WASHINGTON POST: In houses of worship, congregants grieved. Near the White House, pro-Palestinian demonstrators called for the end of U.S. aid to Israel.
Sam Lilek returned from Tel Aviv a few days ago to vacation with his parents in the Maryland suburbs. By Saturday, he was grieving as he saw the images of explosions and bloody bodies in Israel, where he has been studying for the past two years.“I’m obviously distraught. People are scared and angry,” said Lilek, 31, a student at Tel Aviv University. He attended a somber vigil Sunday at Temple Sinai in Northwest Washington to honor those killed in the attack by Hamas.Across the Washington region, members of the Jewish and Palestinian communities and their supporters responded to the escalation in violence. At least 700 Israelis were killed Saturday, and as of Sunday, Israel had officially declared war against Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.At synagogues and churches on Sunday, congregants and religious leaders prayed for peace. In front of the White House, a few hundred pro-Palestinian protesters called for the end of American aid to Israel.Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) pledged support for the Israeli people and the Jewish community in Washington as she announced stepped-up police patrols at houses of worship and embassies.“We join those around the world in calling for peace, condemning the tragic attack on Israel,” Bowser said Sunday on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “We pray for an end to this bloodshed.”People start a march to the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Sunday. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Washington Post)Synagogues across the region were filled with worshipers. They said memorial prayers. They sang “What a Wonderful World” and hymns of hope, healing and people coming together. Those from other faiths joined them.Together, they cried.“It’s terrifying. It’s upsetting,” said Linda Hirsch, a retired social worker from Bethesda, whose husband was a Holocaust survivor. “I worry for a place that I love dearly.”Rabbi Jonathan Roos of Temple Sinai condemned the attack, calling the Hamas militant group “an antisemitic, fundamentalist mass murder organization.” Temple Sinai, he said, is a progressive congregation that has vocally opposed Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, supporting peace with Palestinians and the peaceful creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.“And that is exactly why we condemn Israel’s attackers,” Roos said, adding that the attacks have shaken the Jewish community in Washington. Many at Temple Sinai have relatives in Israel or travel there to study, begin their careers or to connect with their religion and people.Negotiations for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled for years — and while the violence appeared to erupt suddenly Saturday, it followed more than a year of escalating tensions in the West Bank and Gaza. This year alone has seen a spike in deadly attacks against both Israelis and Palestinians.Hamas said the operation was in response to the years-long blockade of Gaza, as well as recent Israeli military raids in the West Bank and violence at al-Aqsa Mosque, a disputed religious site in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount.But its militants gunned down civilians on the streets and in their homes, including at least 260 people who gathered in the desert in southern Israel to attend an all-night music festival.“Antisemitism and the hatred of Jews is a part of this,” Roos said in an interview. “Anyone who is inclined to sympathize with Hamas in this situation really needs to reckon with and confront the reality of their antisemitism and their hatred.”The scene at the Northwest Washington synagogue was one of many playing out across the Jewish world on a weekend that normally is full of joy and celebration of Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret, a Jewish holiday. At Adas Israel Congregation in Cleveland Park, congregants were planning an emergency response to raise funds to support the victims.“Tragically, we’ve once again waked up to the news of war in our beloved Israel,” Adas leaders said to congregants.They continued:“Yes, we will pray for a swift end to this latest fighting.”“Yes, we will pray for a lasting peace, a different future.”“Yes, we will pray for our families and friends who will once again suffer terrible loss.”“Yes, we will pray for the safe return of those held captive.”“Yes, we will reach out to our loved ones deeply and directly impacted.”While they prayed, a rally in front of the White House swelled to a few hundred pro-Palestinian protesters.They were watched closely by about a dozen Secret Service officers, and later escorted by D.C. police officers. But the gathering, which included singing, chanting and dancing, remained peaceful. No counterprotesters appeared to be present.Demonstrators assemble near the White House on Sunday. (Michael A. McCoy for The Washington Post)The All Out for Palestinian Territories rally was organized by groups including Party for Socialism and Liberation, Palestinian Youth Movement, Maryland 2 Palestinian territories and others, according to a news release. It was among dozens of similar protests planned across the country.
