, which in some cases have spilled over into expressions of support for Hamas' actions and overt antisemitic threats.
Ahead of the march on Tuesday, a video emerged on social media alleging that pro-Palestinian activists vandalized a medic tent at the event.
The video appears to show messages including, "Palestine will be free," "Gaza will win," and "Free Gaza" spray-painted on the walls.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Maura Zurick is the Newsweek Weekend Night Editor based in Cleveland, Ohio. Her focus is reporting on U.S. national news ... Read more
