'Israel dissolution rally' planned for Washington
Pro-Israel group scrambling to organize last-minute counter-demonstration in Washington DC
Stand With US, based in California, has described a protest scheduled to be held against "the occupation" as in fact being "a rally for the dissolution of the State of Israel."
The anti-Israel protest, which is expected to attract thousands, has been organized by the United for Peace and Justice group, the Muslims American Society Freedom Foundation, the Communist Party USA, and "other extremist organizations," according to a Stand With US press release.
"We will gather on the North side of Constitution Avenue, just west of the Capitol Reflecting Pool. We are organizing this literally one week before the event, with almost no resources or time.
"This counter-rally truly is the product of a few citizens who are deeply outraged that Israel's opponents might have demonstrated in our nation's capitol without any patriotic opposing voices who will tell truth to counter these lies," Stand With Us told its supporters in an email.
It advised its followers to come to the rally with signs which read: "Israel, we stand with you," "free the Palestinians from Hamas," and "suicide bombing is mass murder."
Speaking to Ynetnews, Stand With US Director Roz Rothstein said that although she expected pro-Israel supporters to be outnumbered, she did not think the confrontation would turn violent. "The police will be there, it should be perfectly fine," she said.
"The anti-Israel groups say they expect thousands. We expect a couple of hundred because its last minute," Rothstein added.
"Stand With Us Staff are the organizers, but there are many other groups including Christian groups, and its a broad tent, center to right of center, all coming together, Democrats and Republicans," the Stand With Us director said.
Among the groups supporting the counter-rally are the Zionist Organization of America, Free Republic, Christians' Israel Public Action Campaign, and Americans for a Safe Israel.
Stand With Us has recently released subway ads in the American capital to counter an anti-Israel poster campaign showing Palestinian children and Israeli tanks.
Rothstein said her organization's campaign has been well-received. "All of the Israelis that have written to us have been deeply appreciative," she said. She added, however, that a minority of Jewish organizations "felt that we should not have responded at all... this is a view that is not new, and not unusual, but we disagree with it. We feel that lies told about Israel can become mainstream truths when they are left unchallenged."
"Making people smarter with facts is essential now, in order to enjoy reasonable debate," she added.
