WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands of people took part in a massive demonstration in the nation’s capital for Israel on Tuesday. They came from around the country, including the Lone Star State.

What You Need To Know

  • Texans hailing from cities including San Antonio, Dallas and Houston traveled to Washington for a massive demonstration in support of Israel

  • Participants called for the release of the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas and condemned the antisemitism that has surged following Israel’s military response 

  • The rally comes weeks after demonstrations around the world pleading for a ceasefire in Gaza 

“While I’m a proud American citizen, Israel is just in my blood,” Nammie Ichilov, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, told Spectrum News. 

“When something happens over there, it isn’t like just happening in another country, anywhere in the world. It’s happening in here,” Ichilov said, gesturing to his heart. “When Israel is in pain, when Israel suffers, we all suffer.”

Ichilov has family in Israel, who lived through Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7  that killed more than 1,200 people. 

“The stress, the anxiety, the mental welfare, the emotional distress, like every other Israeli and anybody who feels that kind of sympathy here in the United States, we’re all just troubled and trying to figure out how to deal with it,” Ichilov said. 

They are also trying to figure out how they can show their solidarity for the Jewish state. Ichilov was among 150 people part of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, who came to Washington on a chartered plane from South Texas. 

Other Texans who participated in the demonstration at the National Mall traveled from Dallas and Houston.

“How was this happening again, after the Holocaust? How did this happen again?” Houston resident Jackie Fursah told Spectrum News. “We say ‘never again,’ but we have to put our actions behind those words. And that’s why I’m here.” 

“How could I not come? I mean, to me, it was unthinkable to not come. I didn’t even think about not coming,” said another Houston resident, Doreen Lerner. “We’re in a crisis, antisemitism has risen horribly, over the years, but especially since Oct. 7.” 

They called for the release of the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas and other Islamist groups, and condemned the antisemitism that has surged following Israel’s military response. 

The rally comes weeks after a weekend of demonstrations around the world pleading for a ceasefire in Gaza, and in many cases criticizing Israel for its fierce military response. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 11,000 Palestinians have died since the war began. But Israel’s leaders say a cease fire would only allow Hamas to regroup.

“Any Israeli, whether they’re on the right of center, or they’re on the left of center, whatever their politics are, they believe in peace. It’s just how we get there is the greatest struggle, and that’s really our challenge,” Ichilov said.